It's Time to Get It Right on Immigration

A few weeks ago I delivered a speech in Arizona on comprehensive immigration reform. As a border state with a large immigrant population, Arizona is a flash point in the national immigration reform debate. It's also an example of the negative consequences of Congress' failure to pass federal comprehensive immigration reform.

Like several other states and localities, Arizona is filling a void left by the federal government and devising its own immigration policy. Its law, scheduled to take effect January 1, 2008, includes mandatory compliance with a pilot employment verification system, which is voluntary under federal law. It also includes the prospect of businesses having their licenses revoked without a hearing. The U.S. Chamber is challenging the constitutionality of Arizona's law in court.

Through the middle of this year, no fewer than 1,400 pieces of legislation related to immigration had been introduced among the 50 state legislatures. Of these bills, 182 in 43 states became law--most of which are contradictory, probably unconstitutional, and nearly impossible for businesses to follow. This action reinforces the need for a balanced, comprehensive federal solution that embraces the following four principles.

First, Congress and the president should act immediately to address the pressing shortage of visas. The number of available visas for high- and low-skilled workers is simply insufficient to meet our workforce needs. We must also ease business traveler restrictions while maintaining security.

Second, we need the systems, technologies, and infrastructure to secure our borders and give businesses the tools they need to easily and accurately verify the eligibility of their employees.

Third, we must recognize that a large part of the solution to our longer-term immigration and border challenges is the continued economic development of Mexico and Latin America. The United States can help by supporting economic reform, free markets, and democracy in those countries. Fewer of their citizens will feel pressured to immigrate to the United States if there are good jobs in their own countries. At the same time, there will still be enough workers from Mexico and Latin America to meet our needs.

Finally, we should not stop the flow of immigrants to our country but, rather, allow it to continue and even expand--prudently, sensibly, and lawfully. We need workers, and it makes far greater sense to normalize the undocumented immigrants already here than to send them back and start over.

So far, our nation has failed at immigration reform. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, Americans always do what is necessary and what is right--after trying everything else first. It's time to get it right on immigration.

www.uschamber.com

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Comments

[Spookcatcher]

A secure border has been too long over due. I know of many hispanics that have lived here for many years, some over 15. They have no intelligent answer why they don't want to become legal, or ever will become legal citizens, but they have purposefully sent money to bring more illegals into Our Country, and immediately bear children as soon as they get here, to create an anchor and a conundrum to cloud the debate, and to create humanity issue. I am quite frankly tired of this cycle. I am also tired of paying taxes or buying ANY products from Americans that are using illegals to work. I would pay twice the price for a head of lettuce, or only have it when in season half the year, if that is what it will take to get our country back. I want to facilitate the American Dream for those who come here with the desire to join our society legally, including the primary use of the American language. We need a complete moratorium on allowing any more immigration till we get these issues addressed. Illegal aliens need to go home and fix the problems in their own countries, not complicate ours, or our lives in Our Country! The nostalgia of the past is past. The majority of those coming here illegally today are not presenting themselves with the same hope to become a legal viable part of our society, in the same context, or fleeing the same persecutions that the immigrants that came through Ellis Island of the last 100+ years prior. We have grown up as a Nation. Those who want to come to America to become Americans should place that as their responsibilty first, and that should be considered a priveledge, Our Priveledge as Americans to offer or bestow upon those whio apply to, and then when allowed, who follow our laws, not a backdoor escape route.

[TWOSHORT]

See this scare me,This talk about removing people like it was done in Nazi Germany!Plans being drawn up to remove those here without papers!BlackWater could recieve the contract to start removing hispanics from our nation without any oversite by the press or the public.And what if American Hispanic are profiled?Leading to the same treatment Black's went threw before 9/11.Polic­e state seem to be coming to a town or city near you.

[olephart]

"The number of available visas for high- and low-skilled workers is simply insufficient to meet our workforce needs."

In a one word summation of this statement, Bullstuff. Thank you. No less than 5 recent studies from Harvard to the Rand Corporation have shown that the United States graduates twice the number of engineers and scientists than are hired by American business every year. They further conclude that the majority of those foreign nationals hired under the H1B visa program are entry level personnel not experienced workers. As to the unskilled, the H2B visa program allows for millions to be hired PROVIDING they are paid "the prevailing wage". The primary factor in hiring illegally is to pay SUBSTANDARD wages.


"we should not stop the flow of immigrants to our country but, rather, allow it to continue and even expand--prudently, sensibly, and lawfully. We need workers"

In a one word summation of this statement, Bullstuff. Thank you. The much publicized unemployment rate, 4.7%, is defined as U3. It is a narrow measure that ignores "discouraged workers". A broader measure, U6, which counts a greater segment of the workforce is now at 8.3%. Other estimates put unemployment over 10%. As with market forces, you know, those that drive up oil prices to $100 per barrel, the law of supply and demand dictates prices. When you artificially increase the workforce (supply) by 12 million, the price for labor (wages) goes down. Thus the 10% of Americans (about 15 million) without jobs are looking at employment at wages that are below a living rate. The Government's acquiescence to businesses' demands for this cheap, illegal labor is a form of Socialism. In this case, the pool of labor is subsidized.

[clr2]

Why is it that most politicians don't want to use the words ILLEGAL aliens? That is what they are. We spend BILLIONS to educate and provide health care for ILLEGALS. We need to deport all ILLEGALS, heavily fine those who hire ILLEGALS, and return to the original intent of the 14th amendment and do away with anchor babies. States have to do this themselves because the federal gov. isn't doing their job. We need to stop this invasion now before things get worse!

[1will]

Build the fence, fine employers for hiring illegals.
Welcome the legal immigrants but deport those that enter illegaly.

[nyfilmmaker]

Tom Donohue you have it exactly correct. I support your efforts.

Politicians and Americans for that matter should take a look at "American Harvest." Its a non-partisan feature length documentary about immigration as it relates to agriculture. It presents the facts as they are without political bias.

Every farmer I have spoken to wants to secure our borders. And they also want a workable solution to LEGAL immigration.

Americans have to understand that we all need to appreciate and respect those people who grow and harvest our crops.

The men and women that put food on our kitchen tables deserve no less.

http://www.americanharvestmovie.com

American Harvest Synopsis

Anti-immigration sentiment sweeps across America. A journey from Florida to New York, including a trip to the Mexican border, reveals the lives and issues of legal and illegal migrants and farmers working toward a better life. Is the immigration system in America flawed? Immigrants are dying to feed America.

American farmers and agriculture rely on immigrants to do jobs that Americans won't do or feel that are simply beneath them. Some only see the problems in the news from the perspective of those extreme points of view of the left and the right side of our political system.

Discrimination of immigrants has existed in the United States since the English persecuted the Irish. It was once generally considered that if you were Greek or Southern Italian you were not white.

American Harvest points out the inconsistencies of the current policy on immigration. See the changing face of immigrant America as it relates to Agriculture.

Follow legal and illegal farm workers and the farmers caught in the middle of a flawed immigration policy.

[scooperss]

"First, Congress and the president should act immediately to address the pressing shortage of visas. The number of available visas for high- and low-skilled workers is simply insufficient to meet our workforce needs. We must also ease business traveler restrictions while maintaining security."

No, first and foremost we need to teach more Americans to do those jobs. With manufacturing jobs going overseas we need something to fill that void.

Second, we need to start prosecuting employers of illegal immigrants. Fines and jail time.

[research]

If the USA businesses were forced to pay the proper wages and withholding, they would not employ nearly so many illegals.

In farming, automation would be far further ahead without all the cheap illegals.

We can't solve Mexico's plutocracy, nor can we allow such a porous boarder.

[TuffPosh]

One of the best ways to encourage reforms in MX and Latin America is to stop allowing the leaders of those countries to send us their citizens in exchange for the money they send home. The solution from the US CofC - and their friends and well-wishers in the Dem and GOP parties, the far-left, and the Mexican government - would make it even easier for those governments to profit from massive immigration.

Regarding the "flow", we already admit almost 1 million people per year; that's more than enough.

As for the massive amnesty hidden in Donohue's remarks, that will encourage even more illegal immigration, it will discourage respect for the law, and it will give massive political power inside the U.S. to not just foreign governments, but to far-left racial demagogues who don't represent almost everyone else. They'll then use that power to push for even looser borders and more amnesties.

Donohue isn't thinking this issue all the way through and is simply putting a corrupt search for profits ahead of the best interests of the U.S.

[zigzag1]

Be careful what you ask for when it comes to immigration. We have shot ourselves in the foot here in Arizona. Which of the people complaining about job loss from illegals wants to stand knee deep in pesticides picking crops, wrestle 800 pound boulders in July when it's 115 degrees, or change grandma's diapers? Illegals have FICA and state and federal taxes witheld but never get a refund. They pay sales tax on almost every dollar they earn and pay real estate taxes for their landlords. Here in Phoenix the crime rate for hispanics is slightly less than the norm and most are good family people who only want a decent life that is impossible at home. The waiting list for legal immigration is longer than many of their lifetimes.

The immigration "crisis" is in the imagination of losers who need to blame their unhappy lives on someone
and haven't figured out it isn't the short brown people
that have shipped their jobs overseas. We need to prosecute the corporate crooks not the short order cooks.

[scalene]

why is it always "first" to increase the number of visas, and "second" to control the borders? that order of priorities has gotten us into the mess we are in now. to get us out of that mess, i say we need to put control of the borders "first". all the rest is secondary.

[zigzag1]

More Mexicans..­.Less Texans

[EspressoAtNoon]

We need more workers so you can continue to depress our wages (as they have been for the last 7 years)?

You can ALWAYS tell when there's a REAL shortage of jobs: wages will be rising too high and too quickly. This is NOT THE CASE!! Our decreasing wages means that there are too many employees willing to do these jobs so employers can keep wages low, offer no benefits, etc...

Our wages are lowering while our health insurance is now unaffordable by many. And you want MORE uneducated low paying workers to keep those wages spiralling downward?

Just admit that you want all these new Hispanic residents in your state because they're likely to vote Democratic. Be honest and admit that this is about your political interests and not in the best interests of the citizens of this country.

[cynara]

I agree, to a point. You stated that a component to a solution to illegal immigration is the economic development in Mexico and Central America. This, on my list, would be number 1, since nothing, no employer verifications or fines, no fences or high tech fences, will stop an impoverished desperate man from heading north when our minimum wage is 11x that of his own country, and his own is not enough to survive. (8.00/hour vs $4.50 per day).

That said, I completely disagree on the approach. You said "free markets". Mexican markets are already VERY free, there are virtually no enforced pollution control laws, unions are weak, anti-trust laws are non-existent, minimum wage is a shameful joke, and labor laws are completely ignored (unpaid overtime, no sick leave, no maternity leave, unsafe working conditions).

The result of this great libertarian experiment is the country with the second largest income gap in the world. A World Bank study found that Mexico's billionaires have a potential income almost 400 times the top 0.1 per cent of the population and 14,000 times the national average. The richest man in the world lives in Mexico, yet one third of the mexican populations earns between $4.50 USD - $8.00 USD per day.

The income gap has grown under NAFTA. Instead of pushing free market and free trade, if we had inserted some conditions in NAFTA about the observation of local labor and environmental laws, as well as acceptance pending on the condition of raising the Mexican minimum wage, we would not be facing our illegal immigration problem today.

[realitytrumpsbull]

My view is, any discussion on the issue of
illegal immigration that doesn't include a
frank debate on how to send people HOME is
moot. You can argue and argue and argue,
and try and reform this and that, but you also
have to consider what it is that you'll be
working against, namely people that think it's
OK to fart off the law in the name of the
bottom line, and damn the consequences.
Well, thanks to 25 years of their social
engineering expertise, there's now over 10
million(by most estimates) people running
around in the USA that have no lawful right
to be here, either due to visa overstays or
having just 'shown up' in the dark of night
or been brought in pretending to be a wall
panel in a van or something.
Cheech Marin poked fun at this one a couple
decades ago, with 'born in east L.A.',
it used to just be an issue of Mexico, but
as the world has expanded in population, the
pressure to get into the US by hook or by
crook has increased, and it is kind of time
for people, as in The People, to sit down
and ponder out all the angles of this thing
and figure out how to 'get er done', then
talk to their congresscritters in support
of the approach or policy that they think will
help deal with the whole thing. If the 'policy'
will be 'come one, come all', then that needs
to be stapled up on the wall, and then
they can stop wasting money on stuff like
the border patrol etc. But, someone has
to 'put it in writing', I guess.