It only took a mini-government shut down to force the issue, but Congress is finally taking up the immigration debate.
They’re going to use Regular Order
One wouldn’t think that this would be newsworthy, but they’re actually planning to use “regular order” for this debate. You know, amendments. Voting on amendments. Letting members read the bill. No pre-ordained outcome.
Our world has become so crazy that it’s news that they’re using regular order. It’s supposed to be news when they don’t use regular order. That’s how upside down this process has become.
What the Republicans Want
The Republicans don’t speak with one voice, but what Trump has said he wants is (of course) funding for his border wall, an end to “chain” migration, and a redo of the lottery system.
So, let’s just look at the term “chain migration” for a moment. Propaganda at its finest. This is a term for allowing legal immigrants who’ve arrived on our shores to sponsor family members to come as well. Think there might be less opposition to it if we called it “family” migration instead of “chain” migration? Yeah, I think so too.[1]
Which Parts of the Economy You can Kiss Goodbye
Now, if the Republicans could succeed in slowing immigration to a trickle and getting rid of all those nasty illegals who have been clogging up our country, guess which parts of our current economy we could kiss goodbye?
- The farm industry
- The restaurant industry
- Eldercare
That’s right, because all of those industries currently survive on hiring illegals, and also on paying them under-market wages under the table. I mean, it’s okay if you hate illegals, but significant parts of our economy have been built on their labor. They’re all doing jobs that Americans don’t want to do.
I’m for legal immigration. That’s how my family got here. We did it the “right” way. But I’m not a big enough hypocrite to wish away all the “illegals” – and by the way, we could have a field day with the propaganda value of that term – and screw over the American economy, which despite itself, is working okay at the moment.
[1] For anyone interested in the details of the proposed plans, NPR has put together a nice chart, which can be found here.
