Complexities of our immigration policy


Karen Meyerson, Paths to Peace

Published Friday, July 25, 2008

Of the many difficulties facing this country, perhaps the one that causes the most passion on both sides of the issue is illegal immigration.

It is a complex problem with complex solutions. Many have reduced it to a simple equation: Illegal immigrants are causing all of our economic problems. This simplistic scapegoating is neither accurate nor helpful. Many of our problems can be traced to the cost of the Iraq war, out of control gas prices, dependence on foreign oil, corporate welfare, tax breaks for the wealthy, and irresponsible lending, none of which have any connection to illegal immigration.

Many employer groups in Arizona, California, Oklahoma, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, Massachusetts and others are lobbying for less stringent laws and penalties against companies with long established and responsible histories. They realize they do need these workers and also want to be on the on the right side of the law, as per Tamar Jacoby, president of the new Federation Immigration Works USA.

These business owners realize that if mass roundups cause business failures that many American employees will be out of work. As per The Colorado Employers for Immigration Reform, they are asking lawmakers on the state and federal level to find a more economically viable solution.

Karen Meyerson

Leading mayors from Los Angeles, Seattle, and Oakland plan to introduce a resolution denouncing the workplace raids. Resolution No. 52 emphasizes the damage done to local economies by such raids and calls upon the government to focus its enforcement efforts on businesses that actually exploit workers through violations of wage and safety laws rather than responsible employers who contribute to their communities. Widespread raids also do not act as deterrents as desire for work overcomes fear of deportation. Unless raids are coupled with comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to legal status, these raids will remain ineffective.

On May 12, 2008, the largest workplace immigration raid in U.S. History took place in Postville, Iowa. Elected officials, community members and religious leaders reveal that the raid tore the community apart. Mayor Bob Penrod told the Des Moines Register, “We didn’t need this. This literally blew our town away.â€