Thread: U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith on immigration

U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith on immigration

November 6, 2008

Immigration solutions

Re: "The crisis of our own making – We only have ourselves to blame for the immigration mess, says Ruben Navarrette," Oct. 23 Viewpoints.

I agree strongly that when the federal government creates guest worker programs, millions of illegal immigrants tend to follow.

In fact, Professor Douglas Massey, whom Mr. Navarrette quotes approvingly, has found that "the phenomenal growth in illegal immigration to the United States . . . represents an unintended result of the Bracero" program for Mexican farm workers from the 1940s to the 1960s.

However, I strongly disagree with Mr. Navarrette's and Mr. Massey's belief that the last decade's successful border enforcement efforts have actually increased illegal immigration.

Mr. Massey's own report, "Backfire at the Border – Why Enforcement without Legalization Cannot Stop Illegal Immigration," included a chart that showed that the probability of return to Mexico dramatically declined following the enactment of the 1986 amnesty, but not after the tightening of the southern border since the mid-1990s.

Mr. Massey's evidence indicates that the trigger for the downward trend of returns was the granting of amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants in 1986.

Border enforcement needs to be complemented with interior enforcement. If illegal immigrants cannot get jobs, cannot get bank accounts and cannot get drivers licenses once they elude border authorities, many will return home on their own.


U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio

www.dallasnews.com

BINGO!

DITTO...Bingo!!! Someone with some brains!