End immigration stalemate
Obama and Congress must create a path to citizenship for immigrants already living in the U.S.
President Obama is willing — eager, even — for Congress to take the lead on immigration reform. In his speech Tuesday in Nevada, he downplayed significant differences between the vision he has laid out and the bipartisan plan unveiled Monday by the Senate Gang of 8.
Obama spoke approvingly of the principles guiding the senators’ outline for comprehensive reform, “which are very much in line with the principles I’ve proposed and campaigned on for the last few years.”
As these are distilled into specific legislation, though, the president should be a force for a strong bill that will not end up deferring the thorniest issues indefinitely. In the current political climate, that would mean for years longer, perhaps decades.
February 3, 2013 - 7:38 AM
What needs to be done is to immediately make it a crime to hire illegals. They will return on their own.Then let them apply for visa’s etc.
Do I get to decide which laws I want to obey? Illegal aliens are here ILLEGALLY…our laws have been broken. Are we suppose to forgive and forget? Its like going to Disney, waiting in line for hours and a bunch of people jump ahead in the line.
Both #’s 1 & 2 are right on!
First, severely fine any employer for knowingly or unknowingly employing an illegal would be a good beginning.
Then create a guest worker program like that existing during WW II which did not allow children of guest workers born in the US be citizens unless one parent is a citizen.
Finally, truly enforce the borders.
What the liberals really want is open borders and amnesty leading to citizenship.
I believe it is already a crime for employers to hire illegal aliens. That’s the purpose of filing an I9 form upon hiring someone; they produce proof of citizenship, the employer records it, and that should indemnify the employer against prosecution for unknowingly hiring an illegal a alien. I have no problem prosecuting for knowingly hiring an illegal (ignoring or falsifying an I9 process), but unknowingly is a whole ‘nuther thing.
Maybe a better solution, though, is to foster a better business environment so that employees are not forced to hire cheap illegal immigrant labor because they cannot afford the legal route.
The penalty for hiring an illegal would have to be great enough so that no employer would ever want to take the chance if it ever was to be effective.
Any potential employee that’s a citizen could get a state issued birth certificate or other proof of citizenship from the state, it’s not that difficult. Too many employers would rather just look the other way, sort of don’t ask, don’t tell.
Pleading ignorance doesn’t work with the IRS, you still have to pay the penalty. The IRS knows everyone would plead ignorance if that let them off. Why should it be allowed with employers?
If illegals couldn’t find a job, they would either go back to where they came or apply for citizenship or become a legal guest worker if such a program existed.
If created, legal guest workers would have to apply for a work visa, it would be temporary, they would have to report their whereabouts and employment status annually, stay out of trouble, and the work permit would eventually expire. Any children born to work permit aliens would not be citizens. Failure to comply should be a felony.
A similar guest worker program existed for Mexican farm workers during WW II when there was a shortage of US workers because of the war. The unions will not allow such a program today!
5 – John R, I employ people, and I can assure you that the I-9 form requirements are already more stringent than what you propose.
And it’s not pleading ignorance to state that you got the required forms of ID; you validated, to the best of your ability, that they were not forgeries; you have the photocopies and forms in your personnel file; and if someone cheated the system, the employer should not be held liable. Remember, the applicant has to sign, on pain of perjury, that he is authorized to work, and that the documentation he presented is legitimate. Punish the one committing, not the one following the rules (the I9 requirements).
Using the IRS’s illegal breach of the 4th Amendment and principles of habeas corpus to justify another’s illegal breach of the 4th Amendment and principles of habeas corpus is a pretty lousy defense.