Immigration Reform

One reads the phrase “comprehensive immigration reform” often in the news media. I am fairly well informed, I speak Spanish almost fluently, and I live just a few miles north of the international border with Mexico. But I still really don't know what that phrase means. Probably it implies different things to different people. It seems like one of those phrases designed by marketing people which are intended to deceive or fool people.

It is certain that there is rampant abuse of illegal Mexican aliens in the American workplace. The government also puts these people in secret jails where they do not have access to an attorney. These two parts of the puzzle are well documented. But I still remain unclear what the Mexican American community means when they say that they want President Obama to get “comprehensive immigration reform” legislation passed.

I suspect that in addition to stopping the obvious and egregious abuse, what they really want is for a great many millions of people who in the past snuck into this country and still remain undocumented to be granted U.S. Citizenship. This no doubt includes the many who are completely uneducated and do not either speak or read English. To others of the right-wing persuasion “comprehensive immigration reform” probably implies stopping all of this illegal immigration and deporting most of these illegal immigrants back to where they came from.

I am not inclined to support immigrants who have been involved in illegal activities or people who do not both speak and read the English language. To maintain a cohesive culture we must all be able to understand and communicate with each other. I say this from personal experience. For many years I was a green card carrying resident alien in Europe who did not read or speak the native language.

I also would prefer to see the vast majority of immigration coming from well educated and professional people, rather than from the very nice and hard working but completely uneducated farm workers and laborers.

The health care debate is clear cut. Anyone who wants to continue letting American citizens die needlessly just because of the greed of the health insurance companies and drug companies needs to move to Afghanistan and join their Taliban and Al-Qaeda buddies. The debate about immigration reform is not nearly as clear cut. There are well thought out ideas and well meaning, caring people who come down all over the spectrum on this issue. Unfortunately when the economy is in a bad downturn, undocumented aliens are hurt worse than anyone else. It is sad, but this is mostly just human nature.

One thing is certain: With the declining birthrate among Americans, in order to pay for the government old age pensions and health care for all of the retired geezers, our country requires that lots of documented immigrants enter the country and start working and paying taxes.

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