The whole issue of illegal immigration is so thorny, and everyone is seemingly "in their corners" (I’m in mine) that I don’t really write about it that much. That said there is a lot of chatter going on about the so-called "Dream" Act. The policy that would be enacted with this federal legislation, to my understanding, is to provide amnesty, legal residency, and a pathway to citizenship for certain illegal aliens. Specifically, people in this country illegally who came into the United States at the age of 15 years or younger, who complete high school, and who agree to either serve in the United States military or go to college would qualify (for at least two years of a six year period).
The prevailing arguments in support of this bill include that these minors are not responsible for the actions of their parents (or grandparents) who committed the crime of entering our country in violation of our laws, and thus they should not be held responsible for that criminal activity, and that given that these kids are here, they should be encouraged to go to school and go on to have productive lives.
Let me make it clear that I feel bad for all of these kids — in many cases toddlers and infants. They have been thrust into the middle of a public policy debate over a very important issue facing our country. In many cases, they have been thrust into this debate because their parents or relatives "smuggled" them into America for this very reason — they want their children to have wonderful lives, and they likely felt that their best chance of giving their kids a "pathway to happiness and security" was better here than in whatever country they came from. As an "Americentrist" I would agree — there is no better place to live, work and play than the United States of America.
That said, if you support "open borders" or unfettered and unlimited immigration into the U.S., you likely have no objection to the so-called "Dream Act" or frankly measures to provide amnesty and legal residency to every criminal alien in the country. If you have no problem rewarding criminal behavior in the form of violating existing laws, this is a bill you would find attractive.
But if you believe that immigration is good and healthy for a country, but feel that such an inflow of people needs to go through a process, you may take issue. If you think that there is a consequence to unchecked immigration that needs to considered, you may take issue. If you think that in the modern welfare state that has come to flourish in America, that there may be untold costs to provide government services to immigrants in unlimited numbers, you may have a problem with this proposal.
Ask yourself this question — do you feel that our borders are secure and that there are no new acts of criminal entry taking place? Do you feel that we have developed a foolproof way to stop illegal immigration, such that our only problem now is not stopping illegal immigration, but just figuring out to do with the millions of lawbreakers (and their children) who have already come in?
If you don’t feel like our borders are now completely sealed to all but to legally approved immigrants, who have followed our immigration laws, you may have a problem with this proposal.
The reason is pretty simple. Presumably every single foreign resident that prepares to violate our immigration laws and trespass into our nation goes through some sort of pro-con debate. What are the upsides and downsides to leaving my country and going to the United States? Given our country’s lack of real enforcement on this issue, and real consequences for criminal entry and criminal residency — along with our seemingly porous borders, there are probably few real downsides. We need to create more downsides. But at the same time, can we really afford to create upsides? Can we really afford to give someone more of reason to come into this country illegally?
Relative to the part of the illegal immigration problem that is the ongoing flood of people engaging in this criminal enterprise, the Dream Act’s passage would be a huge magnet, giving that much more incentive for every parent of a child who wants to succeed in school and get a college education to come to America. But this particular bill is a specific enticement to come here illegally. Whether it is to take advantage of this particular legislation, or to be to qualify for the next similar law to come down the road. To the extent that you think that illegal immigration is a problem, it will make it that much worse.
It would frankly be more in the interests of the United States to work with the various country of origins where all of these kids are actually citizens, and see what we can do to get them on the track to higher education by having their parents take them home. If we can truly seal the porous border problem, maybe we can look towards some sort of program where, if families take these kids back to their home country and they finish high school, they can qualify for a VISA to come to the United States for college on some sort of prioritized basis. This really can’t be on the table, though, until we can ensure that this wouldn’t cause more illegal immigration to then abuse this kind of program.
So, to reiterate — if you have no problem with illegal immigration, or just don’t think it is that big of a deal — then the Dream Act doesn’t seem so bad — in fact, you probably feel that every existing opportunity to American-born children, or children of legal immigrants, should be offered to these children who are here illegally.
But if you do think that illegal immigration is a problem, then you’ll have a big problem with the Dream Act, which I hereby rename the "More Incentive To Illegally Enter America" Act.
It is not lost on me that we are talking about hundreds of thousands if not over a million children. Real people who, whether they like it or not, are here, and have doors closed to them that are open to other kids whose parents didn’t commit criminal entry. I am first angry with their parents, who had no right and no business breaking the law and making victims out of their children. I am secondly angry with my government, which has yet come up with a way to either close the borders or pare back the welfare state so that taxpayers in America wouldn’t be worried about attracting people here who seek the "safety net social programs" of our nation.
To retiring Lt. Governor Abel Maldonado, who according to the Sacramento Bee has been calling Members of Congress to urge the passage of the Dream Act, I would ask you how, in good conscience, you can encourage more foreign nationals to break the laws of this country? It would be more intellectually honest to simply add language to the Dream Act making it legal for anyone to cross our borders, free from inspection or standards.
It is worth adding that America is a country of laws. When the violation of those laws is ignored oe when individual responsibility and moral conduct are no longer primary considerations of goodness in our society, we are then going down a slippery slope — we will become a nation in decline.
Passing the so-called Dream Act may very well provide an incentive for a lot of children to get a high school degree and go to college (or go into the military, assuming you are okay with citizens of other countries doing that). But the (presumably) unintended consequences aren’t worth it. The "Dream" for some may become a nightmare for all of us.
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am
Immigration is a loser issue for Republicans in California..
This place is over….the moochers have won!!!!
Two kinds of moochers….those who come and can’t kick start due to marginal education or poor communication abilities, lack personal motivation, have no job skills or have health/disability issues….AND the Moocher Industrial Complex that enables the trapped and hopeless among us while creating a lavish total job/pay/benefit infrastructure for themselves.
AND who can fight the emotional appeals: Johnny is hungry in school….Maria got ripped off by her rich employer….you would deny my brother-in-law’s Granny from Latvia dental care…how do you expect Horst to read this driver’s test, go to court or vote, if paperwork is not in his native language…you evil Republican…..YOU!!!
What is this insidious Moocher Industrial Complex…..try education, health care, welfare, security, charities, multi-language communication mediums to assist with day-to-day coping…..all top dollar expensive for all of us….
A ray of hope….Flash Report Junkies….There is no money in the public trough and the private sector is reeling from unprecedented unemployment/under employment.
Just stand by….relax….they can “DREAM” but the reality is Freddy Krueger is sharpening his nightmarish claw…
THE MASSIVE CUTS ARE ABOUT TO COMMENCE!!!!
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am
The Dream Act is a positive way for our country to clean up the illegal status of some American resident children. The country gains a better trained educated set of employees and the illegal young residents have their criminal burden lifted from them.
The problem with the Dream Act is that closing down the border to illegal crossings is not an indivisible part of the Act.
So we need to hold the Dream Act in abeyance until ending illegal border crossings are part of the Act.
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:00 am
What a crock!!! A true liberal talking point gig…….over 1.25 million students in California are ENGLISH CHALLENGED…..85% are from Latin countries; they only speak Spanish…
So you want to give us “A DREAM” where they get citizenship and bring in their immediate families including grandparents on BOTH sides for a married couple…..your talking upwards of possibly FIVE MILLION new citizens in California eligible for every free bee known to urban mankind….
Use your heads Junkies….this is serious business…You want to fall like ROME…..coddle and coo to the “Dream” hucksters….the drama queens who will only exploit these people and obviously make tons on money enabling them for generations to come!!!!
December 4th, 2010 at 12:00 am
a couple of points. First, many American businesses are actively recruiting people to cross the border with a wink/wink mentality and a large part of the reason they have done this for so long is because out immigration service couldn’t process visa’s fast enough. But if you are going to blame their parents, you should at least also mention the businesses that bring them in.
Second, virtually every economist says that illegals contribute more than they take to our economy. Since the issue became political, a few economists have turned up on the other side, but their credibility is certainly questionable by their timing I think. The reason economists believe they contribute more than they take is because they have to list social security numbers and pay into it which they never collect and for most jobs including farmworkers, they also have their taxes deducted and never get a refund. That adds up to more than the services they take, although as I said, some now claim that’s debateable.
Third, many of these people who do not have valid passports are not the illiterates that are so often portrayed by politicians. Many of them work in places like Silicon Valley and have simply overstayed their work visa’s. You have many highly trained professionals that would not be easily replaced and who will cause problems if they leave beyond the question of whether we can find people to take the low income jobs that are usually associated with illegals.
The Dream act acknowledges that because of 9/11, we can no longer afford to have the virtually open borders we have had in the past, but attempts to get there without destroying the American economy in the process.
In fact many economists have stated that the biggest drag on the current recovery is the lack of workers in some key places because of the anti-illegal political stance that has been growing. But you don’t hear much about that because it’s easier to knock latino’s. JMO!
Anyway, I suspect John is on the winning side poltiically on this one and there is something to be said for the fact that everything should have been on the up and up. But I think a lot of people here don’t understand both the role’s illegals fill, especially in our high tech and medical fields and also frankly don’t understand how many latino’s are American citizens. I think the stereotype is that everyone who is latino is illegal and that is not the case. Minorities currently make up a little over 1/3rd of American citizens and many of them are latino’s.
December 10th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Mr. Kaptain,
Americans know what the difference between legal and illegal immigration.
You state that many economists have stated that the biggest drag on the current recovery is the lack of workers in some key places. Besides being not true, that statement is absurd.
Please name these economists and the key places where there is not enough workers.
I am calling you out on this, kind sir.
Your assumption that people come here illegally is because the government can not process visas fast enough is one of the funniest things I have ever heard. This is also not true, but did make me laugh me LMAO.
How the hell did your skull get so full of absurd mush concerning this issue?
I have lived in the small community of Lake Arrowhead for 32 years and have watched illegals here, spend most of their adult lives standing on the streets, looking for work as day laborers. I have seen them suffer and have known three of them who have died from alcoholism.
Most of them have been the same faces for over twenty years. They have after twenty years of being here, no interest in learning english. No ineterests in improving themselves, no interest in embracing our culture and no interest in becoming Americans. This is Mexico’s brightess and best?
I have one child who is a teacher in a 105% latino community and reports the same lack of assimilation and interest thereof.
I have one child who is a pysician in Oxnard who primarily delivers babies in a clinic environment where more than 90% of her patients are illegal immigrants who have come here to give birth to anchor babies at tax payer expense. They also have no interest in becoming Americans in earnest.
Your absurd assumptions and false statements leave me entertained but also concerned that someone has filled your head with liberal mush somewhere down the road.
To any liberals who have read this far…HOW ABOUT ROOTING FOR AMERICA FOR A CHANGE…instead of making excuses and a phoney case for the need of America to become Northern Mexico.
Kind Regards,