Bay Buchanan, a former U.S. treasurer under President Ronald Reagan, argued that the United States must secure its borders during a Barnum Hall lecture on Tuesday night.
The lecture, entitled "Stop the Bleeding: America's Immigration Crisis," was sponsored by the Tufts Republicans and Young America's Foundation, an organization that promotes conservative thinking in the nation's youth.
Buchanan, a noted Republican strategist and the sister of politician Pat Buchanan, was a presidential campaign advisor to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
Buchanan first addressed the growing negative sentiment of the American problem towards the immigration issue, stressing that it was a problem that crossed party lines. "Never even in the time of Nixon have I seen a populace as angry as they are today," she said.
Buchanan directly linked this anger with America's unsecured borders. "Now it's a complete sieve again," she said.
Buchanan cited gang-controlled trafficking of drugs and humans across the Mexican border as a leading effect of unsecured borders. She went on to discuss the devastating economic consequences as well.
"They're taking all the jobs," Buchanan said of illegal immigrants. She referenced personal stories that she has come across, saying the high unemployment rate Americans have had to endure is a result of current immigration levels. She added that American small-business owners cannot compete with businesses that hire Hispanic workers and pay them low wages.
Buchanan went on to highlight overcrowding in schools and hospitals as consequences of the immigration crisis. "It's cheap for corporations, but taxpayers are footing the bill," she said.
Buchanan placed the most blame on corporations, who hold the greatest clout in Washington. Because corporations provide the greatest financial support to politicians, she reasoned, lawmakers shy away from taking a forceful stance on the issue.
"They're sheep in Washington who do what the power people tell them," she said.
Buchanan consistently cited the failure of Washington to explain why the illegal immigration problem has grown so insurmountable. The lack of action concerning the issue can also be attributed to the government's fear of offending foreign governments, she said.
Buchanan added that because most illegal immigrants come to the United States for employment opportunities, they are unwilling to assimilate. "They're here for the work," she said. "They're not here to leave their roots and make this their number-one nation."
Buchanan made three recommendations that she insisted must be carried out in order to ameliorate the immigration crisis. She stressed that amnesty should never be offered again, as it would create a surge in illegal immigrants as it did during the Reagan era.
She also emphasized the importance of securing the Mexican border. The border itself, she said, must have a physical fence so that any subsequent presidents who oppose tight controls would not be able to repeal it.
Third, Buchanan argued that it was necessary to enforce the law of the land, not merely in being vigilant against illegal immigrants themselves but against the corporations that hire them as well.
"We're talking about being flooded," she said. "If you want to come here and be an American, we expect you to obey the laws ... That is how it's done."
Buchanan ended her lecture by highlighting the importance of debate and why she thinks it is necessary to speak at college campuses. "This country is desperate for leaders," she said. She feels that debate, particularly in a college setting, is the only way to support controversial issues.
At the end of her speech, the floor opened up for an hour-long question-and-answer session.
The lecture was well attended by a variety of members of the student body, including a large portion of Tufts Republicans, Tufts Democrats and Latin-American students.
