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The Haitian Times
Has The Recession Solved Illegal Immigration? New York – A new Pew report says about jobs,” so it's ”unsurprising” that the unlawful immigration has dropped sharply influx has slowed to a ”relative trickle,” as jobs have dried up. Will this news cool Jay Bookman at The Atlanta Journal-Condown the red-hot immigration debate? stitution said. But that reduction won't Even as the debate over illegal immigra- solve the real problem: The ”overheated tion has heated up, the rhetoric” and ”hysteria” The recession has dominating the debate. actual number of unlawful immigrants crossing “ This isn't all about into the U.S. has shrunk given us a window to jobs”, Mark Krikorian by about two-thirds, National Review permanently solve the in according to the nonparsaid. ”The decline starttisan Pew Hispanic Cened before the recession, problem ter — with the nation's in response to the stirtotal undocumented rings of enforcement immigration population falling by ”nearly activity at the tail-end of the Bush admina million... between 2009 than in 2007.” istration, and then was accelerated by the And while there are several reasons for this economic downturn.” What we need to do ”first significant reversal” in immigration is increase Bush-style enforcement efforts trends since 1990, the biggest is the drying and ”see how much more we can reduce up of jobs. Has the recession alleviated the total before we surrender and declare America's immigration problem? an amnesty.” Anti-immigration ”hysteria” was never ”If Pew says it, it must be true!” based on facts The recession has given us a winIllegal immigration ”has always been dow to permanently solve the problem
All the ”major indicators... point to the economy as the principal driver” of the ”remarkable numbers in the Pew report,” The Dallas Morning News wrote in an editorial. But we still have 11.1 million
September 8-14, 2010
illegal immigrants, and more will come in better times. The only long-term solution is to build on this ”short-term progress” by finally passing comprehensive immigration reform.
Immigration Debate Weighs On Midterm Election Despite a drop in illegal immigration, could become legal residents and citizens the issue has again become the focus of only if they come forward, register with heated debate heading into the November the federal government, pay a fine and congressional elections. any back taxes, undergo a security check Democrats and Republicans agree that and get in line behind the people who enforcement could be better. U.S. Rep. have already applied to come here legally. Mark Schauer, D-Bedford Township, and While waiting, they would be allowed to his main challenger, Republican Tim Wal- remain in the U.S. berg of Tipton, agree that more needs to be Most Republicans and anti-illegaldone to tighten border security and punish immigration groups say this amounts to companies that hire illegal workers. But amnesty and rewards people who broke that common ground still leaves room for the law to come here. They also say it will disagreement on some immigration issues. encourage more immigrants to enter the A big reason for the renewed attention U.S. illegally. is the passage in April In a statement last of Arizona's toughestweek, Walberg said “Increased enforce- the first step in dealin-the-nation immigration enforcement ing with illegal immiment and penalties for gration is securing law, which is being challenged in federal employers who know- theHeborder. court by the Obama said that while administration. Other ingly hire illegal aliens is serving in the U.S. states are watching House, he supportthe legal battle close- important,” Walberg said. ed bills to increase ly as they consider border patrols. But adopting similar laws. Walberg has been Both supporters and opponents of the criticized for voting against a Homeland law, which makes it a state crime to be in Security budget bill in 2007 that directed the United States illegally, say it under- resources toward border security. scores the failure of the federal govern”We need more border agents, secure ment to solve the daunting problem of fencing and appropriate technology to illegal immigration. But there is a huge secure the border and protect Americans,” split over just what the solution should be. he said recently. Walberg said measures should also be The Debate passed that make it easier for people to The national immigration debate focuses come to the U.S. and find jobs legally, and on two issues: What should be done about then learn English and become part of the immigrants already living illegally in the their communities. U.S. and how should the U.S. increase its ”Increased enforcement and penalties border security? for employers who knowingly hire illegal In the Senate, Democratic leaders aliens is important,” he said. unveiled a plan in April, supported by Opponents of the Democrats' reform President Barack Obama, that would plans say they won't consider allowing increase border security, overhaul the visa illegal immigrants to become legal resisystem, install a biometric employment dents until more is done to secure the verification system to ensure that employ- border and fight the Mexican drug cartels ers hire legal workers, and create a path to that smuggle narcotics and people into the citizenship for illegal immigrants. United States. That last point creates the most controThe Obama administration began versy. Democratic senators and the presi- deploying about 1,200 National Guard dent have proposed that illegal immigrants troops to the border in early August, but
U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer, Democrat
Republican Tim Walberg
critics say that is not enough. Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., a past leader on immigration reform, and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., the minority whip, have proposed sending 6,000 National Guard troops to the border. Meanwhile, Schauer in August supported a request by the Obama administration for $600 million in emergency funding for 1,000 new Border Patrol agents, 250 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, unmanned Predator drones to patrol the U.S. side of the border, and other border security measures. ”While this is an important first step,” Schauer said in a recent statement, ”we must not lose sight of the fact that workers choose to cross the border illegally to find jobs.” Schauer has called for a crackdown on companies that hire illegal workers, such as Hallmark Industries, which allegedly hired undocumented workers to help with the Kalamazoo River oil spill cleanup. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said that spending will add to an unprecedented effort by the federal
government to secure the border. The Border Patrol is better staffed than at any time in its 85-year history, with the number of agents doubling from about 10,000 in 2004 to more than 20,000 today. Napolitano also cites statistics showing that the Obama administration has doubled the number of people assigned to Border Enforcement Security Task Forces, tripled the number of ICE intelligence analysts assigned to the Southwest border and begun screening all southbound rail shipments for illegal weapons, drugs and cash. Will Reform Pass? Few observers believe that Congress will pass a politically divisive overhaul of the nation's immigration system during an election year. Instead, it is more likely that Congress may pass piecemeal legislation such as the DREAM Act, which would allow illegal immigrant children to stay in the U.S. and become legal residents if they attend college or serve in the U.S. military. The story was first published in Gannett. com.