The System is Down - Fixes to Resolve Illegal Immigration
In 2000, the United States (US) Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) estimated that the total population of undocumented, illegal aliens within the US was over 7 million and was growing at a rate of 500,000 per year. This growth, it should be noted, was not simply the influx of illegals, but the net growth of the illegal alien population (so influx plus births minus deaths and those who returned home or were deported).
There are a host of obvious and not-so-obvious problems that this large population creates. After all, this illegal alien population comprises around 4% of the total US population and is increasing the US population by 0.2% each year. This growth is unsustainable for several reasons. Most of these are the arguments that many hardliners make, a few of which are listed below:
This undocumented population places a general drain on society through
1. Overcrowded Schools
2. Uninsured Medical Visits
3. Uninsured Motorists
4. Increased low cost work force
5. Growth of illegal subculture
6. Congested streets and public works
7. Government assistance obtained illegally
8. Little or no taxes generated to pay for these services
You will find opposing arguments to the points above, most of which attempt to excuse or play down the effects. However, there is no denying that extra people being supported by "the system" who are not contributing does in fact place a drain on the public.
But don't buy into every piece of passionate rhetoric that you hear about illegal immigration. Sides and arguments abound and are likely to be as varied as they are multitudinous. To keep our head level, I will categorize each argument as one of the following:
1. Rational
2. Emotional
In this post I am not considering emotional arguments in favor of or against particular ideas, plans, or immigration in general. Now, there is no doubt that all arguments have their place and time, but most emotional arguments are often too vague and well, emotional. The rational, realistic arguments are the once that are going to affect our here-and-now, which is what we're trying to address.
There is no doubt that something must be done to mitigate illegal immigration (note that I did not say end) and "deal", if you will, with those illegal immigrants already residing in the US. Some say to open the borders and let anyone in who wishes to come. Complete amnesty for all. Others are more hard-line, saying that all illegal aliens should be deported and the borders tightly controlled to deny them any return. Both extremes I find, of course, impractical and silly for a host of reasons. If you know me well, then, you won't be surprised that my plan is a synthesis of the two.
I also want to add that the current senate bill addressing immigration is very similar in some respects to my plan but is very different in others. I think what the politicians have done thus far is a start, but they are no where near having the best plan worked out.
I invite you to read my plan and please critique it with all that you have. The only way to come to any consensus is through open debate.
I will begin with the problems of the status-quo. Currently, we have a very under funded border security network that is unable to meet the demand placed on them by the influx of illegal immigrants. We have little or no means to actually process and deport illegals and, for the most part, simply turn a blind eye on what is going on. As a result, immigrants are all but encouraged to enter illegally with little risk of apprehension or negative consequences. Yes, many are working. Yes, there is apparently a demand for low-wage, unskilled labor. But the status-quo isn't practical to maintain further. The reasons for this are listed above.
Where we would like to be is a world away. We would like to bring the number of undocumented aliens down dramatically. We would like to end the influx of further illegal aliens Please note I'm not saying end immigration. We simply need to be able to control the numbers of immigrants who enter the country; much like the Fed controls the cash flow, to avoid negative economic effects. We need to be able to require people who are currently undocumented aliens to contribute to "the system" by paying taxes, voting when eligible, maintaining auto insurance, paying into Medicare/Medicaid as well as other government programs, and participating in Census counts for zoning and planning. We need to eliminate the sub-culture of illegal aliens (note not eliminate the culture of the individuals) by documenting, documenting, documenting.
These are the objectives of my plan, to get us from point A, where we are, to point B, where we would like to be, in the most feasible manner possible. To begin, we must end our old pattern of behavior and actually start discouraging illegal immigration.
Discouraging illegal immigration can be done simply by applying the laws currently on the books. Of course, to do so we will need increased security and enforcement. The likely scenario would be a broadening of the INS, Border Patrol, or perhaps the creation of a new agency to intermediate the two. Following through is the important part, as the system of "catch-and-release" is no real deterrent.
This new system or agency will, of course, need an infrastructure that is not existent today. Some way of documenting the "supply" of immigrant workers through registration, tracking, and law enforcement is needed, along with monitoring of the "demand" side, or employers. You'll notice that Tyson foods hired many illegal immigrants yet were acquitted of charges as they actually went above and beyond what the government requires. Some sort of centralized documentation and eligibility checks is needed to avoid such circumstances. This will not be cheap or easy, but it must certainly be done.
By simply documenting immigrants properly we are already on the road to discouraging further immigrants to come. Presently they need only get here, get some false papers, and they are on their way to employment. However, beyond some sort of national documentation program (which, if you'll notice, I have not tried to specify the best way to document), and the deterrent that we will actually follow through with our laws, we do need to address the present influx of immigrants.
This will require beefing up the Border Patrol and border security. With the proper amount of personnel, I do not think the dreaded "fence" would be a bad idea, as long as it is seen that this "fence" is only part of a larger plan, and not the cure itself. But the solution does not merely take place at the border. We also need to increase our apprehension and processing of illegal immigrants within our country. This point is key as it is vitally necessary for "dealing" with present illegal aliens. There should be a law enforcement who is tied in with the above created agency (or an extension of INS and Border Patrol). This law enforcement would apprehend and process illegal immigrants within our borders. This would allow us both to document illegal aliens and would be a discouragement to future illegal immigrants.
So we have an agency now prepared to actually enforce the laws and carry out what must be done to discourage future illegal immigrants and to document those who still manage their way across the border. The problem now is, what do we do with current illegal immigrants and what will this agency do with those immigrants apprehended in the future?
While deportation of all illegal immigrants is as unpractical as filling in the Great Lakes with concrete, the option of total amnesty is equally as unpractical. Total amnesty would only encourage future illegal immigration and do nothing to solve the current problem of non-documented workers and families. The answer, then, must lie somewhere in between and I think is very close to what the senate bill proposes. Below I have listed illegal immigrants into four groups based off of their present time in the US. You will notice that it is a sort of "partial amnesty". We have no choice but to do so. We have turned a blind-eye for too long and allowed the problem to grow. The key here is to set in motion a system that will be fair to those who are here and to not allow the problem to arise again.
5+ Years. Those immigrants who can prove residence of five or more years from the date of enactment of this plan (let's say 2008) will be allowed to stay. They must register with the INS and start the process of naturalization as if they just legally immigrated, not retroactively. They must learn English (note I did not say forget Spanish) and begin the steps that every immigrant takes to become an American Citizen (this includes paying taxes, social security, and other costs).
2-5 Years. Those immigrants who can prove residence of two to five years from the date of enactment must return to their native country and apply for legal entry into the US. This is compulsory and time limited. In other words, let's say Jose Flores is picked up by the INS in March of 2009 (see why enforcement is so important?) and can show that he has been living/working in the US for 3 years. He is then required to return to Mexico within 6 months (or a year maybe) and apply to enter the US legally. If he does not return to Mexico within the allotted time he will be deported and banned from applying for entry for 5 years. If he does return to Mexico and applies within the 6 months required, his application will be expedited (although he may not be granted immediate reentry). Once he reenters he will be a legal, documented immigrant.
Less than 2 Years. Those immigrants who cannot prove that they have been residing in the US for more than two years at the time of the enactment of this plan will be immediately deported to their native country and must begin the process of legal immigration into the US.
Future Illegals. Those caught after a certain grace period (let's say 2 years from enactment) will be immediately deported and banned from applying for reentry for 5 years. If they are caught a second time they will be prosecuted (Here's the tricky part, how do you punish them without filling up our prison system?)
You can quickly see how none of this will work without major changes to the way the INS operates, the funding for the Border Patrol, and the creation of a law enforcement agency capable of upholding the plan. But this plan will provide for almost every argument that I have heard made either for or against immigration.
From what I can see, we cannot do anything but stop digging. We have allowed illegal immigration for a long time, actually encouraging many to come with our lax enforcement. We must admit our mistakes (partial amnesty) and start anew with firm enforcement of border laws and a way to ensure that future immigrants are documented, legal, and are contributing to society and "the system".
There are a host of obvious and not-so-obvious problems that this large population creates. After all, this illegal alien population comprises around 4% of the total US population and is increasing the US population by 0.2% each year. This growth is unsustainable for several reasons. Most of these are the arguments that many hardliners make, a few of which are listed below:
This undocumented population places a general drain on society through
1. Overcrowded Schools
2. Uninsured Medical Visits
3. Uninsured Motorists
4. Increased low cost work force
5. Growth of illegal subculture
6. Congested streets and public works
7. Government assistance obtained illegally
8. Little or no taxes generated to pay for these services
You will find opposing arguments to the points above, most of which attempt to excuse or play down the effects. However, there is no denying that extra people being supported by "the system" who are not contributing does in fact place a drain on the public.
But don't buy into every piece of passionate rhetoric that you hear about illegal immigration. Sides and arguments abound and are likely to be as varied as they are multitudinous. To keep our head level, I will categorize each argument as one of the following:
1. Rational
2. Emotional
In this post I am not considering emotional arguments in favor of or against particular ideas, plans, or immigration in general. Now, there is no doubt that all arguments have their place and time, but most emotional arguments are often too vague and well, emotional. The rational, realistic arguments are the once that are going to affect our here-and-now, which is what we're trying to address.
There is no doubt that something must be done to mitigate illegal immigration (note that I did not say end) and "deal", if you will, with those illegal immigrants already residing in the US. Some say to open the borders and let anyone in who wishes to come. Complete amnesty for all. Others are more hard-line, saying that all illegal aliens should be deported and the borders tightly controlled to deny them any return. Both extremes I find, of course, impractical and silly for a host of reasons. If you know me well, then, you won't be surprised that my plan is a synthesis of the two.
I also want to add that the current senate bill addressing immigration is very similar in some respects to my plan but is very different in others. I think what the politicians have done thus far is a start, but they are no where near having the best plan worked out.
I invite you to read my plan and please critique it with all that you have. The only way to come to any consensus is through open debate.
I will begin with the problems of the status-quo. Currently, we have a very under funded border security network that is unable to meet the demand placed on them by the influx of illegal immigrants. We have little or no means to actually process and deport illegals and, for the most part, simply turn a blind eye on what is going on. As a result, immigrants are all but encouraged to enter illegally with little risk of apprehension or negative consequences. Yes, many are working. Yes, there is apparently a demand for low-wage, unskilled labor. But the status-quo isn't practical to maintain further. The reasons for this are listed above.
Where we would like to be is a world away. We would like to bring the number of undocumented aliens down dramatically. We would like to end the influx of further illegal aliens Please note I'm not saying end immigration. We simply need to be able to control the numbers of immigrants who enter the country; much like the Fed controls the cash flow, to avoid negative economic effects. We need to be able to require people who are currently undocumented aliens to contribute to "the system" by paying taxes, voting when eligible, maintaining auto insurance, paying into Medicare/Medicaid as well as other government programs, and participating in Census counts for zoning and planning. We need to eliminate the sub-culture of illegal aliens (note not eliminate the culture of the individuals) by documenting, documenting, documenting.
These are the objectives of my plan, to get us from point A, where we are, to point B, where we would like to be, in the most feasible manner possible. To begin, we must end our old pattern of behavior and actually start discouraging illegal immigration.
Discouraging illegal immigration can be done simply by applying the laws currently on the books. Of course, to do so we will need increased security and enforcement. The likely scenario would be a broadening of the INS, Border Patrol, or perhaps the creation of a new agency to intermediate the two. Following through is the important part, as the system of "catch-and-release" is no real deterrent.
This new system or agency will, of course, need an infrastructure that is not existent today. Some way of documenting the "supply" of immigrant workers through registration, tracking, and law enforcement is needed, along with monitoring of the "demand" side, or employers. You'll notice that Tyson foods hired many illegal immigrants yet were acquitted of charges as they actually went above and beyond what the government requires. Some sort of centralized documentation and eligibility checks is needed to avoid such circumstances. This will not be cheap or easy, but it must certainly be done.
By simply documenting immigrants properly we are already on the road to discouraging further immigrants to come. Presently they need only get here, get some false papers, and they are on their way to employment. However, beyond some sort of national documentation program (which, if you'll notice, I have not tried to specify the best way to document), and the deterrent that we will actually follow through with our laws, we do need to address the present influx of immigrants.
This will require beefing up the Border Patrol and border security. With the proper amount of personnel, I do not think the dreaded "fence" would be a bad idea, as long as it is seen that this "fence" is only part of a larger plan, and not the cure itself. But the solution does not merely take place at the border. We also need to increase our apprehension and processing of illegal immigrants within our country. This point is key as it is vitally necessary for "dealing" with present illegal aliens. There should be a law enforcement who is tied in with the above created agency (or an extension of INS and Border Patrol). This law enforcement would apprehend and process illegal immigrants within our borders. This would allow us both to document illegal aliens and would be a discouragement to future illegal immigrants.
So we have an agency now prepared to actually enforce the laws and carry out what must be done to discourage future illegal immigrants and to document those who still manage their way across the border. The problem now is, what do we do with current illegal immigrants and what will this agency do with those immigrants apprehended in the future?
While deportation of all illegal immigrants is as unpractical as filling in the Great Lakes with concrete, the option of total amnesty is equally as unpractical. Total amnesty would only encourage future illegal immigration and do nothing to solve the current problem of non-documented workers and families. The answer, then, must lie somewhere in between and I think is very close to what the senate bill proposes. Below I have listed illegal immigrants into four groups based off of their present time in the US. You will notice that it is a sort of "partial amnesty". We have no choice but to do so. We have turned a blind-eye for too long and allowed the problem to grow. The key here is to set in motion a system that will be fair to those who are here and to not allow the problem to arise again.
5+ Years. Those immigrants who can prove residence of five or more years from the date of enactment of this plan (let's say 2008) will be allowed to stay. They must register with the INS and start the process of naturalization as if they just legally immigrated, not retroactively. They must learn English (note I did not say forget Spanish) and begin the steps that every immigrant takes to become an American Citizen (this includes paying taxes, social security, and other costs).
2-5 Years. Those immigrants who can prove residence of two to five years from the date of enactment must return to their native country and apply for legal entry into the US. This is compulsory and time limited. In other words, let's say Jose Flores is picked up by the INS in March of 2009 (see why enforcement is so important?) and can show that he has been living/working in the US for 3 years. He is then required to return to Mexico within 6 months (or a year maybe) and apply to enter the US legally. If he does not return to Mexico within the allotted time he will be deported and banned from applying for entry for 5 years. If he does return to Mexico and applies within the 6 months required, his application will be expedited (although he may not be granted immediate reentry). Once he reenters he will be a legal, documented immigrant.
Less than 2 Years. Those immigrants who cannot prove that they have been residing in the US for more than two years at the time of the enactment of this plan will be immediately deported to their native country and must begin the process of legal immigration into the US.
Future Illegals. Those caught after a certain grace period (let's say 2 years from enactment) will be immediately deported and banned from applying for reentry for 5 years. If they are caught a second time they will be prosecuted (Here's the tricky part, how do you punish them without filling up our prison system?)
You can quickly see how none of this will work without major changes to the way the INS operates, the funding for the Border Patrol, and the creation of a law enforcement agency capable of upholding the plan. But this plan will provide for almost every argument that I have heard made either for or against immigration.
From what I can see, we cannot do anything but stop digging. We have allowed illegal immigration for a long time, actually encouraging many to come with our lax enforcement. We must admit our mistakes (partial amnesty) and start anew with firm enforcement of border laws and a way to ensure that future immigrants are documented, legal, and are contributing to society and "the system".
posted by Cogito at 1:08 PM
6 comments
