People don’t expect much of anything from our government these days. At this point I am satisfied as long as we don’t get attacked by the Islamic terrorists that we hear so much about. As far as domestic issues are concerned, I don’t hold my breath, and I would advise you to do the same.
Illegal immigration is a problem, has been a problem for years, and will be a problem for as far into the future as I can see. Why isn’t anything being done about it? It seems like every summer when I go to work in Los Angeles, immigration reformation is dusted off and brought back to the table. Being in L.A., things can get intense when discussing immigration, but no definitive answers are ever reached.
In 2006 there were the massive immigration protests, where illegal immigrants – and some legal – walked the streets of L.A. and many other cities chanting “Sí Se Puede!” while waving Mexican flags, that is until they realized the backlash that could come from waving Mexican flags and so began to drench themselves in red, white and blue. This year the major protest was called ‘Day Without an Immigrant,’ where many people boycotted work for a day in an attempt to show the economic clout that illegal immigrants hold.
Counter protesters have been ratcheting up their efforts as well. The Minutemen continue to place armed civilians along the border in an attempt to secure citizens’ property. Congressman Tom Tancredo never ceases his rants about how illegal immigration needs to be stopped. But in the end, none of it matters because our government refuses to comply.
Our politicians continue to feed us sound bites asserting their efforts to create a ‘comprehensive bill,’ and forge ‘bi-partisan’ legislation. It’s all a lie. If our government really wanted to negotiate and show intention to reform immigration, we would have the rectified policies that we seek. Unfortunately, politicians are too focused on special interests, as well as the by-product of immigration reform, the future vote.
We had two major chances to correct immigration. The first came in 2006 when HR 4437 passed in the House. This was a bill that would have increased border security, and punished those who enter the country illegally, as well as those who employ them. The problem was that the bill would also expel those who are already here. Republicans dropped the ball when they refused to create some path to citizenship for the 12 million illegal immigrants presently here. It is impossible to deport 12 million people, if not immoral, and Republicans should know this and act accordingly.
Then in 2007, Harry Reid brought Senate Bill 1348 to the floor. This bill seemed like it had a chance offering increased border security, a path to citizenship for those who are already here, and even declared English as the national language. However, there was one major roadblock that could not be avoided. The ‘comprehensive’ bill as well as many others that followed allowed for immigrants to bring not only their nuclear family, but extended family as well. Most would recognize this policy as the DREAM Act. This would have resulted in millions of immigrants; some estimates stood at 25 million. Not only would the face of America change, so would the economic classes. The permanent underclass that everyone talks about would suddenly appear. Dependence on government would soar with unskilled labor, and older generations would need its support. The Democrats refused to compromise and effectively killed their own bill.
After the failure to pass a bill in 2007, I have little hope to see another attempt. I am angry that our government is leaving 12 million people hanging in the balance. I am angry that our government refuses to help based on political reasons, and I am angry that I cannot do anything about it. This refusal by our politicians to compromise is hurting America, Mexico and immigrants as a whole.
It would take pages and pages for me to describe what our immigration policies should be. However, there are basic tenets that our government should follow. First, border security must be the top priority. The reason that anti-illegal immigration proponents have not actively supported any government legislation is because they do not trust the government to follow through on any border security initiatives. Second, once the government shows that it can follow through with a promise, the 12 million illegal immigrants that are already here must be accounted for. Finally, new laws must be created in order to stifle the attraction that corporations have toward illegal immigrants.
The issues I have listed need not be negotiated. We should all agree that our border needs to be protected, that people who live here should have a path to citizenship, and that immigration laws should be fixed to stop people from illegally entering this country.
[email protected]
Immigration reform needs to start with concrete results
Daily Emerald
November 5, 2007
0
More to Discover