The President went to Capitol Hill today to attend the weekly luncheon of Republican Senators, attempting to revive the immigration bill that stalled in the Senate last week. His visit yielded little success, as conservatives refused to give in on immigration policy before border security increases.
The Washington Post has an article detailing the day here.
I guess I see myself caught in the middle of this one. On the one hand, I think that we need to make sure that our borders are secure. I have no problem with immigrants, but let's allow more legal ones and try to cut down on the people risking their lives to make it across.
On the other hand, we've gotta give these hard working people a break. We're taught to "Do onto others, as you would have them do onto you." Let's face it, immigrants work the jobs that few of us would ever consider doing, and for that they need some assistance. Yes, they should be legal residents and taxpayers, but they should also be able to have their kids attend schools and have care available to them in hospitals, etc.
Just my two cents on the issue. Any thoughts?
The Washington Post has an article detailing the day here.
I guess I see myself caught in the middle of this one. On the one hand, I think that we need to make sure that our borders are secure. I have no problem with immigrants, but let's allow more legal ones and try to cut down on the people risking their lives to make it across.
On the other hand, we've gotta give these hard working people a break. We're taught to "Do onto others, as you would have them do onto you." Let's face it, immigrants work the jobs that few of us would ever consider doing, and for that they need some assistance. Yes, they should be legal residents and taxpayers, but they should also be able to have their kids attend schools and have care available to them in hospitals, etc.
Just my two cents on the issue. Any thoughts?
4 Comments:
I think we need comprehensive immigration reform meaning we need to make a path to legality for the illegal immigrants already here (rounding up and deporting the millions of illegal immigrants here doesn't seem like a real practical solution plus if we bring the illegal immigrants into the system and out of the shadows, they can be protected and can play by the same rules as everyone else), an improved means of becoming a new American through the system (there's a reason people opted to come here illegally instead of legally), and better border protections (no explanation needed there). Plus we've gotta punish employers that make this a worthwhile endeavor by knowingly hiring illegal immigrants. Generally speaking, I'm in favor of the bill that's been flying around the halls of Congress (not that I've read it, as it is rather hefty) although it would be nice to see a bit more emphasis on reuniting families than there is right now.
In the interest of full disclosure, I must say while I am not in a position to speak for them an the opinions expressed above are my own, the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform puts bread on my table right now. I don't particularly care what an employer thinks when forming my opinions, but someone out there might cry foul.
I agree with the need for immigration reform and think that the current bill is a step in the right direction but it is definitely not perfect. I am in favor of a comprehensive amnesty for current illegals in the US. It is a commonly held belief that illegal immigrants are a burden to the economy and social services of our country, I myself do not fully agree with that but many do. Most illegal immigrants would love nothing more than to become a citizen and take on all the duties that go along with it such as paying taxes. I also agree that we need to tighten our border security but building a wall is not the answer. The best way to secure the border would be to increase the numbers of the border patrol and more importantly to overhaul to process for legal immigration so there is less incentive to move in illegally.
A few closing thoughts now. Immigration has always been a part of the United States. I think a lot of people especially in Wisconsin(with a lot of German heritage) forget that their families were once immigrants. Many of those families faced hostility when they first arrived. In the end though they all learned to speak English and assimilate into out culture. Immigration is the lifeblood that keeps our country young and dynamic, it would be a shame to lose any of it.
look for a larger immigration post by me in the future.
I agree that the government needs to be willing to help every American reach a basic standard of living. To reach this goal would require a substantial increase in the amount of benifits recieved by each person in need.
The problem is that at some point the money runs out. (You may have a hard time believing this based on current expenditures in Iraq, but I assure you, as a rule, resources are scarce.) This forces a decision to be made. The government can give a lot of money to a few people, or a lot of people can get a little money. I think that we can all agree that many of the workers coming to America are not immediately stepping into high paying jobs, and require some assistance. Where to draw the line on the number of new immigrants allowed into American then becomes a very important question.
My final thought would be that no matter how large the number is, there will always be at least one more person who wants to come, and there will never be a border patrol large enough to stop that person from risking his/her life to make it.
Here's a thing though. Right now, immigrants aren't allowed to receive benefits financed by tax payer money for the first 10 years of citizenship. While "not immediately stepping into high paying jobs, and require[ing] some assistance" is certainly a reality, we're not providing it. To that end, the "it's gonna break the bank" argument doesn't hold a lot of water. At least to me.
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