• Originally published July 25, 2009 at 3:15 p.m., updated July 26, 2009 at 9:32 p.m.

In the midst of the serious issues that America faces, border security and illegal immigration continue to waste too much of our national energy.

The mounting criminal threat that accompanies illegal immigration continues to fuel political infighting and provides daily evening news crime stories. Spokespeople on both sides of the argument continue to engage in personal, rancorous and ad hominem attacks.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people suffer moral indignities that could be prevented by swift and decisive action. America has the opportunity to show moral courage and bring closure to the debate over our borders. Here is how we begin the healing.

First, immigration must be controlled, managed and audited in real time. After a decade of studies and debate, Americans know the problem isn't about ethnicity or race. The problem is a result of irresponsible government management coupled with basic human nature.

Illegal immigrants, driven by a thirst for opportunity and a strong work ethic, have created a perfect storm of illegal immigration and drug cartels. Failed Mexican government economic policies have compelled millions of Mexican citizens to violate America's immigration laws and leave their home country to find work.

Americans want borders with integrity. That means fences. We must complete a real double-layered fence, complemented with cameras, sensors, radar and, most importantly, the manpower to ensure competent border security. We must cooperate with the northern Mexico governors and the Mexico president to ensure quick and decisive eradication of drug cartels. And, if conditions don't improve, we should create a one-mile demilitarized zone on both sides of the international boundary and lock it down with National Guard and military assets working in conjunction with U.S. Border Patrol.

Second, the United States should immediately put a two-year moratorium on all immigration. We must end automatic birthright citizenship, and stop determining quotas based on the family reunification model. During the immigration moratorium, we must modernize our documentation process, and create a national immigrant visitor data base and tracking mechanisms to ensure that legal immigration is built on an economic and educational paradigm.

Any immigrant who pledges to enter the United States and work productively must be held accountable. Those who display contempt for freedom and liberty should be deported and not allowed to return. Millions of people who appreciate the opportunity of entering the United States wait patiently in line. Most of them appreciate our dominant cultural assimilation - respect for law and order.

The debate about health care illustrates that we have a national healthcare system. It's free-of-charge, with no questions asked. The government mandates that doctors, emergency rooms, hospitals and clinics provide care to anyone. That means in every city, in every county, in every state, we the people are picking up the tab at the local level while the federal government neglects its responsibility to secure our borders and control immigration.

We need to hold the federal government accountable. If Washington, D.C., is going to provide comprehensive insurance coverage and the best medical care available on the planet to everyone living here, then we should limit who is eligible by controlling immigration.

Third, we need to update our immigration processes.

We should issue tamperproof biometric ID cards for every student, visitor and guest worker who enters the United States.

Those here illegally will either risk working in the shadows, or return to their country of origin and get in line to return to legally immigrate here, but only if there are jobs available after our 2-year accountability program is in place.

This approach provides an incentive for the governments of Mexico and all Central America to model a program after ours; to ensure their own border security; to show their commitment to end the influence of drug cartels; and, to provide free markets that enable legitimate jobs to flourish in their countries.

When jobs flourish, so do communities. Let's allow our wounded communities to heal and turn our national energy toward more productive and inclusive goals - like life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Chris Simcox is founder of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. He is running to unseat Arizona Sen. John McCain.

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