Illegal Aliens and Immigration Reform

Here we are 2008 and we are still having the same old debate. My great grandfather and his father (who were Native American on my mother's side) were sitting around the campfire and...the conversation probably sounded something like this: "I think we should get our guns and bows and arrows and shoot the next bunch, scalp 'em and then they'll think twice about sneaking onto our lands ..." "Then we'll start rounding them up and throwing them out". Roll the clock forward 40 years. "Wow that didn’t work we need a new approach, …I think we should call them immigrants, ... agreed".



The problem:
Morally, we cannot allow 20,000,000 people to live in this country with civil rights only one step removed from slavery. They work in the shadows, for lessor pay and under questionable conditions. Whether administered by pre-civil war southern democrats, or elites in modern day California or corporate conglomerates, slavery and semi-slavery should not be permissible. We the people cannot allow this. We embraced immigration after the civil war and welcomed workers who learned the language, merged into our culture, and defined by their existence the term "American". The 14th Amendment (1866) granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized within the United States. The Sherman Antitrust Act (1890) protected their rights to engage in free and fair commerce. Illegal immigration must be stopped to protect the rights of the illegal immigrant. The problem is not people sneaking into the country through our airports, armed with visas and passports, who simply decide not to go home. It is people walking/riding/swimming across our southern border.


So shoot 'em, scalp 'em or round 'em up and send 'em home.



”That's not going to work. I think we should call them guest workers ... agreed. “



The solution:

Don't round anyone up. Don't fine or imprison anyone who is not guilty of a crime other than illegal immigration. Embrace countries and their citizens who are good neighbors and restrict U.S. entry by countries and their citizens who are not. Re-generate the U.S. industrial base, and do it in a way that raises both our and our good neighbors standard of living. As Mr. Spock used to say "Live long and prosper".



Step One:

We must implement tax reform as defined in my prior post on the topic. Replace all payroll taxes (not the income tax) with a national sales tax. This will allow manufacturing to return within our borders and to flourish. We can target investment credits for re-industrialization at certain geographic areas: rust belt states and Mexican/American border states, etc. We’ll need a lot of bilingual Americans for the re-industrialization effort along the Mexican/American border. Wonder were we can find them?



Step Two: We must enact legislation to revise the 14th amendment to grant citizenship only to those born in the U.S. to one or more parents who are U.S. citizens. This will eliminate the anchor baby problem. Not everyone born in the U.S. needs to become an U.S. citizen. We are no longer seeking people to settle and tame a vast wilderness. For those born here of foreign nationals, once they reach the age of consent (18), they may petition for a grant of U.S. citizenship, pending a criminal background investigation.


Step Three: We must reform our immigration policy with respect to countries that share geographic borders and achieve and retain a favored nation status (Canada and Mexico, Cuba?). These countries would be allowed to participate in an unrestricted guest worker program. A participant in the unrestricted guest worker program must be a citizen of a participating country (Mexico/Canada). They need to present appropriate proof of citizenship, at the time of entry and at the time of employment application. They will be eligible to receive an employment card and apply for guest worker benefits/privileges within their state of employment. Each state may define its own set of benefits/privileges. For states that do not, the guest worker would be eligible for the same benefits/privileges as a legal state resident, but those benefits/privileges would be time limited (expiration 90 days after completion of employment). As part of the application process for employment and/or benefits/privileges any guest worker who is in violation of state or federal law (high crimes and misdemeanors) may be subject to deportation/procecution. Guest workers may travel freely between their home country and the U.S. Any guest worker who completes 10 years in that status may begin the naturalization process and become eligible for citizenship upon completion. Lets be clear on this point. We are not a multi-cultural mess. To become an American, it takes work. Learn the language, learn the civics, obey the law and merge into the main stream. We have distinct and proud sub-cultures, but citizens are American first. If you don't want to be American first, then don't become a citizen.



Step Four:Participating countries must enjoin the U.S. in a "secure border" initiative which stops the flow of illegal immigrants (other nationalities/criminals) from crossing into the U.S. from Mexico/Canada. Failure to do so may result in loss of guest worker privileges for their citizens.

Step Five:
Guest worker privileges are reciprocal between the participating countries. U.S. citizens may choose to work in Mexico/Canada as guest workers.


George