The undocumented worker situation

There has been much discussion and debate as to the undocumented worker problem. I see it as more of a national security problem. With unemployment at a low 4.4 percent, the issue is not jobs being taken from Americans. But we do have a national security issue with uncontrolled borders, and we do have a strain on our social and justice systems created by undocumented workers.

The fact is, America is a country that was built on immigration. Why would we want to suddenly shut the door? We were also founded as a democracy, where the free market and free will of the people, not the government, determines the allocation of resources. I say we let free market principles determine who immigrates to America, land of the free. But we do need better control of our borders.

I propose the following:

Let anyone who can pass a criminal background check immigrate to America who wants to, providing that they enter through an authorized port of entry and they understand that they will receive no social benefits and they will not have all the rights of a U.S. citizen, including those rights regarding discrimination, privacy, probable cause, unwarranted search and seizure, and having firearms.

Their children would not be citizens just because they were born here, and their children would not receive free public education.

Because all law-abiding citizens of the world would be allowed to enter freely, there would be no legitimate reason to enter at unauthorized border crossings. Those who do would be arrested and treated as enemy combatants in the war on terror.

Those who enter the U.S. legally, obey our laws and learn English would be allowed to become citizens after five years.

Those who are already here illegally would be required to reenter through a legal port of entry or face deportation. All those who are deported would be convicted of a crime and, therefore, banned from ever returning. Randy Wheeler Moorpark