Incomprehensible Immigration Reform

Jordan Richardson
 

These past few weeks, our Washington politicians have scrambled to make themselves look like fools as they pushed for a "comprehensive immigration reform" bill. They gleefully promoted it in their home states and touted the wonderful aspects of the bill on television and radio. They shunned their constituents who raised concerns over the border security and feasibility of the execution of the plan, and accused their critics as "insensitive" and "racist." They did everything to hide the flaws in the plan and excused the obvious problems by resorting to the tired phrase, "If you don't have a better idea . . ."

True conservatives realized that this was just an attempt to increase the power of government and promptly pointed out the many inconsistencies in the bill. I'm sure they were expecting to be given a pat on the back for remaining true to their conservative roots, but sadly, however, the moderate and open-border Republicans turned on them in a way that, simply put, is unsettling. President Bush, who we have known for years to be a Globalist, released a shocking statement to his base, saying that the American public does not want to work, and therefore we need the illegal aliens to do their job. It was a sad day for those who voted for President Bush and supported his efforts in the war on terror.

I realize that many people have put their opinion forth concerning this issue, some clarifying the debate with facts other muddling it with race-baiting. While you may have grown tired of the empty rhetoric, allow me to present three reasons not to support the comprehensive immigration reform bill. I'm not going to hash through reasons why we do or do not need the illegal aliens, either for lettuce picking or economic reasons, but will focus on the content of the bill that your representatives plead for you to support.

The first reason not to support the comprehensive immigration reform bill is the unfair way illegal immigrants automatically receive legal status. The day that the bill would be signed, over 12 million illegal immigrants would be considered eligible for a probationary legal status. There are millions of people who would love to be a citizen of this country, and are willing to wait for however long it takes. I have a friend who's family had to wait 15 years for that precious right, yet with this bill, their achievement is starkly cheapened compared to the easy pass the illegal immigrants get. What have the illegals done to merit this favorable treatment? They broke the law; on the other hand, those who came here legally have to wait years before they can be citizens. This is unfair and unethical to the principles of law and justice.

What's worse is the fact that the probationary legal status is granted after a 24-hour background check. Think about that: millions of people applying for legal status and the government has a time frame of 24 hours to make sure they are not criminals. Do you honestly believe the government that handled Katrina so well will be able to process that background check in one day? Rubbish! The law for legal immigrants allows 90 days for a background check. If anything, this provision cuts back on border security.

Another flaw in the plan is human nature: if the illegals can produce fake Social Security cards and ID’s, what will stop them from creating phony documents that say they have passed the security background check? Simply providing amnesty for these millions will not stop the flow of traffic at the border, rather, it will send the message that there are no consequences for breaking our law. And if breaking one law is dismissed, what other laws can be broken without due consequence? This bill is amnesty because the legal status gives all the benefits that a citizen would have. It does not matter what you label them, they will be granted amnesty.

Secondly, this law does not provide any means for assimilation into the country. America was meant to be the great melting pot, all equal but distinct. Yet if this law was passed, distinction would be placed above unification. This bill says that the immigrants will have 12 years to learn how to speak English, while it is required that legal immigrants speak literate English before they receive citizenship, and they must pass a test of their knowledge of American history and economics. If 12 million plus illegal immigrants were magically given legal status, what is the incentive for them to understand the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence? At best, these folks will have a good understanding of welfare and social security laws, not liberty and justice. A nation that is divided by culture will face serious problems very soon. France is an excellent example: there was so much unrest between the different factions and classes that the French president is offering to pay the illegal immigrants to leave. For France to do that signals how serious the problem could and can be an concern for the United States.

Thirdly, the bill does not fix the problem, it merely treats the symptoms while ignoring the disease. The reason we even have to discuss this issue is because the border is insecure. Current law states that the government shall build a fence along the border, somewhere in the range of 900 miles, yet this comprehensive immigration reform bill cuts the fence down to about 400 miles of fencing. John McCain is fond of describing this bill as a national security issue, however, it is really a illegal immigrant Bill of Rights. National security depends on a secure border, but the majority of the bill is provisions for the illegal immigrants and scarce support for law enforcement and security.

If the politicians truly wished to have national security bill, they should disband all of the ways for illegals to get amnesty and spend more time giving thought on ways to have more enforcement at the border. After they can show that the border is secure, then they may talk of a way to deal with illegal immigrants. I think it is clear that to deal with the illegals, we must first shut off the flow and then concentrate on a solution for enforcement inside the borders, neither of which this bill provides.

I hope that our politicians who "represent us" will wake up to the fact the doing nothing is a better option than passing a bill like this. It would take such a hit on a Social Security, Medicare, welfare and education, that I am not sure we could survive as a nation. A better plan would be to enforce existing law instead of contriving ways to make what is illegal.

The American people want justice and fairness, something this bill forgets to include.