Ideas for comprehensive immigration reform
Johnny F. Luévano Jr.
On May 6th, the Albuquerque Journal published an op-ed from the chairman of the New Mexico Democratic Party, Javier Gonzales, concerning Arizona’s controversial immigration stance. Mr. Gonzales states that “we’ve all heard” about this law, agrees that we need to implement comprehensive immigration reform and ends his article with admitting that “immigration reform is a conversation we need to have in New Mexico.”
So at the risk of getting stoned to death for having an opinion, let’s get the conversation started. One thing that stood out to me about the chairman’s opinion was that he did not propose any ideas on how to solve this problem.
Leadership 101: A leader doesn’t merely complain. He or she provides solutions to problems that are substantive, specific, realistic and attainable. Politicians attempt to drive the debate with wedge rhetoric based on partial truths and providing vague “catch phrase solutions.”
Mr. Gonzales’ solution is “comprehensive immigration reform,” so what does this entail Mr. Chairman?
We all agree that illegal immigration in our country is a problem and, contrary to democratic opinion, we all agree, including Republicans, that racial profiling is not part of the solution. The bottom line with the final Arizona bill is that it specifically prohibits racial profiling and only occurs during an illegal infraction.
I do agree with the chairman on one point: The language “reasonable suspicion” does not sit well with most folks, and I am not here to defend the final Arizona bill. I would advocate for something that is more specific for us regular folks to understand in order to remove all doubt or grey area of the law.
My ideas for reform
Here are some of my ideas for “comprehensive immigration reform.” I would note that these are ideas, not concrete, cumulative final solutions. I do this in my limited spare time, so I am sure those in office and our political candidates can surely come up with something better in their full-time pursuit of public leadership.
Let’s begin with things most of us can agree upon. There are approximately 12-14 million illegal immigrants in our country today and they are a financial burden on all aspects of our society. The majority of Americans – including Republicans – do not want to tear apart families in a forced deportation process, and no one wants to reward illegal behavior. This is the problem we face today and there are no easy solutions.
But I see an opportunity for us to develop smart, outside-the-box policies that can help reform two major problems that confront us in the 21st century – illegal immigration and our mounting budget shortfalls.
Border Security
First we must recognize our realistic limitations on physically securing the southern border by admitting that a big ole’ fence combined with smarter technology and more manpower isn’t the end all solution. I do agree these tools will help, but securing the border needs to become a more collaborative approach with the federal government taking the lead and partnering with local city, county and state agencies.
This is an idea that the Arizona bill has stumbled upon and I would call this a “layered border security approach.” The idea behind illegal immigration seems focused on crossing the border and, once across, an illegal immigrant is home free. We need to eliminate this thought process by utilizing all of our public safety resources in a never-ending, layered approach to border security.
Currently we have border checkpoints posted throughout our country. Officers there ask everyone if they are U.S. citizens. Is it unreasonable to eliminate the “reasonable suspicion” clause and make it standard operating procedure to ask everyone for driver’s license, insurance and whether they are U.S. citizens during every illegal infraction at all levels of government?
Surely opinions will vary, but a realistic policy will admit the federal government cannot attain “comprehensive illegal immigration reform” without the assistance of local governments.
Jobs, jobs, jobs
As a novice economist, I believe the most efficient and effective solution is to develop an instant work verification system that will enable employers to easily verify citizenship status of prospective applicants. If we are able to produce a system that can reliably assist employers in this verification process, then we can begin to discuss employer penalties for hiring illegal immigrants.
The bottom line is to cut off employment to illegal immigrants by minimizing the hoops an employer must jump through in order to stem the main motivation of an illegal immigrants’ desire to come to the United States.
If there are no jobs available to illegal immigrants, there will be fewer illegal immigrants willing to come to the United States, and we can begin concentrating most of our resources on those who continue to cross our borders for illegal purposes.
Pathway to citizenship
Providing a pathway to citizenship for the 12-14 million illegal immigrants currently in the United States is probably the most complicated portion of “comprehensive immigration reform.” This policy needs to be balanced with empathy and toughness in order to respect an individual’s human civil rights and the respect of law that governs our country. So here are my ideas on this issue:
• Provide a set timeline for every illegal immigrant to voluntary come out of hiding and register in a new “guest workers permit program.”
• Establish a minimum timeline and certain criteria that need to be accomplished before a newly registered illegal immigrant can be eligible for citizenship. I suggest at minimum 10-20 years.
• Pass a background investigation that is paid for by the new guest worker.
• An illegal immigrant can be eligible for employment in the United States after enrolling in the “guest workers program” and providing some form of proof to the hiring employer.
• All federal taxes collected through the new guest workers program will be earmarked to offset the increased funding of securing the border and paying down the national debt.
• No guest worker will be eligible for any tax credit or tax refund for a set period of time – again I recommend at least 10-20 years. This means if a new guest worker pays $1,000 in taxes, he or she doesn’t receive any refund whatsoever. Absolutely nothing, nada…. zip, zilch, zero refund, no pay due, do not pass go or collect $200.
• No guest worker will be eligible for any tax credits or tax refund at the state level as well. Again, these funds should be earmarked to fund the additional burdens placed upon education, health care and public safety.
• No guest worker will be eligible for any tax breaks or credits.
• Any committed illegal infraction, outside of a routine traffic ticket, will be a breach of contract and the path to citizenship will be eliminated.
• Guest workers will not be eligible to vote, and any attempt at voter fraud will violate the pathway to citizenship and the possibility of deportation will commence.
• Require guest workers to learn English, with no additional government funding.
• If an illegal immigrant comes into contact with the law through our new “layers of border security approach,” he or she must provide proof of enrollment in the new guest workers program.
• After honoring and providing proof of all set criteria, an illegal immigrant can apply for but is not guaranteed citizenship. The burden of proof will be on the guest worker to provide all qualifying documentation.
Not the end-all solution
Of course these ideas are not the end-all solution, but hopefully one or two will be helpful to those in a decision-making position.
Again I believe most Americans do not want to implement a forced deportation process, and most Americans do not want to reward illegal behavior through an easy path to citizenship. I also believe most illegal immigrants will be anxious to “pull their own weight” and to self-sacrifice if given the opportunity to earn their citizenship.
The increase in tax revenues can help to alleviate our mounting debt and offset the financial burden of illegal immigration at all levels of government.
“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” – John F. Kennedy
Luévano, a newly registered Republican, is a life-long New Mexico resident and an Artesia native who currently lives in Tucson, Arizona. He graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2001 with a bachelor’s in political science and economics and from the University of Kansas in 2008 with a master’s in public administration. You can reach Luévano at jfluevano@gmail.com or on Facebook.
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I feel it is better to go to the root of the issue, which is mainly Mexico. After improving laws inside the country nothing will change until the neighboring countries are developed. So Mexico needs help with solving corruption issues and many others. As soon as quality of life in Mexico becomes better people won’t want to jump the fence.
http://aliensnotes.blogspot.com/2012/02/immigration-reform-suggested.html
We need to start by enforcing the federal laws in this country that prohibit illegal immigration and provide penalties. What we have in America, wrt “ethnic profiling” (as Hispanic is not a race), pales in comparison to what Mexico’s strict and draconian laws do to those “suspected of being illegal immigrants”. And Calderon lectures us on human rights and “values”? And for those who think illegal immigrants are not a high crime group (as Mr. Griego asserted in his column) and don’t cost taxpayers anything, here are some stats for you:
The following information is compiled from Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security reports:
* 83 percent of warrants for murder in Phoenix are for illegal aliens.
* 86 percent of warrants for murder in Albuquerque are for illegal aliens.
* 75 percent of those on the most wanted list in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Albuquerque are illegal aliens.
* 24.9 percent of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals
* 40.1 percent of all inmates in Arizona detention centers are Mexican nationals
* 48.2 percent of all inmates in New Mexico detention centers are Mexican nationals
* 29 percent (630,000) of convicted illegal alien felons fill Arizona and federal prisons at a cost of $1.6 billion annually
* 53 percent plus of all investigated burglaries reported in California, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and Texas are perpetrated by illegal aliens.
* 50 percent plus of all gang members in Los Angeles are illegal aliens
* 71 percent plus of all apprehended cars stolen in 2005 in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California were stolen by Illegal aliens or “transport coyotes.”
* 47 percent of cited/stopped drivers in California have no license, no insurance and no registration for the vehicle. Of that 47 percent, 92 percent are illegal aliens.
* 63 percent of cited/stopped drivers in Arizona have no license, no insurance and no registration for the vehicle. Of that 63 percent, 97 percent are illegal aliens
* 66 perent of cited/stopped drivers in New Mexico have no license, no insurance and no registration for the vehicle. Of that 66 percent, 98 percent are illegal aliens.
“Let’s begin with things most of us can agree upon. There are approximately 12-14 million illegal immigrants in our country today and they are a financial burden on all aspects of our society.”
I do NOT agree with Mr. Luevano here. For example most undocumented persons work, many pay income taxes and all pay sales taxes. Undocumented workers contribute towards Social Security approximately $6 billion annually. The National Immigration Law Center says the money is directed towards the Earnings Suspense File, which is a repository for Social Security taxes which are paid by illegal immigrants who have either used false identities, forged document or incorrect Social Security numbers.
Respectfully, this column is nothing more than the basic outlines of the comprehensive immigration reform that people from John McCain to Barack Obama–and including most Dems–have advocated for at least 10 years (the very same ideas were essentially the subject of my first column here three years ago). Nothing wrong with restating some basic ideas, but being critical of others for not being quite as explicit about the obvious amounts to grandstanding.
Bashing Javier Gonzales for not being more specific is silly. While Mr. Luevano’s ideas are fine, they’re more or less what anyone involved in policy decisions for the last decade (or more) has been discussing and means by “comprehensive immigration reform.”
As an example, I could excoriate Mr. Luevano for not explicitly stating that no undocumented person could ever attain citizenship before someone who is applying through our current legal process (at least not from the same country), but that would itself be grandstanding. It’s reasonably implied from Luevano’s column, even though he wasn’t that specific.
Kudos to Mr. Luevano for being far more rational and thoughtful on the substance of immigration policy than Arizona Republicans or New Mexico’s GOP gubernatorial frontrunners. I’m heartened that a Republican in our state is offering what national Republicans and many tea partiers have taken to calling “amnesty”, but which Mr. Luevano would (accurately) point out is no such thing–it’s punishment for a violation of the law with a suitable forward-looking solution.
But I’d also ask Mr. Luevano to temper his partisan criticisms of others who are quite familiar with the simple (but excellent) proposals he sets forth here just because they don’t bother spelling out in the same level of detail the measures that are understood, by and large, to be part of “comprehensive immigration reform”. After all, Mr. Luevano no doubt wishes for us to use common sense in reading his column to include more specifics than he’s able to lay out in several hundred words.
Mr. Luevano,
These are great concrete solutions and ideas on immigration reform. A well thought out plan and I can certainly see this find it is way into being the law of the land. No immigrant wants to be kicked out of our great country, but if they do not adhere by taking a proactive approach to making sure they are legal to reside here then let the chips fall. I like your ideas on having taxes earmarked to help with border security. Your pathway to citizenship puts the burden and responsibility on the person to make legal and become an “American”. This is a start in the right direction and taking this route can only help and provide a solution to this tiresome pattern affecting us in the 21st century. Illegal immigration reform needs to be done correctly today. Your ideas and solutions are the start. This is for the future of our great nation.
Mr. Luevano makes some very good points, but first I want to talk about his overall approach. It’s refreshing to see someone with ideas. Well though out and original ideas. He’s not just recycling the same tired rhetoric we here everywhere else. Second, his specific ideas are innovative and practical. This a divisive issue and Mr. Luevano is addressing them in a open and honest manner. He’s not calling people idiots or talking down to them. He’s entering the discussion and treating all other participates as adults with brains.
Like he says, this isn’t the end all solution. There are ideas here that people will disagree on both the right and the left, but if we can maintain a high level of discourse, as exemplified by this article, maybe we will eventually get to productive and responsible solution.
Mr. Luevano — well stated.
I wonder what the illegal immigrant bleeding-hearts think about the following Teddy Roosevelt quote?
“In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American… There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag…… We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language…. and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.” – Theodore Roosevelt, 1907
http://www.moaablogs.org/battleofthebilge/2009/11/teddy_immigration/
http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/troosevelt.asp
There are 2 huge things that must be initiated/adhered :
1. An amendment to the constitutuion should be added something like ” All people born in the United States, to a citizen of the United states, are themslves citizens
2. Part of the immigration and Naturalization Act limted guest qutoas based on 7 regions of the world. This ensured our diversity and limited chances that millions of citizens from 1 country would dominate immigration. This has not happened. The large majority of illegal immigrants are from Mexcio and central America. Immigrants from the rest of the world pale in comparison to “latino” immigrants. This is in no way racial, just fact. If the huge numbers of immigrants and illgeal immigrants since 1980 were from China, Germany etc. it still would be detrimental to our country. In no way should we have allowed so many citizens from 1 country (mexico) dominate immigration. Many have not assimilated. examples : 1) Many public high schools must teachers who speak both English and Spanish in order to teach english. Too many students have English as a second language. Imagine, an English speaking teacher cannot teach English in an Amercian high school without also knowing Spanish. Many people who demonstrate/march carry the Mexican flag. Police officers in certian areas of the country must know Spanish to be hired. Latinos may be in an uproar about his post. However, if the millions of illegal immgrants were German, and teachers had to know German, then Latinos would be in an uproar. We have denied legal immigration to millions throughout the world because of background checks, etc. Yet we have allowed millions of illegal immigrants from Mexico to remain in the country. Approx 4% -5% of the popullation of Mexico reside in the U.S. If we allowed 20 million Chinese to enter the country (legally or illegally) that would be less than 1% of their country. We have in fact added racial profiling to immigration. Enter illegally thru the southern border- pretty much Ok. If you’re chinese, you must go thru the process and are limited in numbers. People refuse or ignore this portion of the immigration Act. It was adopted for a reason. We are now suffering the consequences of this ignorance and have in fact given priority to Latinos. Our diversity is being decreased. If 6 planes of Chinese citizens laned in the sanctuary cities of Oakland and San Francisco and all occupants didn’y have a passport/visa, they would be denied entry and be deported. Since we are a land of immigrants why do we deny them entry? Because they’re not Latino or didn’t sneak into the U.S. via our southern border?
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