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Brown Co. may train deputies to target illegal immigrants (3/7/2007)
Waukesha wants authority to nab illegal immigrants (4/30/2007)
It’s time to get familiar with the “287g program.” Per a 1996 law, immigration authorities are allowed to deputize local police, allowing local officials to investigate a person’s immigration status if arrested on local criminal charges. So far, most of this deputizing has occurred in Florida and border states. Serious stuff.

I surely don’t know the answer – immigration isn’t something I feel well-schooled in. I do know a huge tension exists in the system. Huge. We can’t just turn a blind eye anymore (and surely we aren’t).

Kay and Jose Garcia, owners of Carniceria Mexico (a GREAT grocery store) in Appleton, know that Hispanics come here to work. To work hard. They see them looking for opportunity – a hand up, not a handout as the saying goes. Kay and Jose, not closing their store for today’s May Day rallies as they did last year (Senor Tequila’s is staying open this year as well), had points they were interested in communicating.

• Hispanics are coming here to work. Why can’t we let them? “We” includes Kay, a native-born American, and Jose, naturalized in the early 70’s.
• They absolutely would not support the proposed GB ordinance; not surprisingly, they will not join in discouraging anyone anxious and motivated to work.
• If Mexicans could travel freely back and forth over the border, many would not opt to stay forever in the U.S. As it is now, illegal immigrants are trapped in the U.S.
• If the U.S. is hiring 16,000 people (?) to watch the border, why not hire that many to facilitate visas for whomever wants to come to the U.S. to work?
• If the U.S. will spend $8B on a wall and $6M annually to maintain it (?), how about using that money to “find better government in Mexico?” Thoughtful folks, Kay and Jose see corruption in Jose’s former country. They suggest Mexico’s oil revenues should easily be the impetus to a thriving economy there. “We’ve been in Iraq fixing their problems – why not find a way to fix Mexico’s [corruption] problems?” Jose says he has a dream in which all members of a family get together and travel to ask the President of Mexico how many more sons and daughters need to lose lives before Mexico will do something. Hmmm. Interesting.

A phenomenally complex problem this immigration business. Is it indeed, so much more complex than common platitudes?

So, what are the downsides to substantially increasing the number of visas and/or temporary permits available to Mexican citizens (and other Central American countries, I suppose?)?
And if illegal immigrants here now somehow “earn” permanent residency (including “standing in line” in their home countries) and if ample visas and permits are available, would the government then be able to require employers to follow the law? Do we know the U.S. will be flooded with more immigrants than her economy can handle?

I’m anxious to hear your thoughts.

On the other hand, perhaps by getting the corrupt Mexican ruling elites out of the way and letting that incredible work and family ethic flourish at home in an area with such incredible natural resources, it wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.
Appleton, WI

Michael G. Koerner (Tue May 01 09:52:36 2007)

There are so many questions to cover when talking about illegal immigration. One topic would be:
Illegal immigrants have a right to come here. It is our Christian duty to provide hospitality.

Nearly two-thirds of the 32.5 million foreign-born people living in the United States entered this country legally, and the United States has more legal immigrants than any other country in the world. That’s hardly poor hospitality, and no bill before Congress that has a chance of becoming law would change this nation’s hospitality. But it is poor hospitality to say to the nearly 22 million legal U.S. immigrants who waited in line that they wasted their time following the rules because illegal immigrants will now get the same status.

Another question...
Does everyone understand it is a felony to be here illegally? As a Christian do we support someone committing a felony? Our immigration laws are in place to keep our economy stable enough to allow immigrants who want to enter legally to do so. And allow the rest of America to be as wonderful as it is. Ignoring these laws and not enforcing them is hurting our economy. I understand the desire to make a better life for your family, but is starting a new family life in a new country as a felon the way to go about it? Something to pray about...

PanJoe (Tue May 01 08:18:56 2007)

The hospitality issue is an interesting one and certainly must be unique to this area for being discussed at all.

Down in the Southwest there are special NGO's-- Non-governmental organizations-- which are being prosecuted and harassed just for providing water to those crossing the desert.

I'm ashamed each time they mention that the author of the felony bill, James Sennsenbrenner, is from WI.

The felony law is new and laws change. One day crossing the border is a misdemeanor like crossing the street, the next day it is a felony like violent crime.

Sennsenbrenner and others, in their xenophobia, don't understand that it is in their self interest as WI residents to support fair and just worker programs for those who are needed to do the harvesting and other work here in the state.



Lon Ponschock (Tue May 01 13:16:42 2007)

Just a quick comment on the felony portion of my previous comment. If it were not classified as a felony, it would still be a crime. So I guess I'm saying a crime is a crime, and still a crime. We have to follow laws that are in place.

PanJoe-Appleton (Wed May 02 08:15:08 2007)

Lon,

How disappointing. You are debating in incredibly bad-faith. Your charges of xenophobia smack as a desperate attempt to try to shift focus off the problem of illegal immigration.

The sad thing is many (and now I am expanding my targets) do not realize how immigration reform should not be a subject of so much contention. Is it unreasonable to ask our national sovereignty be upheld? Similarly, is it at all realistic, especially in the political environemtn we find ourselves in, to think we are going to deport 12 million people? Amnesty is going to happen. Do people not see the looming consequences of the baby-dearth hot on the heels of the baby-boom?

Mark A Framness (Wed May 02 22:50:51 2007)

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