Is it any surprise that immigration reform has now taken the forefront in politics? I agree with many of the political analysts that Obama is using this subject in an attempt to gain the minority votes as well as deter public interest from his many shortfalls. And I am afraid that once again the American public will fall for his political maneuvering.
What the other side needs to do is split the immigrant population between legal and illegal. I say this not only as a political strategy, but as what I feel is right for this country. We need to stop rewarding people for breaking the law and start rewarding those who adhere to it. The best way to do this, while maintaining a respect for the laws of this nation, would be to place families of those who are here legally at the top of the green card list, at the same time cracking down on companies who are hiring illegals. We currently expend time and effort deporting illegal immigrants only to have them return to the same jobs within just a few weeks. There is no excuse for allowing these companies to continue circumventing the laws in such a manner.
Illegal immigrants currently export somewhere in the tens of billions of dollars every year. This is money that could be going towards hospital bills to keep emergency rooms open, teacher's salaries, or numerous other expenses that are bankrupting our states. Encouraging the legal immigration of families who have adhered to the law would not only stem the flow of money out of this country, but also promote the immigration of more responsible and upstanding individuals. A blanket amnesty program is insulting to immigrants who have jumped through hoops to get here and encourages illegal activity. Whether adjusting the green card list to accommodate families who have followed the law or some other method of rewarding these individuals is appropriate, something along these lines needs to be done.
Although I support states like Arizona attempting to solve the immigration problem I hesitate to allow individual police officers to have the power to require any individual to provide proof of citizenship without the appropriate burden of proof. Placing this type of power in the hands of individual law enforcement is exactly what our forefathers designed the constitution to avoid. We need to think long term and consider the future ramifications of such a law. I believe that the laws do currently exist to stem the flow of illegal immigration as long as states are given the support and ability to enforce them.
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