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The journey to a better life in this nation has long been treacherous and the torturous demise this week of 10 who were trying to sneak into the U.S. in a tractor-trailer with no air conditioning was a tragic reminder of that.

It also was a reminder of the fact that as long as our fellow humans are willing to risk their lives to set foot in this land and as long as there are traffickers willing to capitalize on those desires there is little that can be done to stem that tide.

It certainly puts the lie to the notion a border wall could have much impact on such illegal immigration. That is because of the great number of truck crossings made every day crossings that are fundamental to the growth of commerce in the U.S.

In 2016, 5.8 million trucks made Southern U.S. border crossings, according to data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Nearly that many more containers made the crossing on trucks. While those trucks are subject to a variety of inspections and U.S. regulations, there is no way all could be inspected.

A key question that must be answered, then, is this: How can we stop more tragedies like this one from occurring? Is it possible to stop those clamoring to escape danger and poverty in their home countries?

Clearly, telling people to only come into the country legally is not working. Those paths are few. And as the ringleaders of these human smuggling rackets well know, desperate people do desperate things.

If people are willing to put themselves at such dire risk to be here, we must ask ourselves whether our Christian principles agree with turning our backs on them, or if those principles demand we find ways to help. And if that is the case, what can be done?

We believe it will take a functional legal mechanism for such immigrants to come here. If that existed, the need to take deadly risks would decline. Remember, immigrants are dying not only in tractor-trailers but when they attempt to cross U.S. Southern deserts.

This is where comprehensive immigration reform comes in. Our system is broken. It sets artificial quotas on how many immigrants will be welcomed and the laws, as currently enforced, set a premium on punishing the immigrants but virtually leaving alone those who employ them. Meanwhile, industries are in need of workers because Americans simply refuse to do many jobs.

Comprehensive reform could fix all this. Unfortunately, Congress is more interested in scare tactics and punishment than fixes the House recently passed a bill further criminalizing undocumented entry and imposing penalties on so-called sanctuary cities.

Of course human trafficking is a scourge that should be tackled with the full force of the law. But immigration law itself also demands immediate attention.

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Editorial: Tragic human smuggling deathsshow need for immigration reform - Longview News-Journal

No easy answers on immigration reform in wake of San Antonio tragedy

David Goins, WFAA 11:45 PM. CDT July 23, 2017

As of late Sunday, officials have not revealed where the overheated tractor trailer stuffed with 39 souls was headed.

Only that by the time it stopped at a Wal-Mart parking lot in southwest San Antonio early Sunday morning, nine people were dead.

It is a tragedy that has captured the attention of Texas lawmakers from both sides of the aisle.

While the special session continued Sunday at the Capitol, thoughts were mostly 80 miles to the south of Austin.

No one should have to die to come to America, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said. "This needs to end and I dont know how many more times we have to see this.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, one of the most conservative voices in state government, renewed his call for lawmakers in D.C. to step up and end the legal uncertainty he says creates the environment for tragedy.

We need legal immigration reform," Patrick said. "Thats up to both parties in Washington & it has been for a long time.

Congress did not pass comprehensive immigration reform under president George W. Bush in 2007 and then rejected a similar effort during the Obama administration in 2013.

San Antonio State Senator Jose Menendez on Sunday questioned if Congress will ever act.

We dont get comprehensive immigration reform because politically it makes it better to have this boogie man - this red meat check box to run against, Menendez said.

2017 WFAA-TV

WFAA

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After truck tragedy, state lawmakers call on Congress to recommit to ... - WFAA

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick believes this is a prime example of why Texas needs to do away with sanctuary cities.

Cori Coffin, KVUE 6:14 PM. CDT July 23, 2017

AUSTIN - Texas lawmakers are reacting to the news after authorities discovered dozens of people stuffed into the back of a big-rig. So far, nine people are confirmed dead. San Antonio police suspect it was a human smuggling operation.

KVUE sat down with Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick to get his take on the situation. Patrick believes this is a prime example of why Texas needs to do away with sanctuary cities. The hope of coming to a 'sanctuary city' is leading people into dire situations with human traffickers.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (Photo: KVUE)

"It's a humanitarian crisis -- and in my view, murder when you stuff people when it's 100 degrees or more in the back of a truck," explained Patrick. "And who knows how long they were in that truck. I've always said -- I've said this for years: no one should have to die to come to America. We need legal immigration reform. That's up to both parties in Washington -- it has been for a long time -- so that people can come here in dignity. We need to control who comes here. But those who come here, we want them to come here in dignity -- not have to live in the shadows -- and embrace our country."

Patrick is looking to the federal government to overhaul immigration in America. It's something both Republican and Democrat-majority administrations have tried and failed at. Patrick envisions a simpler system to get people in dangerous situations, into the United States quicker.

"We need to streamline the opportunity to come to America legally," he added. "Citizenship may take longer, but you should be able to come here in a reasonable amount of time, with background checks and with jobs waiting for you. Maybe a family that can take you in."

Patrick also told KVUE if Congress can implement a successful immigration system, he believes most illegal immigration would disappear. He said 'sanctuary cities' undermine that effort, empowering smugglers to take advantage of those who are desperate.

State Senator Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio) also wants to see comprehensive immigration reform in America. He spoke about the Bracero program of the 1950s, which allowed migrant workers to come into the country for day labor.

"And because they knew they could go and come back, because of this work program, they didn't look for desperate ways to get here at any cost -- at any price," explained Menendez. "They knew there was a way, a legal way, to come into the country, do some work, and leave... We're the wealthiest, most free country in the world. And we're surrounded by places that need help. And I think we could do a better job of being better neighbors."

Senator Menendez believes along with comprehensive reform, it's important to not make people who already live here, victims as well. He also says he would like to see harsher penalties for human traffickers to fight the problem.

On the other side,District 51 Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, who is part of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, believes politics shouldn't be the first thing looked at in a situation like this.

"I know that people will talk about immigration and policy in a partisan and political way. I don't really think that that helps the situation at this particular moment. It's just so heartbreaking. It really illustrates in a very, very drastic way people that are coming to this country -- people who lost their lives -- because they're desperate to come here, he said.

According to ABC News, in this month alone, Border Patrol has reported at least four truck seizures in and around Laredo. Two weeks ago, agents found over 70 people from Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala and El Salvador, all crammed into a truck with no way out.

And it's not just U.S. authorities dealing with these issues, law enforcement in Mexico are seeing it too.Last year, 110 people were found trapped inside a truck after it crashed while speeding in the state of Veracruz.

It's the kind of reality Rodriguez feels needs to change, calling for justice for San Antonio's victims.

And you have some bad actors who tried to bring them here and then leave them in appalling conditions and treated like less than human. We really have to think of tragedies like this from a very human perspective, Rodriguez added.

2017 KVUE-TV

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'No one should have to die to come to America': Lawmakers react to apparent immigrant smuggling case - KVUE

Senators Lindsay Graham (R-SC) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced a new Dream Act in Congress Wednesday, reminding Americans that there is strong bipartisan support for Dreamersimmigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children and are seeking citizenship. According to a recent Morning Consult and Politico poll , 78% of American voters support giving Dreamers the chance to stay permanently in America, including 73% of people who voted for President Donald Trump.

The Dream Act is a strong legislative solution that would allow young immigrants to continue living their American dream with a path to permanent residency and eventually citizenship. But until a long-term solution such as the Dream Act or comprehensive immigration reform is enacted, we need to continue protecting the nearly 800,000 immigrant youth currently living with Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In doing so, they would not only protect these peoples futures, but also the very economic health of our country.

Young immigrants today are scared and confused. The president has demonized us as rapists and criminals, then celebrated us as incredible kids who will be treated with heart.

The DACA program, which allows certain undocumented youth to work legally in the U.S., and provides protection from deportation, has made these immigrants feel safer in a country they consider their home. But politicians have put their livelihoods in jeopardy by making political and legal moves to rescind the programand Trumps flip-flopping has given them the political cover to do so. My home state of Texas has taken the lead in this particular race to the bottom, with Attorney General Ken Paxton calling on other states to join him in demanding that the administration end the program he has nine with him so far.

These young people arrived in the U.S. with stories similar to mine. They came here as children with their families and have lived here most of their lives. We all grew up watching the same TV shows, playing the same games, studying American history, and eating hot dogs and ice cream. We have the same dreams as so many Americans: going to college, getting a job we love, and spending time with our families and friends.

So how are we different? For most of our lives weve had to live in the shadows. This has kept many of us from going to college and getting good jobs, living with dreams and aspirations that could not be realized. But DACA changed this for thousands of Dreamers. The program has given immigrant youth the chance to come out of hiding and to live their full potential, contributing to their communities and their country. With DACA, young people can work, get a drivers license and go to college; they can live free from the constant anxiety and fear of being ripped from the only real home they know.

I never had DACA, but I know many bright young people who do. In fact, my organization, the Ascend Educational Fund, provides scholarships for young immigrants, many of whom have DACA and rely on it to be eligible for college admission. One of our scholars is a young man named Israel who emigrated from Mexico and graduated from one of the top high schools in the nation. He is a CUNY Excellence Award winner and attends Baruch College in New York. He has also been a loyal volunteer with the Big Brother Big Sisters of America program in his community, working to beat back the stereotypes and hateful rhetoric around the immigrant community.

Maintaining DACA is not only right for young immigrants like Israel, it is also smart. The economic benefits of DACA are clear. With DACA in effect, recipients are getting higher levels of education and using their skills and training to get better jobs. This means higher wages and more tax revenue. According to a 2016 Center for American Progress study , recipients are also buying cars and houses and starting new businesses, all of which means more tax revenue to cities and states across the country.

Should the program be terminated, however, the losses would be devastating. The same study estimates that ending DACA would reduce the nations GDP by $433.4 billion over a decade. Another study by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center states that 685,195 young immigrants would become unemployed immediately, causing employers to incur $3.4 billion in costs associated with the termination and replacement of employees. Without DACA, tax revenue would be seriously impacted. Over the next decade, $24.6 billion in Social Security and Medicare contributions would be lost.

Ending DACA and targeting immigrant youth for deportation will come with serious political consequences. Politicians on both sides of the aisle would be wise to focus on issues that strengthen our economy and not undermine it. The program contributes significantly to the American economy and grants young people the chance to thrive and succeed. To throw DACA away is both bad policy and a broken promise to our youth. President Trump: Were counting on you to treat our incredible kids with heart and ensure that DACA is here to stay.

Julissa Arce is the author of My (Underground) American Dream . Arce made national and international headlines when she revealed that she had achieved the American dream of wealth and status working her way up to vice president at Goldman Sachs by age 27 while being an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. Follow her on Twitter @julissaarce .

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Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told voters who support deporting children covered under the DREAM Act that he didn't want their vote.

"I'm excited about giving you a chance to live the rest of your life" in America, Graham said of DREAMers.

"I embrace you, and I want you to succeed," he said, speaking at a press conference with Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.).

"To the people who object to this, I don't want you to vote for me. Because, I cannot serve you well," he said.

Graham said he was inspired to support comprehensive immigration reform in 2000, when then-presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) made it a campaign issue.

He said immigration reform is "essential" for national and economic security.

"I just don't see the upside of telling these kids they have to live in the shadows," he said.

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Sen. Graham: If You Don't Support Keeping DREAMers, 'Don't Vote For Me' - Fox News Insider