Friday, April 17, 2009
ADDRESSING THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ISSUE
Robert E. Paulson
April 11, 2009
The following thoughts on the issue of illegal immigration were first written in December, 2007. Nothing has changed since then. The issue was never raised during the campaign and, as of April 10, 2009. has not been mentioned by Congress or President Obama. All the following ideas and proposals remain valid today.
In addition, I do not believe the country can effectively deal with the proposal for a national health care program before resolving the illegal immigrant program. The numbers are said to be 37 million Americans without health insurance and from 12-20 million illegal immigrants who obviously also are without health insurance of any kind. So, as the following discussion points out, there are up to 57 million people in the USA who must pay cash for doctor visits and/or rely on emergency room health care and pay nominal amounts for such services while the insured population pays exorbitant rates and are charged exorbitant prices to make up for the nominal payments received from the uninsured population.
It would seem any national health insurance program must be tied to the SS # --the proposed IEI SS # would include the approximately 20 million illegal immigrants who would also contribute to the costs of national health insurance.
No Presidential candidate has put forth a comprehensive position paper on the issues /problems relating to illegal immigrants. The recent 2007 proposal in New York to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants is just the "tip of the iceberg" regarding the much larger question of how local authorities are to deal with illegal immigrants in the absence of federal enforcement of federal laws against this huge population.
Today, with few exceptions, there is, in effect, a "don't ask, don't tell" federal policy concerning illegal immigrants. As a result, there exists the following inconsistent practices and anomalies at both the local and national levels:
1) city and state police make no attempt to determine citizenship status of obvious groups of immigrants, such as day workers gathered on street corners, construction sites, landscapers, restaurant workers, farm and factory workers, etc. ;
2) landlords renting to foreign language speaking tenants without any citizenship reporting responsibility;
3) national banks taking deposits of cash and issuing debit cards without citizenship proof and no reporting requirements to the IRS or federal immigration authorities;
4) hospital emergency rooms providing medical care free or at nominal cost without citizenship proof or any reporting requirement to federal immigration;
5) the use of fake social security numbers (which acts to the detriment of the illegal immigrant since monies are paid in by the employer but benefits are never paid out);
6) businesses wiring money out of the country without determination of the legal status of the person providing the cash or any reporting to any federal authority.
These few anecdotal examples evidence the continued erosion of any distinction between legal and illegal immigrants or, for that matter, between illegal immigrants and American citizens. The near-absolute failure of the Government to actively enforce existing federal laws against illegal immigrants also raises a significant security issue regarding terrorist cells --local, state and federal authorities have no idea who is living "under the radar" in this country --the estimates range from 12-20 million.
What to do with this "underground economy" and national security risk? How long can this growing illegal population be ignored or debated without resolution? Is it realistic to think these millions of illegals can be rounded up and deported and, if so, who is going to take care of their millions of children who remain American citizens by virtue of their birth in this country? In fact, the overwhelming majority of these illegals are gainfully employed and actually ARE NEEDED to support our growing economy in the face of dwindling numbers of native-born Americans entering the workforce (as in Europe and China, whether or not enforced by Government edit, the fact is that low birth rates in both the "Western world" and China have resulted in shortages of workers in those economies).
One cannot answer the question regarding driver's licenses for illegal immigrants, or implementing national health insurance, without answering all the other questions posed by this population and resolving the inconsistent practices across the country regarding these immigrants.
A NEW FEDERAL POLICY /LEGISLATION DIRECTED TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (INCLUDING EXPIRED VISA ENTRANTS) MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
1) A TIGHT, NEAR-PERFECT PHYSICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIER FOR BORDER CONTROL BACKED UP WITH HEAVY BORDER ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL;
2) ALL ILLEGAL ENTRY IMMIGRANTS (INCLUDING IMMIGRANTS WITH EXPIRED VISAS) ARE GIVEN A PERIOD OF TIME CERTAIN, BETWEEN 9 AND 15 MONTHS, TO "TURN THEMSELVES IN" BY APPLYING FOR A SPECIAL SOCIAL SECURITY CARD NUMBER BEGINNING WITH THE LETTERS "IEI" (ILLEGAL ENTRY IMMIGRANT). THE DATE OF ISSUANCE OF THE IEI S.S. # PLACES THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT BEHIND THE LAST PERSON APPLYING LEGALLY FOR ENTRANCE TO THE U.S. FROM THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN OF THE ILLEGAL ENTRANT;
3) THE IEI S.S. # APPLICATION SHOULD INCLUDE AT LEAST NAME, PASSPORT-STYLE PHOTOGRAPH, CURRENT ADDRESS, TELEPHONE AND CELL PHONE NUMBERS, EMAIL ADDRESS, LAST ADDRESS IN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, ADDRESSES OF NEAREST RELATIVE IN U.S. AND IN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN , NAME AND ADDRESS OF CURRENT EMPLOYER AND NAME OF PERSONNEL OFFICER IF EMPLOYER IS OTHER THAN AN INDIVIDUAL;
4) APPLICATION FORMS SHOULD BE PROVIDED IN ALL POST OFFICES, POLICE PRECINCTS, BANKS, BUILDING LOBBIES, SCHOOLS, ETC. THE VARIOUS DMV OFFICES THROUGHOUT THE VARIOUS STATES
ALSO COULD SUPPLY THE IEI SS # APPLICATIONS AND WOULD BE CONVENIENT FOR SUPPLYING THE NECESSARY PHOTO. THE APPLICATION FORM ALSO WOULD BE AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR DOWNLOADING.
5) THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ALREADY HAS IN PLACE A PILOT PROGRAM FOR CHECKING SS ## ELECTRONICALLY. IT WOULD BE A SIMPLE MATTER TO INCLUDE THE IEI SS ## IN THIS SYSTEM., CALLED "E-VERIFY."
6) FOLLOWING EXPIRATION OF THE IEI GRACE PERIOD, ALL EMPLOYERS MUST OBTAIN THE S.S. # OR AN IEI S.S. # FOR ALL EMPLOYEES OR FACE A MANDATORY FINE OF $10,000 FOR EACH EMPLOYEE NOT SO DOCUMENTED, THEREBY ENSURING WITHHOLDING OF TAXES AND PAYMENTS FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS AND NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE;
7) FOLLOWING EXPIRATION OF THE IEI GRACE PERIOD, NO NEW ILLEGAL ENTRANT WILL BE PERMITTED TO APPLY FOR THE IEI S.S. CARD BUT, INSTEAD, SHALL BE IMMEDIATELY DEPORTED;
8) FOLLOWING EXPIRATION OF THE IEI GRACE PERIOD, ALL LANDLORDS MUST OBTAIN THE S.S. # OR IEI S.S. # OF ALL TENANTS OR FACE A MANDATORY FINE OF $10,000 FOR EACH HOH (Head of Household )TENANT NOT SO DOCUMENTED;
9) FOLLOWING EXPIRATION OF THE IEI GRACE PERIOD, CITY AND STATE OFFICIALS SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY AND OBLIGATION TO SEEK IDENTIFICATION AND, SPECIFICALLY, THE S.S. # OR IEI S.S. # OF ANY PERSON SEEN LOITERING, INVOLVED IN ANY INFRACTION OF LAW, CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OR REASONABLE SUSPICION OF SAME, AND ANY PERSON UNABLE TO PROPERLY DOCUMENT HIS OR HER ENTRANCE INTO THIS COUNTRY SHALL BE REPORTED TO FEDERAL IMMIGRANTION AUTHORITIES FOR DEPORTATION;
10) ANY IEI CONVICTED OF A CRIME MORE SERIOUS THAN A MISDEMEANOR SHALL BE IMMEDIATELY DEPORTED, WITH CANCELLATION OF THE IEI NUMBER AND NO ELGIBILITY TO REAPPLY;
11) THE IEI S.S. # MUST BE RENEWED EVERY 3 YEARS (5 YEARS?) UPDATING ALL ORIGINAL INFORMATION, INCLUDING CURRENT PHOTOGRAPH, AND IDENTIFYING THE CURRENT EMPLOYER AND ANY PREVIOUS EMPLOYERS, WITH PROOF OF ALL TAX RETURNS FILED OR REASON IF NOT FILED;
12) UPON COMPLIANCE WITH ALL RULES GOVERNING IEI STATUS FOR A TOTAL OF 15 YEARS, THE IEI IMMIGRANT SHALL BE ELGIBILE TO APPLY FOR GREEN CARD STATUS, PROVIDED NO PERSON FROM THE IEI'S COUNTRY OF ORIGIN APPLYING LEGALLY FOR ENTRY AHEAD OF THE IEI IS WAITING FOR DISPOSITION OF SUCH APPLICAT ION. THEREAFTER, APPLICATION FOR CITIZENSHIP SHALL FOLLOW CURRENT PROCEDURES FOLLOWING ISSUANCE OF GREEN CARD;
13) IN THE EVENT ANY IEI LEAVES THE COUNTRY WITHOUT COMPLETING THE FOREGOING PATH TO CITIZENSHIP, SUCH PERSON SHALL BE ENTITLED TO RECEIVE WHATEVER BENEFITS WOULD HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE FOR THE PERIOD OF TIME WORKED IN THE U.S. HAD THAT PERSON REMAINED IN THE COUNTRY.
14) FURTHER FINE-TUNING OF THE IEI SS REGISTRATION SYSTEM MIGHT STRETCH OUT THE RENEWAL DATES TO THE 3RD, 6TH, 10TH AND 15TH YEARS. ALSO, THERE MIGHT BE A POINT SYSTEM TO ENCOURAGE SCHOOLWORK, PROVIDING CREDIT TIME TOWARDS CITIZENSHIP FOR THOSE IEIs WHO DEMONSTRATE PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH, OR CERTIFICATES FROM TRADE SCHOOLS, OR OTHER EDUCATIONAL OR SPECIAL TRAINING CREDITS. THE MAXIMUM TIME OFF THE PATH TO CITIZENSHIP BASED ON EDUCATIONAL CREDITS SHOULD BE FIVE YEARS.
The foregoing rules /requirements are intended to encourage registration of the vast majority of illegal immigrants now in the country and to discourage employers and landlords from not rigorously complying with immigration regulations. Strengthening border controls will significantly reduce the numbers of new illegal immigrants, permitting the Government to get a "handle" on the identity of illegal immigrants now in the country. There is no requirement that illegal immigrants leave the country en masse, since, as a matter of fact, they are needed to fill the gap in the country's dwindling native-born workforce.
These proposed regulations are directed primarily to unskilled immigrants who have entered the country by stealth seeking only to improve their life and those of their families. Skilled and /or educated immigrant applicants, such as scientists, engineers, doctors, nurses, medical and computer technicians, are given immigration priority status and need not resort to illegal entrance. (Inexplicably, the federal immigration service is stringently enforcing immigration laws against this group of skilled workers --so this group comes to our schools, become highly educated and skilled, and then are forced to go home)
With registration of IEI immigrants, and their identity, location and origins known, there no longer should be any reason not to allow this population to receive IEI driver's licenses, if otherwise qualified. The minimum 20+ year wait for full citizenship, after an unblemished record of compliance with U.S. laws, immigration regulations and payment of taxes, should be ample basis to admit this population as our fellow citizens in a country built on immigrants.
April 11, 2009
The following thoughts on the issue of illegal immigration were first written in December, 2007. Nothing has changed since then. The issue was never raised during the campaign and, as of April 10, 2009. has not been mentioned by Congress or President Obama. All the following ideas and proposals remain valid today.
In addition, I do not believe the country can effectively deal with the proposal for a national health care program before resolving the illegal immigrant program. The numbers are said to be 37 million Americans without health insurance and from 12-20 million illegal immigrants who obviously also are without health insurance of any kind. So, as the following discussion points out, there are up to 57 million people in the USA who must pay cash for doctor visits and/or rely on emergency room health care and pay nominal amounts for such services while the insured population pays exorbitant rates and are charged exorbitant prices to make up for the nominal payments received from the uninsured population.
It would seem any national health insurance program must be tied to the SS # --the proposed IEI SS # would include the approximately 20 million illegal immigrants who would also contribute to the costs of national health insurance.
No Presidential candidate has put forth a comprehensive position paper on the issues /problems relating to illegal immigrants. The recent 2007 proposal in New York to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants is just the "tip of the iceberg" regarding the much larger question of how local authorities are to deal with illegal immigrants in the absence of federal enforcement of federal laws against this huge population.
Today, with few exceptions, there is, in effect, a "don't ask, don't tell" federal policy concerning illegal immigrants. As a result, there exists the following inconsistent practices and anomalies at both the local and national levels:
1) city and state police make no attempt to determine citizenship status of obvious groups of immigrants, such as day workers gathered on street corners, construction sites, landscapers, restaurant workers, farm and factory workers, etc. ;
2) landlords renting to foreign language speaking tenants without any citizenship reporting responsibility;
3) national banks taking deposits of cash and issuing debit cards without citizenship proof and no reporting requirements to the IRS or federal immigration authorities;
4) hospital emergency rooms providing medical care free or at nominal cost without citizenship proof or any reporting requirement to federal immigration;
5) the use of fake social security numbers (which acts to the detriment of the illegal immigrant since monies are paid in by the employer but benefits are never paid out);
6) businesses wiring money out of the country without determination of the legal status of the person providing the cash or any reporting to any federal authority.
These few anecdotal examples evidence the continued erosion of any distinction between legal and illegal immigrants or, for that matter, between illegal immigrants and American citizens. The near-absolute failure of the Government to actively enforce existing federal laws against illegal immigrants also raises a significant security issue regarding terrorist cells --local, state and federal authorities have no idea who is living "under the radar" in this country --the estimates range from 12-20 million.
What to do with this "underground economy" and national security risk? How long can this growing illegal population be ignored or debated without resolution? Is it realistic to think these millions of illegals can be rounded up and deported and, if so, who is going to take care of their millions of children who remain American citizens by virtue of their birth in this country? In fact, the overwhelming majority of these illegals are gainfully employed and actually ARE NEEDED to support our growing economy in the face of dwindling numbers of native-born Americans entering the workforce (as in Europe and China, whether or not enforced by Government edit, the fact is that low birth rates in both the "Western world" and China have resulted in shortages of workers in those economies).
One cannot answer the question regarding driver's licenses for illegal immigrants, or implementing national health insurance, without answering all the other questions posed by this population and resolving the inconsistent practices across the country regarding these immigrants.
A NEW FEDERAL POLICY /LEGISLATION DIRECTED TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS (INCLUDING EXPIRED VISA ENTRANTS) MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
1) A TIGHT, NEAR-PERFECT PHYSICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIER FOR BORDER CONTROL BACKED UP WITH HEAVY BORDER ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL;
2) ALL ILLEGAL ENTRY IMMIGRANTS (INCLUDING IMMIGRANTS WITH EXPIRED VISAS) ARE GIVEN A PERIOD OF TIME CERTAIN, BETWEEN 9 AND 15 MONTHS, TO "TURN THEMSELVES IN" BY APPLYING FOR A SPECIAL SOCIAL SECURITY CARD NUMBER BEGINNING WITH THE LETTERS "IEI" (ILLEGAL ENTRY IMMIGRANT). THE DATE OF ISSUANCE OF THE IEI S.S. # PLACES THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT BEHIND THE LAST PERSON APPLYING LEGALLY FOR ENTRANCE TO THE U.S. FROM THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN OF THE ILLEGAL ENTRANT;
3) THE IEI S.S. # APPLICATION SHOULD INCLUDE AT LEAST NAME, PASSPORT-STYLE PHOTOGRAPH, CURRENT ADDRESS, TELEPHONE AND CELL PHONE NUMBERS, EMAIL ADDRESS, LAST ADDRESS IN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN, ADDRESSES OF NEAREST RELATIVE IN U.S. AND IN COUNTRY OF ORIGIN , NAME AND ADDRESS OF CURRENT EMPLOYER AND NAME OF PERSONNEL OFFICER IF EMPLOYER IS OTHER THAN AN INDIVIDUAL;
4) APPLICATION FORMS SHOULD BE PROVIDED IN ALL POST OFFICES, POLICE PRECINCTS, BANKS, BUILDING LOBBIES, SCHOOLS, ETC. THE VARIOUS DMV OFFICES THROUGHOUT THE VARIOUS STATES
ALSO COULD SUPPLY THE IEI SS # APPLICATIONS AND WOULD BE CONVENIENT FOR SUPPLYING THE NECESSARY PHOTO. THE APPLICATION FORM ALSO WOULD BE AVAILABLE ONLINE FOR DOWNLOADING.
5) THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ALREADY HAS IN PLACE A PILOT PROGRAM FOR CHECKING SS ## ELECTRONICALLY. IT WOULD BE A SIMPLE MATTER TO INCLUDE THE IEI SS ## IN THIS SYSTEM., CALLED "E-VERIFY."
6) FOLLOWING EXPIRATION OF THE IEI GRACE PERIOD, ALL EMPLOYERS MUST OBTAIN THE S.S. # OR AN IEI S.S. # FOR ALL EMPLOYEES OR FACE A MANDATORY FINE OF $10,000 FOR EACH EMPLOYEE NOT SO DOCUMENTED, THEREBY ENSURING WITHHOLDING OF TAXES AND PAYMENTS FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS AND NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE;
7) FOLLOWING EXPIRATION OF THE IEI GRACE PERIOD, NO NEW ILLEGAL ENTRANT WILL BE PERMITTED TO APPLY FOR THE IEI S.S. CARD BUT, INSTEAD, SHALL BE IMMEDIATELY DEPORTED;
8) FOLLOWING EXPIRATION OF THE IEI GRACE PERIOD, ALL LANDLORDS MUST OBTAIN THE S.S. # OR IEI S.S. # OF ALL TENANTS OR FACE A MANDATORY FINE OF $10,000 FOR EACH HOH (Head of Household )TENANT NOT SO DOCUMENTED;
9) FOLLOWING EXPIRATION OF THE IEI GRACE PERIOD, CITY AND STATE OFFICIALS SHALL HAVE THE AUTHORITY AND OBLIGATION TO SEEK IDENTIFICATION AND, SPECIFICALLY, THE S.S. # OR IEI S.S. # OF ANY PERSON SEEN LOITERING, INVOLVED IN ANY INFRACTION OF LAW, CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OR REASONABLE SUSPICION OF SAME, AND ANY PERSON UNABLE TO PROPERLY DOCUMENT HIS OR HER ENTRANCE INTO THIS COUNTRY SHALL BE REPORTED TO FEDERAL IMMIGRANTION AUTHORITIES FOR DEPORTATION;
10) ANY IEI CONVICTED OF A CRIME MORE SERIOUS THAN A MISDEMEANOR SHALL BE IMMEDIATELY DEPORTED, WITH CANCELLATION OF THE IEI NUMBER AND NO ELGIBILITY TO REAPPLY;
11) THE IEI S.S. # MUST BE RENEWED EVERY 3 YEARS (5 YEARS?) UPDATING ALL ORIGINAL INFORMATION, INCLUDING CURRENT PHOTOGRAPH, AND IDENTIFYING THE CURRENT EMPLOYER AND ANY PREVIOUS EMPLOYERS, WITH PROOF OF ALL TAX RETURNS FILED OR REASON IF NOT FILED;
12) UPON COMPLIANCE WITH ALL RULES GOVERNING IEI STATUS FOR A TOTAL OF 15 YEARS, THE IEI IMMIGRANT SHALL BE ELGIBILE TO APPLY FOR GREEN CARD STATUS, PROVIDED NO PERSON FROM THE IEI'S COUNTRY OF ORIGIN APPLYING LEGALLY FOR ENTRY AHEAD OF THE IEI IS WAITING FOR DISPOSITION OF SUCH APPLICAT ION. THEREAFTER, APPLICATION FOR CITIZENSHIP SHALL FOLLOW CURRENT PROCEDURES FOLLOWING ISSUANCE OF GREEN CARD;
13) IN THE EVENT ANY IEI LEAVES THE COUNTRY WITHOUT COMPLETING THE FOREGOING PATH TO CITIZENSHIP, SUCH PERSON SHALL BE ENTITLED TO RECEIVE WHATEVER BENEFITS WOULD HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE FOR THE PERIOD OF TIME WORKED IN THE U.S. HAD THAT PERSON REMAINED IN THE COUNTRY.
14) FURTHER FINE-TUNING OF THE IEI SS REGISTRATION SYSTEM MIGHT STRETCH OUT THE RENEWAL DATES TO THE 3RD, 6TH, 10TH AND 15TH YEARS. ALSO, THERE MIGHT BE A POINT SYSTEM TO ENCOURAGE SCHOOLWORK, PROVIDING CREDIT TIME TOWARDS CITIZENSHIP FOR THOSE IEIs WHO DEMONSTRATE PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH, OR CERTIFICATES FROM TRADE SCHOOLS, OR OTHER EDUCATIONAL OR SPECIAL TRAINING CREDITS. THE MAXIMUM TIME OFF THE PATH TO CITIZENSHIP BASED ON EDUCATIONAL CREDITS SHOULD BE FIVE YEARS.
The foregoing rules /requirements are intended to encourage registration of the vast majority of illegal immigrants now in the country and to discourage employers and landlords from not rigorously complying with immigration regulations. Strengthening border controls will significantly reduce the numbers of new illegal immigrants, permitting the Government to get a "handle" on the identity of illegal immigrants now in the country. There is no requirement that illegal immigrants leave the country en masse, since, as a matter of fact, they are needed to fill the gap in the country's dwindling native-born workforce.
These proposed regulations are directed primarily to unskilled immigrants who have entered the country by stealth seeking only to improve their life and those of their families. Skilled and /or educated immigrant applicants, such as scientists, engineers, doctors, nurses, medical and computer technicians, are given immigration priority status and need not resort to illegal entrance. (Inexplicably, the federal immigration service is stringently enforcing immigration laws against this group of skilled workers --so this group comes to our schools, become highly educated and skilled, and then are forced to go home)
With registration of IEI immigrants, and their identity, location and origins known, there no longer should be any reason not to allow this population to receive IEI driver's licenses, if otherwise qualified. The minimum 20+ year wait for full citizenship, after an unblemished record of compliance with U.S. laws, immigration regulations and payment of taxes, should be ample basis to admit this population as our fellow citizens in a country built on immigrants.
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