Don’t be fooled by the current budget dispute and government shutdown.

It isn’t about President Donald Trump and it most certainly isn’t about saving $5 billion on a partial wall. It’s been said that illegal immigration costs anywhere from $100 billion to $300 billion a year. Citizens need to understand that an open-door policy at our border could very easily bankrupt our country.

Every illegal immigrant who crosses our border is the equivalent of a tax hike for all citizens, Republican or Democrat. When MS13 or ISIS crosses the border illegally, they don’t care if they kill a Republican or Democrat. This should clearly be a bipartisan issue, so what’s going on?

People who come here illegally are attracted by free social programs and very predictably support the party that will most likely continue those programs — the Democratic Party. Therefore Hawaii’s U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono, by standing in the way of securing our borders, are not representing either party. They are representing those non-citizens coming here illegally.

Michael Newgent

Kapaa

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