Thread: U.S. immigration policy should be based on facts

U.S. immigration policy should be based on facts
November 28, 2007
L. George Smith

Regarding the immigration issue, I recommend the following:

1. Reissue to all citizens a new Social Security card in a biometric format.

2. Issue biometric identification cards with clear expiration dates to all noncitizens who are in the United States legally for study, business, or work. For them to remain longer would require reapplication.

3. Require all persons who are in the U.S. illegally to make application in order to remain in the U.S. for work, study, or other legitimate purposes. This application would be a means of collecting information somewhat similar to the U.S. Census. It would provide facts regarding such things as age, family status, length of time living in the U.S., country of origin, educational background, language skills, employment record, criminal record, living arrangements (home ownership, renter, or no home), status of health insurance, and military service performed.

4. Analyze facts collected on illegal immigrants desiring to remain in the U.S. as a means of developing criteria for determining who should logically be permitted to remain in the U.S., and under what conditions, and who should be deported. These criteria should be reasonably parallel with the criteria used in gaining permission to enter the U.S. as legal immigrants.

These criteria also should be based on the following observations:

Economic globalization is a fact of life.
Globalization requires the United States constantly to redefine its logical niche in the dynamic world economy.
Maintaining our status as an advanced nation in the world economy probably requires us to have a bias toward admitting skilled workers to citizenship in categories such as engineers, medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses, and dentists.

Admitting too many persons with low skills is likely to increase the nation's education and health-care costs, to diminish employment opportunities for our citizens who terminate their education at the high school level or earlier, and to weaken the power of labor unions to assist these relatively unskilled working citizens to secure employment that will give them socially acceptable living conditions.
Coming to, or remaining in, the U.S. illegally is sometimes easier than coming here through legal processes; this results in an injustice to those who are acting lawfully.
Some will argue that this approach will be too costly and/or take too long to implement. It might be far less expensive than building a wall around our borders and it should be more efficient and effective.
This problem was not created in a day; therefore, its solution will require some time to obtain. If persons are coming to the U.S. to secure employment, then the employer becomes the most logical point of control for law enforcement.
Additionally, it should help us solve related problems, such as identity theft, illegal drugs, and terrorism. Bringing law enforcement into line with our expressed laws is also more consistent with our foreign policy, which exemplifies us as a nation of laws worthy of emulation throughout the world.
L. George Smith lives in Reno.
http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic ... 7711280400
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I say enforcement is more effective and less costly.

Require all persons who are in the U.S. illegally to make application in order to remain in the U.S. for work, study, or other legitimate purposes.

Shouldn't they just have to leave??????????

Shouldn't they just have to leave??????????

Sounds right to me.