That is a real effective arguement there.(/sarcasm)
And the position of the Republican party is not in favor of amnesty, nor continued illegal immigration.
The Republican party is indeed in favor of granting 245(i), in effect, giving amnesty to millions of illegals here. The talk has bee quelled due to fall out from 9-11. The White House, or for you, the Republican party recently came out in favor of extending social security benefits to illegals. In a discussion of this issue on FoxNews this tonight, even Michelle Malkin conceded (strongly against her wishes) that this is pretty much a done deal.
The current thinking is to make a guest worker program with computer ID tracking that makes sure the immigrant worker goes home after a couple years.
You are correct that there has been much talk of and support for a guest worker program to deal with the illegal immigrants, mostly from Mexico. I do not support any amnesty or a guest worker program. It seems you support such a program, so I have a few questions on how the program would be administered.
It is said a national ID or guest worker card would be issued to control the “participants” in the program. I would like to know how would this ID work? After all, we currently have a SS system, birth certificates, drivers licenses and other identifiers. These forms of identification are routinely disregarded by government and law enforcement (LE) agencies when illegals approach and utilize government services. If government and LE agencies today are accepting the Mexican ID, giving out benefits and catching and releasing known illegals, what is to make us believe this policy will not continue if an illegal does not have his new guest worker papers or ID? If drivers licenses, birth certificates & SS numbers are being forged and stolen today, what is to make us believe these practices will stop with a guest worker ID?
What is so magical about the guest worker program that will change government and LE practices as well as eliminate all these illegal practices that are currently going on? Nothing! They are not going to change. Can you promise that the IRS will stop issuing TIN to illegals, and other government agencies will stop providing services, including education to illegals who do not have a guest worker ID? Will the government revoke FDIC insurance to banks accepting the Matricula card? Will LE agencies begin coordinating with the INS to deport known illegals they have detained?
Our borders are not secure now. Once we get a guest worker program will the borders be magically shut & the guest workers will only enter through designated areas? Will all the illegals currently in America be deported and only guest workers allowed back in? Will the guest worker program eliminate the drug dealers, murders, thieves and others who just want to come to America, but want no part of being a guest worker? What steps will be taken to shut our borders to those illegals after the program goes into effect? Will all those illegals without guest worker ID’s be deported and will their property be forfeited (similar to drug absconders)? Will businesses that hire illegals not in the guest worker program be pursued and prosecuted with severe fines, including forfeiture of their assets?
Currently we cannot track & deport visa violators. What makes us think we can track & deport guest workers any better? How will we track guest workers who just don’t show up for work? If we catch them will they be immediately deported? Will guest worker’s families be allowed to enter with the worker who is in the program? Will they also be tracked & deported if the guest worker is in violation of the program or commits a crime in America?
Currently the pro-immigration people (and it seems the government too) are unwilling to deport known illegals. When there is a work slowdown &/or the picking season has ended will these guest workers be shipped back to their country? At who’s cost? Why would we think that those who currently do not want to deport known illegals, those who want to put water & beacons out in the desert, will just turn around after the guest worker program is implemented and say “OK your work is done, go back home now”? What makes you believe they will be willing to deport the millions of illegals currently in the country who do no qualify or who are not needed as guest workers? It is not going to happen. These feel-good liberals will then start crying that the worker’s kids are in schools, they have ties in the community…anything to keep the guest workers here. The leftists will argue for unemployment compensation, not returning to Mexico.
What happens if the guest worker has a baby in America, then will the kid automatically be an American? You know the parent(s) then won’t be sent back home when their work is done. Will guest workers &/or their family be given access to social services?
What wages will the guest workers receive? Will they qualify for minimum wage, health insurance, workers comp., be eligible to join a union…? If so isn’t this defeating the purpose of the Republicans & “big business” who are in favor of illegals because they drive down wages? I can’t imagine these guest workers will be able to work for less than minimum wage & be paid cash under the table as illegals currently are paid. Their wages will go up and be competitive with American citizens who “wouldn’t do the jobs these illegals are doing”. Won’t the increase in wages make these jobs much more attractive to Americans? Won’t the increase in wages & benefits increase the cost of goods, further defeating the “business purpose” of allowing illegals into the country? Can anybody say “capital market force at work”?
Who pays to send them home when their work is done, or do they remain in the country when "between jobs"? Will they qualify for unemployment compensation?
Knowing that 70% of Americans want immigration reform and the Republican sweep in the last elections should have given the President the support to make significant improving changes. I don't see a move in this direction.
We need to close the borders, overhaul the current INS and immigration policy, fine businesses that hire illegls and eliminate the incentives for illegals to come to America. Now!
Will this administration guarantee these changes before or in conjunction with implementing the guest worker program?
I’ll believe it when I see it.