[GCFL-discuss] Bush in the Desert

[Discussion of the Good, Clean Funnies List]

I am probably the only person in American who thinks so, but I believe
President Bush has it 2/3 right on immigration. 

There is no point or purpose to telling people who have, somehow,
whatever way, for whatever reason, been living and working in this
country for twenty, ten, five, or maybe even three years, supporting
themselves, paying taxes, paying into social security, sending their kids
to school... no reason or rational basis or even feasible means to send
them all wherever they came from. (Imagine pulling 15 million people out
of their jobs and homes and deporting them -- it would be sheer chaos and
there would be some inevitable brutality too). We didn't succeed in not
letting them in, that is water under the bridge.

It would be a good idea to have some real control over our borders. If we
can't control immigration in some orderly lawful fashion, then we also
can't stop illegal drug trafficing, for example.

Now here is where I find Bush awfully weak: immigration enforcement has
to focus on employers. Immigration has, for the last 100 years at least,
been fostered primarily by large corporate employers seeking cheap labor,
who happily facilitate entry and provide jobs to people they know are
vulnerable and won't complain, or even demand minimum wage. If the
employers are not socked with massive fines that would cripple their
profitability, and maybe jail sentences for executives too, then this is
never going to stop. A good way to do this is to provide amnesty to
undocumented immigrants who provide credible evidence that leads to
successful prosecution of their employers.

Siarlys