Next year the Obama administration will likely push for comprehensive immigration reform that legalizes millions who are currently in the United States without documentation. The US has an estimated 11 million “illegal immigrants”, representing approximately 3% of the total population. (Note: Please see a clarification on terminology below.)
This is an astonishing number. Albeit the immigrants are not evenly distributed across each state or region, consider this mental exercise. The typical Major League baseball game draws nearly 30,000 fans. Imagine that the next time you got to the ballpark, statistically speaking, you are cheering alongside nearly 1,000 undocumented persons.
The debate on granting citizenship to “illegal immigrants” aside, one major roadblock to changing documentation is the capacity of the major government agency charged with this role, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The agency is working to put a system in place that will allow it to speed its processing capacity. A New York Times article provides further insight into these preparations.
When President Bush raised immigration reform in 2007 it drew enormous attention from proponents and opponents nationwide. No doubt USCIS is aware of this, and therefore “officials have held meetings around the country in recent weeks to gather suggestions from the public for the overhaul”. It appears that 2010 holds the promise of more rallies and rhetoric about US immigration policy.
At present, Obama is already finding it challenging to pass new health care legislation. Once it is over, how much political capital will he still have to tackle immigration? No doubt, each remain critical issues for the United States in the 21st century.
—
Terminology: As an aside, the correct terminology for use in this case is actually irregular migrant, which does not have such a negative connotation, and separates the individual, the migrant, from an action, illegal entry. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) defines irregular migrants as persons who move to a new location by means of irregular or illegal methods, without officially recognized documentation. These irregular migrants are not illegal people, but may indeed be in another country illegally. For further analysis on the debate over terms, please see this article within Migraciones Internacionales.
5 Comments So Far»
David, Obama will have as much political capital as how much the issue has within its own political priority……….you call it “failures” I call it evolution in a way. If HCR does not pass fully but partially it is still moving forward. This is the difference between a third world and a developed mentality. BY no means this is directed to you but simply to say give Obama and the gov a chance………..what happened to the african american slaves, chinense, italians irish,etc etc………….nowadays this country would not be what it is without them………….no different from the illegals….same sitiuation in a different shape and form…..we just happened to have been able to live for 280 years…………….
Its likely there is going to be a nasty battle ahead over comprehensive immigration reform? My thought is that instead of starting from scratch, like the open border insane society is demanding we should fabricate amendments into the 1986 Simpson Mazzoli bill. First and foremost the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), was full of loopholes. Its main content was to legalize guest workers, whose labor was mostly spent in agriculture. The problem that once legalized, they vanished from the fields and orchards, taking jobs on Main Street, stealing jobs from Americans. The numbers of illegal aliens escalated, because the perforated borders and limited border patrol agents led to floods of more foreign nationals skirting our national border.
Farmers, agriculturists and businesses had to seek more workers once again, so the borders remained intentionally open thanks to Democrats and Republicans. So instead of the estimated 3.5 newcomers the actual figure was more like 5 million, with more crossing the inept border incessantly. Most of the new entrants lied about their period of residency and produced utility bills and other bogus documentation, including fraudulent affidavits. So the prior (INS) Immigration & Naturalization Service couldn’t attempt to handle the overwhelming influx of illegal immigrants applying? Now President Osama and his Democratic happy faces want to swamp us yet again, with an estimated 20 plus illegal immigrants already squatting here? Even today the doors remain wide open, because the political parties under funded the real border fence, originally drafted by Rep. Duncan Hunter of California. His short 50 mile fence in San Diego, California is double tiered, with a no-mans-land between for border patrol vehicles to make their inspection tours.
The fence that crosses America is–ONE STRAND BARRIER–and in many places doesn’t exist at all, except for ailing cameras, sensors and other vehicle barriers? Now if the powers in Washington had any brains, they could amend the (IRCA) law? First is agriculture that wants Guest Workers to pick fruit and vegetables, they must be issued a special visa limited to a specific time. They cannot work outside that boundary and must return to their country of residence after the document expires. If they want at some point in time to qualify for permanent legal status, they must apply like all new immigrants through their embassy. There fingerprints and other data should be recorded just in case they disappear from the workplace and placed on an arrest list by ICE.
Other amendment to the (IRCA) law can be added, but the majority of public opinion demands no path to citizenship or BLANKET AMNESTY. Leave America and apply for an immigration entry visa like honest potential immigrants have for years? If you live in America previously without THE PEOPLES PERMISSION, you will be subject to fines, but not necessarily exempt from an entrance visa. Criminal aliens and anarchists obviously must remain–persona none gratis. A points system must be enacted similar to countries in Europe and even Australia. Points are observed for special highly skilled individuals, specialty engineers, scientists and computer specialists and other equally outstanding credentialed labor that has no equal in our nation.
The deterrent for smuggling yourself and family members into a sovereign country, with no longer is a civil offense. Every business within the jurisdiction of these United States and its territories and islands will be instructed to install E-Verify permanently. A mandatory directive will include criminal penalties for not operating the E-Verification application in all employment. No working person shall be exempt including those who have been on payroll for twenty years or more. New immigrants cannot access any welfare or government subsidies, unless under emergency status. A new stage 2 E-Verify modified to check the persons right to health care, drivers licenses, car insurance, real estate including home purchase. E-Verify could also be adapted to vet a persons voting status in coming elections to halt violations of the law. Within the local Social Security administration those who have remained in limbo, can be verified for any number of irregularities.
In time as E-Verify and its innovations are upgraded, with biometric and photo recognition improvements, the system will certainly pay for itself. Chances are in the coming months rogue politicians whose immigration grading can be viewed on NUMBERSUSA, will try to weaken or drop E-Verify for the favors they owe the US Chamber of Commerce and the nausating special interest groups? Just as they are accomplishing breaking down 287 G, police immigration questioning. ICE raids and other enforcement tools. As I have said before this is all about ECONOMICS. ITS about deteriorating infrastructure, its about the Census bureau stating that in the year 2050, the nation’s population is projected to increase by nearly 130 million people — the equivalent of adding another four states the size of California. Understand about this physical nightmare at CAPSWEB. In conclusion, there is much more information about the corruption in our political parties; not just immigration at the JUDICIAL WATCH site.
A mandated law must be authored that renegade businesses who employ illegal entrants, must be held accountable for the huge bills that hospitals and taxpayers get stuck with?
PAY ATTENTION to the fact that the present Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger is currently endorsing San Francisco’s–Sanctuary City–Liberal/Socialist Mayor Gavin Newsom for the new Governor of the State. This would be an absolute atrocity to the legal communities, when Newsom allowed ID for illegal aliens and refused to put young illegal immigrant gang members in the hands of ICE? Indirectly the sanctuary policy that was indifferent to Federal law, was an accessory in the June 22 slaying’s of Anthony Bologna and his sons Michael and Matthew. There is already a mayor in Los Angeles who supports the illegal immigrant invasion, so you definitely don’t want Gavin Newsom giving bogus identification or welcoming millions more illegal families to extract subsidies from the already cash-strapped Californians.
MY BLOGS ARE NOT COPYRIGHTED! COPY, PASTE AND DISTRIBUTE FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS!
Why waste all the time and trouble legalizing 11 million Mexicans, when we can legalize them all and gain 760K sq. mi. of new territory plus 10+ new U.S. states to boot? An amnesty is only a temporary fix that doesn’t solve the basic problem, namely, that the U.S.-Mexico border shouldn’t exist. Pres. Obama has a historic opportunity in 2010 to make the border go poof by calling on Congress in a bipartisan effort to invite the entire Mexican people to join the U.S. after dissolving their corrupt Mexican federal govt., making the U.S. in a bilingual nation of 414 million in which we accept each others’ existence, and a model for the world that won’t be snubbed for any more Olympics. Click the url to read about my nonpartisan Megamerge Dissolution Solution proposal.
Brittancus you got it all WRONG!!! why blame the gov !!!!! you are being so hyprocate…..
why?? because as responsible citizens we can’t just sit down and expect the gov does everything for us right????we r not a 3rd world country right? at least yet? We ought to live and work towards a future as a country not as a gov like Russia…………..
SO……..we r all at fault now we have people and broken families suffering because of us……..so don’t tell me it is not your fault….the fact you are a citizen like me and do belong to this country do make us responsible for this. By the way there are illegals that do pay taxes and are very well educated. Basically, we ought to assume responsibility that is good for the situation and legalize those who not only deserve to stay and have assimilated to this land but make sure this will not happen again and that means you , me and everybody else to make sure the laws are enforced and that this solution is good for the future of this country…….we have already been down this path in the past in any shape or form such as the african americans, italians, irish, chinese, etc etc………………..stop behaving and writing as a thirld world citizen you should know BETTER!!
Brittancus BASICALLY american citizens made money with them and viceversa SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO IT IS NOT THE GOV FAULT!!! Citizens had trhe responsibility to enforce the law but did not do it didn’t care I mean where were you years ago and now all of the sudden people complain about it when they never CARED!!
Leave Comments Below»