IMMIGRATION TREPIDATION
The Average Man has, until now, mostly shied away from the immigration debate. I've done this not because I don't have feelings about the issue, but rather, because it's so complicated. I am -- as you can probably guess -- for providing some sort of path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. However, I am not blind to the cost of health care for these folks and their effect on the job market. Having said that, the discussion surrounding the recently killed Senate bill has fired me up, so I shall remain silent no longer!
I've spent the last few weeks learnin-up on the Senate bill, and I have to say that I find the word "compromise" to be laughable. As with most government bills, there are more details than I care to know. For this post, though, I want to focus on a few of the major things illegal immigrants would have had to do in order to become citizens:
1) Pay a minimum $5,000 fine
2) A "touchback" requirement for immigrants to make pilgrimages to their home countries
3) Stay consistently employed the entire time they are here
It seems ridiculous to even ask this question, but where is an illegal immigrant making $2.00 an hour going to come up with $5,000 dollars? And, regarding the touchback clause, if you left your family and risked your life crossing the border, are you going to go back to Mexico and trust the U.S. to let you back in? This makes no sense to me.
For the sake of argument, let's say you do manage to pay the fine and make that journey back to your home country. It's not like, congratulations, you are an American! No, you still go to the back of the line and wait as long as 13 years to become a citizen. This leads to #3 above: how many Americans have been consistently employed for 13 years? It's tough enough to do that as a citizen with a good education and whatnot. Imagine if you are an illegal alien doing odd jobs here and there to pay the bills. To call this bill a compromise is liking saying we want to go to Mars in either 1 years or 5 years ... and then compromising on 2.5.
Okay, so the bill failed. I should be happy, right? Well, no, I am not. What scares me about this is the fact that a bill making it nearly impossible to obtain citizenship failed because IT WAS TOO LENIENT! I mean, if this bill can't pass, can any?
The reality is that you can't round up 12 million people and drag them back to Mexico. If you agree with that fact (and most people do), then you have to provide a path to citizenship. Illegal immigrants are here, they are working, and they aren't leaving. If you do nothing, then -- as John McCain recently said -- what you have is "silent amnesty." A recent New York Times Editorial said it best:
The price of this strategy is high — far more government intrusion into daily lives, with exponential increases in workplace raids, detentions and deportations; continual ID checks for everyone, citizen or not; immigration police at the federal, state, county and local levels; bureaucrats and snoops keeping an eye on landlords, renters, laborers, loiterers and everyone who uses government services or gets sick. The strain on agriculture and service industries would be devastating. And all the things that everyone agrees are the perversities of the status quo — exploited workers, depressed wages, a huge undocumented population within our borders — would persist for an indefinite period until the last illegal immigrant goes home.
We can debate fines and timelines all day, but I think what gets lost in this discussion is the fact that illegal immigrants are people. They didn't risk their necks coming over here for citizenship. They came here for a better life. The problem with those who cry "amnesty" and would deny them a chance at the American dream obviously cannot put themselves in an immigrant's shoes. I challenge you all to watch the episode of FX's 30 Days where a proud Minuteman lives with a family of illegal immigrants for a month. It may not change your mind, but it will help you understand.
According to a recent article in the Santa Barbara Daily Sound, there are between 25,000 and 75,000 illegal immigrants in Santa Barbara County. With those kinds of numbers, you can be assured that your life is intertwined in some way or another with these people (and probably for the better). Isn't it time we help them get into the system?
As Joe Biden said in the last DemocratIC debates, "Folks, being commander-in-chief requires you to occasionally be practical." How true.
Labels: illegal immigration
posted by Trekking Left @ 5:02 PM
11 comments
11 Comments:
The immigration bill and your editorial misses the biggest and unresolved issue that most people on the left and right can agree. No, it is not about rounding up the 12 to 20 million illegal immigrants. No, it is not about penalizing those that are already here. It is what to do with the next wave of illegal immigrants that are sure to cross the border unimpeded. The mid 80's immigration bill failed to address this issue and that is why we have so many new illegal people in the country impacting healthcare, education and infrastructure. It is downright silly to think that once ther3 is a path to citizenship, better wages, more services, etc. for the folks already here, that another 10 million people will not enter the country and undercut the wages of all the new citizens. I am not sure what the best solution is but I would guess a twofold approach is required. 1. Crack down on all employers who would hire the new illegal immigrants. 2. Build a fence on the southern border with Mexico. Rest assured, that if we do not reduce the incentives and increase the barriers for new illegal immigrants, we will be dealing with the same problem in the near future.
I don't disagree with your overall point (although, I have some problems with the fence concept). I would add that we also need to work with the Mexican government to help setup an environment where people don't desperately want to leave that country.
Having said that, I disagree with your statement that "it is not about penalizing those that are already here." That is exactly what it's about and exactly why the Senate bill failed.
I also disagree with your statement that it's "silly to think that once there is a path to citizenship ... that another 10 million people will not enter the country and undercut the wages of all the new citizens." Another 10 million might try to enter, but citizenship is not their motivation. They are coming here because they can't find jobs and because they live in one room shacks with no roof.
"However, I am not blind to the cost of health care for these folks and their effect on the job market."
Really? Just what do you think those costs and effects are? Do you actually think that, if all illegal immigrants vanished overnight, the effect on the job market would be positive?
As for anonymous's "why we have so many new illegal people in the country", the answer is straightforward -- NAFTA. So called "free trade" policies, which are actually vehicles for transfer of wealth to corporations, have had extremely deleterious effects on the job market of both the U.S. and latin America. Outsourcing of U.S. jobs is the flip side of the destruction of the job markets to our south that has driven so many people here looking for a way to support their families.
"Trekking left", you have a long way to go to get there.
Agreed that the Mexican (and other Central American) economies need assistance. But don't be fooled that the governments and the few wealthy families in Mexico have any incentive to help their people that flee. First, It is said that the billions sent home by immigrants now is the largest income generator for the Mexican economy. Secondly, why not send the most improvished to another country for human services (education, healthcare, etc.)?
Don't get me wrong, I do not blame the immigrants for trying to find a better life, but I do not think we should continue to incentize people. And you are wrong that the penalties are why the Senate bill failed. It was a half-hearted attempt to placate the Right but there is overwhelming objection from their constituancy and the Left will not concede on many issues. Not sure of the exact language still in the bill but at one time the bill stated illegal immigrants would not owe any back taxes. That is somewhat perposterious when one considers legal immigrants must pay back taxes. Let's also be clear that the Right attempted to include a provision that would prevent immigrants with some types of felonies for getting citzenship or being deported. This provision was blocked and was countered with another half-hearted attempt by the Left.
You are right about my comments about the "path to citizenship" being the main reason. Let me try to be more precise: It is not the path to citzenship but it is the benefits and plenty of low paying jobs with very little fear of any penalties that will encourage more illegal immigrants from entering the country.
As for the fence, it is already law that it be built, but I think it is unlikely to ever be finished.
"Really? Just what do you think those costs and effects are? Do you actually think that, if all illegal immigrants vanished overnight, the effect on the job market would be positive?"
No, I don't think that. But there are certain realities here. For example, most illegal immigrants don't have health care. So, when they are sick, they go to the emergency room. They are then treated but often can't pay. That's a strain on the economy.
Also, if someone can pay illegal immigrants below minimum wage to do a particular job, then they aren't motivated to hire an American citizen to do that same job for more money. That also puts a strain on the economy.
This is exactly why I am for citizenship. Let's get them into the system so that they are contributing to the economy in all aspects.
Trekker - I feel you may have realized the dilema we ("we" being both citizens and illegal immigrants) with your last comment. I think we agree a large percentage of illegal immigrants are underpayed and receive less than adequate employer benefits. And yes, a path to citizenship will provide them with better wages and services. But first we must enact strict border control and penalties for hiring new illegals If this is not done, then all the new illegals will take the jobs at a lower wage than existing illegals. And the cycle begins again...
jqb - NAFTA has its negatives but overall it has been positives for Mexico, Canada and the US. It's a bit wacky to think that the job market would be any better in Mexico if NAFTA was not enacted. As for the US, we have had the longest run of low unemployement in our history and wages keep on rising (although it could be better).
Homeland security is a joke. They don't even know who is coming and going across the border by the millions. Homeland security is a way for Bush to rob the people. I don't mind immigration but the open border policy we have now is ridiculous.
It seems complicated issues always cause fear and an accompanying sense of moral superiority. I think the best comment on this discussion so far is that immigrants are people.
What separates 'anonymous' from 'an illegal immigrant' coming here to seek a living is simply luck of the draw of where and to whom you were born.
That could by any anonymous one of us paying thousands to a Coyote smuggler to get us over the border, almost dying in the process so you can wash dishes, clean houses, collect garbage--do just about any job out there just to live a very subsistent, precarious existence with no gaurantees, because it is so much more of an opportunity than anything in your country.
I don't have an answer either, but the first step to finding an approach to an answer is to put your smart self in someone else's shoes and figure out how you'd solve the problem. I think it would be wonderful if those who have learned skills while slaving in the US, could take those skills back to Mexico to start businesses there, to raise the standard of living in that country. But that would mean having money for a start up, and eliminating corruption, greed and other common human characteristics that plague every society.
Respectfully yours.
In response to Noelle - I thought it important to provide some perspective on the topic of immigration so I'd share some background on my family. My wife is an elementary school teacher in Oxnard, with a significant percentage of students being from immigrant families. The compassion and care she provides to the students and their families is a calling that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. The plight of immigrants is a real concern she faces every school year for she quite often does not know if many of her students will return from various holiday recesses as they travel back and forth from Mexico under difficult conditions.
My wife's father manages a church sponsored pantry providing many immigrant families with no quiestions asked. As you can see, we deal first hand with the challenges and frustrations of the immigrant community on a daily basis.
You might be surprised to hear that I am humbled by the immigrants plight and have nothing but compassion when I volunteer and my wife's school or her father's pantry. The immigrant folks I run into are just trying to do the best for their families.
That is why it is vital that we try to improve the lifes of the immigrants that already here. If we do not crack down on employers and prevent new immigrants from pouring over the border the conditions for those immigrants already here will get measurably worse.
From your writing and your blog it looks to me that your are commpassionate about your beliefs. It takes compassion and inspiration to change the way things are but in my opinion just as important are the difficult and painful decisions and implementation of plans that are certain to hurt some people that is required to help another group of people.
Anonymous (1:25 PM) - Thanks for your thoughtful comments.
Anonymous,
You and your wife sound very compassionate and involved on a much more intimate level than I have experienced. I agree a solution that helps those already here is very important. Since my posting on this site, I spoke with a colleague who made his way legally through the immigration process. It took him 10 years to get to the U.S. As you can imagine, he has very little empathy for those who balk the system.
I look forward to a solution that somehow honors integrity, but does not encourage continued abuse of immigrants or of the US. Thank you for your response.
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