I wish I could believe the president and those senators who claim their
agreement on immigration legislation will "fix" the problems of open borders
and illegal aliens. I can't, because the public has had no input into the
measure; the last time Congress "fixed" the problem, it got worse; and it
appears Democrats and Republicans care more about harvesting votes for their
respective parties than doing what's best for their fellow citizens.
The bill would allow for the hiring of 18,000 additional border patrol
agents, construction of 370 miles of fence and 200 miles of vehicle
barriers, ground-based radar, camera towers and aerial vehicles. Employers
would have to electronically verify new hires within 18 months and all
existing employees within three years. The priority of border security
first, legalization second sounds good.
Only after the border is secured, say the senators and White House, will the
guest-worker program kick in. Again, I wish I could believe this, but when
it comes to immigration, I don't trust either party. It's a safe bet that
once the U.S. government legalizes the illegals, many will not abide by the
conditions. What then?
The president can say the Senate measure isn't amnesty, but that doesn't
make it something else. The fact is that many of those who broke our laws to
get here will be allowed to stay.
A new immigrant category called the "Z Visa" will be introduced. Z-1 covers
illegal aliens who got here and started work before Jan. 1, 2007. Z-2 is for
parents and spouses of illegals who qualify under the Z-1 category. Z-3 is
for the children of illegal aliens qualifying under the Z-1 category.
As the Heritage Foundation's Brian Darling has written, "Z Visa" holders can
remain in their "Z" status indefinitely, meaning they never have to pursue a
"pathway to citizenship." They'd also be allowed to get Social Security
numbers and benefits from some welfare programs. And, writes Darling, "there
is no cap on the number of amnesty recipients in the draft language." Z Visa
holders can't vote, but who doubts that a liberal judge will rule such a ban
unconstitutional? Only in America can one violate the law and then appeal to
the law and the Constitution for undeserved rights.
The draft language requires illegals to return "home" for a year or two
before applying for citizenship, but who will enforce that provision? No
president is going to suffer the political fallout from a mass deportation
of lawbreakers, especially after they've been on Oprah with their babies,
crying their eyes out. Neither am I betting that imposed fines will be paid.
That this bill is hundreds of pages long and was mostly crafted in secret
without hearings and without input from the public should also make us wary.
So should Sen. Edward Kennedy's enthusiasm for it. Each time Kennedy
embraces a Republican, the Republican usually gets his pocket picked. Worse,
Republicans don't seem to mind.
Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh predicted last week that if the Senate
draft legislation becomes law "there is an 80 percent chance that Hillary
Clinton will be the next president of the United States Š we are doomed in
'08." He predicted this would be "the last straw as far as the Republican
base is concerned in being able to trust Republicans that it elects to
represent them."
Why do our elected leaders care more for noncitizens than they do citizens?
There is no constitutional right to come to America; neither is there a
right to become a U.S. citizen. Do we let robbers keep the money if they
successfully break into a bank? Isn't this the message we have been sending
to illegals: if you can get here, you can have all sorts of goodies
previously reserved for people who abide by the law?
Former Attorney General Edwin Meese thinks the only way to solve the illegal
immigration problem is for lawmakers to "uphold the principle that the rule
of law requires the fair, firm and equitable enforcement of the law." He
would avoid granting amnesty to those who've lived and worked in the United
States illegally and ensure that any temporary-worker program is short term.
Meese knows something about the subject. He admits 1986 legislation that
attempted to stem the tide of illegal immigration by combining amnesty with
increased workplace enforcement of immigration law failed.
The stakes are enormous, for the country and for the future of the
Republican Party. It's not worth passing this measure just so both sides can
claim "victory," if the victory is a Pyrrhic one. |