Mike Scruggs
The first big mistake in U.S. immigration policy was the 1965 Immigration”
Reform” Act, which broadened family reunification preference policy
from nuclear family (spouses and minor children) to extended
family. The extended family policy, which included an endless chain
of siblings, parents, and in-laws, resulted in Chain Migration. Chain
Migration changed the character of U.S. immigration from limited and
selective to an out-of-control immigration tsunami that made immigration
an increasing fiscal and social burden on the nation.
The second big mistake was the 1986 Immigration “Reform”
Act, which gave amnesty to nearly three million illegal immigrants.
It should not have been surprising that amnesty multiplies illegal immigration,
but that obvious bit of reason was ignored. Much of the 1986 Reform
Act contained badly needed immigration enforcement provisions to protect
U.S. workers and penalize employers who hired illegal immigrants. There
were also provisions requiring amnestied workers to pay back-taxes,
but after the bill had passed, the very same Democrats who had promised
to back these tough enforcement and penalty provisions as a trade for
immediate amnesty began to block and undermine them. The enforcement
provisions went unenforced by President Clinton and presidents thereafter.
Six supplemental amnesties from 1994 to 2000, giving
more than three million additional amnesties subsequently multiplied
our immigration problems and mauled the credibility of U.S. immigration
policy.
New York Senator Charles Schumer, a sponsor of the
current Gang-of-Eight Immigration Reform (and Amnesty) bill was a member
of the House of Representatives in 1986 and voted for the bill. However,
he immediately began to undermine enforcement of tax penalties. He succeeded
by tucking one sentence on page 187 of the 499-page Technical and Miscellaneous
Revenue Act of 1988, which barred the Immigration and Naturalization
Service from sharing any tax information with the IRS pursuant to amnesty
applications.
Schumer and his Gang-of-Eight are making similar border
security and enforcement promises now in exchange for a huge amnesty
for ten million or more illegal immigrants. Given Schumer’s past record
of breaking promises, who outside of madhouse would trust him now on
the very same issues? Yet in addition to the four Senate Democrats
on the Gang-of-Eight, there are four Republicans: McCain, Graham, Flake,
and Rubio. The Gang’s immigration “reform” plan is almost identical
to President Obama’s, and includes immediate amnesty.
Rubio’s backing of the Gang’s plan certainly threatens
his reputation as a conservative. Moreover, his career immigration record
in the House and Senate (rated 38 percent or C- by NumbersUSA) is scarcely
better than Lindsey Graham’s. Curiously, a December survey of 700
registered voters by Public Policy Polling found that among the 90 Hispanic
voters, only 24 percent said they were favorable to Rubio, and 42 percent
said they were unfavorable to him. This sample is suspect because of
its small size, but according to post-election analysis of Rubio’s
2010 Florida Senate victory, Rubio won because of the Republican leaning
Cuban vote. He only got 40 percent of the non-Cuban Hispanic vote.
Illegal and legal immigration were so out-of-control
by 1990 that Congress mandated a thorough study of immigration issues.
The Jordan Commission, named for Barbara Jordan, its Chair for several
years, was a bi-partisan committee, which included several prominent
civic leaders and distinguished academics. They studied the issues thoroughly
for six years. However, their recommendations, presented to President
Clinton and Congress in 1997, were ignored by the President and a majority
of Congress. Yet those who have studied immigration issues thoroughly
and objectively still consider the Jordan Commission Report an extraordinarily
credible and thorough blueprint for desperately needed real immigration
reform. Here are the most currently relevant of the major recommendations:
- Enforce immigration law vigorously with no further amnesties. Enforcement
must be internal, especially at the workplace, as well as at the border.
- Related to the above recommendation: Reducing the employment magnet is the most important linchpin to deterring unlawful immigration.
- Protect U.S. workers from unfair competition and foreign workers from
exploitation and abuse.
- Reduce the total number of legal immigrants to 550,000 annually. Too
many legal immigrants can also hurt job prospects and drive down
wages for Americans. (Harvard labor economist George Borjas has recommended
a 500,000 annual limit to avoid economic and social assimilation problems.)
- Strictly regulate nonimmigrant visa programs. Between 40 and 50 percent
of illegal immigrants are legal visa violators.
- They strongly recommended AGAINST Guest-worker programs, which had
hurt U.S. workers, taxpayers, and communities in the past, and actually
increased illegal immigration. For example, many legal agricultural
guest-workers violate their visas and take a better job in construction
or retail. In addition, they result in unacceptable numbers of birthright
citizenships.
- Eliminate the Extended Family provisions of the 1965 law.
- Restrict the eligibility of illegal immigrants from publicly-funded
services or assistance except on an emergency basis.
- Emphasize nuclear family reunification and objectively substantiated
skill shortages to prioritize immigration numbers. Avoid accumulations
of unskilled labor likely to require public support in the future.
Real immigration reform is being blocked by two principal forces:
Liberal politicians who want to import more social-welfare oriented
voters and businesses that want more cheap labor regardless of the consequences
to the country. President Obama and the Democrat Party
are the best representatives of the first group. The biggest and most
powerful lobby for the second group is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Senator Jeff Sessions (R, AL) recently said of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce:
“The Chamber’s primary goal has never been to
establish a lawful immigration system and secure our borders, but to
get as much cheap labor as possible—regardless of how it impacts American
workers, legal immigrants, and taxpayers in general.”
What's the spring-breathing jasmine and rose ?
What's the summer with
all its gay train
Or the splendour of autumn to those
Who've bartered
their freedom for gain?
No sweetness the senses can
cheer
Which corruption and bribery bind
No brightness that gloom can e'er
clear
For honour's the sum of the mind
Let virtue distinguish the
brave
Place riches in lowest degree
Think them poorest who can be a
slave
Them richest who dare to be free
--Dick Gaughan, Scotland, 1979
