During the Obama administration, when Obama could not get the Republican-led Congress to take action on immigration - he elected to take action by executive order and was pilloried from the right for doing so. "This is not a monarchy" was the constant refrain. Now, Trump is not getting what he wants from a previously Republican-led, and now split, congress. So...he's apparently considering going the route of "declaring a national emergency." I have to wonder how this is any different. Of course, I'm reasonably sure that we will see (again) defense for why it's OK for Trump and this is "different."
Meanwhile, we have to ask ourselves why, after many years of decline, we are now seeing a surge in illegal immigration under the "anti-immigration president." Let's think for a second. Maybe we have close-to-record-low unemployment and there are many industries hungry for workers. Since we have slashed legal work visas, and there is still significant red tape associated with these visas, businesses in the U.S. are calling for (literally contacting them and telling them they have a job if they can get past border security) and using illegal workers. So the response to this is to make immigration even harder and pour billions of dollars into a wall (which history shows the smugglers pretty much regularly find a way around, over, or under)? The result is enormous amounts spent, industries hamstrung as they wait, and the economy impacted as a result.
Here's an idea! Why not align the number of work visas with the needs of the various industries, and create mechanisms (like the TSA-PRE mechanism) for streamlining repeat workers. Then the paperwork is eased, the jobs get filled, the economy is benefited, and the attraction for illegal immigrants is reduced.
When you find yourself with pests in your homes (insects, rodents, etc.), you don't solve the problem simply by putting up barriers. Amazingly, the barriers are almost always breached. You also solve the problem by making sure that food and garbage is not left laying around, and doing everything else you can to reduce the attraction. You can also help the problem by putting those "attractants" far away from the house.
A barrier is one tool. It is not the solution.
Meanwhile, we have to ask ourselves why, after many years of decline, we are now seeing a surge in illegal immigration under the "anti-immigration president." Let's think for a second. Maybe we have close-to-record-low unemployment and there are many industries hungry for workers. Since we have slashed legal work visas, and there is still significant red tape associated with these visas, businesses in the U.S. are calling for (literally contacting them and telling them they have a job if they can get past border security) and using illegal workers. So the response to this is to make immigration even harder and pour billions of dollars into a wall (which history shows the smugglers pretty much regularly find a way around, over, or under)? The result is enormous amounts spent, industries hamstrung as they wait, and the economy impacted as a result.
Here's an idea! Why not align the number of work visas with the needs of the various industries, and create mechanisms (like the TSA-PRE mechanism) for streamlining repeat workers. Then the paperwork is eased, the jobs get filled, the economy is benefited, and the attraction for illegal immigrants is reduced.
When you find yourself with pests in your homes (insects, rodents, etc.), you don't solve the problem simply by putting up barriers. Amazingly, the barriers are almost always breached. You also solve the problem by making sure that food and garbage is not left laying around, and doing everything else you can to reduce the attraction. You can also help the problem by putting those "attractants" far away from the house.
A barrier is one tool. It is not the solution.
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