Illegal Immigration and the States: A Follow-up
58
Article: 5-2-10
While the original Arizona immigration bill was inherently racist, either with intent, or unintentinonally, enforcing and enacting immigration laws against illegal immigration is not, and should not be. Because of the failure of Congress and the federal government to address illegal immigration, many states like Arizona, have been considering their own laws to combat illegal immigration.
On Friday April 30, 2010, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed bills revising the original immigration law. With the revisions, immigration status could be checked if a person was being stopped for violating an unrelated law. The bill no longer requires law enforcement to check immigration status without being stopped first for violating a law (i.e. misdemeanor or felony), or without probable cause. Originally, law enforcement could check on a person's immigration status, even if they 'suspected' that the person is in the U.S. illegally, without any prior laws being broken (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/30/AR2010043002271.html).
Critics of the Arizona bill have legitimate concerns of random round-ups and harassment. Revisions of the bill may help alleviate some of those concerns, though the damage has already been done. All efforts must be taken to prevent unnecessary racial and ethnic profiling. Unfortunately, any attempt by the States to enforce or enact illegal immigration laws will be met with charges of racism. To simply criticize those who do not support ILLEGAL immigration, and demonize them as racists, is no better than those who characterize illegal immigrants as thieves and drug dealers.
What many may not realize, and what was often not reported in the mainstream media, was that the Arizona bill largely referenced the Immigration and Reform Act of 1986, enacted by Congress. The Act made it illegal to knowingly hire or recruit illegal immigrants for employment. Immigration status had to be vouched for by employers, with immigrants having to provide some legal documentation of their residential status. Since then, many employers have taken advantage of the law, and of the immigrants themselves, with slave wages. Many employers have gotten away with exploiting immigrant workers, while the federal government has often looked away themselves, and have been very negligent in enforcing current immigration laws.
Current immigration laws need to be enforced. All persons entering and residing in the U.S. need to be accounted for. Identity theft, which is a major concern, and often (not all) occurs with illegal immigrants, and those who support and/or exploit them, also needs to be addressed. Securing the borders (north and south), along with improving ways to oversee, and prevent Visa abuse (i.e. expired visas) by foreigners, need to be included in any immigration bill. Any future immigration bills should not just target Hispanics. To do so would not only be an abuse of racial and ethnic profiling, it would be racist.
While it is noble to want to, and to try to help and accomodate those immigrants, who want to make a legitimate living for themselves and their families, to do so illegally is illegal. To grant universal anmesty is wrought with economic, social, and social services calamity. And 'rounding-up' millions of people, and deporting them has its own set of problems. How would it be done? Who would be responsible? There are so many questions to ask, and concerns to consider, than just simply granting amnesty, and simply doing random 'round-ups.'
In order for any immigration reform or enforcement to happen, especially at the federal level, which is its responsibility, politicians and interest groups need to stop taking advantage of the immigrants from Middle and South America, and the Hispanic community. Not all Hispanics support illegal immigration or anmesty, as often seems to be the narrative in the mainstream media. All too often, illegal immigration is politicized, and is framed in an either/or, this or that, for or against issue. It's not that simple. And characterizing someone who does not support illegal immigration or anmensty for Middle and South Americans as racists, is just as simple minded as those who really are.
Shabazz Wilson
CommentsLoading...
Petra, that's the point I'm making: they're exploited. And they don't have to be savvy enough to use computers for identify theft. They can get that from others who do such services. As for needing 'cheap' labor, yes, we need it. But no one deserves to be paid slave wages.
One of the most thoughtful, respectful, and fair commentaries I have read on this. Well done. This issue is so full of passion and heat that it's hard to get anything with meat from most articles. I think the thing that frustrates me is that I can empathize with both sides. We need to reform, but no one wants to comprimise... it's either: 'ship them all home and hermetically seal the country,' or 'amnesty and carte-blanche'. Maybe you should mediate this? ;) Thumbs up.
terrific political hub read thanks
I like your even-handed approach to the complex issue of immigration. A thought: Perhaps if the Mexican economy were not undermined by multinational corporations that dumped cheap grains into the Mexican market place thereby displacing Mexican farmers, those same Mexican farmers wouldn't be coming to the US looking for work. This cheap labor pool, which is too often exploited, displaces many young people in the US looking for a first time job. I seem to recall, correct me if I am wrong, that even our elected representative have employ illegal immigrants as nannies. The US has granted amnesty in the past and I am sure the US will do it again so long as there is an economic motivation for people to cross the boarder.
very important hub write look forward to reading more thanks
It is necessary to look to the cause of immigration.
You do strive to present a balanced picture of the problem with illegal immigration, but there's a very ugly aspect to this situation which you didn't address.
Along with the illegals looking for jobs come those who seek to destroy our country. Many illegals now enter the country by being smuggled across the border. The same routes used by drug smugglers are used for those smuggling humans.
Some of the humans being smuggled into America are terrorists. The recent news that a smuggling ring based in Brazil had smuggled more than 250 Somali jihadists into the US should be more than enough for EVERY American to support drastic laws to drive illegals out of the country, and the use of all the resources necessary to seal our borders-land and sea.
Petra Vlah Level 3 Commenter 2 years ago
Do you really believe that illegal immigrants are sophisticated enough and computer savvy to the point where they can actually get into identity theft?
I see them more as victims and scapegoats and I also believe that only apparent effort has been made into solving the problem; we need cheap labor and they provide it.
America is perfectly capable of protecting its borders; the question is “do we want to?” My answer is “no we don’t” since it is affecting the bottom line, which is and will always be profit.