Immigration: In Search of a Policy or Maybe Some Backbone

To the Editor:
The image of 15,000 Haitians trying to get across our southern border is heart-wrenching. Most of these people had traveled a painfully circuitous route from a country wracked with corruption and natural disasters in search of a better life.
The chaos and disorder at our southern border speak of a government clearly not in control. This problem has existed for years and is the result of our legislators kicking the can down the road and being unwilling to deal with this vexing problem.
But Biden is the major contributor to the problem. First, allowing an open border is a big mistake. Further, his hands-off policy has exacerbated the issue. Finally, the latest federal budget with us spending 50% more than our revenues says that we can’t afford to take in everyone and must be selective.
Common human decency says that the U.S. has a moral obligation to help in some way. Others point out that we then also have an obligation to the poor of Sudan, Somalia, Bangladesh, etc.
Where does our obligation end?
What about those already here who arrived as children with parents who came illegally (DACA)? What about those who came illegally and now have jobs, families, a life here, and are contributors to our society?
Decisions should be fact-based and based on what’s best for our country.
We can’t afford to take in everyone, and we can’t deport every illegal.
First, some facts:
Estimated number of illegals (undocumented aliens) in 2020: 12 million (3.6% of our population). This is up from 5 million in 1990; 10 million in 2000; and 11 million in 2010. Of this number, 643,000 (.5%) are “DACA” or children of residents who came illegally.
We are truly a nation of immigrants as we have 43 million foreign-born residents (13% of our population).
In 2019, we deported 360,000 illegals, about 3% of those here illegally. So, deportation, while appealing to some, is not a sound strategy based on reality.
But we do need to establish and enforce a sound immigration policy.
First, a country without borders is not a country, so let’s define and enforce who crosses our borders. Like him or not, Trump’s border wall made a lot of sense, as did his “Remain in Mexico” policy.
Next, how many can we take in? Harsh though it may seem, we should limit entrants to those who are willing and able to work. Desiring political asylum is a major reason to allow entry, but more than half of the world’s population lives in countries with repressive governments. We can’t accommodate them all. We need a realistic limit, especially given our own budget constraints.
We should establish labor exchanges that can match those businesses that need employees with those who want to enter and work.
We need to stop playing games with those already here. Give them a reasonable path to citizenship, if they are working. It’s the right thing to do.
Finally, we can’t allow entrance to criminals, nor should we allow them to stay here. We need a sound vetting program.
Implementing such a program would actually allow us to take in more deserving immigrants and contribute to a sounder and stronger country.
But do our legislators have the courage to do the right thing and establish a sound policy? If not, vote them out, because far larger numbers are now queueing up to cross the Rio Grande.