US Immigration Policies...

[peejay 327]

COMMENTARY

Policies have to consider impact on American citizens

Dan Stein Federation for American Immigration Reform

Immigrants, legal or illegal, make the decision to leave their homelands and seek new lives in another country for one reason: It serves their interests to do so. In most cases the motivating factor is economic — immigrants move from poorer nations to wealthier ones in search of greater economic opportunity. Others immigrate for family, political, social or religious reasons, or some combination of all those factors.

Immigration viewed from the perspective of the immigrants themselves is always beneficial. If it weren’t, they wouldn’t come and they wouldn’t remain. Everyone — including critics of large-scale immigration — understands the human aspirations that drive people to migrate.

However, mass immigration affects not only immigrants themselves, but also the receiving society. It is these considerations that have led every nation on Earth to establish immigration laws, because what is beneficial to the individual who wishes to migrate may or may not serve the interests of the receiving nation and the people who are already there.

In recent years, total annual migration to the United States — people admitted legally, refugees, political asylum seekers and permanently settling illegal immigrants — has hovered close to the 2 million mark. Putting that figure in perspective, the United States has been absorbing the equivalent of the population of Philadelphia every single year. No nation can absorb that level of immigration over an extended period without it having an impact on everyone else and on every aspect of life in the country.

Americans want U.S. immigration laws enforced and overall levels of immigration reduced because they believe that their own interests are being undermined by the current system. For millions of American workers, mass immigration is impeding their ability to find jobs at wages that allow them to provide a decent quality of life for their own families. In countless school systems across the country, children (mostly from working-class families) find themselves in classrooms where time and scarce resources must be diverted to teaching other kids basic English skills. Other Americans feel like strangers in their own communities, as excessive immigration has transformed the language and culture.

Even those Americans who are insulated from many of these direct effects feel the impact. Mass immigration — especially illegal immigration — has become a labor subsidy for many employers who pay low wages and few, if any, benefits to their workers. The Pew Hispanic Center reports that the average wage for an illegal alien is about $300 a week. Even if taxes are being withheld (and often they are not), what is being paid on these meager wages covers only a small fraction of some of the basic services, like public education and health care, that the illegal aliens and their families use. The difference must be made up by other taxpayers who never consented to having the illegal aliens here in the first place.

After decades of immigration policies being determined by the interests of the immigrants, their direct employers and foreign governments that find it more convenient to export their people rather than institute economic and social reforms, Americans believe that U.S. immigration policies must begin to reflect their own interests and values. While there is no consensus in the special interest-driven corridors of power in Washington, most Americans have a pretty clear sense of what they would like to see done about immigration.

Most take a clearheaded, rational approach to dealing with illegal immigration. On the one hand, they understand that granting amnesty to an estimated 13 million illegal aliens would only encourage more people to break our laws in the future, and would be unfair to millions of people who have tried to play by the rules. At the same time, they understand that we cannot practically find, much less deport, that many people.

Mass illegal immigration is a problem that developed over many years, and Americans recognize that there are no magic, overnight fixes. However, adopting and enforcing rational policies can, over time, reverse the flow of illegal immigration. In addition to securing our borders, we must eliminate the reasons why people violate our borders in the first place.

The primary reason why people come here illegally is employment. Implementing a mandatory work authorization system that requires employers to verify the eligibility of all workers, and punishing employers who fail to comply, would dramatically reduce the incentive to immigrate illegally. If credit card companies can verify millions of transactions every day with near 100 percent accuracy, there is no technological reason why a system to verify Social Security numbers or other ID used by workers cannot similarly be verified.

Our legal immigration policies also fail to serve the public interest and are badly in need of reform. Current legal immigration levels routinely exceed 1 million per year — three to four times our historic immigration intake, and more than double the levels recommended in the 1990s by a blue ribbon commission chaired by the late civil rights leader, Barbara Jordan.

While preserving the unity of the nuclear family ought to be paramount, our current system of chain migration, which allows people to petition for extended family members, must be ended. Attempting to reunite extended families is an unfulfillable objective. Each newly admitted immigrant breaks up another extended family that must then be reunited. Moreover, the policy serves no public interest, as family members are admitted without regard to personal qualifications like education and job skills.

Like any other public policy, the first responsibility of America’s immigration policy is to serve the best interests of the nation. While we all understand the desires of people who wish to settle in this country, we must also recognize that the public interest demands that we institute and enforce rules that protect the interests of the American people.

http://olive2.ardemgaz.com/Repository/ml.a...le=english-skin

[almaty 19]

While preserving the unity of the nuclear family ought to be paramount, our current system of chain migration, which allows people to petition for extended family members, must be ended. Attempting to reunite extended families is an unfulfillable objective. Each newly admitted immigrant breaks up another extended family that must then be reunited. Moreover, the policy serves no public interest, as family members are admitted without regard to personal qualifications like education and job skills.

hmmmmmm......

[HAL 9000 96]

Now the last sentence is interesting.

"While we all understand the desires of people who wish to settle in this country, we must also recognize that the public interest demands that we institute and enforce rules that protect the interests of the American people."

I'd say its a little more than just freakin desire... and as long as you have the perpetuation of the economics that drive people this way by both local officials and our own corporate interests, we'll continue seeing the drive to come. Incentives can be modified around the law.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Commentary indeed - because there no way that would pass as a piece of researched journalism. He cites "the impacts to American citizens" in extremely generalised terms with nothing specific in reference to his claims.

In other words - its nothing new and adds nothing new or substantive to the debate on this issue. Same old guff, different day.

[IAMX 3,055]

Commentary indeed - because there no way that would pass as a piece of researched journalism. He cites "the impacts to American citizens" in extremely generalised terms with nothing specific in reference to his claims.

I think the impact is having to look at too many brown people. Is there a way to make someone color blind?

Edited August 5, 2008 by SRVT

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think this issue is very overexposed on here - as was the posting of every single op-ed piece under the sun during the Democratic primaries.

There isn't any particularly new or interesting in this article that really justifies it being posted on here - when we've seen the exact same thing a dozen times before. What's wrong with bumping one of the older threads rather than start a whole new one that says absolutely nothing new?

[thetreble 19]

The Pew Hispanic Center reports that the average wage for an illegal alien is about $300 a week. Even if taxes are being withheld (and often they are not), what is being paid on these meager wages covers only a small fraction of some of the basic services, like public education and health care, that the illegal aliens and their families use. The difference must be made up by other taxpayers who never consented to having the illegal aliens here in the first place.

This was the debate on a popular radio station in my state the other week. My husband works in a restaurant that has illegal immigrants. He likes them a lot, actually. They are helping him to speak better Spanish, and they are extremely gracious individuals. However, these particular individuals who make 10$/hr according to my husband (he is their boss) do not pay into the system. They work incredibly long shifts of up to 10 hrs a day, and most of them typically work two jobs. Therefore, they are probably making more than I am! haha But they are using our services, which of course I do not mind, but without paying for them. I just think that is unfair since I am the legal immigrant who now works and pays taxes.

Also, I just wanted to point out that illegal aliens can make a lot more money than it seems the media portrays. People always talk about the harsh conditions and the cheap labour, but honestly, I know a few that get paid well and their conditions are regulated.

[Ban Hammer 14,296]

The Pew Hispanic Center reports that the average wage for an illegal alien is about $300 a week. Even if taxes are being withheld (and often they are not), what is being paid on these meager wages covers only a small fraction of some of the basic services, like public education and health care, that the illegal aliens and their families use. The difference must be made up by other taxpayers who never consented to having the illegal aliens here in the first place.

This was the debate on a popular radio station in my state the other week. My husband works in a restaurant that has illegal immigrants. He likes them a lot, actually. They are helping him to speak better Spanish, and they are extremely gracious individuals. However, these particular individuals who make 10$/hr according to my husband (he is their boss) do not pay into the system. They work incredibly long shifts of up to 10 hrs a day, and most of them typically work two jobs. Therefore, they are probably making more than I am! haha But they are using our services, which of course I do not mind, but without paying for them. I just think that is unfair since I am the legal immigrant who now works and pays taxes.

Also, I just wanted to point out that illegal aliens can make a lot more money than it seems the media portrays. People always talk about the harsh conditions and the cheap labour, but honestly, I know a few that get paid well and their conditions are regulated.

10 hours isn't incredibly long.

[thetreble 19]

I also work 10 hour days, and my husband 12-14 so I realize 10 isn't long. I do know a lot of people though that only work 7.5 or 8 hours a day as a full time employee. I guess it depends on what you do and where you work.

But that really wasn't my point, Charles! Even if they only work 10 hours a day at one job, if they work two jobs in the same day they essentially never sleep. And 10 hrs @ $10/hr is $100 bucks. If you work 5 or 6 days a week, they are making decent money.

Edited August 5, 2008 by thetreble

[Ban Hammer 14,296]

I also work 10 hour days, and my husband 12-14 so I realize 10 isn't long. I do know a lot of people though that only work 7.5 or 8 hours a day as a full time employee. I guess it depends on what you do and where you work.

But that really wasn't my point, Charles! Even if they only work 10 hours a day at one job, if they work two jobs in the same day they essentially never sleep. And 10 hrs @ $10/hr is $100 bucks. If you work 5 or 6 days a week, they are making decent money.

i can't disagree with the math. in fact, if they are working 10+ hours a day at $10 an hour and not paying taxes, they are really making out.

[t0+ 1]

10 hours isn't incredibly long.

It is if you are waiting tables or doing some strenous physical activity. Then try making it 7 days a week, and you will pretty much feel like all you do is work and sleep. Then throw in a second job, all you have to do is cut out that sleep thing (It's way overrated anyway). Hey, that sounds like my college years!

Oh yeah...if I tell my employer I'm illegal they don't have to withold taxes, Social Security, or any of that ####### right? It's not like I'll ever see a dime from that Social Security scam. Because if that works folks, I was thinking I could go shopping and tell the checkout person, "I'm an Illegal Alien." No sales tax for you señor! That would be the most useful with gas, that stuff is getting really expensive.

You guys are awesome! I never knew being illegal would be so beneficial!

[t0+ 1]

i can't disagree with the math. in fact, if they are working 10+ hours a day at $10 an hour and not paying taxes, they are really making out.

I think that math thing is overrated too. 10hrs/day at $10/hr, and they give you $300 for the week. Haha what kind of math is that? It's probably that one with imaginary numbers.

[HAL 9000 96]

I agree with 6, this topic seems to revive itself- even to those that seem to have an attention span of less than a week. No offense to PJ or anyone else- I am not referring to anyone in particular.

Nevertheless, there are noobs that want to pitch in.

I don't know if I am wrong on this... but the current state of the economy is making $10/hr seem like a median hourly salary (although not nearly enough to make what one could consider a 'great' living in most urban locations in the country).

Besides, if employers are not forced to comply with the law then its not an issue of jobs being stolen. Its an issue of employers acting out with instant gratification in mind- much alike the corporate mentality that promotes lower labor standards overseas to increase profitability and simultaneously creates a drive for illegal immigration since, of course, current US Visa requirements do not qualify low wage workers to enter the US.

[peejay 327]

...current US Visa requirements do not qualify low wage workers to enter the US.

Ever heard of an H2B visa? It is a low skill visa which pretty much equates to a low wage visa. But, of course, illegal wages are gonna be cheaper than legit wages.

[HAL 9000 96]

...current US Visa requirements do not qualify low wage workers to enter the US.

Ever heard of an H2B visa? It is a low skill visa which pretty much equates to a low wage visa. But, of course, illegal wages are gonna be cheaper than legit wages.

Yes and? How many of those temporary, seasonal visas would you need to use as a patch to help people?

Don't you think it would be wiser to focus on 'fixing' the problem from the root instead of creating more beurocracy to continue plugging the holes in the dam? Then you miraculously wouldn't have to gripe about so many illegals. Oh wait... I think this has been mentioned before.