by Donna Poisl
There are several encouraging signs lately that there might be a solution soon to the illegal immigrant problem. At least, I am seeing news of groups, counties and states making proposals and passing legislation that show they are facing facts and are looking for something that will work.
I realize this doesn’t mean Congress is facing facts, but if enough other groups work at it, maybe they will do something too.
Many of our citizens are finally realizing that it truly would be impossible to deport millions of people. They also admit that these workers are needed to keep our economy going.
Many surveys lately are showing that a majority of our citizens are willing to allow all the undocumented people, after going through background checks, to stay and apply for some type of work visa and pay back taxes. Everyone insists they learn English. Most want them to get on the path to citizenship if they qualify.
The Texas Association of Business has formed a group to lobby Congress. They know the wall being proposed by some will be too expensive and will not work. They are asking for a bill that will give legal status to the law abiding workers who are already here and allow more legal workers into the country as they are needed.
El Paso County Commissioners Court passed a resolution calling for legal status for undocumented, law abiding immigrants. It calls for reform that doesn’t violate human rights and treats everyone with dignity and respect.
Catholic bishops are asking for humane treatment for all the undocumented people here. And most churches across the country are helping the immigrants in many different ways. Churches are treating this as a moral issue and most are trying to stay out of politics.
Several states have allowed illegal immigrant children who have gone to their high schools, graduated and qualified at state colleges to pay in-state tuition. California is going one step farther and passed a bill to allow these students to get financial aid while in college, the same as other residents.
These are all good signs that the public is ready for a solution to this problem. I doubt that one single person is happy that people are coming into our country illegally every day, but we are all responsible for it happening.
If we helped the immigrants get here; or hired them once they were here; if we voted for the people who are allowing it to go on; if we did not vote at all; if we buy food or goods or services that these workers produce: we are responsible. We should also be responsible for fixing the problem.
We will all benefit if this problem is fixed, even if it means the majority of these people are offered work visas and eventual citizenship.
If they are given legal status, they can get actual driver licenses and auto insurance. This will help every other person who is in a vehicle or who buys auto insurance for themselves.
If they aren’t exploited by unscrupulous employers, they will be paid regular wages and pay all the taxes they are supposed to pay. Their jobs will also be safer and there will be fewer injuries and deaths. Many of them will be able to get better jobs, since some of these people are well educated and would qualify for higher positions than hotel maid or landscaper.
All these people would have to learn English. Most citizens who are against the immigrants are more enraged about them speaking their own languages all the time than they are about them being here. It’s hard to learn a new language, especially as an adult, but it would be mandatory and they would manage somehow if they want to stay. When they have work permits and legal jobs, they won’t have to work 12 hours a day (or two 8 hour jobs), and they should have more time to go to ESL classes.
Instead of being stuck in their small communities because they don’t speak English, immigrants would be better able to assimilate. A hundred years ago, everyone had to learn English, there wasn’t any help for people in their own languages. Now it is easy for these newcomers to stay in their ghettos and never speak English.
If all these immigrants stay and become legal residents and citizens, they will add to the fabric of this country, just like our ancestors did. Instead of being visitors and guests (unwelcome ones at that), they will be part of the community. Right now, they have no interest in being part of a community that they know they will have to leave soon.
They will be home owners and business owners and employers. They will discover that they should be involved in their children’s schools and their community and they will learn how important it is to vote. These people will all become Americans.
If Congress would just look at the facts and the future and be brave and do something, this problem could be solved. Our borders would be secure and no one would be hiking across the deserts to live in the shadows here.
1 comment:
First, respecting our laws is first and foremost in this discussion - I've heard all of the issues - illigal aliens (a legal way to talk about immigrants) are looking for a better life - they are contributing to the economy - they pay taxes - they just want a good life and most of them are not breaking the law - they want a good education for their kids - this was Mexico until it was stolen, etc.
Yes, people want to come here to advance their lives. Look at all the 'legal immigration' numbers and we see this. Yes, this country was formed by immigrants and continues to be shaped by those who come from other countries to work or live here. The Statue of Liberty gives the sentiment of giving us your poor and wretched, etc. No one is saying we don't want immigration - most people even hard liners want immigration but what is the issue is what type of immigration and according to what rules do we decide our own immiagration policy.
Just because immigration was handled in the past a certain way does not mean that any particular way should be followed. A good organization changes with the times and with its needs. The USA is not in existence at the service of any other country and their problems. The first concern is for the concern and needs of its own citizens (there are degrees of concerns it looks at since we don't treat a citizen who keeps the rules the same as one who breaks the law or is a felon or has broken the 3 strikes laws - at this point you can't be a USA president if you were not born here even if you are a citizen; as in any other country or organization, even the Catholic Church, those who contribute more to the group are given more consideration than those who contribute much less and you can quantify this).
We have a right to change any immigration rules - becaue of what happened at 9/11, for our own skilled worker needs, for political needs, for only humane needs, etc. In the past most immigrants were from Europe; recently a lot of immigrants have been from Asia and Latin America. How many of what people from which countries are to be decided by the leaders of the USA, not based on the needs of other countries or the needs of other country's citizens. Mexico and other Latin American countries make the same types of decisions and so do countries in Europe, Asia, etc.
Just because a country is rich or richer than others does not mean it has an obligation to let others in just because others have needs. It may mean there is an obligation to help others and the USA does this by being the greatest charitable country overall (not just looking at any one time or event) both thru the government and thru the charity of its citicens. I don't hear so much said against any other country for not doing more than they have - too bad critics are biased and prejudiced as they are. Politics rules.
Those who came here illegally are illegal, broke the law and do not have a right to be here according to our laws. That is a fact. You can argue that the laws are not being enforced or have not been enforced in the past as they should be - I agree. That doesnot mean we can't start enforcing now. We have more reason to enforce now because of terrorists and because of criminals of greater crimes who come into the USA with other illegal immigrants. We have a right to protect the rest of our population who are citizens.
Illegal immigrants also break other laws - steal social security numbers belonging to others; making up social security numbers, having several social security numbers at the same time; pretending to be someone else and having false IDs; misrepresenting themselves to others; using services in the USA that they do not have a right to use (some services are allowed even by law - fine) since they misrepresent themselves; driving without a license; driving with no insurance; if a man comes here illegally and later brings his family here illegally they are all committing these crimes. Some illegal immigrants break other laws besides these - theft, tickets, sexual crimes, assault, etc. Sure, some citizens comit some of these crimes and when they are caught most of them are punished but they have a right to be here legally in the first place.
You can argue that they are not breaking serious laws or they are only doing it to survive but here is the rub -
If you owned a second home and one day you went to check on it and found a family living there who did not have your permission to live there but they needed help since they were poor and could not afford anything else but freely living in your vacant home (they cleaned it up, kept it cleaned, tended to the garden, were fairly clean, used what you had there but did not break or tear things, etc.). What would you do - you would probably do what you could to help them out and call social services locally but eventually you would ask them to leave since they did not belong there. If the father and mother found work locally with others and could pay your rent, maybe you would let them stay with a 'legal agreement' between you and them. If they cound not even afford a lower rent than you normally charged, though they may be there for a while until they could get on their feet, you would probably ask them to go.
Now whatever you chose to do, if after that family moved away or left, if a second family tried to do the same thing, I don't think most of you would continue this trend. You want people to respect your property and you want to decide who to rent your property to, no matter how well anyone might care for it or are in need.
Owning personal property is one of the foundations of this country. The Mexican Revolution happened for many reasons but one of them was to return land to the pesants that the powerful or rich stold from them. When people own their own things they are more invested to use them for the community good while they use them for their own good. The fact that Mexico does not practice now what the revolution was about is a different matter.
I have lived around and with people from other countries. Those who were here legally are upset that illegals are allowed to stay. People say that the illegals have worked hard in this country so they should be allowed to stay. Working hard by itself is not enough to allow the special treatment many advocates for illegals want. We have had illgal immigrants for many years - its very hard to control all people who come in here (stow aways, those who sneak in or use coyotes to help them, etc.) During Ronald Regan's presidency, an amnesty was granted to between 3 - 4 million illegals here - I remembr that. From my understanding, we are still processing those illegal immigrants now at centers around the country. That was 20 years ago or so. Now people want 12 million or so to be allowed to stay and you think processing that humber will be easier.
I contend that if we had not allowed so many people to be here illegally, we could have let more people come here legally and would not have this problem. I contend that many of those we could have let in legally would have taken many (not all) the jobs that illegals now do, though some legal immigrans would do other work.
As the person who owned a vacant home that poor people just occupeid and lived in without permission want that family to leave after helping them - so we can legally and morally ask those who don't belong here legally to leave or to do what we require them to do.
Now comes the rub - how can we ask people who have contributed to the USA by their work and who have paid taxes to leave - it seems like we were just using them and now tossing them. Well here are a few facts. They make money and help the economy - sure, but if legal immigrants would have been let in, they would have done the same thing. Many illegals send money to family in other countries which is their right but that doesnot help the USA economy. They pay taxes but they also use services here (road repair, police protetion, firefirhger help, street lights, parks, schools, libraries, etc.) They use the ervices that their taxes pay for and though they pay taxes they don't pay the majority of taxes in this country (the poor pay no income federal or state tax though they pay tickets, sales tax, fines, etc.). So to me its a wash - they use what they pay for and actually may use more than they pay. I don't want to get into that argument now.
Many illegal immigrants do not want to become USA citizens and many who have been here legally for years never become citizens and don't know a lick of English. I've met many and some of them have their dreams of returning to their country to own start a business or get a home, though many of them already have a home there. They are not invested in the concerns of this country and never will, except to complain. Some do become citizens of course.
I saw a special on cable called '30 days' which documented people on one side of an issue spending 30 days with people from another side of an issue and showed their daily and weekly events of their experience. Good program. One of the episodes was about a Hispanic minute man Cuban who spent his time with an illegal family in Los Angeles. Well done. He lived and talked with them, he went to rallies, he saw that they worked hard and saw that the kids wanted to achieve a lot and go to college (the oldest daughter was accepted at a college by the end). The Cuban American even went to the village that the family was from to see where they were living and visit with the family grandma and the man's brother. At the end the man of the illegal family said he just wanted to have a home for his family, give his chidlren a good life, become a USA citizen and to have a business to hire other hispanics and illegals in this country.
Right then and there I could see again that that man was not trying to do what is best for this country but what was best for himself and his family and would continue the illegal stream thru his efforts. This is what I find with most people advocating an open borde4r or don't want anything bad to happen to illegal immigrants. They are not at all interested in protecting the citizens of this country or the security of this country.
People don't like to make genralizations so I'm sure people will object to some things here butr when they assume that by taking action with those who are here illegally will be bad or by putting up a wall on the border will be bad, those too are generalizations - prejudice, discrimination against those who want to do certain things for this country.
Most Americans are good and kind and want to help those who need help. We have let in many immigrants in this country in the past and we will for years to come - we just want to control how they get here and who can stay here - many people are deported for many reasons. Illegal immigrants are not a 'sacred people' just because they have needs. Catholic bishops are asking for humane treatment - true but deportation is not inumane - just how we do it.
If we deport a mother and father who have chidlren here who are USA citizens, its the same as locking up men and women who have children and separating them. If they have no family available, they go to foster homes or group homes. I don't see people outraged much (maybe just members of those families) If you break the law, and coming here illgally is breaking the law (maybe not like murder or sex crimes) then you are treated like someone who broke the law (even though you are a nice person generally). Some of the nicest people we know have broken the law - they have just not gone to jail (maybe a few have).
There are sweeps all of the time in the USA - sweeps of gangs, parolees and probation, drug, drunk driving stops and road blocks, etc. Citizens who did not break the law are sometimes inconvenienced because law enforcement looks for others. Looking for those who break the law is a normal thing though it may not occur each day of the year.
We don't build a wall on the Canada side or focus as much there since not as many people are crossing at that border and at this time it is more practical to consider the Mexican and USA border - if you're smart you do what is practical and conveneint and will give you more bang for the buck first - we will stop more people from crossing at the Mexican border than if we concentrated on the Canadian border.
We have a history with Mexico and Latin American that is touchy - I know this (USA sticking its nose in other's matters, land acquisition, honoring treaties, etc.) That should not stop us from doing what we need to do for those who are here legally in this country (citizens, those with legal papers). I know about 45% of those here illegally were here legally once upon a time. It was our government that dropped the ball for them but that does not mean we can't pick it up again and start to enforce laws. Most Americans want this (border enforcement, putting up walls, handling illegals better). Mexico was not bombed over the years - the USA was so we have the right to do what we must to protect our security and let in who we want and not let in who we don't want. Even Jesus let the vineyard owner choose who he wanted to work his land, start at different hours and pay them what he wanted. Land ownership, self determination about what was his, paying what the owner felt was just, picking who he wanted in his vineyard, etc.
Talking about Atzlan, reclaiming land for Mexico, resisting becoming a citizen or living the American life, serious criticism of the USA government, etc. do not help USA citizens believe that people who do this are serious about being part of this country for this coutnry's good. All of the protestors with Mexican flags which changed to American Flags still did not convince many that they had any American's interest at heart but their own. They are people in need and many of them are good and they work hard for the most part but we need to be able to say who we say can be an American and be in this country legally. That we need workers is another matter. That we have not dealt with the business community that has hired many of these illegal workers, or the people who have treated the illegals badly and crimially. Business people hire citizens who do not qualify under the law sometimes and treat some citizens badly too. Those here legally have recourse in the courts. Those here illegally have less recourse since they start off being in this country on the wrong side of the law (even if they have great need).
We have used the strength of their arms and back to build this country but they have also participated in using the resources of this country while they have been here even if they hide in the shadows. They get to experience many things in this coutnry that many people who want to be here 'legally' can't yet have since they are still waiting for their papers and permission to be processed. Illegals get the benefits of this country (even own businesses, school, health care, good roads, streets, parks, law enforcemnt and firefighter protection, etc.) withouth having to go thru the channels legal residents or citizens have had to do. That is an insult to those who try to get here thru our laws. It's like a spit in their face, even if that was not their intention. There are many poor people in need trying to get into this coutnry legally, just as hard working, law abiding and wanting to do good for their families but they can't get in for years.
These are reasons I want to take care of the illegal immigrant issue - it is not an immigrant issues since we already have a process for immigrants. I don't know the best way to do this and I know you can't just get 12 million people to leave quickly, and we do need workers (though I think legal immigrants could do most of the work and some citizens since some jobs illegals do are in construction, lawn care, etc.).
The issue of the American Bishops and Illegal advocates are not looking at the rights and needs of this country. I am a Hispanic born in Los Angeles and my grandparents and mother were from Mexico. I speak Spanish and have dealt with this hispanic community and many non profit organizations and marched in Caesar Chavez groups in years past and with the Civil rights groups. I have taught and dealt with illegal immigrants as well as legal ones. I just know that the citizens of this country need to be able to decide how to continue the life of this country. This is a special country because of what we have - Rule of law, democracy or representative republic (congress, presidency, supreme court), and people can be entrepreneurs or business owners, and own their own homes and land. This coutnry works because of the rules and laws that were created at the beginning and following the rules that work keeps things working.
If rules from other countries worked as well then those countries would work consistently over time (some countries do well). In business and sports, you find what works to get what you want (win the game or make the money) and keep following the rules and change only when you must to improve your needs. This country has thought about other countries for a long time and about those less fortunate (look at all the contributions to charities and churches). We will still do that but we must decide to do what we must to protect what we have going. What's good about this coutnry is what others want to come and get - that's why they immigrate here. We do what we must to protect what helps make us great for the good of those who are here legally. Others will keep coming and then become part of this country's citizens.
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