I support controlling our borders with a rational immigration process while also taking inspiration from Mathew 25:40: "Amen, I say, to you, whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me", I support a "tough love" approach (see my conditions below) to immigration.  
     
  When my grandparents came to this country, in the 1920's, the United States was admitting immigrants at a rate of 15% of its population per year. That would equate to FORTY FIVE MILLION PEOPLE PER YEAR today. We do not have an illegal immigration problem; we have a legal immigration problem. If you are one of the millions of people who want to come to America and do not have a family or an employer to vouch for you, there are only (approximately) 5,000 green cards available for the SIX BILLION people who might want to come here. It's no wonder people don't even bother to apply.  
     
 

At the time my grandparents passed through Ellis Island from Ireland , at the turn of the century, the sign in the windows said, "Irish need not apply". My grandfather, a peasant, took one of the jobs nobody else wanted: garbage man. As recently as 1960, it was thought that JFK could not overcome the prejudice against Irish Catholics, which still existed. America has long stood as a beacon of freedom, hope and opportunity. As I listen to the current debate, I am constantly reminded of my ancestors and the message which greeted them, which is still inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty,"...Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." (full text)

 
     
  In the 70's a wave of "boat people" flowed into the US . I taught English to these Asian immigrants (legal and illegal) as a volunteer tutor and later, as a CETA job training site sponsor. One after another, my students and trainees mainstreamed into the US economy and culture like Horatio Alger characters.  
     
  So, I support providing a path to citizenship for the large numbers of undocumented workers in the United States . I also support a guest worker program. Nonetheless, we need to control our borders for national security reasons. I oppose the building of a fence along the border. President Eisenhower coined the phrase, "...beware the military-industrial complex". As a student of Ike, I question the wisdom of massive projects such as the border fence. Like the Maginot Line, it is being sold as impregnable but determined migrants will go over, under and around it by air, sea, and tunnel. It won't work any more than have our efforts to stem the tide of illegal drugs entering this country. It may end up being nothing more than a $10,000,000,000 (plus) beltway bandit boondoggle. The money could be much better spent on education and healthcare. It may also be the first step down the slippery slope of losing our precious civil liberties. Knowing who is coming across our borders and where they will be headed (by having a guest worker program) and a more realistic immigration process is a surer route to national security. Needless to say, criminals and undesirables should be deported.  
     
  I also don't think wanting a better life for your family should be a felony. However, freedom has a price and for those who have not paid it (entering illegally) a fine should be levied (with payment plans available). Filing for the draft and filing of prior year tax returns should be mandatory for those who have not done so and back taxes should be paid. In fairness to those who played by the rules, guest worker status should be granted first and then, individuals could be put in the queue for citizenship under a system with a more realistic number of green cards available. I would also tie the number of green cards available (inversely) to the unemployment rate. "Anchor babies" of guest workers should be excluded from citizenship, unless the guest worker obtains citizenship.  
     
  By the way, bringing millions of these workers into the system would contribute significantly to solving the problems of the (going bankrupt) social security system.  
     
  As for those who fear that Spanish will supplant English as the lingua franca in some parts of the US , I urge them to remember that Spanish was already the native language of California (1846), Texas (1845) and Florida (1821) when we annexed them!  
     
Copyright © 2006 John R. Austin