Quincy Reporter

Mecki Kosin believes in adhering to the letter of the law when it comes to the issue of illegal immigration.

“Anyone that’s here illegally needs to be deported, period,” Kosin, a conservative activist, told the Quincy Reporter. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve been here a long time or not, our government shouldn’t be doing anything that makes them feel like we’re condoning their breaking the law to be here.”

Kosin argues a provision in the state’s newly passed budget does just that by paving the way for Illinois to become the first state to provide Medicaid regardless of immigration status.

More specifically, the bill would grant such benefits to noncitizens over 65 years old with incomes of $12,670 or less.

“Illinois doesn’t have the money for something like this to begin with and the pandemic has only made things tougher,” Kosin added. “I understand that many people want to come here and make a better life, but that all starts with doing things legally.”

Kosin said as a naturalized citizen, she’s been where many of the people who want to live in America have been.

“I came here from West Germany and I met my husband there in 1972 when he was stationed there,” she said. “When I came to the States in 1972, my immigration visa was held up because my husband did not have full-time employment after getting out of the military and didn’t have a way to support us. I think it's total garbage that we’re now just handing out these kinds of benefits to people who have not paid in. I have compassion, but you have to do things the right way.”

Kosin said she thinks she’s come to understand Democrats’ motivation for wanting to make things as muddled and chaotic as they can.

“They just want to stick it to President (Donald) Trump and just want him to lose,” she said. “As for the state, they want us to be so far in the hole that the federal government has no choice but to bail us out. It’s really sad because this state is only in trouble because of mismanagement and the heavy hand of Democrats.”