Immigration gains impacting state, local populations

Many residents do not fully feel the direct impact of the growth of the immigration population in Blount County and the entire state of Tennessee.
The growth is not just in the border states. Between 2000 and 2005, Tennessee had the third highest increase of foreign-born population in the nation. It increased 43 percent from 156,488 to 223,118.
Nearly half of the immigrants coming to Tennessee are from Latin America.
And nearly 4,000 residents of Blount County speak a language other than English in their homes.
Between 1990 and 2000, the Hispanic population of Tennessee grew 278 percent from 32,741 to 123,838. According to the U.S. Census Bureau statistics, that was the fourth highest rate of Hispanic growth among the 50 states and nearly four times the average per state.
In the past nine months, the number of Spanish-speaking students rose 11 percent in the local English as a Second Language classes.
While no breakdown is available on how many of the immigrants are illegal, it is quite obvious that many do not have a green card which would mean they are here legally and employed nor are they in the normal channel to obtain U.S. citizenship or here as a visitor on a legal visa.
The cost of providing instruction in English and normal governmental services provided legal taxpaying citizens is an added burden to taxpayers who are already challenged with building schools, roads and other infrastructure to meet a rapid increase of legal U.S. citizens.
As a nation, we are the most giving in the world through many foreign aid programs paid for from our taxes. In addition we have numerous philanthropic groups and church organizations in Blount County that perform work to help residents of nations from Africa to South America to the South Pacific. If we destroy our nation from within, all of this aid will soon dry up and we will be in the economic condition of many third world countries.
We welcome legal immigrants but illegal immigrants are in the same category as any of the rest of us who are legal residents and violate our laws. When we violate the laws of our state and nation we should, and do, pay the price of fine, jail or deportation.
Unfortunately, many fail to understand the rule of law: violators should be punished.