Immigration
The Left Says
We are a nation of immigrants. People come here seeking a better life for themselves and their children. How can we deny them the liberty and opportunity that we all hold so dear.
The Right Says
We are a nation of laws, and if people choose to enter our country illegally, they obviously have no respect for our laws, so why should we expect that they will obey any of our laws. Our social safety net has become a fishing net that attracts the worst sort of people.
The Solution
For once, both sides are completely right.
How about we start with some of the words under the Statue of Liberty:
...“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!1”
We must be true to this foundational principle. Emma Lazarus also referred to The Statue of Liberty as “Mother of Exiles,” and said, “from her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome.” This is who we are. America is the place where you can make it. BUT… This is still our house. You don’t walk into our house, sit down on our couch, and then just expect to be treated like part of the family. No. You knock on the door, you announce who you are; if you break something – you pay for it. There are some basic rules for how we get along. We need to know who you are, and you need to be paying your share of taxes2.
People come here mainly for economic opportunity. Undocumented workers are cheap and also don’t incur other pesky expenses for business owners - things like unemployment insurance, workers’ comp, Social Security & Medicare contributions, overtime pay, and health & safety compliance. So crooked employers break the law by hiring undocumented workers, but we blame the workers and not the bosses.
Seems backwards.
If we just enforce the laws and hold the employers accountable, all of the immigrants will get documentation, because otherwise there is no work. This is common sense, and most people on both sides agree on it. The reason we don’t do it is because it would be bad for business. Well, frankly, we are pretty tired of corporations running the show.
We are not suggesting straight-up amnesty and citizenship for people who are here illegally. We are saying they should all be documented. Basically; come on in with a work visa. Start paying into the system. After a year of employment, apply for a green card - which we grant pretty freely after a thorough background check and security screening. If you’re unemployed for 6 months, you leave voluntarily, if you ever want a chance of coming back and trying again. If you have a job, then you stay, and continue paying into the system. Break the law and you’re gone (3 misdemeanors or 1 felony, no take-backsies). After 5 years you can apply for citizenship. After 10 years of employment, you can start to receive benefits.
…Oh, and keep your language and heritage, but also let’s encourage the speaking of English – free at every school (understanding that literacy in the native language is a necessary 1st step). We don’t care about the color of your skin, where you’re from, or what name you call God. Those different ways of looking at the world are good for us. Just respect the law and pay your taxes. If we agree on that, then everyone’s welcome!
Ultimately, it’s not a question of “letting them in.” They are already here, and we need them. It’s an issue of making it work. “But more will come,” someone whines. Yes. Yes they will. They will come either way, so how about we deal with it.
1 From “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus
2 “I’d like to see something done about this illegal alien problem that would be so sensitive and so understanding about labor needs and human needs… …If they’re living here, I don’t want… 6 and 8 year old kids being made to feel…that they’re living outside the law. Let’ address ourselves to the fundamentals. These are good people, strong people! Part of my family is Mexican!”
~George H.W. Bush
(then, in follow up)
“…Rather than talking about putting up a fence, …make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit. And then while they’re working and earning here, they pay taxes here. And when they want to go back, they can go back. They can cross and – open the border both ways.”
~Ronald Reagan
From the Republican Debate in Houston, Texas; April 23rd, 1980
timestamp 43:10 to 45:50