A few ideas on Immigration Reform
The big issue this week is illegal immigration. I have read articles and listened to several commentators discuss this issue. What follows are some basic steps and thoughts that if implemented may help solve the problem. If you have additional suggestions please forward them to me!!!
Any American (Hispanic or otherwise) living here legally has every constitutional right if they are here legally. If someone is here but not living in America legally – they have no rights.
If you entered Cuba illegally and were caught what do you think would happen? JAIL!!! Firing Squad! Or life in jail… What if you snuck into China? But people aren’t interested in sneaking into those places are they?
Immigration is a real mess!!! Anyone who thinks we can round up 16 million people and send them home is crazy. I have heard some interesting propositions regarding how we handle the mess. Some I like – some I don’t. I don’t like a path way to citizenship. UNLESS! some prior conditions are met. Such as…
1. Turn yourself in and admit in a federal court that you broke the law. The process starts here, this is a non negogiable step without this there is no path way to citizenship.
2. Pay a fine for breaking the law. Big fine… $5000 – $10,000 Big. Jail time is not necessary.
3. Apply for citizenship just like anyone else who wants to become an American. Wave the right to vote for 10 years. This takes the politics out of the equation.
4. If you have been found to have committed crimes prior to applying for citizenship – automatic disqualification and you go home. If you commit a crime during the process – same fate. Get caught again in the U.S and you go to prison. (Minimum 5 years).
5. Citizenship applies to the person applying for the citizenship only – no family members are grandfathered in. No head of household crap.
6. Repeal the automatic citizenship for children born here. If the mother is illegal – the infant is illegal as well. (This is a tough one but neccessary).
7. Learn to speak English. In order to be sworn in you have to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in English.
8. Start paying taxes. Immediately, as soon as you apply for citizenship.
This sounds like a brillaint set of fundamentals to me…All they’ve really got to do is sign the guestbook and go about it the proper way…Pay taxes and not be a tax burden. If they are legal and want to work for dirt cheap while paying taxes, they can go right ahead but I promise you the legal ones expect just as much as any hard working american for their time. And here is a tip for anyone out there who hires these folks, they aren’t meant for detail work. Oh and I suggest some mandatory 2 year public service of some sort to complete the path to citizenship. Military, Community service, volunteering, maybe teaching (or helping to teach) hispanic children to speak and read english, etc.