Immigration Reform

This is a framework of ideas to begin discussing the immigration issues impacting our nation today and solutions for those who are already here. I am more than willing to discuss the quantitative numbers – higher or lower – around these issues, but at least we have some ideas to get us started. Can we simply send 12 million home? We could, but many have been here for a lifetime. If they stay, they must pay a penalty and walk a very long road to citizenship and be held accountable as I outline below.

Registration

Must register within 12 to 18 months (pick a time period we can get it done in) for new visa. We’ll call this the “Registration Period”. At a million people per month, it will take a while to get it done.

Anyone here less than 6 or 12 months – deport, no registration allowed.
Maybe registrants need to be sponsored by a citizen. A citizen could only sponsor one or possibly two individuals.

After this registration period ends, those caught here illegally should be deported or confined to a detention area until deported. Confinement costs us money, so deporting them as soon as possible would be preferable. Anyone caught here illegally should be fingerprinted and should submit a DNA sample. They should also be denied all entry into this country for a period of time – 5 years, 10 years – forever?

Cutting off incentives for illegals

Any employer, financial institution or housing unit conducting business with an illegal resident after the registration period will be severely punished – fines, asset seizures, etc. to discourage smuggling and hiring of illegals. Granted, there has to be a good faith verification process – like eVerify. The theory behind this is a three-pronged attack: if you can’t work, transact financially or live somewhere, you can’t survive here. Many will say if we just enforced some of the laws we have on the books today, we could accomplish this as well.

Visa reforms

The new visa would be good for 12 years
When the visa expires after 12 years, you can then get in line for citizenship, but that line should be at least 8 years long? Thus it would be 20 years before previously illegal immigrants could become citizens.
No visa holder would be eligible for governmental assistance – welfare, food stamps, etc.
Learning English would be a visa requirement – Read and write by midpoint of visa or visa would be revoked and the violator would be deported.
If convicted of a Felony – the visa would be revoked, time would be served, and then deportation – or simply deport and release to foreign government officials.

Collect fingerprints and DNA samples
Never permitted to reenter to the country

If convicted of 3 Class-A Misdemeanors (3 Strikes) – visa is revoked and time would be served and then deportation – or simply deport and release to foreign government officials.

Collect fingerprints and DNA samples
Permitted to reenter the country in 5 years, 10 years, or possibly never

If any of the previous 2 apply to a currently illegal immigrant (Felony or Misdemeanor x 3) – visa not granted in first place – Deported.
Pay a fine – in addition to a registration fee. My thoughts are an x% (1, 2...5) payroll tax for the duration of the visa, maybe just to the mid-point until you learn English – a double incentive to learn the language. Maybe the fine is on a sliding scale over the all or part of the Visa duration. The registration fee should be $100 – more than the fee for a passport.

Secure the Borders

Of course, all of this is moot to some degree if we do not secure the border today. We must put assets, people and equipment, on the border to secure it. The fines collected through this program will help fund those expenses as well.

Financial Penalties

The point of the penalty is that we need to apply immigration laws as stringently as any other if we are to truly be a nation of laws. In addition, much has been spent over the years on various services that many feel must be paid back to some degree. Will we collect enough to cover past expenses? - probably not, but it is a start. All money (fines and registration fees) collected would go to fund this registration program and reinforce border security – and enough must be collected to fund this or the fees have to be raised. Any excess funds would go straight to reducing the national debt. This must be a budget-neutral program.

Birthright Citizenship

Birthright citizenship deserves further examination. It should only apply if the parents are in this country legally. For those here legally, we should review if it only applies to those who are permanent residents of this country and not just temporary legal residents. We should decide if only one or both parents have to meet the standard. The time to revisit this issue is now!

Moving Forward

These ideas are not carved in stone, but they are a framework to move forward on immigration reform. We must start somewhere and I am offering up reasonable and common sense solutions to address a problem that has been ignored for far too long. Wal-Mart has recently opened up two new “Supermercados” around Houston, where the Spanish language is the predominant focus instead of English. From a free-market concept, I applaud them for expanding their business and creating more opportunities. However, they are only afforded this opportunity because of the failed immigration policies of the United States’ government and thus, this never should have been a free-market opportunity that needed to be addressed – anywhere in America! The United States, as any country, has a limited amount of resources. Controlling immigration helps to ensure the infrastructure of the country can support those who live there. If people think a controlled immigration policy such as this seems unjust, they should take a look at the policies of other countries around the world.