Few issues today arouse as much passion or produce as many contradictory statements as illegal immigration. Before I go any further, therefore, I want to say a few words about some of the underlying personal values that are going to shape my future work and votes on this issue.

The melting pot concept has been a defining American icon. To me, it implies two things: a sturdy pot, or cultural container, and a melding of its contents into a constantly refreshing stew, or assimilation.

In keeping with that metaphor, I believe that immigrants must be loyal to the USA. I am proud to say that my background of service leaves no room for misunderstanding the depth of my conviction on this score. Once a person crosses the US border intending to stay, past national loyalties have to be just that —things of the past. An immigrant is gaining a place is the most wonderful country in the world, and in return, he or she has to be willing to merge with our unique culture and stand up for our laws and our democracy. Getting very specific for a moment, I think English should be America's only official language, and I don't think we should be printing our ballots in any other languages. We have a core national culture and spirit, and we need to keep it that way. At the same time, we need to honor and celebrate both our diversity and the cultural roots from which each citizen sprang.

One thing I absolutely cannot accept, as a Christian and an American, is any immigration policy that is based on racial, cultural, or religious discrimination. Similarly, the manner in which we carry out our immigration policies has to show a fundamental respect for all of God's children.

I also feel very strongly that we have had more than enough shouting and rhetoric coming from all sides on this issue. The incoming administration has to find a way to sort through the wheat and the chaff, develop an unbiased, factual understanding of the nature of the overall problem, and quickly come up with a realistic action agenda. That is going to require bipartisan action, and I pledge to work cooperatively with my colleagues regardless of their parties.

America is a nation of immigrants, and I want that always to be true. In the world of today, however, we can no longer afford what has become a de facto policy of uncontrolled illegal immigration. Below are some of my thoughts on what I consider to be three key components of the overall problem of illegal immigration.

Border Security

America's borders must be secured without any further foot dragging. The majority of aliens who penetrate our borders illegally are honest, hard-working people who are seeking better lives for themselves. Unfortunately, Islamic jihadists, agents of the drug cartels, gang members, and others with criminal or anti-American agendas can enter the country with equal or even greater ease — potentially, in numbers large enough to cause serious harm. Protecting ourselves from such elements means doing a great deal more than putting the coyotes out of business and closing off our border with Mexico, by the way. My own starter list of critical-path actions includes securing our northern border, refining our aviation security procedures, and vastly improving both our rail and port security systems.

Our porous borders have become a major national security problem, and it is a national disgrace that the Bush administration and the U.S. Congress have taken no significant steps towards sealing them. We have to stop dithering and get this done. Some people are going to be unhappy no matter what method or methods we use, but we have to do it anyway. We have to stop the huge influx of illegal aliens pouring into America and permanently slam our open doorway for terrorists and criminals.

The Economy

Our American government has to find ways to deal with the 12 million and counting illegal immigrants already in the country — and they must be ways that work for the welfare of America as a whole. So far, there is no consensus about either the short or long term effects of the current illegal population on the American economy, and the government appears to be in gridlock when it comes to developing a cohesive, rational policy in this area.

A page by the Council of Economic Advisors on the White House Web site (dated 2007) argues that illegal immigration is an economic benefit to the U.S. A 1995 article by the late economist Julian Simon which appears on the site of the very conservative Cato Institute says the same. On the other hand, the Colorado Alliance for Immigration Reform (CAIR), citing the conservative Washington Times and other sources, says just the opposite. CAIR also references a paper from the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population titled "Why Borders Can't Be Open."

Depending on whom you choose to believe, illegal immigrants are either about to sink our schools and social services, or they more than counterbalance those costs with an overall positive effect on the economy. According to some sources, illegal aliens are stealing jobs from legal citizens and artificially holding down blue-collar wages. Others argue that illegal aliens are the only ones who will accept the kinds of jobs they are taking. Some say it would be economically prohibitive or logistically impossible to deport the 12 million illegal immigrants now in the country. Others argue that once it became clear we were serious about upholding our laws, most of the aliens would self-deport back to their countries.

Right now, I am frankly not sure what I think about the impact on the economy. I am absolutely certain, though, that as part of charting our new course, America — meaning Congress — must have an open, public investigation into the short- and long-term economics, and the costs and benefits of both illegal immigration and identified options for handling the illegal aliens now in the country. We must also revisit our ongoing policies for legal immigration in light of current economic, foreign trade, and workforce realities. I am going to be a very strong advocate for the public circulation and use of sound information.

Justice

Most authors and citizens do seem to agree that uncontrolled illegal immigration has had a corrosive effect on both the rule of law and labor policy in the U.S. We cannot ignore this very serious aspect of our situation just because it is less subtle than some of the others.

We also have to consider very carefully the human values and ethical positions upon which our solutions will be structured. Few people would argue with a policy of immediate deportation of illegal aliens convicted of violent crimes: I certainly would not. Beyond that, however, there is plenty of room for reasoned argument about which policies and courses of action are best. Again, our government needs to have a short period of open, rational discussion of our options in terms of their ethics and values. Then the U.S. Congress and the new administration need to chart a course and implement it evenhandedly, respectfully, and without delay.

A Way to Start

How to deal with 12 million illegal aliens is an extremely difficult and divisive issue, and finding our way out of the problems that our government has created for us is going to be very tough. Primarily because I believe border security is an urgent national security issue, I think our new president should consider setting up a very high-level task force on immigration issues that would be ready to hit the ground running right after the inauguration. While it should draw upon the knowledge and experience of existing agencies, it should also be designed and staffed in ways that encourage independent, "out-of-the-box" thinking and minimize any taint from prior organizational or bureaucratic affiliations. Our government, our business leaders, and our citizens have to start thinking and acting in ways that promote the security as well as the long-term legal, ethical, and cultural good of this country. We simply cannot afford to squander any more time on gridlock and finger-pointing: the new president and the newly seated U.S. Congress must act both quickly and decisively.