“Who gets to come?”
By
Gerry Niskern
The argument about immigration in this country has gone on for years. Politicians use the problem on the border to make campaign promises they know they can’t keep. The situation at the border needs to be solved immediately and there is no excuse why our government, with its access to some of the best minds in the world, hasn’t developed a good workable plan.
It’s also been estimated that there are at least l2 million undocumented people living in the United States today. They need a way out of the shadows. Many have been here for years. They have bought homes, sent kids to college and paid taxes. Many benefits that have been deducted from their paychecks will never be realized by them.
The last Amnesty bill was passed in 1986 under President Reagan. At that time about 3 million illegals were allowed to become citizens. The bill expired and we need another one desperately. Everyone working in this country needs to be accounted for.
Immigration has always been a great social, economic and cultural benefit to this country. We have benefited from more innovation, stronger work ethic and overall economic productivity.
People want to come here for a better life for themselves and their families. They are willing to make sacrifices, work long hours and take jobs that U.S. citizens will not do in service and construction. They do not have an easy way of life! The birth rate in this country has fallen dramatically and we need these workers and taxpayers to maintain the social safety net in the country.
As the granddaughter of an immigrant, I feel a kinship with other immigrants in my everyday life. And when I stop to count them, there are a lot! My hair stylist is from the Philippines. A family that helps me with the yard, occasional house clean up, and other chores I can’t do any more are from Mexico. When I needed home care after surgery a couple of years ago, I had various women from Haiti, Brazil and parts unknown. My plumber is from Russia, two of my doctors are from the Middle East and the Cardiologist is Chinese. And the mechanic who keeps my l6 years old CRV running smoothly is Vietnamese.
This country of immigrants needs help. A workable plan to control the border and a plan for Amnesty to help the thousands of workers living in the shadows.