By Dixie You meet your buddy promptly at 10am for your morning coffee break. He leans in, looks around and tells you he is afraid he will be deported because he never became a citizen of the US. He calls his status undocumented, you call it illegal. What should you do?
Your like-minded buddies would probably tell you to call the immigration authorities. That is the correct legal answer. But this is your friend and you know he is a good worker, sole provider for his family and a danged good softball player on the company team.
But you also have your own opinion and a pretty strong one. You read that there are tons of illegals draining tax-paying American’s pockets, having more and more anchor babies on welfare and food stamps and stealing people’s Social Security numbers. As you struggle to pay your own bills, including taxes, it burns you to know that these people have their hands deep in your own pockets. And it is, after all, illegal to be here without a green card, student or professional visa or permanent citizenship. We are a nation built on laws and you sure have to follow them when the IRS man comes to call every April 15.
But he is your friend. He IS a good guy. What next?
Agree to listen to each other. Put emotions, assumptions and fears aside, learn from each other and try to find solutions.
Like any story there are two sides. We are a finite nation in that we have only so much land and resources to go around. Yes we are big and comparatively wealthy, but our infrastructure can only handle so much: our tax dollars cannot support an infinite number of people flowing in, our schools are already overcrowded and our healthcare system is already overburdened and expensive. Crime is an issue with any large influx of people, especially those who are impoverished and unskilled, along with cultural and language barriers to overcome. We also have to consider immigrants who may want to do harm to US citizens, simply because of religious or cultural beliefs as well as drug dealers who make a darned good living doing their trade back and forth across the borders.
But…we are a nation where our own Statue of Liberty in Ellis Island is inscribed: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”
And we are a nation of immigrants, all the way back to the Christopher Columbus on the Mayflower. We need people, especially younger people, to help our country grow in the future. Many immigrants do the hard manual labor jobs that may or may not be filled as quickly or as cheaply (which is another issue re human rights). We need diversity in our country so we continue to evolve and grow stronger.
But how many people can we afford to bring in without collapsing? And why do so many people come in illegally and never become an American citizen?
Again, what to do with your buddy? First is to ask and listen:
- Ask if he ever tried to become a citizen and if so why not; and,
- Ask if there is anything you can do to help.
For many illegal/undocumented people, the reason has to do with money. Take Mexico, where opportunities to support a family are simply not there, especially for unskilled workers. There is too little money in the month to handle the day, much less the month for basic living needs like food, clothing and shelter. America is still the land of opportunity comparatively.
Money is also an issue when applying for citizenship. The application fee alone is around $400, which may not seem like much to the average American citizen, but means the difference between eating and paying rent for some. Then there are multiple fees for copies, attorney fees, etc. It is also very complicated, especially for someone who does not speak English and the process can take decades to complete. And there is always the fear that if you are not chosen for citizenship you have just shed a big old spotlight on the fact that you are here illegally and up in line for deportation. Catch 22. It is easier to just be illegal/undocumented.
But who wants to live their lives looking over their back? Why not suck it up, find the money somehow, stand in that line of hopefuls and give it a try anyway?
The answer is that there may not be a line for you. The way the process works now is that people with higher education or certain skills or other criteria go to the front of the line. Unskilled, lower education? Sorry. Even if there are jobs, sorry. There are only so many slots available each year, and you are not even eligible.
Some ideas to consider (some of these are in the laws or intent now):
The “bad” news:
Crystal clear number of immigrants each year allowed as long as they meet criteria below (ie no one is penalized just because they are poor as long as they can earn a living. Knowing truth beats perception all day long.
Extreme vetting is still needed to weed out potential terrorists. It is just a fact unfortunately. Yes, temporary bans need to be in place until we figure out how to vet people from certain known terrorist-infested countries. Again, reality.
No felons. No known gang or drug dealers. Sorry not sorry, but criminals are not allowed to come to the party.
In the vetting process the applicant will have to prove ability to support self and family and have no major crimes committed.
And yes, we do need a border wall to keep at least some of the criminals out, especially the drug dealers who are killing our nation’s children on a daily basis. If the citizenship process becomes easier, less risky and the money issue is taken off the table, this should be acceptable to those who truly want to come here to better themselves.
The “good news:
Streamlined forms, faster process. Three year vetting process from start to finish. Full citizenship after that with all the bells and whistles. Get ‘er dun.
Large charities to provide either micro loans, lending circles, and legal assistance. Didn’t Bill Gates and his billionaire buddies say they wanted to give away some money???
For existing illegals, especially those with kids born here: front of the line for the first 6 months to encourage application. Must meet vetting criteria. After the 6 months, they go to the regular line like anyone just applying.
In addition, the US needs to seriously work with Mexico on the war on drugs as well as strengthening both economies. If Mexico has jobs and growth to build up the middle class, people would likely want to stay or go there. It is a beautiful country. We are neighbors. Jeez.
At the end of the day, we are all just human beings who are subject to our own fears and prejudices. If we can put those aside and try to honestly hear each other, agree to compromise and find mutually agreed upon solutions, we may just find some solutions.