Thread: Deportations Show the Need for Reform

Deportations show the need for reform

CourierPOstOnline.com • November 11, 2008

The status quo is failing with immigration; major policy changes from Washington are needed.

Federal officials in New Jersey say deportations and arrests for immigration violations in the state hit record levels in 2008. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials say nearly 4,200 illegal immigrants were deported from New Jersey in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 -- up 25 percent from the year before. Of those deported, 1,200 had prior criminal convictions.

Nationally, ICE has been stepping up deportation efforts, but not with all illegal immigrants. ICE is only targeting those who have defied previously issued deportation orders or those who have criminal backgrounds.

Estimates are that about 350,000 illegal immigrants live in New Jersey. Nationally, there are thought to be about 12 million immigrants in this country illegally.

All of this hammers home the fact that, while fixing the economy must be the foremost priority, our next president and Congress must also deal with the immigration question. While we should deport criminals who are here illegally, we cannot and should not try to deport every immigrant here illegally.

For one, it is completely impractical and would cost a fortune. Secondly, it would be wrong to tear families apart. Third, and perhaps most important, deporting all the illegal immigrants here would throw our economy for a loop. Thousands of businesses large and small depend on immigrant labor. Those ultra-nativists who ignore that factor and cry "deport 'em all" do so foolishly and without consideration of just how much immigrant labor means to our economy.

What our nation must come to grips with is that we need to change our outdated immigration policies that don't let enough immigrants enter the country legally to account for the worker needs of businesses.

We should tighten our border security because it is inhumane to have a border where people trek across miles of sweltering desert and risk dying to get here.

We should have a guest-worker program, as proposed by President Bush, that would let workers come here seasonally or just for a few years before returning home.

And we should have a process by which those illegal immigrants who are here and want to stay can apply for citizenship by getting at the back of the line and paying taxes they owe and penalties.

The wink-wink system we have in place now of having a huge population living in the shadows isn't working. When these illegal immigrants are the victims of violent crimes, they are afraid to go to the police. When they drive cars -- without licenses or insurance -- and get in accidents, they often flee for fear of being caught. They are too often paid below the minimum wage and completely off the books by their employers.

None of this should be.

We've failed to properly address the immigration, so ICE officials in New Jersey and elsewhere are left to manage the mess as best they can and simply go after the criminals.

Our new president and new Congress must deal with this issue and address each facet of it. Just focusing on the border or just doing a guest-worker program is not enough. We need major immigration reform so ICE doesn't have to keep setting record numbers each year for deportations in this state and around the nation.

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I agree we need to model our Immigration laws to match Mexicos!!!!!

WHAT A THOUGHT!!!

Mexico, which annually deports more illegal aliens than the United States does, has much to teach us about how it handles the immigration issue. Under Mexican law, it is a felony to be an illegal alien in Mexico.

At a time when the Supreme Court and many politicians seek to bring American law in line with foreign legal norms, it's noteworthy that nobody has argued that the U.S. look at how Mexico deals with immigration and what it might teach us about how best to solve our illegal immigration problem. Mexico has a single, streamlined law that ensures that foreign visitors and immigrants are:

* in the country legally;
* have the means to sustain themselves economically;
* not destined to be burdens on society;
* of economic and social benefit to society;
* of good character and have no criminal records; and
* contributors to the general well-being of the nation.

The law also ensures that:

* immigration authorities have a record of each foreign visitor;
* foreign visitors do not violate their visa status;
* foreign visitors are banned from interfering in the country's internal politics;
* foreign visitors who enter under false pretenses are imprisoned or deported;
* foreign visitors violating the terms of their entry are imprisoned or deported;
* those who aid in illegal immigration will be sent to prison.

Who could disagree with such a law? It makes perfect sense. The Mexican constitution strictly defines the rights of citizens -- and the denial of many fundamental rights to non-citizens, illegal and illegal. Under the constitution, the Ley General de Població®*¯r General Law on Population, spells out specifically the country's immigration policy.

It is an interesting law -- and one that should cause us all to ask, Why is our great southern neighbor pushing us to water down our own immigration laws and policies, when its own immigration restrictions are the toughest on the continent? If a felony is a crime punishable by more than one year in prison, then Mexican law makes it a felony to be an illegal alien in Mexico.

If the United States adopted such statutes, Mexico no doubt would denounce it as a manifestation of American racism and bigotry.

We looked at the immigration provisions of the Mexican constitution. [ 1 ] Now let's look at Mexico's main immigration law.

Mexico welcomes only foreigners who will be useful to Mexican society:

* Foreigners are admitted into Mexico "according to their possibilities of contributing to national progress." (Article 32)
* Immigration officials must "ensure" that "immigrants will be useful elements for the country and that they have the necessary funds for their sustenance" and for their dependents. (Article 34)
* Foreigners may be barred from the country if their presence upsets "the equilibrium of the national demographics," when foreigners are deemed detrimental to "economic or national interests," when they do not behave like good citizens in their own country, when they have broken Mexican laws, and when "they are not found to be physically or mentally healthy." (Article 37)
* The Secretary of Governance may "suspend or prohibit the admission of foreigners when he determines it to be in the national interest." (Article 3

Mexican authorities must keep track of every single person in the country:

* Federal, local and municipal police must cooperate with federal immigration authorities upon request, i.e., to assist in the arrests of illegal immigrants. (Article 73)
* A National Population Registry keeps track of "every single individual who comprises the population of the country," and verifies each individual's identity. (Articles 85 and 86)
* A national Catalog of Foreigners tracks foreign tourists and immigrants (Article 87), and assigns each individual with a unique tracking number (Article 91).

Foreigners with fake papers, or who enter the country under false pretenses, may be imprisoned:

* Foreigners with fake immigration papers may be fined or imprisoned. (Article 116)
* Foreigners who sign government documents "with a signature that is false or different from that which he normally uses" are subject to fine and imprisonment. (Article 116)

Foreigners who fail to obey the rules will be fined, deported, and/or imprisoned as felons:

* Foreigners who fail to obey a deportation order are to be punished. (Article 117)
* Foreigners who are deported from Mexico and attempt to re-enter the country without authorization can be imprisoned for up to 10 years. (Article 11
* Foreigners who violate the terms of their visa may be sentenced to up to six years in prison (Articles 119, 120 and 121). Foreigners who misrepresent the terms of their visa while in Mexico -- such as working with out a permit -- can also be imprisoned.

Under Mexican law, illegal immigration is a felony. The General Law on Population says,

* "A penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine of three hundred to five thousand pesos will be imposed on the foreigner who enters the country illegally." (Article 123)
* Foreigners with legal immigration problems may be deported from Mexico instead of being imprisoned. (Article 125)
* Foreigners who "attempt against national sovereignty or security" will be deported. (Article 126)

Mexicans who help illegal aliens enter the country are themselves considered criminals under the law:

* A Mexican who marries a foreigner with the sole objective of helping the foreigner live in the country is subject to up to five years in prison. (Article 127)
* Shipping and airline companies that bring undocumented foreigners into Mexico will be fined. (Article 132)

All of the above runs contrary to what Mexican leaders are demanding of the United States. The stark contrast between Mexico's immigration practices versus its American immigration preachings is telling. It gives a clear picture of the Mexican government's agenda: to have a one-way immigration relationship with the United States.

Let's call Mexico's bluff on its unwarranted interference in U.S. immigration policy. Let's propose, just to make a point, that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) member nations standardize their immigration laws by using Mexico's own law as a model.

The wink-wink system we have in place now of having a huge population living in the shadows isn't working. When these illegal immigrants are the victims of violent crimes, they are afraid to go to the police. When they drive cars -- without licenses or insurance -- and get in accidents, they often flee for fear of being caught. They are too often paid below the minimum wage and completely off the books by their employers.

None of this should be.

That's right...IT SHOULDN'T BE! Because they shouldn't BE HERE! Some people just don't get it...why should I care if they are afraid to go to the police. I would be to if I were a criminal! THEY are totally responsible for EVERYTHING that happens to them.

For one, it is completely impractical and would cost a fortune. Secondly, it would be wrong to tear families apart. Third, and perhaps most important, deporting all the illegal immigrants here would throw our economy for a loop.

Impractical? It would cost a hell lot less than the FAILED BAILOUT, with billions to spare. Illegal immigrants played a huge role in our economic mess.

Tear families apart? Illegal aliens are doing that to themselves. NO ONE INVITED THEM TO COME HERE. No one is forcing them to stay either. ALL ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE FREE TO GO HOME! PASS IT AROUND.

Secondly, it would be wrong to tear families apart.

What do you do when a criminal IS part of the "family"? Keep him (her)because it's not fair to punish the rest of the family? Where's the line to be drawn at? How severe of a criminal do you have to be before you get the boot? I really wonder since there are legal immigrants who can't do a slight thing wrong and they are out. But drunk driving, drug dealing, tax evasion, fraud, stolen identies, multiple identies on down the line.....not to mention medical bills, forclosed homes, etc. and everything else would land even a citizen in serious trouble and are we to wink and nod on all that for them too? Coz in all honesty, I don't know know how ANY of them can live here and not have a host of crimes committed.

The costs of an amnesty would be massive. THis alone could stop it for now. It would take a gigantic bureacracy to do even a cursory background check, issue papers, etc. Huge undertaking with HUGE costs. This was discussed on a local talk show last week by one of the foundation folks. AND on top of that, BILLIONS more in cost secondary costs...now they are qualified for all kinds of programs and help. The economic setback may have a silver lining in this regard.

I'm willing to bet the costs of deporting people is less than the costs of amnesty.

All of this hammers home the fact that, while fixing the economy must be the foremost priority, our next president and Congress must also deal with the immigration question. While we should deport criminals who are here illegally, we cannot and should not try to deport every immigrant here illegally.

Ever hear of fraud, loopholes, legal challenges? What an idiot--and dishonest, besides.