06 April 2006
Proof of Immigration Legality
The new Immigration bill in Congress establishes three tiers of consequences for illegal immigrants. A procedure must be created for determining into which tier any illegal immigrant belongs. It would be ironic to rely on the word of an illegal for an answer to the question, how long has he or she been in the U.S.? On the other hand, if the illegal is forced to prove (say, with documentation) that he or she has been in the U.S. for a certain minimum length of time then our legal system would have to allow for the assumption of guilt before proving innocence.
In any case, as Mexican President Fox pointed out, this new legislation authorizing guest workers will probably unleash a flood of legal immigrants. Appropriating funds for increased border patrols and enforcement will certainly encourage more foreigners to apply for legal admittance to the U.S. However, where increased funding will be needed is for staffing at the INA to process all the new applications. The highest barrier to legal entry into the U.S. continues to be the lengthy delay that blocks receipt of a green card, or whatever color guest workers will carry.
A prosperous country like the U.S., or any other in the OECD, reaches stages where it must import raw materials, consumer goods, capital, and labor, more or less in that order. What it produces in exchange becomes increasingly ineffable. Ideas, technology, entertainment, style – all of these have value to less prosperous countries and to the way of life in the wealthy countries as well. Obstructing the cross-border flow of people and production means will harm both ends of the global richness spectrum.
The new Immigration bill in Congress establishes three tiers of consequences for illegal immigrants. A procedure must be created for determining into which tier any illegal immigrant belongs. It would be ironic to rely on the word of an illegal for an answer to the question, how long has he or she been in the U.S.? On the other hand, if the illegal is forced to prove (say, with documentation) that he or she has been in the U.S. for a certain minimum length of time then our legal system would have to allow for the assumption of guilt before proving innocence.
In any case, as Mexican President Fox pointed out, this new legislation authorizing guest workers will probably unleash a flood of legal immigrants. Appropriating funds for increased border patrols and enforcement will certainly encourage more foreigners to apply for legal admittance to the U.S. However, where increased funding will be needed is for staffing at the INA to process all the new applications. The highest barrier to legal entry into the U.S. continues to be the lengthy delay that blocks receipt of a green card, or whatever color guest workers will carry.
A prosperous country like the U.S., or any other in the OECD, reaches stages where it must import raw materials, consumer goods, capital, and labor, more or less in that order. What it produces in exchange becomes increasingly ineffable. Ideas, technology, entertainment, style – all of these have value to less prosperous countries and to the way of life in the wealthy countries as well. Obstructing the cross-border flow of people and production means will harm both ends of the global richness spectrum.
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