[February 01, 2014]American
border states like Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California have
all battled the influx of illegal crossings across their borders.
Many who cross illegally are people who are part of foreign gangs,
drug dealers, human trafficking dealers, gun smugglers and other
notorious lawbreakers from Mexico or other parts of the world.
Additionally, the officials of those states continually warn of
terrorists wishing to do the people in the U.S. harm who might be
crossing as well.
We have been told it is almost impossible to know who these people
are because there is a well-developed underground railroad of sorts
that supplies those who crossed illegally with forged papers and
other materials to help them integrate into the populations of other
states, get jobs or prove eligibility for some federal
or state entitlement programs. Yet, we are told it is against the law for
people to cross over into the country without going through the
proper channels through legal application.
With that backdrop of information that any reasonably prudent person
could understand, why does the current administration in Washington
continue to take the action it does?
After the implementation of the
Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, the president started pushing the "Dream Act" that allows for amnesty for these same people
who have crossed over the borders illegally. It really doesn't make
much sense to push it again, since the president essentially
circumvented the Congress after the Dream Act was defeated, by
issuing work permits and not allowing the deportation of illegal
immigrants who had been captured, which created an executive law that
mirrored the Dream Act anyway. He knows that he cannot be called on
that erosion of the separation of powers since Congress really can't
do anything about it as long as he has his backers in Harry Reid and
the majority of Democrats in the Senate.
The president's next big political push is to provide amnesty for
the groups of people who are already present in the country so he
can have Congress endorse and make legal his fiat Dream Act. Since
the administration has circumvented the laws on the books to have
various law-enforcement agencies cease the practice of returning
certain classes of these groups to their country of origin, the
essence of the act is there already; it simply lacks the
Constitutional process of making it a law. The administration has
brought lawsuits against states that have tried to enforce the laws
already on the books regarding illegal crossing to force those
states to cease enforcing those laws. The administration has
consistently pushed back on the call from many to secure the border
to stop the flow of illegal crossings. The administration has
consistently rejected any idea of having people produce photo
identification at the voting polls and has consistently fought
against state legislatures that have passed laws requiring such
identification.
What is the administration hoping to achieve by
taking this action?
Simply put, the president wants the credit for signing into law a
bill that would contain the elements of the Dream Act he has already
put into effect by unilateral executive actions. The giant problem
he faces, however, is the resolute resistance of the majority of
Republicans. The president knows if he could get a Dream Act
legitimately legalized by having a congressional bill he could
actually sign into law, it would likely create a "dream act" of
ensuring the election and re-election of Democrats for decades to
come. If 30 million illegal immigrants could line up for fast track
to citizenship, the Democrats know it would likely result in almost
that many being turned into voters, who likely would be Democrats.
Republicans need to hold their own if they are in
disagreement with the elements of amnesty. Due to the problematic
issues the president has incurred during the past year, he is
entering his sixth year from more a position of weakness rather than
strength. The American people have indicated they want the U.S.
borders protected and made safe from illegal entry. Obviously a much
stronger bill could be fashioned after the midterm elections if the
Republicans take control of the Senate and remain in control of the
House. Until then, if the Republicans insist that the president, with his
Department of Justice and Homeland Security, simply enforce the
immigration laws already on the books, it would turn the tide on
illegal entry. Of course, the Democrats and the president have
already demonstrated they have no intention of following the current
laws on the matter.
The Achilles' heel the Republicans are going to have to protect
themselves from is the clarion call from American business people
who are demanding more people to accept labor jobs that are paid
less than what many Americans will accept. When a person who has
entered the United States illegally, they put themselves at a
distinct disadvantage. Because of their illegal status they will
work for less, but working for less has its drawbacks as well. They
also place themselves in a position to become eligible for many American
entitlements that must be paid for by the American taxpayer.
Consequently, the business person does not have to pay more, since
the taxpayer picks up the bill for many services that must be
provided for the illegal workers, including medical care through emergency
room use, tax credits and even legal liabilities.
The positive
in
this predicament is for politicians, including Republicans. The
businesses that can have their bottom line enhanced by the current
conditions, paying lower wages to willing workers, and have the
American people pay for things the business person would be forced
to pay for with legal citizens, can make vast amounts of money
that allows them to spread it around to the politicians to keep the
status quo.
The bottom line: No matter how hard the president pushes for a
legitimate law that would give him a win for immigration reform, it
likely will not happen at least until next year, and then only if
the Republicans win the majority in the Senate and keep their
majority in the House. They will then do a reform that will satisfy
the American people and be beneficial to the Republican politicians.
Although even that reform might create an unhealthy smell to many
Americans, including those whose families have been waiting in line
to enter America legally, but have waited for years.
