Immigration in this country is broken

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

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Immigration.
The Immigration policies of the this Country are broken, everyone realizes it, but no one is sure how to fix it. Dubya had his own plan but left the details up to the House (HR 4437) who came up with a punishment and enforce policy only (which was passed), the Democratic proposals just wanted to make everyone legal. A mix of the two (S 2611) was passed in the house. Everyone is up arms. No plan is adaquate to the conservatives, who basically want to close the borders, or liberals who want to let the world in. I don't propose to have the answers to this, but I have some knowledge to share on the subjetc.

The US is founded on the principals at the base of the Statue of Liberty. The US is the greatest country in the world, founded by displaced persons. Most of US can trace back our first ancestor who immigrated to the US and why.

I work for an organization who has extensive dealings with both legal and illegal immigrants. I also live in a part of the country that has a huge population of both legal and illegal immirants. I am very familiar with the issues. Why do most immigrants come here? It is not to commit crimes or blow up buildings. It is to make money. Think about this. Think about the job you work now. Becuase of the issues with your country, you could make no more than 20 cents an hour? What about your family? What about a place to live? Would you risk coming to a foreign country to make $6.00 an hour to clean toilets? I would. I have a fellow co-worker. He is from Columbia. In Columbia he is a degreed Dentist. He was one of the highest paid workers in his circle. Do you know what he made a year? $9,000. And prices in Columbia are not much cheaper than they are here. He came to this country, working as a social worker for $12.00 per hour. It is like a fortune to him. It took him 7 years to get approved to come here legally.

That is part of the problem. Because he is Latin American, there are a number of limits and extra obstacles to him entering the country. If he was European, he could of come with just a passport, and probably already be a citizen. There is also a quota on particular ethnicities entering this country (mainly the poor ones). The US hasn't even come close to meeting that quota in 15 years.

Terrorism. I can assure you of this, terrorist don't enter this country from Mexico. Crossing the Mexican border has become as dangerous as being a soldeir in Iraq (perhaps more), and no one who isn't desperate to come here would try it. You see, the Southern Border has a fence, and is rather secure in most places. The place it is not secure? The extensive expanse of arid, rattlesnake infested desert. A 5 day or so walk to get to civilization. 120 degree heat, no water, little food. Estimate of deaths are impossible to count, but ask anyone who has made the journey, how many bodies in the desert they have seen. How many news article do you read about the border patrol become rescue and body recovery organizations?

It is estimate 11 to 12 million illegal immigrants are in this country, 7 million of them working. Do you know what happens to the taxes these immigrants pay (which most of them do) if they leave. They go into a general fund (and probably get spent on Iraq). What would happen if you suddenly deported them all? How much would our economy be effected if illegals are no longer paying taxes and buying stuff?

This is just the beginning, and the debate should rage for the remainder of the next Congressional Session.

Before I sign off some questions. What are people really afraid of with immigration? Are you willing to work these jobs if the illegals are deported? What responsibility does big business who hire illegals have? What responsibility do the US business who move to the cheaper employemnt market of Mexico have? Does the US have the responsibility to deal with these businesses?

I am Malach, and my first immigrant ancestors came from Canada in the 1600's.