I’m for Amnesty (Part II)
January 10, 2008
In Part 1 of this post I explained why I thought the idea of deportation as an immigration policy is absolutely impossible. In this post I will explain how I think we might look at immigration and what we might do to improve things.
I will assume at this point that everybody has a good picture of Jose’s scenario. Things improved for him and his family almost immediately after crossing the border. The majority of our illegal immigrants are economic refugees, people looking to improve their own lot in life. Are they doing it legally? No. Does this make them criminals? Yes. Should they all be deported? Sure. Is there the slightest chance of that ever happening? No. So what’s the solution? I’m not sure but here’s a good start:
Seal the borders to the best of our ability to ensure that no more illegal immigrants can enter. It’s way too easy to get into the country. We have the strongest military the world has ever seen. We currently have troops in over 100 countries. I understand the national security necessity that this fulfills but it does not help our popularity abroad. Bring them all home (except absolutely critical missions) to secure our own borders. If we have to “reach out and touch somebody” militarily, we have the capability to strike pretty much any area of the earth’s surface. I do not see a need for the majority of our bases abroad. If we seal the borders, at that point we would theoretically have the population isolated. Then the fun begins.
We need to make it painfully clear to criminals and those deemed unfit for residency and eventual citizenship (for whatever reason) that they will be identified and deported. This will take time but, more importantly, it will require the cooperation of the entire community. Aiding and abetting illegals in their quests to avoid detection should also be a felony - especially employing them. They come here not just because they can, but because there are seemingly boundless opportunities for them. Jobs, bank accounts, mortgages, credit cards and driver’s licenses are all easily attainable. Those privileges need to disappear. Removing the incentives would drastically reduce the flow of immigrants. Stop the free lunch.
Those who come forward will be issued a provisional ID card entitling them to work as their cases are reviewed. The proposed $5,000 fine is far too low. This process will cost money. I would support making the fine no less than $15,000. These people make money, much of it tax free. The sooner we get them on the books and paying into the system the better. They can apply for citizenship after paying the $15,000 and waiting a period of 15 years. U.S. citizenship is the Holy Grail for immigrants. We have to penalize their past conduct. The fine and wait is enough for me. Those rejected need to be immediately deported.
So, here are some proposed steps. They are in order:
- Seal the borders immediately. In 2008, as a developed state, there is no excuse not to have control over the people that flow through our borders.
- End the incentives (welfare benefits and, most importantly, illegal employment)
- Give all illegals one year to come forward. No extensions.
- Process the masses that come forward.
- Identify and deport the remainder.
This will take time and is far from perfect. However, it penalizes illegals and still provides for the deportation of those who do not meet the standard. Rounding them up and deporting all of them are absolutely impossible and any claim by politicians to do so is little more than pandering. Accept it. Jose ain’t leaving on his own.
I’m for Amnesty (Part 1)
January 9, 2008
If supporting an immigration policy that does not require the deportation of 12,000,000 illegal aliens is considered supporting amnesty - then I support it. This is not because I wouldn’t want to see it happen. It’s because deportation is an absolute impossibility and I can say with great certainty that it will never happen. According to Sam Harris in Letter to a Christian Nation
Immigration reform has been a pretty popular topic for the 2008 election. Both parties’ candidates have been grilled pretty hard. But some of them are lying outright. Anyone with any amount of intelligence knows definitively that identifying, catching, and deporting illegals is a futile effort, nearly impossible and likely not worth the effort. We do not have the resources to even begin the process. Yet candidates continue to “support” it because there is a certain percentage of the American population (I’d say 50% is a safe bet) that insist those who cut the line be forced to get in the back and will not budge from that position regardless of the reality. This position would require illegals to leave the U.S. and apply formally from their home country. Let’s explore exactly what that would entail.
Joe Smith…Ok, we’ll go with Jose instead…is from a developing country in Latin America. Take your pick. He likely has less than a high school education and comes from a town with 50-60% unemployment, slave wages, and an infrastructure that disappears every time it rains. Every generation of Jose’s family has lived like this and that trend looks to continue. He somehow manages to scrape up enough money to pay off a human trafficker or just starts walking north across the border (assuming he enters from Mexico). He gets to the U.S., immediately finds work and a thriving community of people just like him. He makes enough money to take care of himself and, more importantly, to send some dollars home to his family. He’s been in the U.S. for anywhere between 2 and 10 years.
Jose has no problem finding work and getting paid more than he could ever imagine in his home country. His family uses the remittances to improve their lives. They buy clothes and food with the money. They also make home improvements and pay for medical care. Of course, they also spend most of their time in front of their 100 inch plasma TV. Regardless, they are better off because Jose is in the states.
Do you think there’s a snowball’s chance in hell that Jose will return to his pueblo to start a process that will take years and for which there is no guarantee that he will be approved? What happens in the mean time? Who would pay for the family’s satellite TV and hip-hop accessories? Does anyone really believe that illegals will actually do this? Isn’t there an easier and more realistic way?
Part II will have some suggestions.
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