Why The Proposed Immigration Bill Is NOT a Good Idea

The Guiding Principles that have been proposed are:

• NO path to citizenship - instead, the illegally-present people will have their status changed to legal resident, or citizen-but-without-voting-rights.  This would be a LEGAL status, but NOT citizenship.
  
  
  
  • I can just see the follow-up headlines:  How can those cruel, heartless, Republicans keep these LEGAL people in 2nd-class citizenship status?  Allowing this "legal but non-citizen status" is only a ploy - it will not last until the ink is dry on the agreement.
  
  
  • Not to mention the issue of people who are NOT eligible voting in many cities already.  Now, why is that a CITY problem?  Because voter fraud is harder to get away with in the smaller towns, unless it's a town with a university in it.
  
  
  
  


• These now-legal residents would learn English, learn about American legal system, and gradually become part of our society - no longer "in the shadows".
  
  
  
  • Probably a silly question - if they are "living in the shadows", then who is it that I see on the news all the time?
  
  
  
  


• They would have to pass a background check.
  
  
  
  • Statistics on crime in the immigrant population is mixed.  Academic studies tend to find low crime rates; the FBI and other official statistics show much higher rates.  See this link for a discussion of the situation, and make the judgement for yourself.
  
  
  • Keep in mind that the crime rate falling may occur even though crimes committed by immigrants are rising.  2006 FBI stats showed:
  
  
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    95% of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens.

    
    
  
  
  • 83% of warrants for murder in Phoenix are for illegal aliens.
  
  
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    86% of warrants for murder in Albuquerque are for illegal aliens.

    
    
  
  
  • 75% of those on the most wanted list in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Albuquerque are illegal aliens.
  
  
  • 24.9% of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally
  
  
  • 40.1% of all inmates in Arizona detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally
  
  
  • 48.2% of all inmates in New Mexico detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally
  
  
  • 29% (630,000) convicted illegal alien felons fill our state and federal prisons at a cost of $1.6 billion annually
  
  
  • 53% plus of all investigated burglaries reported in California, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and Texas are perpetrated by illegal aliens.
  
  
  • 50% plus of all gang members in Los Angeles are illegal aliens from south of the border.
  
  
  • 71% plus of all apprehended cars stolen in 2005 in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California were stolen by Illegal aliens or “transport coyotes".
  
  
  • 47% of cited/stopped drivers in California have no license, no insurance and no registration for the vehicle. Of that 47%, 92% are illegal aliens.
  
  
  • 63% of cited/stopped drivers in Arizona have no license, no insurance and no registration for the vehicle. Of that 63%, 97% are illegal aliens
  
  
  • 66% of cited/stopped drivers in New Mexico have no license, no insurance and no registration for the vehicle. Of that 66% 98% are illegal aliens.
  
  
  
  


• They would have to pay "significant" fines and back taxes.
  
  
  
  • Because, we've NEVER seen favored groups excused from obligations that affect non-favored groups.
  
  
  • NEVER.
  
  
  • NEVER.
  
  
  
  


• They would have to support themselves, AND their families, without use of public benefits.
  
  
  
  • BUT, if their household includes American-born minor children, they already CAN get those benefits - which is a HUGE incentive to start making babies, FAST!
  
  
  • Contrary to public image of immigrant poverty, the non-natives live fairly well, compared to the natives.  See the table below for a comparison. (Click to enlarge)
  
  
  
  

"In some states, the difference with natives is even larger. In Arizona, Colorado, Texas, California, Nevada, North Carolina, Illinois, and Massachusetts the per-capita household income of natives is at least 50 percent higher than immigrants. The per-capita figures indicate that immigrant households are a good deal poorer than native household once household size is taken into account."  From the Center for Immigration Studies (quote and table)

 



 

Immigrants ALREADY use far more benefits than natives.  Who, besides a chuckleheaded Liberal/Leftist, expects that to change with legalization?

From the Center for Immigration Studies

 

 

• Eventual citizenship for those brought to the US by parents, before the age of 16.  This is a recognition that children have little choice in where they live.
  
  
  
  • The DREAM Act - this is the legislative proposal that allows non-natives who were brought to the US as children to qualify for college enrollment at citizen tuition rates - AND also includes eligibility for public subsidies for tuition, grants, and loans.  See this link for a fuller discussion of the expected impact on the taxpayers.
  
  
  
  


• Enforcement of security at the borders, as well as internally within the nation.
  
  
  
  • Current law does fingerprint international visitors, but NOT Canadians or Mexicans.  If they travel outside of certain zones, they SHOULD be required to, but, in real life, they aren't.
  
  
  • The Canadian/Mexican exception allows MANY foreign visitors to slip by at the borders.  The documents are easier to fake, don't include biometrics (fingerprints, eye scans, DNA).  So, basically, as long as you claim to be from our neighboring countries, you can ignore all of that "rigorous" security.
  
  
  
  


• Enforcement of existing laws.
  
  
  
  • What about E-Verify?  The federally-funded employment pre-screening that uses applicants work documents to keep illegals from working.
  
  
  
  

 

Here's a map of the coverage of E-Verify.  Click this link to see how YOUR state fits into the requirement for using E-Verify.

As you can see visually, MANY states do not require employees to use E-Verify.  So much for "rigorous" enforcement of employment law.

 

 

Here's the full text:

Here are the full GOP principles:

Standards for Immigration Reform

Our nation’s immigration system is broken and our laws are not being enforced. Washington’s failure to fix them is hurting our economy and jeopardizing our national security. The overriding purpose of our immigration system is to promote and further America’s national interests and that is not the case today. The serious problems in our immigration system must be solved, and we are committed to working in a bipartisan manner to solve them. But they cannot be solved with a single, massive piece of legislation that few have read and even fewer understand, and therefore, we will not go to a conference with the Senate’s immigration bill. The problems in our immigration system must be solved through a step-by-step, common-sense approach that starts with securing our country’s borders, enforcing our laws, and implementing robust enforcement measures. These are the principals guiding us in that effort.

Border Security and Interior Enforcement Must Come First

It is the fundamental duty of any government to secure its borders, and the United States is failing in this mission. We must secure our borders now and verify that they are secure. In addition, we must ensure now that when immigration reform is enacted, there will be a zero tolerance policy for those who cross the border illegally or overstay their visas in the future. Faced with a consistent pattern of administrations of both parties only selectively enforcing our nation’s immigration laws, we must enact reform that ensures that a President cannot unilaterally stop immigration enforcement.

Implement Entry-Exit Visa Tracking System

A fully functioning Entry-Exit system has been mandated by eight separate statutes over the last 17 years. At least three of these laws call for this system to be biometric, using technology to verify identity and prevent fraud. We must implement this system so we can identify and track down visitors who abuse our laws.

Employment Verification and Workplace Enforcement

In the 21st century it is unacceptable that the majority of employees have their work eligibility verified through a paper based system wrought with fraud. It is past time for this country to fully implement a workable electronic employment verification system.

Reforms to the Legal Immigration System

For far too long, the United States has emphasized extended family members and pure luck over employment-based immigration. This is inconsistent with nearly every other developed country. Every year thousands of foreign nationals pursue degrees at America’s colleges and universities, particularly in high skilled fields. Many of them want to use their expertise in U.S. industries that will spur economic growth and create jobs for Americans. When visas aren’t available, we end up exporting this labor and ingenuity to other countries. Visa and green card allocations need to reflect the needs of employers and the desire for these exceptional individuals to help grow our economy.

The goal of any temporary worker program should be to address the economic needs of the country and to strengthen our national security by allowing for realistic, enforceable, usable, legal paths for entry into the United States. Of particular concern are the needs of the agricultural industry, among others. It is imperative that these temporary workers are able to meet the economic needs of the country and do not displace or disadvantage American workers.

Youth

One of the great founding principles of our country was that children would not be punished for the mistakes of their parents. It is time to provide an opportunity for legal residence and citizenship for those who were brought to this country as children through no fault of their own, those who know no other place as home. For those who meet certain eligibility standards, and serve honorably in our military or attain a college degree, we will do just that.

Individuals Living Outside the Rule of Law

Our national and economic security depend on requiring people who are living and working here illegally to come forward and get right with the law. There will be no special path to citizenship for individuals who broke our nation’s immigration laws – that would be unfair to those immigrants who have played by the rules and harmful to promoting the rule of law. Rather, these persons could live legally and without fear in the U.S., but only if they were willing to admit their culpability, pass rigorous background checks, pay significant fines and back taxes, develop proficiency in English and American civics, and be able to support themselves and their families (without access to public benefits). Criminal aliens, gang members, and sex offenders and those who do not meet the above requirements will not be eligible for this program. Finally, none of this can happen before specific enforcement triggers have been implemented to fulfill our promise to the American people that from here on, our immigration laws will indeed be enforced.