The immigration problem is far more complicated than any slogan or platitude can address. It is time for our leaders to go beyond party politics and do what is right for this country, but also what is right for the 12 million or so ‘illegal aliens’-‘guest workers’- ‘undocumented immigrants’- or what ever PC name you can come up with. Is it really a choice between compassion or security? I want both!!!
At first, the house bill sounded really good to me, until I really considered the possible implications for families if the law was actually enforced (and we don’t really need another law that’s not enforced). If the House bill is passed as it is, can you really envision rounding up twelve million people, charging the adults with felonies, breaking up families, sending the parents to jail, and putting the kids (many of which are citizens, having been born in the USA) into foster homes? What would be the costs–both in $ and in our humanity?
However, we really do need to secure our borders. Right now, anyone can walk across and bring what ever they want with them. There is really no security on our Southern border. Will it take a major terrorist event in order for our politicians to wake up? On the security issue, there are several provisions within the House bill that could come in handy. More INS agents, better surveillance equipment, and an actual fence, could really help control what is now uncontrollable.
What about the huge tide of people who continue to come into this country illegally? In the border states, thousands of people continue to come into this country uninvited, and continue to use the roads, the hospitals, the schools, and swamp the county and state budgets. Can this really continue without radically changing the way of life in the USA, and lowering the standard of living? Again the security provisions in the House bill sound attractive in this regard.
What about the many businesses that need guest workers from Mexico– farms, vineyards, orchards, and others. There are provisions within several of the bills before the Senate which address these needs, and also potentially protect and ‘document’ the workers. This is needed. Also, I have personally heard antidotal evidence, that the process for ‘legally’ immigrating to the USA is extremely difficult and costly in both time and $. Our present bureaucratic system actually encourages people to seek alternate ‘illegal’ means.
Finally, should we reward ‘illegal’ behavior with amnesty (like the Kennedy/McCain bill) once more? The past has shown us that this will actually encourage more ‘illegal’ immigration in the future. The Presidents plan has some provisions which sound more promising; including a fine & at least 6 years before one could petition to become a citizen. However, none of these proposals will work, or be of any help–in fact they could do more harm– without the security provisions within the House bill.
What I am saying, is that none of the bills before Congress are adequate by themselves–there are major problems with each one. However, there are provisions within the various bills that could go a long ways towards solving the problems of illegal immigration and security, if Politicians decided to do what was best for the country and the people–all of the people.
MGD