MY VISIT TO BORDER, by Mary Fallin

I recently had a chance to visit one of the true hot spots in America' effort to control illegal immigration, the U.S./Mexican border near San Diego. For two days I walked the border fence and observed traffic at border crossings with officers from the Customs and Immigration services. I even took an aerial tour in a helicopter.

The good news is that we are doing a better job securing our borders. Our safeguards, from the fences we have built, sensors in the ground, video cameras, to tighter surveillance at border crossings, are more layered and effective. I am convinced we are more successful at stopping those who would sneak across or smuggle drugs.

Now I am even more convinced that securing the border has to be our first order of business. Until we stop the inflow, we canat begin to consider how to deal with those who are already here.

But the bad news is that there are still an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States. I spoke with one of our agents who had just interviewed an illegal immigrant who had been taken into custody after living here for some time.

She told him she had received subsidized housing and free medical care and free schooling for her children. When he asked her if she felt bad about taking advantage of the American taxpayer, she said, "No, why should I? Your government gives it all to me!"

I am a co-sponsor of the SAVE Act, which would be a good first step in solving this problem. It would further strengthen border security by adding more fences, technology and more Border Patrol officers. That has to be step one.

Once we get full control of our borders, we can then start debating what to do with the illegals like that smirking woman. I oppose amnesty; you canat excuse blatant lawbreaking. I also believe we need tougher procedures to verify that new employees are eligible to work in the U.S. Legal immigrants have always enriched our nation.

Most of us are descendants of people who came here openly and legally. They abided by the rules, and they made America better.

My visit to San Diego made me respect those legal immigrants even more. And it made me even more determined to stop the inflow of illegals. It' simply not right to ask the American taxpayer to subsidize and tolerate those who break our laws to take advantage of American government resources and come here illegally.

Hopefully, those of us in Congress who insist on reforms like the SAVE Act will have a chance to vote on tougher immigration measures very soon. In the weeks ahead Iall be able to update my colleagues about what' happening on the border and what we need to do to protect our nation from illegal immigration.