When Everyone Thinks Alike, Nobody is Thinking

On Tuesday, March 7th more than 25,000 Mexicans came to Capitol Hill to protest against legislation that would secure the southern border of the United States. Many of the demonstrators had Mexican flags wrapped around themselves and made it clear they did not want to be American citizens; they just wanted to work in the United States. The demonstrators, mostly men, refused to allow women to pass on the sidewalks, thus forcing them into the streets. When they were not protesting, the Mexican demonstrators made cat calls to female congressional staffers and intentionally tossed trash onto the ground rather than put it in trash cans. It was in interesting sight and there was virtually no media coverage.

It would appear from the Secretary of Homeland Security’s statements that the Administration, from the President on down, honestly believes there are only two options in handling the12-20 million illegal aliens in the United States, i.e., either (1) allow all of them to live here permanently, which America is vehemently rejecting, or (2) send them all home next week. Spotlighting the idiocy, as if sending all illegal aliens home next week were somehow feasible, Secretary Michael Chertoff publicly whined that we would need "millions" of agents to round up the aliens and send them home if Congress orders it. One has to hope that isn’t the brightest his bulb is going to get?

Neither option is feasible. Now what?

While both alternative positions are ludicrous, those are the only alternatives the Administration has laid on the table in what looks like a "take it or leave it" gesture. It is as if the President is trying to force both the American public and Congress into foolishly accepting still another massive “guest worker” program that would eventually lead to the American citizenship of all illegal aliens.

America desperately needs someone who is both awake and conscious addressing the illegal immigration issues. Unfortunately, that eliminates all but a handful of Congressmen and every United States Senator.

There is some interesting logic (or lack of it) on display here, maybe comparable to the Harriet Meyers nomination or the Dubai Ports Deal. One hates to point out the obvious from a lowly level in the food-chain, however these are not the only two choices. Anyone who believes these are the only two choices to regain control of illegal immigration must be using some of the illegal drugs coming across the Mexican border or was dropped on their head during childbirth.

It took forty years of Congressional, Presidential, Judicial and Gubernatorial incompetence (which continues today unabated) to get America into this mess. Only an unreasonable, intransigent ideologue fails to realize it will probably take ten years to unravel the mistakes made and regain control of American immigration. The issue centers on what to do in the meantime.

It is critically important to recognize that the Administration and/or Congress and/or any State Governor could have individually or collectively acted to control illegal immigration and none have had the ethical will or a sufficient number of synapses firing to undertake a politically unpopular but necessary patriotic task.

There is a blindingly simple solution. All we have to do is start issuing work permits at our United States Embassies throughout the world. This is absolutely not the suggestion of a guest worker program. Slow down, take a deep breath and think about it. As those individuals with legal work permits issued only in and by a foreign American Embassy, coupled with law enforcement background checks, come into the United States, they will force the illegal migrants - over time – over time - to leave America, return to their homeland in order to get their own work permit. Employers would rather obey the law than break it and if we import laborers on two-year revocable permits, after which they must leave, the problem will be solved - eventually. Not tomorrow, but it would be solved. Those that defy the exit requirements after two years and must be deported will never be allowed to return under any circumstances.

Secondly, any social benefits that States legislatures want to confer on migrant workers (most Americans should object) could easily be limited to those holding valid work permits obtained only from a United States Embassy, only in a foreign country (not obtained in the United States), and only with a current Visa issued by their own nation of domicile, and then work permits would only be issued to those who have registered with the state in which they intend to work - and found acceptable by that state. No valid work permit, no work. Incorporate into the legislation that no court, foreign or domestic, has any oversight responsibility or privilage in migrants seeking work permits.

Any social benefits Courts want to unconstitutionally confer on migrant workers can be controlled by Congressional legislation limiting any benefits what-so-ever only to legal migrants (not illegal aliens). Notice the use of the word “migrants” and not immigrants. Those with work permits are not immigrants. They are migrants seeking jobs. Those seeking immigration would continue to do so using well-established immigration laws. Those with work permits would never be eligible for citizenship without themselves first going home and then going through the immigration process. Two very large benefits from such a plan are, (1) chain migration could be immediately curtailed, and (2) so could anchor babies, saving taxpayers billions of dollars and our state hospitals and healthcare systems from insolvency.

Apparently there is no one in Congress or in the White House bright enough to understand that this third solution, or some variant of it, exists – a solution that is inexpensive, expedient, efficient, and humane and which could be implemented by either Congressional or State legislation or Executive Order.

Maybe there is an ulterior motive to the collective Congressional ignorance – the selling of American citizenship. After all, is there ever a day that an American Congressman or a State Governor is not on sale?

Red State Patriot

Posted March 14, 2006 10:42 AM
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