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logo    Why the Current Proposals for Immigration Reform Won't Work


Sometime unattended situations can get so messy that there is no painless way to extract oneself from them; sometimes it is impossible. The current situation with illegal immigration is one such mess.

First, because of the Federal Government's neglect and mistakes over the past several decades, there are now an uncountable number of illegal immigrants in this country. Not only do we not know how many there are, we don't know who they are nor where they are. Rounding them up for deportation is an impossible task. If we want them to return to their homelands before applying for visas, a way must be found to make them want to return. That won't be easy.

Second, although it may be possible for the illegal immigrants from Latin America to return to their homelands before applying for readmission, it is not possible for the vast number of Asians who have illegally found there way to our shores. Getting them to return to their homelands may very well be impossible.

Third, even if a guest worker program is enacted, there is no reason to believe that those who do not get visas will not continue to enter the country illegally. The presumption is made that if we make employment of undocumented aliens difficult or impossible that the influx will cease. But this presumption is based upon the assumption that the people crossing the border illegally are in search of legal forms of employment. Since we don't know how many illegal aliens are here, we dont know how many came for legal jobs and how many came to engage in illegal activities.

Fourth, even if we make it illegal for employers to hire such persons, the task of policing all the employers in this nation would require massive expenditures in people and resources; resources we are not likely to want to expend in this fashion. Furthermore, although policing large employers may be possible, policing those employers who pick up workers at assembly points at irregular times for merely one day's work would not. And then there are all the households who employ illegal aliens as domestics. To stop these forms of employment would require turning our nation into a police state.

Consequently, if we cant get those already here to leave and we also create a guest worker program, our problem with illegal immigration will only get worse, not better.

Certainly enforcing the laws against the employment of these aliens is a start even if all employers can't be effectively policed, but it will never be enough. Employers will cheat whenever they believe they can. So either this country must resort to draconian measures or give up the fight and allow the chips to fall wherever they may. And the only draconian measures I can conceive of are one, threaten employers with massive fines and do what some small communities are suggesting, viz., make it illegal to rent to illegal aliens or even house them. Even if those aliens cannot find legal jobs, they may still choose to stay here rather than return to their homelands, but if they cannot find housing, they will have little choice.

This is, of course, not a humane suggestion. Would Americans ever adopt it? Doubtful at best, which makes me believe that this mess has progressed far past our ability to extract ourselves from it. This may be a difficult conclusion for many Americans to accept, but I believe it's the reality.

The consequence, of course, is daunting. If the problem of immigration gets worse, it may provoke social unrest, discrimination of the worst kind, and even domestic violence. Because of the effects illegal immigration has had and is having on the economy (mainly depressed wages), social services, and crime, the situation is not likely to be accepted benignly. It may even result in extreme changes to our political system. Our nation's leaders should all carefully read what Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence, for this situation may very well be pushing people past their limits of tolerance. (3/30/3007)