> Immigration Reform: The Time is Now
Immigration Reform: The Time is Now
| Immigration Reform: The Time is Now February 7, 2006 When laws aren't enforced because enforcing them would be impractical, inhumane, or bad for the country, they need to be changed. Our immigration laws are all of those things, and the U.S. Senate is about to consider major reforms for the first time in 20 years. All of us have an important stake in them getting it right. For an issue that's been cast in black-and-white terms by many advocates, the facts are anything but. There are 10-12 million workers in the country without legal paperwork. The vast majority are working regularly, paying taxes, and supporting their families. They play vital roles in important industries that would be crippled in their absence by a lack of available workers. But they also increase numbers in school rooms and emergency rooms, and there's a sense that they aren't assimilating into the predominate culture the way earlier waves of immigrants did. There is no doubt that our immigration system is badly broken. But there is plenty of disagreement over what needs to be fixed and how best to do it. The U.S. Chamber believes that to fix the system, immigration reform must: Be comprehensive. Only one immigration bill at most will pass both chambers of Congress and go to the president this year. If we don't cover all aspects of the problem in that bill we will have wasted a vital opportunity. The last immigration reform bill was signed into law by President Reagan in 1986. Fixing the broken system will require a broad strategy that includes both strong enforcement and the creation of orderly, legal channels for immigration that serves our nation's interests. Provide greater border security. And not simply by building fences or adding Border Patrol agents. After all, spending on border security has risen exponentially in recent years, to little effect. Undocumented workers continue to find ways to come here in search of work and many of those now here illegally entered the country legally and simply overstayed their visas. Allowing workers we need to come here through an orderly and legal process with proper screening will allow us to focus more on those entering the country to do us harm. Establish a guest worker program. Our aging workforce can't keep pace with current job growth in all categories, including the low-skilled. Even if we could find enough native-born workers to fill these millions of positions, what about tomorrow? The demand for essential workers is growing much faster than our native-born work force. We will need to rely on immigrants to fill at least some of these jobs. A proper program can be constructed to meet this need when U.S. workers are not available. Ignoring this need would place a very real cap on the economic growth upon which we all depend. Combine stricter enforcement with reliable employment eligibility verification. Employers that knowingly hire undocumented workers should be punished. But the current system for verifying that applicants are legally eligible to work contains huge holes, and employers that try to second guess documents risk lawsuits. Promising technology is developing that could make it quick and easy to know who can be legally hired. Stricter enforcement will make sense when this technology is available and proven to work quickly and without errors, as part of a comprehensive immigration reform package. Address the 10-12 million undocumented workers already here. The millions of undocumented workers already in the country are essential to our economy. They play vital roles in the construction, health care, and hospitality industries among many others, including, of course, agriculture. Does anyone seriously think that the country will sit still while 10-12 million people are forcibly evicted, many of whom have lived here for decades, own property, and have children who are citizens? The disruption of their lives and our economy would be devastating. We must find a better way, one that doesn't involve anything that could be considered amnesty. Possibilities include having the undocumented pay a fine, present proof of employment, and show progress towards English competency, among others. A bill passed by the House late last year (H.R. 4437) starkly illustrates the wrong way to go. It would require all employers of all sizes from all parts of the country to verify that every one of their current employees is eligible to work here all 140 million of us! Penalties for paperwork violations would rise to as much as $25,000 per person. But on what will happen to the millions of undocumented migrants already here or how our growing need for low-skilled workers will be met, it says nothing. We need legislation that is fair, balanced, meets the needs of our growing economy, and meets the test of common sense. We will work for such a bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will take up the issue later this month. Our chances for success will improve dramatically with your help. Right now, we are asking you to: Join the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition (EWIC) that is working for sensible immigration reform; and Write your senators and urge them to pass legislation embodying the reforms described above. Both can be done at our new coalition website at: http://www.chambercoalitions.com/ Click on "Learn More" in the EWIC box in the upper right and you'll have all the resources that you need. If you'd like more information or just want to discuss the issue further contact Angelo Amador (202-463-5422, aamador@uschamber.com) or your U.S. Chamber regional office. This is not the easiest issue that we've brought to you but it is among the most important. You'll be hearing more from us as things evolve. Congressional Action is a periodic update produced by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Send questions or comments to action@uschamber.com or call one of our regional offices. |