Illegal Immigration

The current debate on illegal immigration emphasizes border security before tackling any other immigration issues. Conservative media, primarily talk radio and columnists, have been continually promoting the concept of building a fence between Mexico and the United States to stop the “invasion”, then rounding up and deporting all illegal immigrants in the interest of "National Security".  The Minuteman Project, a loose confederation of private citizens, has formed border surveillance groups (with no accountability to elected officials) to deter illegal immigration.

This is the politics of fear. And this fear is being applied to redirect the public’s attention from the escalating civil war in Iraq and the expanding culture of corruption existing in our state and federal government. The issue of illegal immigration has been crafted as a wedge issue to: 1) distract the public; 2) divide the political opposition; and 3) reunite the Republican base.

Illegal immigration is not a black-and-white issue as portrayed by those with a their specific agenda. The question of cost is hardly considered by the advocates for building a fence and forcibly deporting illegal aliens. Cost estimates are calculated at $3 million dollars (per mile of fence) for a 1,952 mile border for a total of about $5.9 billion.  Additional funds will be spent for increased border patrol officers, detention centers and transportation costs. This is what the taxpayer is expected to pay. Unfortunately, there has been little accounting of the cost to our economy through lost productivity, primarily in the farming and service industries. At this point, people are reacting on an emotional level as the media has been ratcheting the intensity of their coverage for ratings.

One perspective not being discussed at the same level is ... exploitation. Many employers exploit the immigrant population with poverty wages, unsafe working conditions and no legal protections. This exploitation extends to working class Americans through depressed wages and fewer benefits. As profits continue to rise and wages remain stagnant, the American middle class is systematically being destroyed.

It is time for some common sense and make the attempt to unite our country through compromise and dialog. Here are some suggestions for improving the situation for all concerned:

Licensing and Fines for Employers of Illegal Immigrants.

One of the primary arguments of the conservative punditry is that illegal immigrants "drain" our resources by using public services (welfare, healthcare, education, etc...) without paying taxes. Realistically, this is more an issue of using "under-the-table-cash" pay as most people (illegal or not) getting paychecks have taxes taken out. The conservative approach is to fine and jail employers of illegal immigrants. Instead of criminalizing the employment process, allow employers to "license" the ability to employ a specific number of illegal immigrants. The license fee will fund social and community services and provide an incentive to hire American citizens. Employing illegal immigrants without the license will result in fines which increase with each incident.

Using the National Guard for Border Control.

The use of the National Guard for duty in Iraq constitutes a back-door draft and diminishes their original mission of guarding our borders. Using the National Guard as our border security would provide a deterrent force with a humantarian mission that is accountable to an elected official (the governor). In other words, bring our Guard and Reserve forces home to protect our borders and the people crossing them illegally.

Upgrade the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) computer systems and processes:

Most of the complaints about our immigration policy is the long timeframes for the process and the inability to track people who are in the country. Increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the INS operation will provide better access for potential immigrants to enter the United States legally.