A no-brainer solution to the border crisis: Charles Krauthammer

Letter date: 
Friday, July 11, 2014
Letter publisher: 
OregonLive.com
Letter author: 
Charles Krauthammer
Letter body: 

WASHINGTON -- As is his wont, President Obama is treating the border crisis -- more than 50,000 unaccompanied children crossing illegally -- as a public relations problem. Where to photo op and where not. He still hasn't enunciated a policy. He may not even have one.

Will these immigrants be allowed to stay? Seven times was Obama's homeland security secretary asked this on "Meet the Press." Seven times he danced around the question.

Presidential press secretary Josh Earnest was ostensibly more forthcoming: "It's unlikely that most of those kids will qualify for humanitarian relief. ... They will be sent back." ...

One thing is certain. When the first convoys begin rolling from town to town across Central America, the influx will stop....

The new variable is Obama's unilateral (and lawless) June 2012 order essentially legalizing hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants who came here as children.

Message received in Central America...

Alternatively, Obama blames the crisis on Republicans for failing to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

More nonsense...

It happens that I support immigration reform. I support amnesty...

Which begins with completing the fencing along the Mexican frontier...

But a fence is for the long term. For the immediate crisis, the answer is equally, blindingly clear: Eliminate the Central American exception and enforce the law.

It must happen. The nightmare will continue until it does. The only question is: How long until Obama is forced to do the obvious?