Hidden Items in Immigration Legislation

As a talk-radio fan, I have heard a lot of discussion on pending immigration legislation. Most of it has centered on amnesty and whether or not the current legislation being considered is or is not amnesty. Although this is a concern of mine (and I do have quite a few thoughts on this), my big concerns are all of the hidden items that might be lurking in this bill that no one is talking about. While browsing the Thomas website, I came across Senate Bill 1348, sponsored by Harry Reid (Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2007 [Placed on Calendar in Senate]). When I read Sections 113 - 117, I was amazed by what I found.

I will admit up front that I am no lawyer, and hopefully I am misunderstanding what is there; however, if I am reading this correctly, amnesty for illegal aliens is the least of our worries. There are measures in here that seem to begin the chipping away of our sovereignty as a nation.

Section 117 discusses "Cooperation With the Government of Mexico". Regarding building a fence along the US/Mexican border, Subsection (d) basically says that US Government officials will have to consult with Mexican officials "before the commencement of any such construction in order to-- (1) solicit the views of affected communities; (2) lessen tensions; and (3) foster greater understanding and stronger cooperation on this and other important security issues of mutual concern." So does that mean that President Bush and the Senate do not have to listen to what the citizens of the US want, but they DO have to listen to what the citizens of Mexico want?

The title in Section 114 says it all - "Improving the Security of Mexico's Southern Border". This section basically says that officials of the US, Canada, and Mexico are going to assess the needs of Guatemala and Belize to secure their borders and then WE ARE GOING TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP MEXICO SECURE ITS SOUTHERN BORDER. Now, we don't have the funds/manpower that we need to secure our borders, but by golly we are going to make sure that no one sneaks into Mexico. It would be laughing hysterically by now if I weren't so shocked.

Section 113(3)(C) considers "exploring methods for Canada, Mexico, and the United States to waive visa requirements for nationals and citizens of the same foreign countries;", while (3)(E) looks at "developing and implementing an immigration security strategy for North America that works toward the development of a common security perimeter by enhancing technical assistance for programs and systems to support advance automated reporting and risk targeting of international passengers;". Not being a lawyer, am I wrong in thinking that this sounds like we are going to have one outer perimeter of the three North American countries, with freedom to move about as if it were one country? Is that the ultimate goal?

You can debate the issue of "amnesty" all day, and it is a worthy debate. However, that isn't what keeps me up at night. This pig in a poke of a bill is much more far-reaching that that. Its long, shadowy hand reaches out to slowly choke our sovereignty as a nation.