I have spent most of my life studying other languages and cultures. It has always been a source of great enrichment. When living in Cairo following a nearby terrorist attack, I remember being moved to tears by the Muslim call to prayer. I spent hours talking with Buddhist monks in Thailand; they were always shocked to meet a foreigner who spoke Thai. A devout Christian, I always found such discussions fascinating.

I believe that our country is bettered by legal immigration. I favor free trade. I believe that if we allow other countries to sell to us, and we sell to them, that overall prosperity is created.

Here’s what I can’t figure out: why is “illegal immigration” suddenly like a swear word, replaced by the euphemism “undocumented resident?” It is, objectively speaking, illegal to enter the country without permission. If I did that going anywhere else I’d be roughly thrown in jail. Every stable country in the world has immigration laws.

Not all violations of law are equal. Illegally entering isn’t the same thing as rape, or violent crime, or vehicular homicide. But it’s certainly worse than a traffic ticket – which under a “sanctuary county” would be more serious.

I have pressed friends of mine who are liberals to explain this to me. There’s a lot of hemming and hawing. Do you really believe in open borders? Or is this really about just opposing President Trump? If you really care about immigrants, surely you must know that this policy only makes true immigration reform less likely.

Nathan Butler

Chair, San Juan County Republican Party

(The above opinion is the view of Butler, not the SJC Republican Party)