Posted on 11/12/2014 8:11:24 AM PST by SeekAndFind
We have all heard it said many times that America is a land of immigrants — some voluntary and some involuntary, but immigrants nevertheless. We have plenty of space in our country, but insufficient resources to support everyone who wants to come here. When we see innocent children used as political pawns, it still tugs at our heartstrings, which is the desired intent. The real question is: What are we going to do about it? Immigration reform has been a very tough issue, as well as a political football, and it has produced governmental stalemates and no useful solutions for decades.
President Obama’s decision to act unilaterally outside of Congress is not the answer. Instead, Congress must use its lawmaking powers to repair a system that is so broken that only a legislative solution can fix it. The lack of policy progress has been incredibly frustrating, and the humanitarian border crisis this summer only highlighted how badly we need a system that deals efficiently and effectively with both illegal and legal immigration.
It is time for Congress to act, and to do so in a bipartisan fashion that engenders the confidence of the American people. There are many common-sense prescriptions within reach of our government. It is time to seize them.
To begin to solve this problem, we must first have some understanding of why it exists. Despite all of its problems, America is still the place of dreams. As such, it is small wonder that so many from other nations would like to live here.
Right now, we have very porous borders and unenthusiastic and inconsistent enforcement of immigration laws. Further incentives for illegal immigration are easy enrollment in public schools, easy employment for those willing to take jobs others don’t want, easy access to health care, and easy acquisition of public support through welfare programs. Yet this population cannot participate in the formal workforce, which means they cannot contribute fully to their local economies.
Any discussion of immigration reform should include bipartisan solutions that both address the undocumented population here today and discourage illegal immigration going forward. If these issues are not addressed, solutions will fall short. On the other hand, if all of these issues are addressed firmly and consistently, we can uphold the rule of law and discourage further illegal immigration. Detractors will say that if it were that simple, it already would have been done and we wouldn’t be having this discussion. What they fail to account for is the fact that the issues have not been addressed.
A national guest-worker program makes sense and seems to work well in Canada. Non-citizens would have to apply for a guest-worker permit and have a guaranteed job awaiting them. Taxes would be paid at a rate commensurate with other U.S. workers, and special visas would allow for easy entry and egress across borders. Guest-worker status would be granted to individuals and not to groups.
People already here illegally could apply for guest-worker status from outside of the country. This means they would have to leave first. They should in no way be rewarded for having broken our laws, but if they are wise, they will arrange with their employer before they leave to immediately offer them a legal job as soon as their application is received. When they return, they still would not be U.S. citizens, but they would be legal, and they would be paying taxes. Only jobs that are vacant as a result of a lack of interest by American citizens should be eligible for the guest-worker program.
In return for greater certainty on immigration, employers must bear some responsibility for making sure that no illegal immigrants are hired. Employers who break the rules should receive swift, severe, and consistent punishment that constitutes a real deterrent and not a mere inconvenience. A second infraction should be a criminal offense and treated as such.
All of this is irrelevant unless we have secure borders. There is much that can be learned from security personnel in prisons and other secured facilities, and there is a great deal of smart technology that can be employed to achieve secure borders. It is a matter of will rather than ability.
As long as we reward people who break laws, they will continue to break laws. We do need a continual flow of immigrants, but choosers need not be beggars. We make decisions based on our needs. People who refuse to comply with the rules must forfeit chances of legalization in the future. Anyone caught involved in voter fraud should be immediately deported and have his citizenship revoked. The point is this: We must create a system that disincentivizes illegal immigration and upholds the rule of law while providing us with a steady stream of immigrants from other nations who will strengthen our society. Let’s solve the problem and stop playing political football.
— Ben Carson is professor emeritus of neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University and author of the new book One Nation: What We Can All Do to Save America’s Future
Enforce the law!!
Enforce existing law.
If the feral government is free to ignore existing law, they will feel free to ignore the parts of the new law that they don't lie, like border enforcement.
Carson is against semi-automatics in towns.
One control leads to more control. Put your time and money going after gangs and cartels.
The current law needs only to be enforced but to get all the illegals out I have a 2 step plan:
1. Pass a bill that states all illegals have 90 days to depart the country and at the end of 90 days those remaining will will be shot on site for trespassing.
2. At the end of the 90 days start shooting.
Congress must use its lawmaking powers to repair a system that is so broken that only a legislative solution can fix it.
So he’s delusional on this issue too. Doesn’t matter what legislative actions Congress takes if none of them are applied and enforced.
What is with the love affair between Republicans and immigration reform?
We don’t need reform; we need to enforce existing laws.
Dr. Carson has just crossed himself off of my list of viable candidates by uttering the R-word.
The conflict is between people that have purposely created the crisis in order to manipulate the public, and the public who just want their country's borders to be secure.
Enforce the law. Period! End of discussion.
That is correct. We don’t need action from Congress to do all those things Carson outlined, because it is already on the books. It is not enforced.
Luv ya, Ben, but what’s gonna keep them from voting?
All they need to vote is a driver’s licence.
You know they’re gonna get driver’s licenses.
You know they’re all gonna vote demonRAT.
easy employment for those willing to take jobs others don’t want,
Pure BS. Illegals are hired because they cost less and are powerless when it comes to employee rights given their legal status. An estimated 8 million illegals hold jobs in positions that are filled predominantly by native born Americans and legal immigrants.
A national guest-worker program makes sense and seems to work well in Canada. Non-citizens would have to apply for a guest-worker permit and have a guaranteed job awaiting them. Taxes would be paid at a rate commensurate with other U.S. workers, and special visas would allow for easy entry and egress across borders. Guest-worker status would be granted to individuals and not to groups.
We already have guest worker programs that admit 650,000 workers annually. At any one time, there are over 2 million guest workers in the US. We need less guest workers, not more.
People already here illegally could apply for guest-worker status from outside of the country. This means they would have to leave first. They should in no way be rewarded for having broken our laws, but if they are wise, they will arrange with their employer before they leave to immediately offer them a legal job as soon as their application is received.
This is a rehash of the Mike Pence touchback scheme, which is just eyewash for rewarding illegals. The vast majority of these lawbreakers have committed multiple crimes including ID theft, tax evasion, misuse of SSNs, lying on government forms, etc. And besides that, the vast majority of these people would not be issued a tourist visa, let alone work visas.
We do need a continual flow of immigrants, but choosers need not be beggars.
Yes we need a merit based immigration system, but we also need to drastically reduce legal immigration from the current 1.1 million a year. With 16 to 20 million Americans unemployed or underemployed and the lowest labor participation rates since 1978, we do not need more workers.
Reps must satisfy their corporate paymasters who want an inexhaustible supply of cheap labor. If we had a shortage of labor, wages would be going up, not down. Both parties have abandoned the American worker.
He acts as if he does not know that Republican and Democrap Presidents encourage illegal immigration and the employment of them, no matter what laws are in place. Politicians break our laws with no consequence. We have demonrats registering them to vote, too. Now we have both parties vying for the illegal vote.
I’m getting tired of Ben Carson. If he was white no one would care what his opinion was or would even consider him presidential material. Many have fallen to the progressive group trap, thinking that due to political correctness only a black may criticize the powers that be, or that we must pin our hopes on a black man to attract the black vote. Sorry, I’m not playing the game. Carson mat be a good doctor, but he’d be a lousy president.
I agree. Why is anyone wasting breath and energy on Carson, anyhow....just like so many did on Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, etc. the last time around.
These so-so guys just muddy up the primary waters and suck up volunteers' energy all the while diverting donation dollars away from experienced conservative primary candidates who have a chance at winning the gold ring.
I'm sure the good doctor is an earnest man, but....seriously, why bother....he's not going anywhere. I have little interest in what he's saying....usually trite statements that are blah and boring despite his best efforts.
Leni
Carson is for amnesty.
Any one who supports amnesty will NEVER get my vote.
Strike #2 and a strike against the so-called National Review.
Its stopped being the flagship of conservatism a long time ago.
The late William F. Buckley is turning over in his grave.
People who don't want to enforce existing law always say the system is 'broken'. ENFORCE THE LAW
Always the final step in the process of Hegelian synthesis.
Marx and Engels loved it.
Doesn't anyone but me see a problem with this plan? Or more precisely an unnecessary reduncancy (assuming voluntary compliance which is doubtful more on that in a moment)
Let's assume for the moment that these people will leave voluntarily to apply for guest worker status. Why are we then saying "let them back in"? If they leave doesn't that solve the problem? Anyone in law enforcement can tell you, deception is a perfectly legal means by which to obtain a confession to a crime. So why not employ such deception here? Tell them, "leave and apply for a guest worker permit. When you get approved you can come back". Issue a few token ones too to keep the lie alive. Problem SOLVED.
Of course the illegals are going to assume this anyway and actually not leave, as they won't trust they will be allowed back in. So the problem never gets solved really, which brings me to the point I'm really making here: this "guest worker" amnesty (and yes it's amnesty) is a pure sham. It may not be written the way Dr. Carson describes here, but it will be written in such a way that it will either guarantee non-compliance or guarantee no reprisals if there is no compliance (probably both). Why? How can I say this with such assurance? Because of the tripe added near the end of this piece: "assuring only jobs left vacant by Americans are filled by guest workers" (paraphrased)
Now consider for a moment, dear reader, what is the motivation of businesses (small and large alike) in this whole immigration "reform" debate? Don't you think, when you consider what their position is, that they would stand to loose a lot of money if these people they currently picking strawberries or cutting grass or cleaning hotel rooms were suddenly made "legal"? Does anyone (and I include the clearly DEluded businesses that support this cronyism when I ask "anyone") realize that once they are made "legal" by this trickery, they will then be entitled to all the protections all other American workers currently enjoy? Such as overtime and minimum wage (not to mention workers compensation)!
So I'm forced to conclude only two things here: one, that whatever business supports such idea is completely clueless as to how this is a perfect vehicle to force even more socialism down our throats OR, two, any business supporting this chicanery is actually IN on the scam, helping write the bill (that everyone will pass to see what's in it right Nancy?) that will actually encourage the further debasement I describe above. That is, nothing will change, illegals will still be here, working under the table for less than minimum wage being abused as ever in intolerable working conditions, BUT, the government in charge will be able to shrug their shoulders and say, "Hum, well I don't know why it's not working. We offered them guest worker passes but no one seems to be taking the opportunity". Said as they wink and slyly nod at their big business partners in crime.
This is the missing piece all the "guest worker" advocates seem to avoid or miss. It's not going away though. And I can only conclude by the dog and pony show as Dr. Carson regurgitstes here that many simply don't connect these dots, asking the question many Americans apparently don't want to ask, "So if they become legal then, they get minimum wage right?"
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