Immigration

I support Immigration Reform.

The immigration issue is a complex one. Some of the issues are:

• People from neighboring countries are so desperate to support their families they are willing to risk life and limb to find work in the US. Regardless of the work, they are almost always paid less than any US citizen workers.
• Employers need workers to perform tasks that either no one else wants to do or that others want to do but undocumented workers will do for a lot less.
• The borders between the US and Mexico and Canada are porous, at best, and mostly unguarded, at worst, making it relatively easy for workers, or terrorists, to illegally enter the US.
• Children, of undocumented workers, born in the US are automatically US citizens. Should the parents be deported, the children may be left behind with others, splitting up families.

Obviously, the problems are many, varied and interconnected. The solutions may prove to be just as complex.

• Securing our borders and immigration should be understood as separate issues.
• While we do not want to over burden US companies, measures need to be implemented to discourage the use of undocumented workers.
• Amend NAFTA to encourage the retention of jobs in the US. This has the double advantage of helping to stem the flow of workers and keeping jobs here at home.
• Institute a process whereby undocumented workers who are here now are not granted amnesty but are given a path to citizenship. The path should be fair but onerous enough to discourage abuse.
• Contribute to the development of other nations so that their industrialization can be accelerated. In other words, make it more attractive to stay home than to leave.

Basically, the undocumented worker problem is an economic issue with sometimes devastating human impacts. Therefore, the resolutions will need to combine economic measures with compassion and fairness.