05-04-2011, 05:35 PM
Grace62 wrote:
rjamcs,
don't really see any concrete ideas in your post either.
Yes, Grace62, you're correct. I thought it was prudent to separate my policy suggestions from my pleas for civility. The conversation, at the time of my most recent post, wasn't really fit for substantive contributions, as it had devolved to mud-flinging and insults.
I support comprehensive immigration reform legislation, including qualified legalization of status for immigrants already here. I am fine with assessing reasonable penalties for being here out of status (as part of an amnesty program); i heartily support those monies going toward English language and cultural-legal education programs for newcomers to America. I support deportation of unauthorized individuals convicted of serious crimes, but not minor infractions (rape, yes; shoplifting, no). I also support major increases in the annual limits placed on non-skilled worker immigration, particularly from Western Hemisphere nations (given historical colonial and economic legacies). I don't think that a guest worker program is adequate. I don't think that America is diminished by allowing more immigrants to join our society and citizenry through naturalization.
I think that enforcement, including I9, is at best a short-term response and is not a sustainable strategy. It still results in thousands of deportations, which has been shown to have absolutely zero net effect on cross-border traffic. In fact, the militarization of the the two major crossing points at San Diego and El Paso in 1993 has been shown to have had two key effects: first, it reduced the number of people who return home to Mexico seasonally; second, it increased the risks of border-crossing and professionalized human smuggling. It had no effect on the number of people crossing, but it did reduce the number of people going back.
I applaud the intention behind punishing employers rather than workers for violations; indeed, they are the ones profiting from cheap immigrant labor, and are in a better position to afford it. However, law enforcement does not trump the market when it comes to demand for labor. Congress increased the penalties for unauthorized border crossing in 1986 to no effect. People who cannot work or support their families at home will migrate to where there is work, period. We have no evidence or history of punitive enforcement against immigrants OR employers effectively limiting immigration.