Good Idea, Bad Plan: Why the president's immigration plan won't work

The Weekly Standard ^ | 01/14/04 | Fred Barnes

[Pokey78]

THERE ARE TWO THINGS to be said about President Bush's new plan for dealing with illegal immigrants. The first is that the plan reflects a beautiful sentiment. Immigrants slip into the United States illegally for all the right reasons. They want to find jobs, raise families, and decide their own destiny. They enrich America with their energy and their enthusiasm for freedom. This country would be far worse off without them.

The second thing to say about the Bush plan? It won't work. It doesn't stand a chance for two reasons. Illegal immigrants who would get special working permits for three years are never going back to their home countries. And the existence of a reward for illegally coming to America, namely the working permit, is bound to spur unlawful immigration, not curtail it.

In Mexico on Monday, Bush insisted he "expects that most temporary workers will eventually return permanently to their home countries." But why would they? Once they've held a job and received some of the benefits of American citizenship--such as a driver's license and the right to travel freely back and forth to their native country--they aren't likely to leave here willingly. The blessings of America are simply too attractive, the life too comfortable. It would defy human nature for them to migrate home voluntarily.

Nor would they be deported. At the moment, there are 8 million illegal immigrants in this country. So far as I can tell, there is no concerted effort by the Immigration and Naturalization Service to toss them out. Sure, the Border Patrol has been beefed up and more illegal immigrants are stopped at the border. But once they're in, they're pretty much left alone by authorities. Obviously the INS could find many of them if it wanted to. It doesn't. The job is too big and deportation too brutal a process.

The only exception is if illegal immigrants are seen as potential terrorists. But this applies to only a tiny number of immigrants and many of them are here legally (or at least they entered the country legally and then stayed after their visa expired). Most illegal immigrants come from Mexico or Central America and aren't terrorist threats. Getting them to leave is an extremely low priority for authorities. The bottom line is: We don't throw out many illegal immigrants anymore.

As for luring more illegal immigrants, the Bush plan would make America an even more lovely destination than it already is. As things stand now, illegal immigrants pay Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes with little hope of participating in those programs in their elderly years. Nor can they get drivers' licenses or green cards. But the Bush plan would change all that.

Consider how the proposed plan would be seen by a poor but ambitious young man in Mexico. He knows that getting in line for legal immigration would probably never get him to America and that staying in the United States on an illegal basis has its drawbacks. But now there's a legal alternative: Get across the border, find a job (a menial, entry level job will do), and sign up for a 3-year work permit that's renewable. This is quite an incentive. If the Bush plan passes, word will spread fast that now's the time to get to the United States any way you can.

Again, let's applaud the thinking that underpins the Bush plan. And let's praise illegal immigrants for their moxie in getting here and making America a better country. But let's not have any illusions about the practical impact of the plan, which is that more will come and few will leave.

[Pokey78]

Fred ping.

[OneTimeLurker]

I don't think whether or not it will work made it into Rove/Bush's calculations.

[notaliberal]

Not only am I concerned about our social services being overwhelmed, but I am sure these wimpy politicians will then claim that these illegals are entitled to social security, voting rights et al. If this passes we can kiss our country goodbye.

Wasn't there talk about Mexicans having duel citizenship? We are losing our country. I am sick!

[lainde]

bttt

[Reagan Man]

Again, let's applaud the thinking that underpins the Bush plan.

Freddy, you were doing good up till this point. PresBush`s proposal advances amnesty and continued open borders. Not much of a plan at all. It's a rehashed version of Reagan's 1986 amnesty program and that didn't get the job done. Public Law: 99-603 of 11/06/86 led to the 8-12 million illegals in the US today.

>>>And let's praise illegal immigrants for their moxie in getting here and making America a better country.

Praise?! How absurd can you be Fred. No one should be praised for breaking US law, spreading ill will and destroying our nations social infrastructure.

[Mulder]

There's nothing wrong with our border problem that can't be fixed with concertina barbed wire, German shepards, and a bounty system.

[MHGinTN]

I'm afraid I agree with Fred on this one ... the lack of prosecution of businesses which continue to hire undocumented illegals blunts any possibility of success, even IF the workers would return home at the end of the three years. The entire registration scheme reminds me of a democrat approach, all form and no substance. Perhaps that's why RR just granted amnesty and set the whole thing aside for later leadership to try and deal with.

[Sabertooth]

Good Idea,
Bad Plan:
Why the president's immigration plan won't work

Barnes is being charitable. Nothing in this piece gives credence to the "good idea" part of the headline.

[Tamzee]

Bush mentioned stricter enforcement of employers in his speech about the reform...

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/01/20040107-3.html


"Under my proposal, employers have key responsibilities. Employers who extend job offers must first make every reasonable effort to find an American worker for the job at hand. Our government will develop a quick and simple system for employers to search for American workers. Employers must not hire undocumented aliens or temporary workers whose legal status has expired. They must report to the government the temporary workers they hire, and who leave their employ, so that we can keep track of people in the program, and better enforce immigration laws. There must be strong workplace enforcement with tough penalties for anyone, for any employer violating these laws."

[Texasforever]

Fred is just going through the "real conservative" motions which are to be against "rewarding illegals" as a bad idea. Well he is right. It is a bad idea but, any "plan" absent another "operation wetback" is just as bad and unworkable. In 1954 the south was still segregated and it was not politically incorrect to single out a group to round up and ship out. There has been a lot of water under that bridge and if ANY administration even attempted it now, that administration would be impeached I don't care who controlled congress. There IS NO SOLUTION to this thing. It is too big for the resources we have, a crackdown does NOT have the support of state and local governments and no administration could withstand the Elian photo multiplied a thousand times. This plan will not work and no plan will work as long as illegals are afraid for their lives if they get caught crossing or a rash of terroist incidents are carried out by Mexican nationals. That will not happen in our lifetime and for that I am grateful.

[Map Kernow]

I don't think whether or not it will work made it into Rove/Bush's calculations.

If it did, they probably meant for it to work as well as the current immigration law works. They don't intend to enforce any measures in the so-called "reform" measure any more than they've enforced those in the current law, at least insofar as provisions about offering jobs to American workers first, enforcing limitations on residency, etc. are concerned. It's just a political fig leaf for the Open Borders crowd. It will change nothing as a practical matter, except to allow even more immigration, both legal and illegal.

[Map Kernow]

Bush mentioned stricter enforcement of employers in his speech about the reform...

Uh-hunh. We heard the same thing offered as the "quid pro quo" for the 1986 amnesty. Since then, we've got millions more illegals as a result. And we've got less than a thousand employer sanction enforcement actions per year since then.

My conclusion: the Government was lying then. It is lying now.

[Veggie Todd]

I haven't been over to DU lately, how do they feel about this program? Are they agreeing with us that this is a very very bad idea, or do they hate it just because Bush is behind it?

[etcb]

The first is that the plan reflects a beautiful sentiment. Immigrants slip into the United States illegally for all the right reasons. They want to find jobs, raise families, and decide their own destiny. They enrich America with their energy and their enthusiasm for freedom. This country would be far worse off without them.

---

If you rob a bank to get money to start a business, feed your family, provide medical care for your parents, and donate to your church, would it be said that you robbed banks for all the right reasons.

This idea that our country would be far worse off without illegal immigration seems to receive a good deal of lip service, but, I don't see any evidence of it. To the contrary, look at our hospitals, schools, and other public services that have been severely degraded as a result.

[Kay Soze]

More lefteis clap trap!

Reminds of that other leftist weiniie's article - Willaim F Buckley!

[Pelham]

Mexicans already have dual citizenship. They can vote in both countries- an American Mexican was actually elected mayor of a Mexican town recently. In their last election Mexico had voting booths open here in California for the convenience of their citizens. Vicente Fox is no fool, he realizes this gives Mexico a say in American policy.

[edger]

As the magician says, "Watch the watch. Don't pay any attention to that guy behind the curtain."

Everybody is concentrating on the Mexican illegal who wants to work. He is maybe half of the total of illegals. There are those border-crossers who want to freeload and there are those who are criminally inclined. How are those categories being addressed?

And don't forget the rest of the world. What happens to the US when folks in China, India, and Pakistan discover how easy it is to get into the US---permanently. But watch the watch and we will all soon be up to our armpits in illegals.

[Tamzee]

Must be nice to have a crystal ball....

"The Government"??? Different Presidents, isn't it cool how that works? And Bush, Jr. tends to follow through on exactly what he says. If he does see this proposal put into place and doesn't crack down on employers, I'll be upset with this, too.

I'm not prone to knee-jerk assumptions, however, which seem to comprise most of the Bush-bashing taking place here lately.

[SAJ]

No solution? Pffffft. Of COURSE there's a solution -- it's just that the gov't is more interested in retaining power than in upholding the Constitution. If you disagree, please reread, or read for the first time (as the case may be), Article IV, Section 4.

Won't happen, of course, because almost every single pol will sell or has already sold his/her soul for a vote, but -- NO solution? -- nonsense.