Posted by
Sandra Lea Wise on Monday, May 21, 2007 8:03:48 PM
I’ve been listening to the conservative media's frenzy over the Immigration Bill. I haven’t heard this kind of madness since the Miers nomination.
Since the 2006 elections the Democrats have been the obstructionist party. Now the public will forget all about that, and it will be Republicans who appear to be obstructing immigration reform.
Here is the problem. Fourteen million illegal immigrants did not come here under the Bush Administration. Yet President Bush is the one trying to do something about the situation.
Anyone who thinks that mass deportation can take place is dreaming. There are two reasons that deportation won’t work. One, we are nearly at 100% employment. Losing all those workers would shock our economy. Secondly, the ACLU will step in and file lawsuits to prevent deportation. This would tie up our court system for years.
In Farmers Branch, Texas, for example, voters approved a measure to keep landlords from renting to illegal immigrants. As soon as the measure passed, the ACLU filed a lawsuit to stop the enforcement of the law. It will take years to resolve the issue.
The bottom line is that along with enforcement of the borders, a guest worker program would allow us to document who is coming in, and match workers with jobs that don’t get filled with American workers. This is not amnesty, no matter how many times it is repeated that it is!
I must say that I am completely dismayed at the knee jerk reaction in my party to this issue. Most people in our country want something done about the illegal immigrantion situation. The Party that stands in the way will be the Party that will lose.
The Democrats could not receive a better gift than this one.
Sandra Lea Wise