Thread: IMMIGRATION REFORM, HOPEFULLY THE NEW FOREIGN AID

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Immigration Reform, Hopefully the New Foreign Aid

By Marcela Sanchez
Special to washingtonpost.com
Thursday, March 17, 2005; 10:30 PM

WASHINGTON -- Perhaps the only point of agreement in the contentious debate about immigration in the United States is that the system is broken. The increase in illegal immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexican border -- as well as the growing number dying in the attempt -- is the clearest indication that what is supposed to curb the influx does not work.

A decade of border initiatives that failed to slow the flow should serve as evidence that law enforcement alone can never solve the problem. What's more, border deaths should remind us that any system in which people are willing to risk their lives to circumvent is doomed to fail.
next week, President Bush, Mexican President Vicente Fox and Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin are scheduled to hold a mini-summit in Texas in which immigration will be on the agenda. In preparation for the gathering, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice traveled to Mexico last week to foreshadow Bush's message: Washington is committed to an immigration system that is "humane,'' that "respects America's laws'' and that "recognizes the economic realities between Mexico and the United States.''

The Bush administration should be lauded for setting a goal to transform the reality of immigration. Indeed, it is when policy-makers grapple with the humanity of the situation that the search for solutions becomes comprehensive enough.

The question to be begged, however, is whether the reforms being contemplated would do enough to directly address the desperation that drives hundreds of thousands every year to risk crossing an ever more fortified border.

Bush favors a guest worker program that, as he explains it, would seek to match a willing foreign worker with a willing U.S. employer. To a degree, concern for the worker is part of the proposal. The program would give temporary legal passage to immigrants who have fulfilled the needs of U.S. employers. However, past experience with such a guest worker program was at best mixed. And religious leaders and other immigrant rights advocates fear the number of workers who would benefit under the Bush proposal would be so limited that illegal immigration would remain virtually intact.

Currently, Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., are crafting legislation that would follow the guidelines of Bush's proposal. Meanwhile, Republican leaders in the House favor more enforcement and punitive measures rather than far-reaching reform. Their initiative, which passed the House in February, would restrict immigrant driver's licenses, and make it more difficult to obtain political asylum.

Neither Bush's nor the competing legislative proposals come close to the comprehensive nature of creating a North American Investment Fund in which money from Canada and the United States would help Mexico reverse its growing development gap with its northern neighbors. The idea for the fund was presented this week by the Council on Foreign Relations. The proposalis not new and skeptics doubt whether Bush's team will consider a proposal of such nature when the president meets with Fox and Martin.

Meanwhile, the major hope for development cash in Mexico and many other Latin American countries continues to be tied to immigration. Last year, immigrants in the United States, many of them illegal, sent to their relatives back home more than $45 billion in so-called remittances. This has exceeded foreign direct investment and foreign assistance to the region three years in a row.

Such "aid'' would seem to exacerbate the problem of illegal immigration. Had remittances not become the only conceivable way to change the fortunes of entire families south of the border -- where the gap between rich and poor is widening -- one might argue that so many people would not be willing to make the harrowing journey to find work in the United States.

Ten years ago initiatives such as Operation Gatekeeper were adding manpower, technology and resources to better enforce the U.S. southern border. But instead of dissuading illegal immigrants from crossing, those measures have only persuaded them to look for other less protected routes.

This has made crossing more dangerous and deadly. And sadly, according to Oscar Chacon, director of Enlaces America, a Chicago-based immigrant advocacy group, illegals still come as "life has turned much less hopeful'' among many in Mexico and Latin America.

Marcela Sanchez's e-mail address is desdewash@washpost.com.


Edit: Link by Mr_Magoo

gp,

I read this and decided not to post it because it seems too sympathetic to the illegal, IMO.

Not taking issue with your posting, though. Please don't misunderstand.

I read this over several times when I first found it and couldn't really figure out just what "side" the writer is on. Maybe it was just too late for me to determine anything.

It seems she is trying to draw on the heartstrings of the reader for the "poor illegal" particularly with this comment ....

And sadly, according to Oscar Chacon, director of Enlaces America, a Chicago-based immigrant advocacy group, illegals still come as "life has turned much less hopeful'' among many in Mexico and Latin America.

The decline of Mexico and Latin America should not become America's decline simply because our neighbors down south haven't managed their people, countries or resources well!

We are not an ASYLUM for the poor and disadvantaged! If these people want "asylum" from their country's conditions, let them do what our ancestors did .. come here legally .. go through Ellis Island .. apply for citizenship .. EARN YOUR RIGHT to be an American .. respect our laws, respect our land and resources, quit bilking us till we end up in the poor house! AND LEARN THE LANGUAGE AND ASSIMLATE! We don't want Little Mexico's dotted all across the American landscape.

<getting off soapbox>

watchman

I read this and decided not to post it because it seems too sympathetic to the illegal, IMO.




THAT IS THE REASON WHY I POSTED THIS........POOR LITTLE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by gp

THAT IS THE REASON WHY I POSTED THIS........POOR LITTLE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT!!!!!!!!!!

The "poor little illegal immigrant" is awfully demanding, isn't he/she? And they sure profit off all the handouts our government gives them.

No wonder they come here ... it's almost as if our government is enticing them with all the "freebies."

watchman wrote...

No wonder they come here ... it's almost as if our government is enticing them with all the "freebies." Evil or Very Mad





our corrupt government is doing just that, we don't have a fence here in ca. we have a latter.....
look my fight is not with the illgal immigrant, it's with my corrupt government for allowing them to stay....
if the roles were reversed usa/mexico you can bet your butt i would do what ever it took to get to mexico to feed my family.....


BUT, WE HAVE LAWS THAT ARE NOT ENFORCED AND OUR CORRUPT GOVERNMENT STILL CHOOSES TO DO NOTHING!!!!!!

Originally Posted by gp

our corrupt government is doing just that, we don't have a fence here in ca. we have a latter.....
look my fight is not with the illgal immigrant, it's with my corrupt government for allowing them to stay....
if the roles were reversed usa/mexico you can bet your butt i would do what ever it took to get to mexico to feed my family.....

BUT, WE HAVE LAWS THAT ARE NOT ENFORCED AND OUR CORRUPT GOVERNMENT STILL CHOOSES TO DO NOTHING!!!!!!

gp,

I'd have to say my beef is with the illegal immigrant. Take a look at the photos I've posted up in General Discussion. Living in California, you have a "bird's eye" view of all this. I found a picture of the ladder you mention last night and also of illegals running into I-5 traffic endangering the lifes of themselves and the drivers. One driver swerving to avoid one of these idiots (and they really are! ... at least my mom taught me not to run into traffic ) could result in a multi-car crash injuring and even taking lives and causing untold property damage. Then come the greedy lawyers who want to sue ... . Say .. do you know of any accidents caused by the I-5 "runners?"

And like you my beef is with the government's advocating the invasion and turning a blind eye to it.

I don't know .. if the tables were turned I don't know if I would be able to be so daring and demanding. I'd have to first consider my first error of invading someone's country illegally. But since the invaders are rarely apprehended, they don't live in fear of being discovered.

The unbridled sense of entitlement of these LAWBREAKERS never ceases to amaze me.

Maybe mom just taught me some manners.

WATCHMAN WROTE,

I'd have to say my beef is with the illegal immigrant. Take a look at the photos I've posted up in General Discussion. Living in California, you have a "bird's eye" view of all this. I found a picture of the ladder you mention last night and also of illegals running into I-5 traffic endangering the lifes of themselves and the drivers. One driver swerving to avoid one of these idiots (and they really are! Evil or Very Mad ... at least my mom taught me not to run into traffic Wink ) could result in a multi-car crash injuring and even taking lives and causing untold property damage. Then come the greedy lawyers who want to sue ... Rolling Eyes . Say .. do you know of any accidents caused by the I-5 "runners?"

And like you my beef is with the government's advocating the invasion and turning a blind eye to it.

I don't know .. if the tables were turned I don't know if I would be able to be so daring and demanding. I'd have to first consider my first error of invading someone's country illegally. But since the invaders are rarely apprehended, they don't live in fear of being discovered. Twisted Evil

The unbridled sense of entitlement of these LAWBREAKERS never ceases to amaze me.

Maybe mom just taught me some manners. Wink


all the problems they are is a direct resalt of our corrupt government, not inforcing our immigration laws, maybe just maybe they will start caring abuot AMERICANS and not trying to compeat in a globol market that we ABSOLUTLY can not compeat in


P.S. i saw your picturs great post....