Ron Paul And Immigration

The following quote is taken from an Interview with the Muckraker Report:

"While I realize that mass deportation is unrealistic, I’m opposed to amnesty, because I believe strongly in the rule of law. I see this matter chiefly as a problem of the welfare state. The majority of illegal immigrants in this country are exceptionally hard workers, but there is a small minority receiving housing subsidies, food stamps, free medical care, and other kinds of welfare from the federal government. This alienates taxpayers and breeds suspicion of illegal immigrants, which in turn causes citizens to form vigilante groups to deal with the issue while Congress does nothing. Without a welfare state, we would know that everyone coming to America wanted to work hard; with one, however, you can’t avoid a small element of criminals and freeloaders being attracted into the country. This is why I’m in favor of securing the borders immediately. Federal entitlement programs such as Social Security are also threatened by the influx of illegal immigrants into the country. Successive administrations have supported the so-called “totalization” agreements, by which illegal immigrants would be allowed to qualify for programs like Social Security, programs that are already in dire shape and threatening financial ruin for the United States. Sending benefits abroad to immigrants who once worked here will cost the United States millions, perhaps even billions, of dollars. Anyone who hopes to receive Social Security someday should oppose amnesty and totalization proposals. The problems associated with illegal immigration cannot be solved overnight, but we cannot begin to address the issue until we take the difficult steps of securing the borders, rejecting amnesty, and reaffirming our right as a sovereign nation to control immigration without apology."