Immigration Reform: What’s Next?

In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Senators Schumer and Graham outlined a bipartisan proposal for immigration reform.   At the heart of the need for reform is the question of what to do with the 12 million or so undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.  As the idea of immigration reform gains momentum again, it surely won’t be long before we hear the shrill cries from the anti-immigration conservatives:  “No amnesty for people who break our laws!” 

Let’s get two things straight:  crossing an international border without being inspected is not a criminal offense, and the reforms proposed are no amnesty.  

First, immigrants do not cross our border illegally because they are inherently lawbreaking.  They do so because there is no legal channel for them to come to the U.S. to fill an entire sector of low-skilled jobs that, for the most part, U.S. citizens do not want. 

Second, an amnesty is a pardon, which this proposal is not.  Schumer and Graham propose to give the undocumented some type of non-permanent legal status (note: not a green card) only if: 1) they pay fines; 2) pay back taxes; 3) and perform community service.  This is no amnesty.  Two of these measures are even punitive.

For the record, many undocumented immigrants are already paying taxes, either because taxes are deducted from their paychecks, or because they are affirmatively filing tax returns with an Individual Tax ID Number, which anyone can apply for from the IRS. 

Most undocumented immigrants are law-abiding, peaceful, and hard-working.  Why should we punish them with steep fines for contributing to the growth of our nation’s economy?  And why should we force an entire class of people (who are often living in poverty despite working more than one job) to perform community service?  These two proposals strike me as completely unjust, disingenuous, and exploitative.

Tags: amnesty, Graham, immigration reform, Schumer, undocumented
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