Democrats' refusal on wall is about opposing president

Like many others, I have doubts that a wall on our southern border will once and for all resolve the sticky issue of illegal immigration.

There is ample factual and statistical evidence that a wall -- or a fence or a barricade -- will reduce the influx of illegal immigrants. And in some cases, the reduction is striking.

But the question facing our political class centers on a solution to this mass migration if a wall is not the option.

The Democrats have no plan other than their tiring refrain of comprehensive immigration reform.

When pressed for specifics, the Democrats come up empty.

The growing leftist branch of the Democratic party wants open borders but for the life of me, other than raw political power, I can't imagine who in their right mind would actually advocate for a complete open border policy.

One study shows that a total open border policy could attract an estimated 120 million newcomers to our shores.

Most of those new arrivals would bring little skills, language and educational barriers, government dependency and a lack of cultural assimilation to this country.

But that same study shows that most of those immigrants would fall in line with the Democratic party.

And that alone is the reason for this border showdown.

It's old news now but all of those hypocritical Democrats in vocal opposition to the wall, had earlier voted to both fund and a construct a similar wall.

All had also railed against the massive immigration problem and called for greater enforcement of our laws to stop the financial drain caused by illegal immigration.

So what is different today from just a very short few years ago?

Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America.

The Democratic leadership is so focused on opposing any program offered by this President that they are willing to sacrifice the future of this nation in the quest for regaining political power.

That same "leadership" is running scared that the emerging socialist branch of their party is pushing the old guard aside.

And so they draw a line in the sand without regard to the consequences.

Legal immigration is the bedrock of our nation. Those who yearn to join the fabric of America have always formed much of the foundation for our future.

But without the ability to monitor and control this influx, we open the pursestrings of taxpayers already overburdened.

The current government shutdown is not about compromise. Both sides in this political debate have made clear they are at present, unwilling to budge.

But it will take more than a shutdown to resolve this issue.

Given the size of government spending, the Democrats are hard-pressed to make the wall a financial issue.

And given the Democrats' position on abortion, they are equally hard-pressed to make this a moral issue.

The issue is Donald Trump and the unabashed hatred by the left.

Michael Jensen is the publisher of the Standard Democrat in Sikeston, Missouri.