A smart, small compromise on immigration


There’s a glimmer of hope in the Senate as Democrat Krysten Sinema of Arizona and Republican Thom Tillis of North Carolina are working on a small-bore immigration proposal, as the session comes to an end.

Arizona Sen. Krysten Sinema has a plan. (Photo: Press Democrat)

The major points, according to reporting by the Washington Post, is to extend for a year the effective Title 42 gimmick used by President Donald J. Trump to expel illegals due to pandemic concerns. Title 42 is due to sunset soon.

The deal would provide a path to legalization for the estimated 2 million Dreamers, in exchange for #25 billion in increased funding for the over-stressed Border Patrol, and border security.

The Dreamers are in a separate category from other illegals. They were brought here as children by their parents.

Here is a test I use for evaluating the case of illegals.

1- Did you come here voluntarily? 

2- Did you know you were breaking the law?

3- Did you realize there would be consequences?

If the answer is “yes,” you don’t get much sympathy from me.

But the answer to the first question is “no” for the Dreamers, who were brought by parents. We don’t punish children for the crimes of their parents. To qualify, they had to be in the U.S. since 2012, so this will not create a new wave of illegals.

They should be eligible not just for legalization, but for citizenship.

But not their parents, not citizenship.

There are at least 11 million illegals in America and a majority of Americans don’t want them deported. Some feel it would cost too much, others think it is inhumane.

Almost two-thirds would allow them to become citizens. 

I would not, not without certain penalties for law-breaking (as proposed by President Obama) and moving them to the back of the line to insure that everyone who followed the rules would get citizenship first.

Our “broken” immigration is not hard to fix. It requires common sense and compromise.

Sinema and Tillis are showing us how.

10 thoughts on “A smart, small compromise on immigration”

  1. HAPPY WEDNESDAY !!!
    pallie,
    Nice article but as always, you mix facts with philosophy.
    Immigration, like elections, will always be a sore spot. Both need to be fix and it will take a lot of money to do so. The politicians never cared too much about either one. Business as usual and it does not affect them personally, unless they use ILLEGALS around the house, etc.
    If you can stay awake while you attempt to read the immigration laws, you will be more educated and more confused at the same time. What is definitely true, is that Mexico has never stopped illegal immigration at their southern border and they obviously didn’t care about their northern border until President Trump got elected and started to enforce the laws that were often casually overlooked.
    Dreamers is part of the immigration facts of life. People have been born there and brought here forever. In this day and age, everyone out there knows that this is the land of opportunity and getting in may be a bit difficult, but once you’re in, you are in.
    It is no secret that we are a kind caring people. We don’t want to evict the immigrants. We don’t want to starve people. We don’t follow laws that we do not like. ( that could be a BIG part of the problem. ) I believe we are now up to six busloads of immigrants, with more on the way. ( maybe we could take in the ILLEGALS and send our criminals to Texas where they can ship them on to Mexico )
    Tony

  2. I agree that is one small step for dreamers and a pause in the failure of the current administration’s indifference to the overall problem. Posing a hypothetical question, I wonder what action the border administrators would take if our history was reversed and the Indian from lands just like ours attempted to enter our border in full regalia, no usable skills for industry, language barrier and a multitude of other shortcomings. Would we reject them because they do not fit in with the American culture and language? Would Philadelphia a sanctuary city have pseudo mayor Gyn meet the buses of Indians with open arms and immediately sign them up as voters? I digress as a legal dreamer and in reality, honestly believe we would reject all the pilgrim Indians as not qualified to enter and settle down on open lands in our compassionate country.

    1. HAPPY WEDNESDAY !!!
      Tom,
      First: ODMP.org. 208 law enforcement personnel have given their life protecting us.
      Your hypothetical question can be answered very easily. If you are in our way, we will eliminate you. If you can be of use to us ( servitude mostly ) you are welcome.
      The Cherokee welcomed the ‘settlers’ with open arms. ‘We do not own the land’, we live with it, is what we believe.
      Obviously, the white man had/has a different meaning of the word, ‘own’ as that of my father’s fathers.
      Tony

      1. Tony, our species has a long way to go as visitors on planet Earth as the white man thru greed, confiscation, religion and war have taken our greatest asset the human brain and used as a tool for evil. I remember as a kid on Saturday going to the old western movie and the Indian quote “white man lies.” Someday maybe they will discover a way to build a time machine and what’s left of the Indians can return to their original land with white man’s newest weapons and reclaim their land but then they would be only acting white. I always enjoyed the proper use of the word retribution especially from the little guy. Thanks for the comments and I have been a follower of ODMP.org. and I wish more did their homework also.

        1. HAPPY THURSDAY !!!
          Tom,
          I’m not claiming to be a speaker of the people, but I am knowledgeable on the subject.
          The tribes want the respect that was never given to them. Every treaty written by us, has been broken by us. Makes sense. All through history, the winner writes the story and reaps the rewards. The looser gets what is given.
          ODMP.org means a lot to me just as it does to you. I still have family that serve proudly.
          Tony

  3. Pretty darned good cyphering, Stu. This self-described liberal asshole is in agreement with all the positions you state here. Humanity mixed with simple logic and reason will lead us to where we need to be.

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