| For some reason, the mainstream media has been | | | | stronger and our foreign relations stronger. I'd mention |
| pushing "immigration" as a problem in search of a | | | | the additional tax revenues that could be received but I |
| solution. Why this "smoke and mirrors" issue is being | | | | seek to repeal the 16th amendment and abolish the |
| pushed so hard, in light of MORE sweeping legislation | | | | IRS. |
| being passed by the 111th Congress like the | | | | I would also vote to increase the number of temporary |
| Dodd-Frank Bill, is a bit disconcerting to me. The | | | | visas granted to highly skilled workers. |
| solution to immigration seems to be a self-evident one; | | | | I would vote to allow some immigrants to remain in the |
| simply allow any foreigner, without a criminal | | | | country while pursuing legal residency. |
| background, that is actively seeking work to stay here. | | | | I would support legislation that would require hospitals |
| Now please note, I am advocating freedom of entry | | | | to report illegal aliens if said hospital seeks state |
| and residency, and not "amnesty" or the granting of | | | | reimbursement for treating them. In addition, I wouldn't |
| U.S. citizenship. Anyone working here, that is producing | | | | make it necessary for hospitals to provide care to |
| or otherwise contributing to the overall economy | | | | undocumented aliens IF they can be safely sent back |
| should be able to freely. | | | | home country without a significant chance of their |
| If we had no welfare state, there would be few valid | | | | condition worsening. |
| arguments against opening our borders, assuming the | | | | On these matters, I tend to agree with Ron Paul and |
| foreign citizens weren't allowed to vote and they didn't | | | | would vote them same way he did. Where I differ on |
| have a violent or fraudulent criminal history. However, if | | | | Ron Paul is on the "anchor baby" issue and birthright |
| foreign citizens are allowed to vote, take food stamps, | | | | citizenship. I favor the American tradition of jus soli (law |
| Social Security, "free" medical care, and "free" | | | | of ground) tradition over jus sanguinis (right of blood) |
| education, then there are some very serious conflicts | | | | since I am a staunch individualist and I don't believe that |
| of interest. | | | | one's bloodlines, race, or language should be used for |
| Immigration is really a secondary issue. End welfare, | | | | OR against anyone and that people are by their |
| Social Security, Medicare, the progressive income tax, | | | | nature, born good. |
| the minimum wage, public education and the War on | | | | I would not support legislation to end our current "jus |
| Drugs and you will end the enmity towards immigrants | | | | solis' or birthright citizenship in favor of "jus sanguinis" |
| (assuming they aren't violent criminals). Keep those | | | | laws applied nearly everywhere else. The United |
| institutions and you create bad incentives. | | | | States is almost unique in our "jus solis" heritage and in |
| We are subsidizing illegal immigration with our policies, | | | | my mind it is a robust expression of individualism. It is a |
| and as Ron Paul says, "when you subsidize something, | | | | chance to break free of the chains of bloodlines, race, |
| you get more of it." Now practically speaking, | | | | language. I do see the problems presented by the |
| enforcement of laws dictating the deportation of the 8 | | | | "anchor baby" (such an ugly term) issue but feel that |
| to 12 million or so illegals is impossible anyway, but let's | | | | the answer lies in ending welfare, not pursuing jus |
| looks at some of the commonly raised arguments | | | | sanguinis. |
| against immigrants: | | | | There are obscure arguments to be debated whether |
| 1) "Immigrants take advantage of welfare and social | | | | or not America adopted the 'jus solis' from the English |
| services." | | | | common law tradition or not. I've heard many of these |
| SIMPLE SOLUTION: Make them ineligible for benefits, | | | | arguments and personally find them unsatisfactory or |
| and then continue to phase out these unsustainable | | | | convincing, especially with counter-factuals like Calvin |
| benefits for natives as well. | | | | More's Case, 77 Eng. Rep. 377 (1608) which held that: |
| 2) "An influx of immigrants can influences entire | | | | "the earliest, most influential theoretical articulation by an |
| elections." | | | | English court of what came to be the common-law |
| SIMPLE SOLUTION: Don't allow immigrants vote until | | | | 'rule' that a person's status was vested at birth, and |
| they have been naturalized. Sure, allow non-criminal | | | | based upon place of birth". |
| immigrants in as guest workers who can participate in | | | | Accordingly, in 1866, in the United States v. Rhodes, |
| the economy but do note allow them to vote. | | | | Supreme Court Justice Swayne said: |
| 3) "Immigrants take our jobs." | | | | "All persons born in the allegiance of the King are |
| SIMPLE SOLUTION: Understand whose jobs they | | | | natural-born subjects, and all persons born in the |
| really are; the employer's. The jobs belong to the | | | | allegiance of the United States are natural-born |
| person doing the hiring. If the employer can find | | | | citizens. Birth and allegiance go together. Such is the |
| someone willing to do the same or better quality of | | | | rule of the common law, and it is the common law of |
| work for less, can you blame them for hiring them? | | | | this country, as well as of England.... We find no |
| You wouldn't want someone tell you to pay a higher | | | | warrant for the opinion that this great principle of the |
| price for something you could find cheaper (or even | | | | common law has ever been changed in the United |
| for free), would you? | | | | States. It has always obtained here with the same |
| 4) "Immigrants comprise the majority of the population | | | | vigor, and subject only to the same exceptions, since |
| growth in the U.S., and this conflicts with the American | | | | as before the Revolution." |
| dream of 'affordable housing' (i.e., creates scarcity)." | | | | Either way, the Supreme Court of the United States |
| SIMPLE SOLUTION: Well, hire inexpensive labor | | | | follows precedent good luck changing over 110 years |
| (possible those legal foreign workers) to build more | | | | of jus solis without an amendment (now, if you're going |
| houses. Heck, you will also be able to sell them the | | | | to go through all the work to create a constitutional |
| very homes that they've helped to build, creating | | | | amendment, wouldn't our time be MUCH better spent |
| additional demand and jobs. By the way, the dream of | | | | trying to repeal the 16th?). |
| affordable housing has really only proven to be a | | | | Border security is a GREAT idea but some sort of |
| nightmare when quasi-government bureaucracies like | | | | American version of the Berlin Wall certainly is not. |
| HUD, Fannie, Freddie, or the Federal Reserve try to | | | | Eliminate all of our wastefully entanglements in military |
| solve the problem of "affordable housing". | | | | foreign affairs and work for a strong military solution |
| 5) "Terrorists may pose as immigrants to attack us | | | | that protects our borders from terrorism, criminal |
| from within" or "With immigrants come higher crime" | | | | immigrants, all enemies foreign and domestic, etc., |
| SIMPLE SOLUTION: Look to secure borders as an | | | | without comprising our liberties. If those who are here |
| alternative to expensive, wasteful military bases | | | | illegally refuse to file for residency or a work visas, or |
| overseas that only serve to create "blow-back". In | | | | have a criminal background that includes violence or |
| addition to saving incredible sums of money by closing | | | | fraudulent behavior, then yes they should be deported. |
| foreign military bases, a truly secure border would | | | | If they aren't criminals and have filed for residency or a |
| make enforcement of immigration laws easier. With | | | | visa and aren't taking welfare, then no deportation. If |
| regards to immigrants causing an increase in crime, | | | | fact, I'd even favor allowing illegals to stay while their |
| that is a myth. If you want to end the violence and | | | | residency or visa applications were being processed (if |
| crimes at the borders, end the illegal War on Drugs | | | | they passed a criminal background check, they weren't |
| (remember Prohibition? It required a Constitutional | | | | able to participate in welfare, and they carried private |
| amendment, which was repealed because it simply | | | | insurance so that hospitals didn't have to treat them for |
| didn't work and only created more crime). | | | | free). Failing a criminal background check or having |
| I am against Arizona style legislation since any move | | | | their application for residency or visa turned down (for |
| to require less evidence from law enforcement is a | | | | reasonable circumstances) would be grounds for |
| move in the wrong direction in the fight against tyranny. | | | | deportation. |
| The Arizona law reduces the burden of probable | | | | Shouldn't we eliminate all discriminatory policies based |
| cause to mere reasonable suspicion. This goes against | | | | upon race or any other arbitrary grouping and let |
| my goal to eliminate all discriminatory policies based | | | | people stand on their own individual merits? Shouldn't |
| upon race or any other arbitrary grouping (i.e., racial | | | | we encourage the free movement of labor and capital |
| profiling) since the only "suspicious" people will look like | | | | across borders, especially in a financial crisis such as |
| they are from Mexico, whether they are an American | | | | we find ourselves in? |
| citizen or not. This is not fair the the American citizens | | | | Shouldn't we begin the elimination of the welfare state |
| that may or may not look like they may be an illegal | | | | and entitlements programs, eliminating any bad |
| based upon some whim of a very human, and hence | | | | incentives someone may have to immigrate and |
| fallible, police officer. | | | | siphon off the system, and to put charity back where it |
| Incumbent Rep. Jason Chaffetz's Bipartisan Reform | | | | belongs; into the hands of churches, fraternal |
| Of Immigration through Defining Good Enforcement | | | | organizations, and mutual aid societies? |
| Resolution (H.R. 1026), or BRIDGE resolution makes | | | | Have we forgotten that the Founding Fathers of The |
| mandatory the use of E-Verify by business owners, | | | | United States of America were immigrants? Shouldn't |
| placing the burden of immigration enforcement not | | | | we always welcome refugees and those seeking |
| where it belongs, but upon entrepreneurs. This is | | | | political asylum from totalitarian regimes? Have we |
| anti-business and pushing off the responsibility of the | | | | forgotten that some of the greatest Americans of all |
| Federal government onto erstwhile business owners. | | | | time were immigrants (e.g., Albert Einstein and Nicola |
| I much preferred H.R. 4321's idea to legalize | | | | Tesla come immediately to mind)? |
| undocumented immigrants if they learn English, pay a | | | | Let's drop our unfounded fears of those people who |
| $500 fine, pass background checks and register with | | | | only want to enjoy the same freedoms that we do. |
| the federal government. However, since there are no | | | | Let's support the free movement of labor and capital |
| provisions to keep immigrants off the dole or mandate | | | | across borders! |
| that new immigrants complete the same naturalization | | | | Please help me make a difference in Utah's 3rd |
| process as those immigrants before them I wouldn't | | | | Congressional District, please donate to my campaign |
| vote for it (besides, I am sure there are other problems | | | | today! |
| with the legislation that I didn't see). | | | | Kind regards, |
| Greencards are granted to only 140,000 skilled | | | | Jake Shannon |
| workers per year, why? Why not allow all skilled | | | | Libertarian for U.S. |
| workers in? It would only serve to make out economy | | | | |