Identifying Illegal Aliens
The Shortfall of the Proposed Immigration Bill
The proposed Immigration Bill does nothing to identify the millions of illegal aliens currently residing in the United States.
The premature applause heard before the 2006 Memorial Day weekend across the nation was the Senate confirming a version of the new Immigration Bill. One year later, rounds of negotiation and compromise have not settled the layers of questions that this legislation presents. President George Bush waits anxiously to sign the finished product. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of the bill the President ultimately signs into law will have little impact on the problem at hand because no one is asking the critical question, “How?”
Exactly how does the government propose to identify and document an estimated 12 million illegal aliens? How do they intend to enforce and execute this cooperative plan? While the powers in Washington debate the penalties for trespass, the length of the border wall, and literacy level of future citizens, perhaps they should address that minor issue. The President offers to bolster the southern border patrol with a few billion dollars and National Guard presence. Is it likely this same brigade will be canvassing neighborhoods soon, checking documents door-to-door? Most Americans remember episodes like Kent State and the 1960s race riots, and no American wants to see armed soldiers marching into their cul-de-sac. That sort of news will not play well on CNN.
Local law enforcement agencies around the country are not the solution to identifying millions of unwilling immigrants. Police are over-worked, under-funded, and ill equipped to address the challenges associated with these residents. Many departments operate with inadequate identification systems and a shortage of jail space. Neither of these upgrades will occur overnight.
It is the obvious assumption that the universal dream of American citizenship is the only stimulus necessary to draw millions of illegal immigrants out of their homes and into the nearest municipal building. Get there early and expect to wait. This contention is narrow-minded and borders on arrogance. The court system in this country protects a defendant against self-incrimination. Guilty people seldom confess, for it is totally against human nature. Just check the participation in any local amnesty program intended to exonerate parking tickets. Actually, in the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” vein of a former president, to confess is un-American.
The mass emigration from Mexico to the United States accelerated with the bankruptcy of the Hispanic country, robbing citizens of their savings, and instilling a sense of distrust for authority within the masses. The tolerant nature of democracy, shortfall of American labor, and the good will of humanity allowed the illegal immigrant numbers to multiply in this country. Today, it is difficult for the immigrant population to understand the change in attitude about their presence here, which only adds to their suspicions.
Some proposals facing the illegal alien include heavy fines and temporary deportation back to Mexico. From that point, background checks, English language requirements, and a long waiting line stand between the Mexican and that alluring carrot of American citizenship. These factors, along with other preconceived doubts of government, will keep many of the illegal numbers home on Confession Day. The majority will choose to remain in the shadows, undocumented and unidentified.
The question of implementation remains. Assuming the volunteer system comes up short, how does the government intend to entice or extract millions of stowaways from the woodwork of their homes?
