March 4, 2006
America Needs a Better Policy on Immigration
By Edwin
J. Feulner
Latin will never be a truly dead language -- at least not as long
as "E pluribus unum" appears on our money. That's our
national motto: "Out of many, one." We've always been
willing to open our arms to immigrants and help them become Americans.
But the unity
we once valued is unraveling.
In the past,
new Americans were welcomed with a solemn ceremony that matched
the commitment they were making to their adopted homeland. But
today's new citizens have no such uplifting experience.
To qualify
they need only pass a standardized, multiple-choice test, often
given in their native tongue. In fact, they're not required to
show much knowledge of English. If they can transcribe just one
of two dictated sentences (correct spelling and punctuation don't
count), that's enough to merit citizenship.
And the greater
problem is that too many people don't even go that far. Millions
of foreigners are living here today with no expectation of ever
becoming citizens. They're illegal immigrants.
It's impossible
to know exactly how many people are here illegally. But the Pew
Hispanic Center, a Washington-based research group, estimates
the United States hosted 10.3 million illegal immigrants in 2004,
up from an estimated 8.4 million four years earlier. That's an
awful lot of people doing all they can to avoid the American melting
pot.
Illegals
aren't coming here to take in the scenery; they're coming to work.
So the best place to fight illegal immigration is on the supply
side.
Employers
are already required to collect Social Security numbers from everyone
they hire and to withhold state and federal taxes from everyone's
wages. The federal government could start addressing the problem
by cracking down on employers who hire illegals.
We also should
make it easier for employers to fill vacancies legally, by starting
a guest-worker program that uses private-sector expertise to supply
documented workers. One way to do this is to allow job agencies,
licensed by the government, to set up shop in foreign countries
and issue worker visas to qualified applicants. Employers then
could hire the pre-screened foreigners, confident that they're
hiring legal workers.
We now have
the technology to track guest workers while they're in the United
States. Muslims traveling to Mecca for the Hajj have their retinas
scanned on the way into Saudi Arabia and on the way out, so the
Saudis know exactly who's in their country. Similarly, guest workers
here could receive an ID card and be subject to a similar scan
at any time, thus ensuring they don't overstay their welcome.
While implementing
these measures, the United States should take steps to improve
economies south of the border.
Workers flock
to the United States because they think that, even as illegals,
they can make more money here than if they were to remain at home.
Sadly, they're usually right, which explains the virtual flood
of humanity coming across our southern border.
But it's
possible to change that. U.S. foreign policy should encourage
Latin American countries to open their economies by selling off
government-run industries and help their governments create a
climate that respects individual rights.
Doing so
would help countries such as Mexico create more jobs, something
it desperately needs to do. On average, Mexico has created a mere
500,000 jobs in each of the last five years, not nearly enough
to make a dent in its unemployment rate. If Mexico can improve
its economy, though, people will have a reason to stay in their
native land.
The United
States is, and will remain, the land of opportunity. But we can't
afford to tolerate an underground economy, populated by immigrants
who are unwilling or unable to assimilate. By cracking down on
illegal immigration in a smart way, we can continue our tradition
of turning many into one.
Edwin
J. Feulner, Ph.D., is President of The
Heritage Foundation.
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1995 - 2006 The Heritage Foundation
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