Friday, March 31, 2006

Chicago Won't Criminalize Illegals

In the continuing debate of the immigration issue, Chicago is saying that it will not comply with any federal laws that criminalize illegal aliens. Chicago is home to the nations third largest immigrant population, and many are not here legally.

Chicago is a traditional destination of immigrants dating back to the 19th century, but it has not been without its racial tensions. It has long been a hot bed of self segregation of racial discrimination. While the situation in Chicago has improved tremendously over the past 30 years, tensions are still at a point where the city is often divided.

While I am fully for immigration reform, felonizing illegal is not the answer. Many who attempt to be here legally fall victim to the arcane and confusing immigration laws. A while ago, I sat through a 7 hour immigration law training seminar. Not only is immigration law immensely complex due to it being a hodge-pogde of rules and litigation, most of the rules appear in no books. They are just made up as the agencies go along.

As for the whole argument of guess worker programs. I just want to put one issue to rest. There is no immigration application for non-professional workers. So, unless an unskilled worker is to be one of the lucky green card lottery winners out of the six million filed each year, there is no way for a migrant worker to enter the US legally. And, even if there were, an H-1 work visa application cost around $1300. If you think Dole Fruit is going to pay $1300 plus attorney fees to bring a migrant worker to this country, you are insane. They will just continue to hire illegals and take the risk of fines, since the fines would be cheaper.

It is better to document unskilled laborers so we know who they are, where they are, and can collect taxes to pay for the social services that they are already using. The hard line Republicans are making no sense on this issue.

City may buck feds on immigration

1 comment:

LonewackoDotCom said...

I'm confused. Are you for immigration "reform", or for immigration reform?

Those newly-documented unskilled laborers, will they leave after a while, or will they stay?

If the former, what if they don't want to leave? What if they've had U.S. citizen children? What if they just go underground?

Which is the same as if they stay. Basically, this site is proposing a massive immigration scheme that will encourage not just some set amount of legal immigration but however many illegal aliens as can get through our porous borders.

BTW, the Dems appear to be behind the felonizing part: Sensenbrenner put that in the bill but when he tried to take it out the Dems voted to keep it in.