Immigration: Welcome to Bonkers, USA

Been there, didn’t do that

In 1986, Congress enacted and President Reagan signed The Act to Amend the Immigration and Nationality Act. Everything was all well and good except for one thing, enforcement. The Act (or Re-Act) took care of a couple of million illegal aliens. It basically stopped the train within the United States, let all the illegal aliens board (unless they were carrying running chainsaws or bloody axes) . They were shuffled through the various and numerous geegees (government giveaways) food stamps; housing; medical; you know the drill. Everything was Kumbaya, but the people weren’t listening to the sounds of the other revving train. I call it the holistic approach, for the border between Mexico and the U.S. was one big hole! Millions of dollars were appropriated for more border control and lots and lots and lots of bureaucrats to handle the myriad of paperwork to begin the many layers and processes of legalizing the existing aliens.

North of the border was becoming sweeter than ever. South of the border was still entrenched with the same endless poverty. The Mexican government didn’t then and doesn’t now care a hoot about the substandard plight of any of their people, unless they are already wealthy. The symbiotic relationship between the jobs north and the futility south became osmosis. That Ross Perot “sucking sound” was poor Latinos coming to the economy of the north with businesses’ hands wide open. As the numbers have steadily climbed the system has given away to overburdened and under funded border control. This has become an added worry because of drug traffickers and God only knows the number of terrorists and sundry gang members who have entered our country. The blind eye of several U.S. administrations and Congresses have allowed the situation to get out of control. Now, twenty years later, we have in some estimates as high as 14 millions of newly implanted illegal aliens.

We might need to do some “illegal alien 101” at this point. We have some communities that have declared themselves “safe havens” for illegal aliens. They say they will refuse to enforce immigration law. Now, maybe I’m wrong, but that seems very close to harboring a fugitive. I thought that was against the law. We have another instance of a judge performing a wedding ceremony for a particular couple, one being an illegal alien. I’m all for marriage, but for a judge on taxpayer dollars to wed an illegal alien seems like aiding and abetting. I thought that was against the law.

Babies are often used as an asylum ploy. Illegal alien mothers dash though all kinds of danger to give birth in the United States. In this way, the child automatically becomes a U.S. citizen. This is one of the most cynical approaches used. It should be on the short list of reconsiderations “to fix“. One only needs to look at a quite similar situation. Let us say that a legal U.S. citizen, a mother, gives birth just before she is sentenced to 5 years for drug offenses. She broke the law just as the illegal alien did. Let the tears fall, but the law is the law. Many, too many Americans, are willing to cover over the law at times of “emotional inconvenience”. As Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff said, “We’re sympathetic, but you have to understand it was the parents’ choice to break the law.”

It is hard to imagine, but we actually have volunteers helping to guard our border with Mexico. Now somewhere in the Constitution it says something about the Federal Government is supposed to secure our borders. We do deficit spending all the time. Let’s put a guard every 5 feet if it takes it. This is post 9/11 season. Remember!

We also have a particular type of cancer in the interior of the southwest of our country. It is basically the “Nation of Aztlan” theory, stating that huge tracts of U.S. territory belong to the descendants of Mexicans. It is backed by “La Reza”, a pro-Mexican and anti-American group. I believe somewhere along history there was a war. Uh, we won it! There have been calls for an “economic boycott” by illegal workers in the United States. No doubt, this would hurt. Sounds a little like “biting the hand” to me. You know the ones; us; the ones who provide the jobs, medical assistance, homes, etc.

Does all this seem somewhat like “Bonkers, USA”. It truly has gotten out of control, but we’ve let it happen. Maybe it happened too slowly. The citizens in the southwest have been seeing it for years. Now, the spread of illegal aliens is effecting most of the states. Mexicans and other Latinos have become more integral to the economy. You’ll find them in the nurseries, fields, factories and meat processing plants of Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee and dozens of other states. As our economy produces more college educated people, the less desirable and lower scale jobs have to be filled by someone. So the less educated, if at all, will be taking that open hand of businesses more and more as our economy continues to grow.

In the 1990’s almost all industrial sectors of our economy grew rapidly. This has continued through most of 2000 and onward. The agricultural, construction industry, non-durable goods, hotel and food jobs have mushroomed. This became a magnet and overwhelmed government on all levels.

Prior to the events of 9/11, President Bush and policymakers were in the process of devoting substantial resources toward a multi-pronged approach to the obvious problem of immigration. The War on Terrorism has interrupted this for awhile. Now, with no attacks on the mainland in six years, the subject is coming front in center. We’ve seen where we were in 1986. We see where we are today. It’s the same problem, just many times bigger. Now, what do we do?

What do you think of the idea of a “tamper-proof Social Security Card”? Wait a minute! I read that somewhere. Yes, it was in the “1986 Immigration Act”. Twenty-one years ago the federal government offered up millions of dollars to use all available technology to do just that. I don’t know about you, but I’m still carrying around my old, tattered paper card.

Do you think some punishments may be in order for a business that breaks the law when it comes to hiring illegal aliens? What do you say about a little device that they slide the job applicant’s card though? It would tell the status of the immigrant. You can’t be to nosey and intrusive on his rights, now. Why not make every employee do the same thing. Maybe that wouldn’t be quite so discriminatory. You know I’ve seen the same sort of things in use now. I believe they’re called credit/debit cards. And those laws; they’ve been on the books for 21 years!

What do you say we round them all up and deport them. At first glance, that might be satisfying to some. You might change your mind: however, when you’re on the that “carb thing diet” and don’t have any bacon or red meat. And if you’re a vegetarian; where are my tomatoes and lettuce? It is just not a feasible proposition. Now, twenty years later, we still have newspapers (written in Spanish), radio programs (spoken in Spanish), television (spoken in Spanish), and now we even have blogs (written in Spanish). Dear Illegal Alien: You have 30 days, 60 days or whatever to register at your closest immigration office. You will be able to get certified, if your not a criminal, except for illegally coming into our country. You will be able to start making amends like community service, pay a substantial fine, and your time starts now to try for citizenship. Not three, five, ten years or whatever, ago. You will work and live at the same place you are right now. Any infractions of the above rules and you will be allowed one call before you are summarily deported back to whence you came. The definition of amnesty is the granting of a pardon by an authority to a large number of people. It does not apply here.

So, back to that pesky “holistic border”. I haven’t changed my mind. Whatever it takes. Armed guards every 5, 10, 30 feet. Whatever! And by the way, free trade is going to be a little slower. Those trucks from the south are not going to drive willy-nilly to the north. Complete and thorough inspections!

I don’t feel there is anything wrong with a “guest worker program”. It simply needs to be a stringently enforced system. It's purpose is only for the foreign worker to be employed and follow all the rules. It should not be a hand out from the troughs of taxpayer dollars. No food stamps. No housing allowance. Above all, automatic citizenship for children born here of foreigners should be abolished post haste. Foreign women should be required to go home after three months of pregnancy. Not closing this ploy is a Pandora’s Box of mighty proportions.

So, basically I propose we stop everything in its tracks. Register all workers in a matter of months. Keep track of them accordingly, at their own peril. Put some dough in that hole in the border.