Power always thinks… that it is doing God’s service when it is violating all his laws. – John Adams
I don’t mind what Congress does, as long as they don’t do it in the streets and frighten the horses. – Victor Hugo
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead
As I write this, the new immigration legislation is on the Senate floor being debated. The title of the legislation is typically all encompassing and bewildering: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (BSEOIMA — ? Sounds like a terminal illness).
It’s good because finally a large population segment can be treated like actual people instead of scrap metal. It’s bad because probably for that to happen the US Police State will grow and liberty will decrease for everybody – except those with the power of course. There’s also a danger is this immigration reform bill: every unethical attorney/skunk under the sun will be striving somehow to make a quick buck off it.
I’ll describe a general overview here. Assuming most of the bill’s essential ingredients survive Congressional review (a big assumption) most of what I mention will probably become law. But this is entirely speculative since no proposed legislation is worth even reading carefully until it finally becomes law. I’m providing the barest overview here; further detail is irrelevant until the bill becomes law.
And remember that there is no guarantee that the bill will even pass into law. A national legislature of jackals first has to pass it, and then our current president, the hypocrite/messiah, needs to sign it.
GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE BILL
The best thing about it is that probably 30 million illegal foreign nationals (aliens) will be allowed a form of legal status called Registered Provisional Immigrant (RPI) status. They must pay any required taxes, have been in the US a few years, and not have any criminal record. Their spouses and children will be eligible also. Spouses and children of RPIs may adjust also. Eventually, after a long ordeal, RPIs will be able to become permanent residents.
Young people (Dream act) who entered the country having no say in the matter will be able to adjust to permanent residence also, much easier than RPIs.
Work visas, both temporary and permanent, will be easier to acquire. People that acquired US advanced degrees will be allowed an easy path to lawful permanent residence (green cards). Foreign nationals who wish to come to the US to start businesses (heaven forbid) will have a much easier path to permanent residency. Farm workers will also have an easier time coming here to work; a good idea, since the agricultural economic sector would probably collapse without them.
It will also be easier for people living here to bring loved ones here from other countries. People waiting for family adjustment visas will be able to wait in the US, under a temporary (nonimmigrant) visa.
And having people able to freely work again will probably benefit the US economy. That is, if there’s still a private sector then. Heil!
BAD THINGS ABOUT THE BILL
The worst thing about the bill is that billions more dollars and thousands more people will be funneled into the US Police State. We’ll have more border patrol officers, supporting officers, and armies of bureaucrats. We already have more military, CIA, FBI, ICE, TSA, etc, than we’ll ever need. Somehow we’ll need more to “keep the border safe”. How I can’t imagine. People desperate to get to this country have risked death in all sorts of ways: crossing desserts, oceans, defying thugs and gang members who’d happily shoot them, and by paying rat-like “coyotes”. About six years ago, a billion dollar effort to wall off the southern border failed spectacularly and was discontinued (I think). Yet here we go again – protect the border and wall off the Police State. The Soviets would be very proud of us, eh?
And it will do no good. If mountain ranges and oceans can be overcome, anything put in place by an addle-brained government can be overcome. Illegal entry won’t stop, or even be significantly curtailed. It’ll just get more creative.
DANGEROUS THINGS ABOUT ANY IMMIGRATION LAW
Anyone out there who knows even a little bit about me knows what I’m going to say here. Once this bill passes, a cockroach-like hoard of quick-buck minded lawyers will be crawling on their bellies toward any foreign national in sight. This lice infested vermin will try to pocket any available money in the name of immigration reform. Beware.
How do you root out the 10% of good lawyers from the creeping terror? It’s difficult. Asking the right questions is a good start – see my homepage for some questions to get you started. And trust your intuition, your heart: ask yourself if this lawyer seems primarily interested in my money. Another good way to see if your lawyer is a rodent is to toss some stale cheese or bread behind them; while they scamper after it you’ll have time to get away (this works beautifully in Buffalo).
CONCLUSION
Immigration reform is long overdue, and will have many positive benefits. And naturally it’ll bring many unwanted realities about also. The good will likely be watered down and difficult, and the bad will probably be much worse than I’m describing it. But that’s democracy: sloppy, often unfair, and always inefficient.
But we actually have a wonderful system here in the US. Our founding fathers were geniuses. Some of the people we have at work in the system are imbeciles, but the system itself is marvelous. Hopefully, our democracy will soon provide us with some long overdue revamped immigration laws. They won’t be perfect laws, but they’ll be much better. Before the US even had independence, Benjamin Franklin said “democracy is the art of the possible.”