Internationalmatt's Blog

Can the U.S. illegal Immigration Problem be solved?

I normally write about people I meet, experiences I have traveling or with international friends, or inspirational stories. With all of the fervor about illegal immigration and the seemingly endless ineffectiveness of our government, under all administrations in my adult memory which dates back to Carter, to deal with the issue, I would like to propose some possible simple solutions.

What to do with all of the illegal immigrants that are here?

There is understandable resistance to the idea of a path to citizenship because people do not want to reward people for breaking the law by coming here illegally. On the other hand if we were to ship them all off, which would be an enormous undertaking, it could cause problems in our system. There is corruption in our system by having illegal immigrants here. They get taken advantage of by employers and landlords who know they have no legal status to seek legal help. Their willingness to work for lower pay causes Americans to work for lower wages if they want a job such as a dishwasher for example.

Possible Solution- Let those who are here illegally come forward and pay a fine to obtain a work permit to be here. Place a stipulation on it which would be no path to citizenship. If they accept the work permit, they understand they will not be able to become U.S. citizens. They will be allowed to live here with legal status as guest workers. The work permit can be renewed each year dependent on their track record while here, for example no criminal problems, allow for better tracking of people living in our country, and clear up corruption. Have them pay a fee each year to renew the work permit which would cover the additional costs for Immigration Services.

What about all of those people who are crossing the border?

Possible Solution- Set up stations along the border where people can come to apply for a work permit. If we offer such stations where they can sit in air conditioning and apply for a work permit, I believe the majority of people who are currently crossing illegally would go to such stations. By having people apply for work permits it allows for better tracking of people living here since obtaining finger prints and photos would be part of the process. Work permits would also cut back on the corruption in the system since employers would be forced to document the employment of people with work permits thus helping with the problem of employers taking advantage of people with no legal status. Work Permits would also help with the problem of wages being lowered because of people being willing to work for less due to illegal status. If they have legal status they can also get job benefits such as health insurance and stop causing health care costs to go up by going to the emergency rooms for every health problem and not paying the bill.

What about those who cross the border for criminal activities?

There are clear and present dangers to our security due to illegal immigration. Arizona has numerous problems such as kidnappings, murders etc. Human Trafficking occurs, Drug smuggling is rampant, and Gun smuggling and violence are huge problems. What can we do?

Possible Solution- Work Permit Stations along the border and build a wall along the border.

If we have work permit stations, much like we have DMVs for driver’s licenses, I believe the vast majority of those crossing illegally would rather go to an air conditioned building to fill out a form than walk across a desert or be smuggled in the back of a van or truck either method of crossing risks death. If the vast majority would go to work permit stations, the numbers trying to cross illegally would greatly diminish resulting in better border enforcement. Work permits can be assessed a fee which can help to cover the cost of the work permit stations. If they do not have the money for the fee, a payment plan can be used and deducted from their checks after they obtain employment. Since they would have a work permit number, it would be easier to track when they begin employment. If people obtain a work permit, they understand they need to renew it each year dependent on their track record while here. Those who cross legally by obtaining a work permit can be allowed to apply for permanent residence after a fixed number of years of living here with no criminal record.

Build a WALL- If we allow for work permits, we still have the problem of criminals wanting to come across. Build a wall with high tech monitoring equipment. Patrol the border wall with National Guard and Border Patrol Agents. If the vast majority of people would go to a work permit station, then the patrols can go on the assumption that anyone trying to cross illegally presents a clear and present danger.

Okay so there is my suggestion- Work Permits and Build a Wall. My suggestion will probably go nowhere, but writing it gave me a catharsis for my frustrations over our own government not doing much for decades to protect our borders and to clean up the corruption that affects millions of human beings most of whom just want to work. I have no way of knowing when I meet my Hispanic friends who is here legally or not, but I have heard stories of horrible corruption. I am also very concerned about the dramatic increase in violence that is happening in places like Arizona. It seems to me the solutions are not that difficult. We can address the problem in ways that do not inflame the problem and treat otherwise law abiding people and people with strong family values with dignity. We can address the problem in a way that makes it easier for those patrolling our borders to do their jobs.

July 30, 2010 Posted by internationalmatt | immigration, world issues | 5 Comments