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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: KLP who wrote (21332)	12/24/2003 5:14:41 AM
From: LindyBill	Respond to of 793706

Here is the other point of view on illegals, Karen. "Wall Street Journal" REVIEW & OUTLOOK Immigration and Security Tom Ridge rebuts the restrictionist right. Wednesday, December 24, 2003 12:01 a.m. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge recently committed the political sin of telling the truth. His helpful candor has reopened a much-needed debate over immigration and exposed some of the specious arguments used by those who want to close U.S. borders. Mr. Ridge volunteered this month that the U.S. needs to "come to grips with the presence of eight to 12 million illegals" now in the country and "afford them some kind of legal status some way." He added that this kind of reform would actually enhance U.S. national security. These sensible words drew a firestorm on the political right, where restrictionists have been using 9/11 as the all-purpose excuse for limiting all immigration. Dan Stein of the Federation for American Immigration Reform responded that "Giving illegal aliens 'some kind of legal status' is a semantic solution to a real crisis that threatens our safety and prosperity as a nation." A Washington Times editorial graciously conceded that "the great majority of illegals are not terrorists," but then went on to suggest the U.S. adhere to a policy that assumes most of them are. Congressman Tom Tancredo (R., Colo.) added to his reputation for statesmanship by running to the nearest television camera and demanding that Mr. Ridge resign. What the secretary deserves is a raise. Mr. Ridge was making the eminently practical point that the best way to reduce illegal immigration and thwart genuine terrorists is to come up with a better way of identifying foreigners who are already in the country. This means formulating a policy that allows for more people to arrive in the U.S. and work legally. But it also means devising a process to normalize the status of illegals who are already here. While the Bush Administration opposes a blanket "amnesty," it is open to giving illegal aliens an opportunity to work toward a green card. "I'm not saying make them citizens, because they violated the law to get here," said Mr. Ridge. "You don't reward that type of conduct by turning over a citizen certificate. You determine how you can legalize their presence." The critics prefer to toughen their enforcement-only approach that ignores labor market realities, offers no practical recourse to the millions already here illegally, and results in hundreds of migrant deaths every year. The U.S. Border Patrol counts 1,379 such deaths since 2000, or nearly one per day. And that number surely would be higher were it not for the border authorities who rescue hundreds more every year. The "prevention through deterrence" strategy has been failing for years. The U.S. more than doubled the number of agents on the Mexican border in the 1990s, but the tactic backfired. The number of illegals increased substantially over that period--by an estimated 5.5 million--and more seasonal workers opted to stay longer, thereby reducing the circular migration that used to be the norm. Job-seeking Mexicans would rather purchase a Greyhound ticket instead of the services of a border escort "coyote," but they're afraid that if they return to Mexico they'll never be able to get back if they want to. Meanwhile, the U.S. demand for low-skilled workers continues apace as Americans are unwilling to fill certain jobs in manufacturing, hotels, health care, restaurants, construction and other key economic sectors that would screech to a halt if illegal aliens were suddenly to disappear. The White House says it's considering several legislative options that would address these concerns while allowing undocumented U.S. residents a way to earn legal status, which is essential in a political environment where "amnesty" is used as a pejorative to try to end discussions. A guest-worker program alone won't do the trick (and is unlikely to sell politically) any more than simply handing out greencards will solve the problem. The key to eliminating this huge underground labor market is some combination of both. Mr. Ridge's foray was probably a trial balloon on this politically sensitive topic, and we hope the Bush Administration isn't deterred by the reaction of a loud minority. An immigration reform would help millions of families, tens of thousands of American businesses, as well as U.S. national security.