Not wasting any time, Obama has jumped on every liberal issue that he can since he was inaugurated for his second term. He is not “letting a good crisis go to waste”. Last week it was gun control. The media was on it 24/7. This week it’s all about immigration reform and the push is on. We HAVE to get this done…NOW! Let’s take a deep breath and look at what we will need to deal with if Congress jumps into this issue.
This is déjà-vu. Back in 1986 President Reagan signed an amnesty bill into law that would solve the problem of illegal immigration forever. It was meant to help those already in this country illegally to gain their legal status and it provided for border security that would stop the flow of illegals into the United States. It also had strict guidelines and penalties in place for people who overstayed their visitor or student visas. There was only one problem; the penalties and “secure the border” part of the deal somehow slipped through the cracks and never happened. Now, instead of a couple of million illegal immigrants, we have over eleven million.
Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. This is what the GOP is up against. Senators like Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham are adamant about a secure border being the major point of any immigration bill. Before any path to citizenship is granted the borders must be secure. That sounds good and I am sure that all parties will agree to that but what happens if we have a repeat of 1986 and once again the borders are porous and laws are not enforced? What will it be? Fifteen million…20? There is no guarantee that the Federal government will do things any differently than they did before.
Another problem that needs to be addressed before any bill is signed into law is what the financial impact will be on this country and the legal citizens already here. With unemployment at near record highs and not budging, deficits skyrocketing and taxpayers stretched to the limit, how can we take on more people who are mostly going to be working at low-paying jobs?
Until recently, immigrants came to this country because of the opportunity it offered them to pursue a dream and the freedom it gave them to succeed in creating new businesses or professions. People from all over the world risked life and limb to reach the shores of America to find freedom for themselves and their families. During the 1800’s immigrants who arrived through Ellis Island knew that they had to find a way to survive and succeed through their own grit and determination.
With the rise of entitlements and left-wing liberal agendas, that attitude has changed for some immigrants. Now, they may want to seek a new and better life, but they know that the government will be their security net and provide them with housing, education, food, medical care, etc, etc. Many illegal immigrant women have learned how to use the “anchor baby” strategy in order to gain access to America’s “goodies” through their child.
I don’t want to paint with a broad brush here and I don’t mean that ALL illegal immigrants are looking for a free ride, but when it is there, offered and advertised, how can you blame them?
The financial impact on this country will be enormous if we don’t find a way to handle this correctly. Americans could be displaced from much needed jobs, students will have their spots at the colleges of their choice given to illegal aliens and taxpayers will be forced to pay for their in-state tuition. Billions more will be lost in taxpayer resources. Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions (R) said that “the Senate proposal is likely to add trillions of dollars of debt over time, accelerate Medicare’s and Social Security’s slide into insolvency, and put enormous strain on our public assistance programs”.
This issue is being pushed through at such a rapid pace because the Democrats know that the GOP is wounded and down. They are taking advantage of the fact that they won the Presidency and through their constant demonizing of the Republicans on critical issues they feel it is time to move in for the kill.
This isn’t about immigration and bringing people out of the shadows. This is about votes pure and simple. The more amnesty, the more votes for the Democrats and the more power they will ultimately have. There will never be border enforcement while the liberals are in control.
The Republicans, on the other hand, are truly trying to find a way to solve the immigration problem. The earnestness of Marco Rubio is sincere when he talks of setting up rules and encouraging the best and the brightest to come to this country legally. He is right in not showing favoritism to those who broke the law over those who did it the correct way. He and a handful of others are honestly trying to tackle a serious issue that, just like the deficit, is out of control. In my opinion, they have no idea what they are up against with the Democrats. Both sides don’t play by the same rules.
Realistically I don’t think Obama even wants to sign an immigration reform bill. Why would he want to kill the golden goose that gives him power over the Republicans? As long as he has this issue with which to demonize them, why on earth would he want to solve the problem? He wants to let this fight continue, at least until the mid-terms where he hopes to win back the House. Bruised and bloodied from two years of “racist” talk against the GOP will, he hopes, finally take them out.