Broken immigration policy now totally inexcusable

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: Broken immigration policy now totally inexcusable

It's time to get serious about immigration. For the better part of four decades, Washington has been unwilling to do that. Laziness, political correctness and comfort with the status quo have led the country to pursue immigration policies that are of little benefit to immigrants or the native born. As of Sept. 11, that's inexcusable.

America's broken immigration policy has resulted in millions of legally invisible people living within its borders -- people with no documentation or identification, and none of the attendant rights or responsibilities.

Among their ranks were some wicked thugs who took full advantage of their legal invisibility. They easily crossed our borders, mingled and blended in -- then ruthlessly commandeered four airplanes and killed thousands of innocent civilians.

Usually, the failures of American immigration policy aren't so pronounced -- or horrific. Usually, they manifest themselves in smaller ways: Immigrants who get scammed and exploited because they have no legal recourse; illegal aliens endangering everyone on the roads by driving uninsured; the gross violation of tax and labor laws.

But it's the unusual that has made this gross failure so clear.

Americans have not only a right, but a pressing need, to know who crosses their borders and who resides within their country.

To that end, Attorney General John Aschroft has announced plans to work with Canadian authorities to tighten up the countries' shared border. Other proposals include tripling the number of border agents and using military personnel to safeguard against illegal crossings.

These are good first steps. The country must remain open to those seeking the American dream, while offering no quarter to those seeking to destroy it. That requires more vigorous border control.

But the problem extends far beyond those trying to cross the borders and to the roughly 10 million illegal aliens who already have. Clearly, there is a need to identify and document as many illegal aliens as possible. Otherwise, their very invisibility continues to be a threat -- to their own safety, and to the nation's.

Some sort of guest-worker program is the best solution.

If illegal aliens are allowed to stay and work legally in the U.S., they will have a powerful incentive to get documented and identified. The disincentive for choosing continued invisibility should be just as powerful -- immediate deportation.

To do anything less is to perpetuate a dangerous American shadow society that unnecessarily creates victims -- and gives free rein to victimizers.

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/socal/terrorist/index.asp

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), October 10, 2001

Answers

Given the amount of unemployment in this country, and the fact that it's likely to get much worse before it gets better, it would make more sense to just deport ALL illegal immigrants, and then make sure they don't get back into the country. I don't see that allowing them "guest worker" status would help the unemployed citizens of the U.S. out at all.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), October 11, 2001.

"I don't see that allowing them "guest worker" status would help the unemployed citizens of the U.S. out at all."

I wish this was true. Last week President Bush told President Fox of Mexico that amnesty for Mexican illegals and expanded guestworker programs were still on Bush's agenda.

If you think this is ridiculous, I suggest that you write to President Bush and tell him so. I did. I would also send the same message to your legislators.

BTW, there are reports of many unemployed, illegal workers walking the streets in N. Y. looking for any kind of work. The 9-11 attacks caused a massive drop in food service jobs.

-- K (infosurf@yahoo.com), October 11, 2001.


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