Amnesty for illegals isn't answer

I continue to be amazed that our national leaders would even consider granting amnesty and a "path to citizenship" based on successfully breaking and evading our immigration law for an extended period time. While proponents of the new immigration "reform" bill, S1348, loudly decry the amnesty label for the proposal, perhaps they would prefer calling it U.S. citizenship for sale. Only successful illegal immigrants need apply; those who have waited patiently for years may get their chance at some future time.

There are many things offered in the new legislation, but very little for American citizens and taxpayers. Title III, Sec 301, rewrites current Section 274A (8 U.S.C. 1324a) Unlawful Employment of Aliens. Coincident within the granting of LEGAL status of umpteen million currently "illegal aliens" or "undocumented immigrants," the proposed law will now require that: "The employer shall submit to the Electronic Verification System established under subsection (d)."

If employer verification had been instituted and enforced earlier, the illegal immigrant population could have been decimated through lack of employment possibilities. An employer verification law was introduced in the state of Utah and died an ignominious death in legislative committee after sob stories of how hard it was to immigrate into the United States. This new proposed law would effectively lock the barn door after the horse was stolen — or perhaps we should say, lock the barn door with the rustlers, horses and coyotes inside, comfortably fed by the owners of the barn.

Because of the massive proposed amnesty (or sale of citizenship), the establishment of the verification system will be virtually worthless, as there (temporarily) will be no illegal immigrants:

(1) The Secretary, in cooperation with the Commissioner of Social Security, shall implement an Electronic Employment Verification System (referred to in this subsection as the "System") to determine whether (A) the identifying information submitted by an individual is consistent with the information maintained by the Secretary or the Commissioner of Social Security and (B) such individual is eligible for employment in the United States.

Quoting: "The Secretary shall require all employers in the United States to participate in the System, with respect to all employees hired by the employer on or after the date that is 18 months after the date that not less than $400 million have been appropriated and made available to implement this subsection."

Far from being satisfied with amnesty for 20 million or so, the bill also would authorize 480,000 family-sponsored immigrants and 450,000 employment-based immigrants for each of the next 10 years, along with various other categories of new immigrants. A special category of Blue Card Agricultural Workers will be created for up to 1.5 million, with permanent resident status leading to citizenship and, of course the opportunity to leave the agricultural pursuit, leaving open jobs for the next wave of illegals eagerly anticipating the next amnesty in the next 20 years.

One positive thing included was a declaration that "The Government of the United States shall preserve and enhance the role of English as the common and unifying language of America."

Dial one for English.

Amnesty obviously did not work in 1986 and it won't work today. Attrition through employment verification may help solve the problem. Hopefully Americans will rally and lobby their representatives to vote "no" on this proposed legislation.

---

Robert Wren is chairman of UFIRE (Utahns for Immigration Reform and Enforcement).