The Politics and Possibilities of Immigration Reform
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-04-27/politics-and-possibilities-immigration-reform
People protest Arizona's tough new anti-immigration law outside the state's Capitol building, April 25 2010
Flickr user kevinbondelli
Arizona's tough new immigration law might force Democrats to push for an overhaul this year. A key Republican has vowed to withdraw his support for an energy bill if Congress gives priority to immigration legislation. A discussion of the politics and possibilities of immigration reform.
Guests
Angela Kelley
vice president for immigration policy and advocacy, Center for American Progress.
Laura Meckler
White House correspondent for The Wall Street Journal.
Mark Krikorian
executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies.
Comments
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But the key word here is illegal and if caught I hope you get sent back. If you don't want to come here the right way then don't come here at all.
You ever notice how npr and Diane always supports the left no matter what. They blame Bush for our economic problems but DUH didn't chris dodd and charle wrangle force those banks to make those bad sub prime lones? I sure didn't here them mention that. I wonder why.
One has to wonder when reading comments that immigrants should come here "the right way" or not al all. Here's how conservative columnist Jeff Jacoby desribed the problem in 2007:
"For most illegal immigrants, a legal option simply doesn't exist. Under current law, a young Mexican or Salvadoran who wants to improve his life by moving to America and working hard at a useful job generally has just two options: (a) Enter illegally, or (b) stay out forever. Several hundred thousand a year choose option (a)."
It may be that many who think these people should come here the right way honestly believe that such a way exists. However, I suspect others who express this opinion know that there is no "right way," but prefer to stand up for "law and order" to disguise the fact that they simply don't want "their kind" here at all.
I think this law will cause a lot of issues starting with racial profiling. Cops are going to start pulling people over that look as if they are Hispanic and say that they are illegal when actually they aren’t. The cops will be wasting their time pulling legal citizens over and trying to arrest legal citizens rather than taking care of actual crimes going on in Arizona. This law will start a lot of fights threw out the state between officers will to enforce the law and others that wont enforce this law because they think it is racist. This law is basically the Nazis Vs the Jews all over again only this time it is old white farmers against everyone that is Mexican or Hispanic. The new law is based off of racism. People should have to be afraid of being arrested because they are Mexican or Hispanic or even just because they look like it, and Sheriff Joe just loves the new law because he is racist. If you’re going to arrest people here in Arizona for being here illegally then shouldn’t you do it all across the country!?
I think that the new bill is wrong and very unconstitutional to the United States people. Yes illegal immigrants are bad to the economy, and yes the problem is bad, but who can be labeled as an illegal? In my opinion this bill was not intended to stop illegal immigrants but to give the police one more reason to pull people over. Many people of ethnic backgrounds have a higher chance to be pulled over just because there Hispanic or black, I know many people that this has happened too. Not all police do this but many of the counties that will enforce the bill are the same cops who pull people over for one reason only and that reason is race. I think there is a solution to fighting illegal immigration but something this unconstitutional, unfair, and just downright wrong. This is pretty much like slapping everyone in the face that has worked their way up and immigrated legally.
I think this new law that got passed by Arizona will help lower the population of immigration vastly. Because no one from Mexico is trying to get caught with harsher punishments in the U.S. Or the risk of deportation back to their own country. Although certain people from Mexico will have to carry proof of citizenship in the U.S. to prevent being arrested. I guess they want people to carry around their private papers allday and every day. That is hard to distinguish how if people are here legally or illegally. So that way of identifying someone is unhelpful and sort of discriminating Mexican Americans. I wouldn’t want a police officer to request for proof of citizenship, because that would probably be the most embarrassing thing to happen. Maybe they should train dogs to sniff out immigrants from the legal ones so that there is no confusion. Most people are in favor of the new law but some people oppose it greatly. But I am for the new law mainly so that there are more jobs available to Americans, rather than illegals.
I feel that this whole law is not doing anything more then what is already happening in arizona. People were still getting racially profiled before the law and people will continue to racially profile others. Its just a natural action done by humans. I dont feel though that people are going to get pulled over just because there mexican. Its just giving law enforcement the ability to arrest you if your illegal because the law enforces the being able to get arrested if your illegal. Nothing really is going to be much worst then it already is so i feel every one needs to stop freaking out and just accept it. Why complain if your legal?
I think there is a confusion amongst people as to how will they judge and know who is legal and who is illegal. Will it be based on skin color, ones dressing style, language and etc which is also unconstitutional. But my question is that if you are legal and you have the paperworks and if this is what it takes to keep illegal people off of our land then why are you so worried? Because its not just about drug wars. We pay for education. Illegal students are studying with our money. Maybe, we could have used it for our own use? They dont have car insurance. Well, guess who goes down both ways if you get in an accident with someone who is illegal? We don't get anything in return from them. First of all, doesn't matter if you lived here all your life but if your parents came here illegally and you are illegal too, then its a crime. No exceptions. Don't tell me people don't get the chance to come here legally. Millions of people from all over the world come here legally each year. I myself am a citizen of the U.S. I am brown. I wasn't born here. My family came here legally from Asia. If i don't have a problem to show my proof of identity when its necessary, because this is what we need in order to save this country then why is everyone else making such a big deal out of it? If you think you have been treated badly by an officer or they gave u a hard time then go to court. Take an action. Now it seems like the people who are born here and claim to "love" America don't even care. If you are legal, what are you scared of?
I think this law is stupid. All hispanics should unite together and stand for themselfs. i think they should find a new way to deal with this problem. i mean seriuosly you wouldent want to be seperated form your famliy so why is america trying to do it to mexicans that is just plain mean people that do are heartless.
This new law that just passed is ridiculous. This is not the way of solving this problem. It has been a sensitive issue for such a long time and for them to try to solve it, I do not think it is going to be as easy as they say. People are not going to just sit and watch while they are being questioned if they are citizens or not. They will get up and protest until there is some kind of solution or compromise, if you say. I think the law was put out the wrong way. People started to think it is racial profiling and unconstitutional. People come to America for a better life, to have the American dream that everyone wants a piece of. So why not give them a chance and let them be? Why do we have to make this law and separate families from each other?
If nothing else, Arizona's new law will move the discussion, and eventually reform forward.
Our current economy has done more to deter illegal immigration than any law has. I know illegal's that have gone home because there is no work.
When I next renew my drivers licence here in Oregon, I will have to prove I'm a citizen.
If I can't get a job without a drivers licence, or ID showing citizenship, I'll most likely go somewhere else.
Fist if you read the law it says cops can only pull over people who are in some way breaking the law such as running a red light or speeding and then can they check for id. But they can only pull you over if your doing something unlawfull. Read the the bill and then you will know the truth instead of spewing out lies and asumptions.
Fist if you read the law it says cops can only pull over people who are in some way breaking the law such as running a red light or speeding and then can they check for id. But they can only pull you over if your doing something unlawfull. Read the the bill and then you will know the truth instead of spewing out lies and asumptions.
Diane:
A really good analysis of this new law is in today's New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/29/opinion/29kobach.html?ref=opinion
Take a look at it, you may want to have this gentleman on the program.
For vikki...
Well, if there were a way for honest, hardworking Mexicans to come to the United States legally, they would use that mechanism. But there is not. Ellis Island closed once all the white immigrants got into the U.S.
One can say that U.S. immigration isn't historically racially biased, but it is a curious fact of history that immigration laws allowed any immigrant to come legally when the waves were overwhelmingly white, but once the majority of the immigrants became non-white immigration restrictions quickly followed.
There is no way for uneducated, but honest and hardworking Mexicans to come to the U.S. legally.
Dear Diane,
The law in Arizona, reworked and reworded, has me all but pulling my hair out with trying to understand exactly why our country is in the shape it is and wondering if an equitable solution could be ironed-out.
Personally, I feel the problem of immigration has been one which has been present in our nation for decades; under-enforced or not at all in some areas. But considering both sides of the equation; both from the illegal alien's perspective, who have families and pay taxes, and the citizen's perspective; would not a pragmatic compromise be in order?
Arizona's law will undoubtedly become "perverse legislation" to be cited as "unconstitutional," while Congress waits; being the only authorized party to make "appropriate legislation" to solve the problem.
Toward this end, perhaps if both sides had "clean-hands," it wouldn't be so difficult to arrive at a solution and both would have the end-result of being "legitimate." The only problem is the nation's "sociological perspective" which puts very negative stereotypical "profiles" of illegal immigrants, which maybe not deserved. Yes, I would agree to the statement that illegal immigrants broke the law by entering the nation by unorthodox means, but can we ethically ask or punish the illegal immigrants for breaking a law the government under-enforces or in some areas, does not enforce at all?
If both sides had "clean hands," the solution would be easier, but as a fair-minded citizen, forced mass-deportation would not be a solution to opt-in for. While some illegal immigrants might commit crimes other than being here illegally, others have families and have built their lives here. I would wage that the latter group would successfully complete any naturalization process, if it were available to them. And still, Congress waits while the negative stereotypes persist.
Very Sincerely,
Timothy Jones
Conway, Arkansas
Of course i'm not proud of what the governor did... Well i feel so embarrassed of being an Arizona citizen. That laws is clearly racial profiling. And i believe that no one came to steal job because immigrants didn't have to chance to study like americans and they work in everything. I am sure that if an american is offered a job for 7 dollars per hour he would never get it, would you? No you wouldn't. And immigrants do all the job white people won't do. They don't steal jobs, they take jobs that americans don't want to do for a certain amount of money. If criminals come legally to the country, immigrants are not the exception. What happened on 09-11? see what i mean!! I don't believe the governor is doing right because i am not going to like if a police or someone else comes to me and asks me for my papers only because i look latina or mexican. That is really racist and i do believe that the history is repeating itself. Remember the Holocaust because i have it very present!!
Enforcement of this law would be very difficult. The average US citizen does not ever carry any prove of citizenship unless traveling outside the US. The people that are going to be the most inconvenient by this law are by far American citizens that will be force for the first time to demonstrate they are citizens and law enforcement will be wasting a lot of time running citizenship check on US citizens.
The law does not define what constitute reasonable suspicions of illegal residence in this country. Most likely in Arizona it will be race but it could be anything that law enforcement can come up with. It could be hair style, type of clothing, the type of car you drive, the way you talk or as simple as the officer had a hunch.
What this mean for citizens is that unless you are in the habit of carrying your US passport with you all the time you could be detained until your US citizenship is determined. And if for some reason you forgot to take your drivers license that day this determination could be difficult since before you can prove you are a citizen/legal alien you need to prove you are you.
By the way, social security cards/number and drivers licenses are not prove of citizenship you can have both and still be and illegal alien so law enforcement will have to check with homeland security or other federal agencies.