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May 23, 2007

Immigration Modifications ... I think not

I've had it. I have OFFICIALLY had it. The letter writing has begun. Next is phone calls.

Senator Brown and Senator Voinovich:

I am writing this email to express my extreme dissatisfaction with the current proposed bill to modify Immigration. I feel that on the face of the document it is filled with confusing and illogical proposals as well ideas that are counter to the interests of citizens of the country.

Giving amnesty to a group of people that have defied our nation's laws to gain entrance to our nation is beyond ludicrous. Our nation is built upon law, to say that one group of people is beyond it on this occassion undermines the foundation of our whole system. You can do it this time, but not next time. It applies to person A but not to person B. Yes it is inconvenient, fiscally depressing, and not wholly logical to deport everyone that may have entered illegally... however, excusing and rewarding illegal entrance into our country with this status detracts from our very essence as a nation of laws. How will you explain it to a citizen?

How is it okay to propose that people that qualify under the new immigration modifications will not have to pay back taxes for the whole time they have been in the country? Every citizen is supposed to pay taxes and is punished with penalties if they do not. What message does it send to say that illegal immigrants are excused from having to pay if they are granted legal status. They qualify for various State and local benefits, yet they aren't supposed to help pay for them like every other citizen of the country?

How can you get background checks and fingerprint analysis of applicants within a 24 hour period without falling into the automatic granting status? There isn't even a current system in place to force reporting and cross checking between Social Security/IRS to identify false records now. How can the system be expected to absorb and responsibly background check each applicant to the fullest when there is such a small amount of time to accomplish the task responsibly.

Being a graduate of college, I have encountered hurdle after hurdle in attempting to gain eligibility to grants and loans for higher education. I resent any inclusion in this bill of allowing illegal aliens under this act to have access to lowered/subsidized tuition rates at college. When you cannot even have a citizen from one state allowed to have access to the lower tuition in college in another state, I fail to understand how an illegal immigrant will immediately qualify. Until subsidized tuition is equal for everyone, then there is no logical reason to permit a noncitizen access to this privilege.

Overall I am disgusted that the modifications to Immigration is occurring at the end result of the problem. Indeed, the whole issue is being approached from the symptom side rather than addressing the problem directly. Why is there no serious funding and revamping of securing the borders and the ports. Why would we permit amnesty when there has not been enough time to put more border patrol out to stop the next wave attempting to get in for the next amnesty. I would not oppose amnesty so staunchly, at least under some logical terms, if there was, at the very least, an attempt made to seriously stop the problem from occurring.

I also resent the racial undertones and inequity of how illegal immigrants are treated. If someone sneaks across the border from Mexico, they are largely ignored... however a Haitian or Dominical trying to get into the country by boat are returned with no questions asked. Until the inequity of immigration is addressed you cannot fully address the problem.

Striking again at the root of the problem, why does the government not use the laws currently at its disposal to punish the employers that violate the laws by employing illegal immigrants to begin with. To listen to the President spew illogical comments concerning Jobs that Americans don't want to do as an explaination for allowing illegal immigrants in as workers is infuriating. It is an absolute fact that since these employers can undercut minimum wage laws, employment protection laws, safety, work hours, and other policies by using illegal immigrant workers that do not permit a citizen to compete for the same job to begin with. Employers are required to take employee information and maintain them on record. I refuse to believe that some system could not be implemented to verify legal status of the worker through the government. I am tired of listening to corporations and businesses whine about the cost of such record keeping, especially when it is in their interest to maintain a lower skilled, lower educated work force under their thumb and also allow them to undercut competitors that do not use the same tactics. I do not blame illegal immigrants from coming here to find work. They are still acquiring better wages here then they would back home... however, the employers have no excuse for violating the law.

Lastly, how can you have a "temporary" work visa that is basically permenantly renewable?

Why is it so beyond logic to ask the government to apply the laws to everyone in the nation, and no piecemeal it as they see it convenient. Furthermore, the government expects us to trust that any changes that are made to the system will be carried out; directly flying in the face of the fact that the government fails to apply current law.

Posted by Ravennacht at May 23, 2007 06:51 PM Posted to Politics | Politics