Immigration Bill - A Failure To Communicate

SEARCH BLOG: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

Every medium is filled with discussion about the immigration bill - pro and con. Some insist that we need those illegally here and we should accept the fact that they are here and move on. Others say that our culture is being overrun and a separate nation is developing within our borders.

President Bush has put the full weight of his administration behind this bill. In yesterday's post, you could follow the link to see who voted for or against closure on the bill. The issue is one that is dividing the U.S. as effectively as the War in Iraq.

Although I am well aware that emails to the White House go into ether-oblivion, I wrote the following just to get it on the record so that I could post it here.

Subject: Immigration Bill

It is a mistake... legally, ethically, and politically.

President Bush is creating animosity among the middle-class, conservative voters who brought him into the White House. It is hard to believe that he is that far out of touch with his support base. These are people who believe in the rule of law. Just because large numbers of foreigners are breaking our laws does not mean we must change or adapt. If our immigration laws are just and fairly enforced, then foreigners seeking admittance into the U.S. must comply with those laws. Middle-class conservatives do not accept the concept of the rule of convenience. These voters see the administration failing on two fronts: past failures to enforce the law and present attempts to circumvent the law.

This will have very telling ramifications in the 2008 elections.

Unfortunately, President Bush is too well insulated from his support base to realize that he is losing the 2008 election for his successor, unless that person repudiates the Bush administration's position on immigration.

There is only one reasonable and enforceable solution: require all employers to verify the legal status of all of their employees subject to a substantial fine, felony conviction, and jail time for failure to comply. Include a provision that Federally shields all employers who comply with those requirements from lawsuits brought against them by individuals or organizations, such as the ACLU, who view such verification as harassment or a violation of privacy.

A social security number would not be considered proof by itself. A social security number combined with a birth certificate and passport or high school records would be considered proof. All are readily available to citizens at little cost or effort. For legal foreign workers, a valid visa and/or green card would be sufficient along with a copy of their passport.

If employers need foreign workers that badly, they need to follow the laws of the land. It will follow quickly that without economic incentive to come to the U.S. illegally, border enforcement will be much less of a problem.

Of course, the automated response to my email was:

On behalf of President Bush, thank you for your correspondence.

We appreciate hearing your views and welcome your suggestions.

Due to the large volume of e-mail received, the White House cannot respond to every message.

Thank you again for taking the time to write.

Of course they can't.
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