The need for an immigration system worthy of America

What a mess. That’s the best way to describe the labyrinth of absurd and outdated laws and regulations that masquerade as America’s immigration system. Americans have been forced to live with a system that hasn’t been overhauled in decades and was created for a country that no longer exists.

The president understands the problem. Speaking in El Paso, he talked about the need for comprehensive immigration reform and noted that our system punishes everyone – citizen or immigrant – who follows the rules. This is especially true of businesses, big and small, who play fair and obey our outdated laws. Unscrupulous employers are able to skirt the system, exploit workers, and drive down wages for everyone while law abiding businesses can’t attract the talent, labor, or brain power they need. Thus, it would be rational to assume that pursuing a comprehensive solution to a national problem that overwhelming numbers of Americans want fixed would be a slam-dunk. But you would be wrong and that’s probably because you don’t know House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas). He is Congress’s biggest obstacle to fixing one our country’s worst and most pressing problems. As chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Smith should be in the catbird seat to lead Republican efforts at shaping immigration reform. Instead, he has indicated that comprehensive immigration reform is dead on arrival in his committee, continuing a years- long drought of Republican contributions or ideas. Instead, Smith wants to add an onerous, costly, and economically ruinous layer of bureaucracy on top of the whole system. Innocuously named E-verify, Smith sells it as an economic panacea that would protect American jobs by forcing millions of farmworkers to leave the fields. Much like Snow White, Smith believes a wave of the magic E-verify wand will make all of our problems go away. But America’s economic problems aren’t make believe, and Smith’s E-verify fairy tales are just too good to be true. Smith’s E-Verify bill has been called a “regulatory predator” by The Competitive Enterprise Institute, whose testimony to Congress said the bill would “seriously harm small businesses, greatly expand unwarranted government intrusion into Americans’ private lives, and push hundreds of thousands of Americans out of the workforce due to systematic bureaucratic errors.” Worse, e-verify is another band-aid “fix” on a badly broken system and will force undocumented immigrants on the tax rolls into the underground cash economy costing the federal government $22 billion a year. Republicans, like their Democratic counterparts, must govern. That means working with Democrats to offer coherent, realistic, and workable solutions to the broken immigration system that serve the interests of our nation. America deserves better than the immigration fairy tales and make –believe rhetoric that have led us to our badly broken system. Comprehensive immigration reform should include a path to citizenship for the undocumented that requires them to register, go through background checks, pay taxes, and study English on their way to becoming full U.S. citizens creating millions of new taxpayers in the process. A comprehensive reform would help our economic recovery, stabilize the workforce, and enhance our national security by focusing our enforcement and security measures on the most dangerous threats to our communities. —E-Verify, also called the "Legal Workforce Act." It would require all US businesses to verify workers' legal status through the Social Security database linked to the US Immigration and Citizenship Services. It would restrain unlawful immigration and bring jobs back to citizens and legal residents. It seems that the special interests are fearful of the imminent consequences of this law, because it would curb the open border mentality of the majority of Liberals, Democrats and a few Republicans. The bill is obviously being criticized by Hispanic and ethnic advocates, who are saying that the database was costly to run and generated errors, hence exasperating prejudice against legal workers whose personal data is comparable to illegal aliens using false ID. Hispanics of legal status need not worry as E-Verify serves them as well as every America of any race? It takes just a few minutes to use and easily verify 99.5% percent of work-eligible employees. Others with ID irregularities receive a referral letter to resolve the problem at the SSA office. There is no other legislation that can be enacted that will generate more jobs for American labor. In actual fact there is no expenditures to the business world and as for irregularities, there is no high level of problems, as new innovations are being added to cross-reference who has a right to a job? Seeing so much business lobbyists as support for E-Verify is a positive signal at a hearing of the House immigration subcommittee. Companies have implored the Washington leadership to force their competitors to stop employing foreign labor, moreover having taxpayers subsidize their upkeep. The bill would also make the E-Verify program permanent and in addition re-establish the no-match letter program. It assists in identifying the 8 million illegal immigrants that are presently hired in non-farming employment. E-Verify within two years of enactment would enforce Zero-Tolerance laws on this bad business practice. Large company owners, federal, state, and municipal agencies and federal and state contractors would need to abide by these rules within six months. Here is a very good chance now for the passage of this law, that business owners, who try to bamboozle the immigration system, will be held accountable with harsh sanctions. In many ways this is monumental because Republicans normally will demean any new laws that cut off their access to the illegal alien workforce. But with 9 percent of Americans not employed, perhaps millions more working temporary or part-time larger numbers far exceed the government statistics they better show some humble pie. Notably the Liberals and Democrats are still insisting that E-Verify doesn't work, or preaching that it will cause racial profiling. For decades now we have accepted there "political Correct" ideology, which we have all had to stomach? Ask the families of the 9/11 mayhem, that if the police had a right to question those Middle East murderers, the near 3000 death toll may never have happened at the World Trade center. If law enforcement were debilitated in asking questions, the terrible catastrophe may have been avoided? To compliment E-Verify we should demand “The Secure Communities" mandated as well. These enforcement programs installed will begin the reduction of illegal aliens in this country and the millions of others thinking about the illegal trek from whether they come from? Americans can assist Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas and Sen. Chuck Grassley, demanding from both Federal and State senators to Mandate both E-Verify and Secure Communities at Senate—202-224–3121/ House—202-225–3121. * Require SSA to send a yearly notification to each owner of a social security number that has multiple employers reporting income to that number indicating that the number may have been stolen and is being used by illegal aliens. Requires employers to run through E-Verify those employees who are likely to have stolen the number from the legitimate owner. Once Secure Communities becomes the policing companion of E-Verify immigration laws, then we can further slow the massive costs associated with the annual flow 300.000 instant babies, who parents intentionally enter America taking advantage of the welfare system. As in conclusion, we must lock the border down and stop the unfettered rush of legal immigration. We must track persons who enter America by other means, to make sure they depart when the visa expires. All immigration must be cut and only the most highly skilled available outside this country, should be given a visa; not the semi-skilled? Those under the Washington Rotunda should further commit themselves, to authoring new laws. Such a uniform “quota system” that only allows a reasonable amount of new immigrants from countries around the world, or a points system as in Europe that only allows persons of the highest qualifications and personal background through the open door. We cannot meet the expense in pandering to the endless flow of poverty into this nation anymore, as to repeat that we have countless amounts of homeless, disabled and penniless veterans, the sick and the mentally ill. They need our dollars first and not foreign nationals. TEA PARTY Chairperson Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota has joined the Presidential race and is adamantly opposed to any Immigration reform package. The 1986 Immigration amnesty was a dead loss, as it was never enforced and was rife with fraud, costing eventually $76 Billion dollars. The Liberal progressives or the dark side of the Democratic Party are silent about the final expenditure, to enact an amnesty today. The heritage Foundation has accessed it at $2.5 Trillion dollars, that it’s incomprehensibl The Obama Administration can’t even roll out Secure Communities without opposition. And the same is true with Congress and e-Verify. Those who support Illegal Immigration march out every rumor and long dead historical reference in an attempt to discredit the systems. And just try to pass legislation to end Sanctuary Cities and you get law suits, demonstrations, and cries of racism. The supporters of Illegal Immigration can never understand why those of us who were around in 1986 are loath to make another “Comprehensive Immigration Reform” deal. In 1986 the Simpson-Mazzoli deal was tough enforcement in return for amnesty. Only half of that deal was ever delivered. The Amnesty was given, but those who agreed to tough enforcement turned around and did everything that they could to successfully sabotage ALL tough enforcement. Now, 25 years later, it is the same old song and dance - tough enforcement in exchange for the amnesty lite called "a pathway to legalization". And of course just like in 1986 the amnesty is supposed to come first with the tough enforcement done later. Deporting a small fraction of the over 11 million people who illegally entered in the USA after 1986 and then saying “system works” is a joke. Each of the “undocumented” 11 million stand as silent testimony to the failure of those who shield Illegal Immigrants from the Law to stand by the deal they made in 1986. The opposition to Secure Communities and e-Verify proves that those who support Illegal Immigration will NEVER honor ANY commitment to enforce our laws. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. The left who think we should have no borders likes to put down every entity that can hinder or stop 'illegal' - not to be confused with legal - immigration. E-Verify has been proven to be around 98 percent accurate. As for vegetable fields etc. we have work visas to cover that. The underlying fact is modern day slave labor. Employers don't want to pay a fair wage so they use illegals and pay them under the going rate. We need to enforce the laws we have - leave the AZ's of our country alone - then work on tweaking that which needs tweaking. In the meantime confused federal politicians are doing nothing. Nothing generates nothing and the problem grows. ALI, What led to the current immigration system being out of control? Not the laws. The lawbreakers. If the same people you want to give a path to citizenship to, had any moral values, they would not have broken the law to come here, steal a job from a citizen, hide from the police, get fake documents, and so on. The lawbreakers are the issue with the immigration system, not Lamar Smith, not an outdated system. That outdated system was never enforced. And those illegals took advantage of that. You are no better of a person than they are if you condone that behavior. Again another liberal trying to convince the American people with gimmicks that we the people should foot the bill for 11 million illegal immigrants! The DREAM Act is poorly written and the age range of 16-35. College age students are typically not 35 years old. If a person is over 21 they are legally an adult making choices to continue a life of illegal behavior. Why would politicians think American people want to pay for the college education of illegal immigrant children? It is frustrating that they are not listening to the voice of the people and keep listening to the hispanics to gain votes. This will also create chain migration of illegals and will create an open door that will never end for us citizens. The DREAM Act needs to just die and try a new strategy for immigration reform. There is no proof or way to verify when a person entered the country so how would Americans know? Of course they would lie and say they entered before age 16 and this would allow & encourage more illegals to come in and get on board with free services. The only part of the legislation that makes reasonable sense is the military guidelines. But it is also true that military does assist with immigration for individuals who enlist. American citizens have no confidence in legislation because of what they witness: no enforcement of immigration laws that are in place, no use of e-verify that is in place, no secure border so why would anyone believe this lie of the DREAM ACT? If it were 11 million illegal Muslims American laws would be enforced. In fact I don't think it would be allowed. Why doesn't the government work with Mexico on returning these individuals who have committed crimes? Your fluffy language and article is a joke and the idea that these speeches given by President Obama will brainwash Americans into supporting this is a joke. This will cause him the 2012 election. He has not created jobs for Americans and they are suffering we do not want to hear more rhetoric about immigration reform. This conversation is a joke when the border is wide opent to criminals. No AMNESTY now or ever for illegals… Everyone knows that statistics can be pulled to support or disagree with any argument. The Democrats want to give amnesty to illegal immigrants for their own grand standing to gain votes. American people need transparency. The people granting and drafting this laws for the DREAM Act are in tax brackets who are exempt from paying for the illegals. The middle class american will be paying this bill. Nancy P.'s income was over 35 million dollars last year she won't pay. I think all the liberals who support this let them pay out of their own pocket not the American people forced into something they have said repeatedly they disagree with. California is broke because of illegal immigrants. Of course Hispanics want a free pass to immigration but how is this fair to the people who followed the laws and actually completed the process in a legal manner. Why do politicians choose to ignore those statistics? We have a proces so why not actually enforce the laws instead of picking and choosing to change them based on wanting a vote.This is not a party issue but an issue of lawmakers trying to gain votes for 2012. Alabama got it right and the reform should include measures they put in place. Show the American people how much it costs to support illegals… Arizona has been villanized for wanting to be safe and not have their homes burned down by drug runners and no one speaks of this. Who cares if the hispanics don't like it! If they are not citizens they should not be voting anyway.. Thus, it would be rational to assume that pursuing a comprehensive solution to a national problem that overwhelming numbers of Americans want fixed would be a slam-dunk. But you would be wrong and that’s probably because you don’t know House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas). He is Congress’s biggest obstacle to fixing one our country’s worst and most pressing problems. Balony!! He is not going to allow the heavy duty cash interest of the mechanized aricultural interest to determine what out immigration policy is. No matter what anyone tells us, we know… we KNOW.. open borders is not a good idea, and that Americans could fill every job in this country. And so… revising the immigration system so the agricultural interests can have workers they can hire for less than a living wage, and having businessmen who want very cheap labor is bad for the American People that it should leap off the page at these guys.

Lawmakers Have Their Own Definition of “Amnesty” - FoxNews.com

President Obama is reiterating his "commitment to comprehensive immigration reform," and hopes to overhaul the system during his time in office.

But Congressman Dan Lungren , a California Republican and member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, says he sees red flags in that statement.

"The word ‘comprehensive' has become a code word for amnesty," said Lungren during a Saturday interview on Fox News.

Tennessee Democrat Steve Cohen joined the debate with his own twist on the dictionary, telling Fox News, "amnesty is code for not getting things done."

Cohen says one example of inaction is the DREAM Act, formally known as the Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act. The DREAM Act provides a path to citizenship for young illegal immigrants through college attendance or military service. The measure passed in the House but failed in the Senate on a procedural vote in the 111th Congress.

Cohen blames Senate Republicans, saying they "killed the DREAM Act."

President Obama discussed his support for the DREAM Act at a California town hall this week, arguing, "the kids [of illegal immigrants] didn't do anything. They were just doing what kids do, which is follow their parents. They've grown up as Americans."

The president added, "immigration in this country has always been complicated."

Cohen says issues like border enforcement need improvement, but argues that "the agricultural industry cannot survive without the immigrant workers that it has. It's so valuable in California and it's a large part of our economy."

Lungren countered that illegal immigration is having another effect on the state he represents: crime.

"We are spending something around 1.2 billion dollars a year for illegal aliens who commit crimes and incarcerated in the state of California," said Lungren, quoting a report requested by California Democrat Zoe Lofgren. "It is evidence that the federal government has not stepped up to the plate and done its job.

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