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President Bush, a few like-minded Republicans and many congressional Democrats are working behind the scenes to craft a stealth amnesty plan for millions of illegal immigrants residing in our country. I say "stealth" because Bush and his allies are hoping that the rest of us are too distracted by Iraq and the sordid Anna Nicole Smith saga to pay attention to the festering immigration issue.
Their efforts come even though voters have made it clear to the president and his co-conspirators, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, that they want the federal government to control our borders before enacting a flawed "temporary worker" (i.e. amnesty) program that would legalize millions of illegal immigrants.
At the same time, so-called "immigration advocates" - actually, illegal immigration advocates - are protesting loudly because the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) is finally enforcing laws designed to control our nation's porous borders. Last week the Associated Press reported that "fear has gripped immigrant families across the country as federal agents raid neighborhoods, work sites and jails in a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration." Although AP reporter Juliana Barbassa attempted to paint a grim picture of the enforcement action, I think the opposite is true.
Ms. Barbassa began by quoting a child asking about an uncle who had been detained. But later, she quoted a well-informed ICE spokesman. "People who are in this country complying with our immigration laws have no reason to be concerned," he said. That says it all. As for the "immigration advocates," what part of "illegal" don't they understand? Massive amnesty for law-breakers isn't the answer to that question.
Since launching "Operation Return to Sender" last May, ICE has rounded up nearly 14,000 immigrants who entered the country illegally or were ignoring judicial deportation orders, detained 4,400 others at work sites around the country and identified 5,500 more serving criminal sentences in local jails and state prisons. In one of the biggest work site sweeps so far, more than 1,200 "undocumented workers" (illegals) were detained at Swift & Co. meatpacking plants in six states in December along with some of the company executives who hired and exploited them. I applaud these efforts to enforce our immigration laws despite opposition from powerful special interest groups.
What's ironic about President Bush's immigration policies is they don't satisfy either big business interests or labor unions. According to the Washington Post, "Skepticism greets a new federal program in which businesses avoid raids by turning over (employee) records." Under the new "IMAGE" program, businesses must submit federal employee eligibility forms to ICE for audits to ensure the accuracy of their wage reporting by verifying workers' Social Security numbers. Although ICE says such audits will let employers know whether their workers are legal, some business owners complain that the IMAGE program imposes onerous new reporting requirements on them without a positive quid pro quo in return.
At the same time, the Post reported that "(labor) union leaders are fundamentally divided over how best to tackle immigration reform ..." Some of them support a guest worker program that could permit hundreds of thousands of immigrants to enter the country annually to perform seasonal work while others oppose such programs because "they encourage employers to pay less, exploit immigrant workers and drive down working conditions for everyone."
In The Nevada Legislature
Meanwhile, in Carson City, freshman Assemblyman Ty Cobb, Jr. (R-Reno) has introduced a bill that would deny many state benefits - including drivers licenses and non-emergency medical care - to illegal immigrants. This bill should provoke a lively debate about how best to deal with a very costly problem, very costly because our state spends millions of taxpayer dollars on everything from free health care for illegals to free public education for their children. In fact, I'd like to know how much we're spending on free public services for those who don't pay their fair share of taxes. I also want to know what percentage of Nevada's jail and prison population is comprised of illegal immigrants, and what it costs to incarcerate them above and beyond what we pay for court-appointed public defenders and interpreters. Cobb's bill would require illegals to pay for these services, which I heartily endorse as a part-time court interpreter.
My experience in Northern Nevada courts over the past 10 years has convinced me that illegal immigrants, who make up well over half of my clientele, are heavily involved in drug trafficking and other criminal activity. In fact, I'd estimate that at least three-fourths of my clients are involved in the drug trade in one way or another, which is dangerous when our area's top law enforcement priority is an out-of-control meth epidemic. I hasten to add that most immigrants, legal and illegal alike, are law-abiding and hard-working people, but too many of them wind up on the wrong side of the law, and should be dealt with harshly in the courts.
The challenge at all levels of government is to control our borders and enforce our immigration laws. President Bush's massive amnesty plan - disguised as "comprehensive immigration reform" Ð would be a step in the wrong direction.
• Guy W. Farmer, a semi-retired journalist and former U.S. diplomat, resides in Carson City.
Their efforts come even though voters have made it clear to the president and his co-conspirators, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, that they want the federal government to control our borders before enacting a flawed "temporary worker" (i.e. amnesty) program that would legalize millions of illegal immigrants.
At the same time, so-called "immigration advocates" - actually, illegal immigration advocates - are protesting loudly because the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) is finally enforcing laws designed to control our nation's porous borders. Last week the Associated Press reported that "fear has gripped immigrant families across the country as federal agents raid neighborhoods, work sites and jails in a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration." Although AP reporter Juliana Barbassa attempted to paint a grim picture of the enforcement action, I think the opposite is true.
Ms. Barbassa began by quoting a child asking about an uncle who had been detained. But later, she quoted a well-informed ICE spokesman. "People who are in this country complying with our immigration laws have no reason to be concerned," he said. That says it all. As for the "immigration advocates," what part of "illegal" don't they understand? Massive amnesty for law-breakers isn't the answer to that question.
Since launching "Operation Return to Sender" last May, ICE has rounded up nearly 14,000 immigrants who entered the country illegally or were ignoring judicial deportation orders, detained 4,400 others at work sites around the country and identified 5,500 more serving criminal sentences in local jails and state prisons. In one of the biggest work site sweeps so far, more than 1,200 "undocumented workers" (illegals) were detained at Swift & Co. meatpacking plants in six states in December along with some of the company executives who hired and exploited them. I applaud these efforts to enforce our immigration laws despite opposition from powerful special interest groups.
What's ironic about President Bush's immigration policies is they don't satisfy either big business interests or labor unions. According to the Washington Post, "Skepticism greets a new federal program in which businesses avoid raids by turning over (employee) records." Under the new "IMAGE" program, businesses must submit federal employee eligibility forms to ICE for audits to ensure the accuracy of their wage reporting by verifying workers' Social Security numbers. Although ICE says such audits will let employers know whether their workers are legal, some business owners complain that the IMAGE program imposes onerous new reporting requirements on them without a positive quid pro quo in return.
At the same time, the Post reported that "(labor) union leaders are fundamentally divided over how best to tackle immigration reform ..." Some of them support a guest worker program that could permit hundreds of thousands of immigrants to enter the country annually to perform seasonal work while others oppose such programs because "they encourage employers to pay less, exploit immigrant workers and drive down working conditions for everyone."
In The Nevada Legislature
Meanwhile, in Carson City, freshman Assemblyman Ty Cobb, Jr. (R-Reno) has introduced a bill that would deny many state benefits - including drivers licenses and non-emergency medical care - to illegal immigrants. This bill should provoke a lively debate about how best to deal with a very costly problem, very costly because our state spends millions of taxpayer dollars on everything from free health care for illegals to free public education for their children. In fact, I'd like to know how much we're spending on free public services for those who don't pay their fair share of taxes. I also want to know what percentage of Nevada's jail and prison population is comprised of illegal immigrants, and what it costs to incarcerate them above and beyond what we pay for court-appointed public defenders and interpreters. Cobb's bill would require illegals to pay for these services, which I heartily endorse as a part-time court interpreter.
My experience in Northern Nevada courts over the past 10 years has convinced me that illegal immigrants, who make up well over half of my clientele, are heavily involved in drug trafficking and other criminal activity. In fact, I'd estimate that at least three-fourths of my clients are involved in the drug trade in one way or another, which is dangerous when our area's top law enforcement priority is an out-of-control meth epidemic. I hasten to add that most immigrants, legal and illegal alike, are law-abiding and hard-working people, but too many of them wind up on the wrong side of the law, and should be dealt with harshly in the courts.
The challenge at all levels of government is to control our borders and enforce our immigration laws. President Bush's massive amnesty plan - disguised as "comprehensive immigration reform" Ð would be a step in the wrong direction.
• Guy W. Farmer, a semi-retired journalist and former U.S. diplomat, resides in Carson City.
