Immigration Reform Now

We are a nation of immigrants. We are a blending of many cultures. Much of our progress has come as a result of the contributions of immigrants.

You have heard it said, well, I am ok with legal immigrants, but not “illegal” or “undocumented” workers. The problem is that we have made them “illegal” with our laws by creating the demand for unskilled workers, but then not providing them a legal point of entry. This is why we need immigration reform.

For those of us that have traveled to Mexico and Central America, you can clearly see why they need to leave their homes to find a job with a living wage. They cannot support their families on $2 or less per day. In part, our economic and free trade policies have contributed to their economic blight, as our businesses seek cheap labor and cheap goods without any regulations. The possibility of making more than $2 a day is such an attraction or pull. They are also often “pushed” to leave their homeland by unemployment, oppression, and hunger; sometimes, becoming victims of human trafficking.

Almost all migrants would prefer to work close to home, near their families, where they speak the same language and have friends. If necessity forces them, they will travel abroad to work for part of the year. The United States has a particular attraction because of better salaries, working conditions and many job openings in positions most Americans will not work. Unfortunately, they have little to no chance of getting a work visa, so the next best thing is to pay someone to get them into the country illegally. There was a time that they did, worked 3-6 months and then returned home and we looked the other way (rather than fix the immigration system). Now, it is just as difficult to get into the United States as it is to leave. Many die trying. Many families suffer as they are separated. I have seen this first hand.

The Republicans are stonewalling meaningful immigration reform. The Senate has passed a compromise bill that includes massive spending to protect our southern border from “illegal” immigrants, even though we already are spending massive amounts on it, illegal immigration is significantly down, and the money could be better used helping new arrivals integrate into society.

Immigrants helped build our country; they contribute greatly to our economies as workers, consumers, business owners and taxpayers. Look at the West Side, University Avenue, Lake Street and other areas that have been revitalized by immigrant businesses. Look at towns in the southwestern Minnesota that have been saved by a wave of new immigrants. Look at the produce you eat and whether or not you buy it from an immigrant farmer, more than likely it involved immigrant labor. And yes, they pay taxes and receive little to nothing in return. They are also under-represented in our jails, shelters etc. Most of the immigrants that are being held are being held for violations of immigration laws or they themselves are victims of racism, human trafficking or exploitation.

No person should be without a country, even if they came here as a result of an unjust immigration policy. Our ancestors came here in search of a better life. They too demanded “no taxation without representation,” the right to vote. For some, women and minorities, it didn’t happen right-away. Everyone would be better off if there was a path to citizenship for those undocumented workers that have made our country their home. Unfortunately, some in Congress are opposed for the same reason they opposed giving the vote to women and blacks; they likely would vote for the other party. Maybe they should reach out a helping hand, rather than deportation or virtual slavery.

Immigration reform would generate $1.5 trillion to our economy over the next ten years. For the baby boomers they are just what our social security system needs now, workers to help pay the benefits. This is exactly what our inner cities and rural communities need, new hardworking citizens, not more greedy Wall Street types.

Immigration reform could make the system easier to regulate, cut down on illegal immigration, and enable our border security to focus on illegal drug trade, human trafficking and terrorist, rather than wasting billions on breaking up families or preventing those coming here for a better life to enter.

Finally, this must be done at a Federal level, not by state or local authorities. First, it is diverting those local law enforcements agencies from their core tasks. Second, it creates fear in the legal immigrant community and forces anti-immigrant attitudes in society that compromises everyone’s safety. Finally, and most importantly, that is where it constitutionally is supposed to be addressed. We have already seen where some local law enforcement agencies have used immigration enforcement to deny rights to American citizens of a different race. Think of the nightmare if each state or local community had their own set of immigration laws; it would not only be confusing, it could result in an even more divided country, such as when we had free states and slave states.

I urge you to contact your congressional representative and urge him or her to support bipartisan immigration reform with a path to citizenship and without excessive spending on border enforcement, but more spending on services to help immigrants integrate into our society. I also would urge economic reform of our economic and foreign policies so that most people don’t feel the “push” to leave their homes to support their families.