Acceptable Immigration reform

I would like to comment on the continued push by President Bush and some members of Congress for comprehensive immigration reform. It has repeatedly been said that our immigration system is broken and needs to be reformed. I have a question regarding that statement. How can you tell if a system is broken if no one has every tried to enforce it to begin with?

In 1986, then President Reagan signed into law, the Immigration Reform and Control Act. That was supposed to fix all our problems with illegal immigration, a one time only amnesty. Here we are, 21 years later with another 20 million illegal aliens in our country, facing another amnesty.

Why should the American people shoulder the burden for our government's inept handling of the issue of immigration? Why should we accept 20 million citizens from Mexico, South America, and wherever else it is they come from because of our governments unwillingness to enforce the law?

President Bush should have sent the military to guard our border the day after 911. Instead, he chose to send our troops off to die in some far off land in a chase after phantom terrorists in Iraq. With an estimated million illegal aliens crossing the U.S./Mexico border annually, that is roughly 5 million illegal aliens the president has allowed to enter since he started this war on terror.

And now you are pushing for amnesty to cover for your mistakes, your ineptitude, your lack of action, even though an overwhelming 80% of the legal residents of this country oppose it.

Senator John McCain, a leading proponent of immigration reform and supporter of S. 2611, the Senates Immigration legislation, repeatedly stated that if anyone has a better idea he would listen and take it before the Senate for consideration. When attending a town hall meeting in Tempe Arizona, Senator McCain was asked about ‘attrition through enforcement’, a plan documented by Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies. Senator McCain refused to consider it or even listen. It is attitudes like that that show the American people, that you, our elected officials have no regard, nor desire to enforce existing law. Your goal is to continue bringing in as many immigrants, legal and illegal into this country, to provide a continuous supply of cheap labor for the corporations of this country who fund your political campaigns. The wishes and desires of the American people are of little or no concern to you whatsoever.

This country was built by Americans. We did not put forth our sweat and blood so that elected officials could chose to ignore our wishes and give our country away to foreigners who have never contributed to our society or our culture.

So here is what I am going to do. I work with some Americans, some born and raised here, some naturalized, that also own farms and fruit orchards. They have told me that they have tried to hire Americans to work their fields and pick their fruit. In talking to them I have learned that there just are some jobs that Americans won’t do. So I can see the need for a guest worker program. However, for me to accept one it will have to be on terms that would guarantee me, and the rest of the American people, that it is going to work and not flood our nation with even more illegal aliens.

So here is what I propose. First off the Senate and the House must pass, and the President must sign into law H.R. 698 which would deny citizenship to children born to illegal aliens. That would stop the nonsense of these illegal aliens being eligible for food stamps, welfare, Medicare and a host of other free benefits paid for by the tax payers of this country. Next, every illegal alien currently in this country would not be eligible to participate in this guest worker program. If they wish to participate they must return to Mexico, along with their families and apply through proper channels. Finally, all employers who hire the remaining illegal aliens will be punished as per law, to include fines and prison time. Once these steps have been taken the following guest worker program could be initiated.

-All applicants for guest worker status must fill out the proper forms at a immigration center on Mexican soil. These forms, along with all required fees will be processed and a thorough background check and physical exam performed. Once the applicant is approved they will be added to a waiting list for an opening in the U.S.

-When an employer needs workers for his farm he will submit a request to the overseeing agency, stating how many workers he will need, how long he will need them and the wages he will pay them. The wages must be above the minimum wage, and their wages will be taxed just like any other worker in the U.S.

-When the overseeing agency approves the application, they will select the desired number of workers and the farmer will be required to pick them up at a designated border station. Upon entering the United States they will be equipped with a tamper proof Global Positioning Device which will allow us to locate them should they try and disappear into society or overstay their visa. Failure to follow the terms of their visa will deny them further participation in the guest worker program.

-The visa will be issued for the workers only. We are not issuing vacation passes for the entire family. If these people want to work then they can come here and do so, but their family will remain on the other side of the border.

-While employed in the U.S. these guest workers must abide by U.S. law. If they wish to drive they must apply for a valid drivers license, provide proof of insurance and have their vehicle smog checked like any other American citizen is required to do. If, during the course of their employment they violate our laws and are apprehended by law enforcement, they will be deported and lose the opportunity to participate in the guest worker program in the future.

-If, after numerous times working in the United States as guest workers, these people wish to become citizens of this country they may apply and wait in line like anyone else. They must have learned sufficient English to get by and be able to pass the citizenship test.

That is my guest worker program. It fits the needs of the agricultural industry and it also ensures the American people that we are not bringing criminals, or carriers of disease into our country. It also provides a way to track these workers in case they decide to overstay their visa, so that they can be located and deported.

I am just an average citizen, yet I was able to come up with a workable plan for guest workers. Why has it been so difficult for those elected to represent me, and millions like me to come up with something similar? I can tell you why, although you already know, you have no desire for the immigration system to work. Otherwise you would have been enforcing our current laws for the last 21 years, since IRCA.

You keep pushing for immigration reform and the American people have had enough of it. Your total disregard for our wishes is going to push us too far one day. The King of England once learned what happens when you disregard the people for too long. For your sake, I hope it doesn’t come to that once again.