US Struggles with Immigration Reform

The US has a problem. Americans want to enjoy an open society that welcomes all who want to be part of the US, but after the 9/11 we realize that there are a lot of people from other countries who hate America and what it stands for. These hate mongers express their differnence in ideology by cooking up ways to kill Americans, and at times dramatically succeeding,

So as much as Americans welcome the richness of the melting pot we really don't want those who hate America and Americans living in the US, espousing their hate for us while living the good life in the USA.

Trouble is the US borders are fluid and the INS has failed miserably in enforcing the laws in already in effect designed to identify who is present in the US and why. NAFTA has made the problem uncontrollable.

Congress is now debating about 7 immigration reform bills with various solutions designed to address the problems and crack down on all the immigration abuses. The most liberal point of view comes from President Bush who is in favor of amnesty for approximately 12 million undocumented aliens present in the US and supports a liberal guest worker VISA program. People on both sides of the political aisle disagree with this solution alone.

Other aspects of the bills under consideration include deferred mandatory departure limits, varying and stricter requirements for continued presence in the US, such as knowledge of English, good moral character, no criminal record, proof of continuous employment, payment of all taxes, background check etc. Essentially these requirements are saying if you want to stay in the US you may stay, but prove to us that you want to be part of America and are here for the right reasons, because if you hate us, we dont want you here.

The most controversial aspects of the bills under consideration relate to the penalties for being an undocumented alien and for assisting one. The Tancredo bill before the House makes unauthorized presence in the US a felony count. Two of the bills before the Senate makes the penalty for unauthorized presence felony punishable by up to 3 years imprisonment and a fine of $5000. All of the bills tighten up immigration law and procedure in the US, except that proposed by President Bush.

These bills have triggered demonstrations across the US by those who oppose immigration reform and tighter enforcement of the immigration laws. Ironically, the demonstrators seem to be harming their cause since the sheer numbers advocating disregard for the law seem to be proving the need for tighter enforcement of the laws already in place. Democrats and Republicans alike have been quoted saying the law cannot be disregarded; we cannot pick and choose which laws we will enforce and against which groups. The laws must apply to all equally with equal enforcement. Hmmm, a familiar mantra to me.

What do you think? Should the US open its borders to all and disregard immigration law or should we tighten things up and clear up this problem by making sure we know who is in the US and why, and whether they are friend or foe.

Yes.

And did you get here before the landbridge or after? I really can't tell if you're becoming reactionary or if I just missed it.

Tell me dear Taco baby, what is my position on this? We are a melting pot its true, but when my family sailed across it was not with the intent to kill those who greeted them.

... uh... wait, wait, there's some irony here somewhere... someone want to help me out?

Close the borders and criminalize helping/harboring illegal immigrants. They don't deserve access to our school system or health system that I pay taxes for. THe 11 million here now need to be rounded up and deported.

Briana Dawson

Better border control, yes. But, a far less convoluted path toward citizenship is critical to its success.

For those of you unaware what's really going on along the southern border of the US, read this.

omfg

Katy, I thought you were much smarter about all this stuff

and i am not even referring to immigration

Why deport them? Why not just set up labor camps?

Very perplexing question. I was listening to the news last night and I heard a quote from someone in the crowd in Los Angeles.

And I realized that to some degree they were right.

It's not going to serve our country to deny indivduals education or critical health care in particular. All that will do is drive down the American standard of living, even though, yes, it is currently over taxing our education and health care system as they stand currently.

I think that the way these bills are structured are racist and short sighted.

Think about it. Over the next two decades 78 million baby boomers will be retiring from their jobs and eventually dying. That leaves a pretty large gap in the population to fill. A work program that allows people to earn American citizenship honestly makes some sense as well as setting up something at truly does control our borders (north and south) from people who enter with criminal intent as Paolo has pointed out.

It is my belief that people who are here now, if they can prove that they have not committed any crime (outside of sneeking into the U.S.), should not be sent back to their country of origin. OTOH - they should report in, earn American citizenship (and learn English), if they want to continue living here in the U.S.

I have to say that I am bilingual but I find it a little frustrating going into parts of Miami and not finding a single store or even bank where they speak English. You cannot get a job in South Florida without being bilingual. I believe that this is also a point for peoples frustration - regardless of whether it's Spanish in Miami or Vietnamese in Garden Grove.

Almost all of our ancestors came from somewhere else - even half of mine did. Immigrants built the railroads, the skyscrapers, the roads, dams, the bridges, the tunnels, the mines and the little stores and numerous restaurants that we all enjoy every day.

Just a thought.

(stat on the demographic for baby boomers is here): http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4021/is_4_25/ai_100751507

*thinking of trollish responses*

-I for one welcome our new Mexican overlords!

-Any country that practices birth control will soon be swallowed up in a tide of its neighbor's population.

-This just demonstrates that it is time we annexed Mexico and Canada once and for all.