An old proverb advises there are two things decent people should never see being made – laws and sausages. Both processes can be disgusting to watch. Immigration legislation certainly falls into that category. For example, the crisis at the border should be focusing the attention of Congress on immigration enforcement and border control issues. Instead, globalist Democrats and some Republicans in the House of Representatives sent two bills to the Senate with the transparent objective of avoiding the duty to enact any meaningful reform by creating two sets of amnesties. This allows them to side-step the controversial, but necessary immigration limitation and enforcement issues. The goal of legalizing some long – time immigrant residents is laudable and necessary, but should be part of comprehensive immigration reform.
The first bill (HR 6) is the American Dream and Promise Act, which would legalize the so-called Dreamers, though it would extend this protection far beyond those currently covered by the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and associated programs. Currently, only those children who entered the United States without authorization prior to June 15, 2012 (and their parents) are covered by DACA and associated prosecution deferral programs. HR 6 would extend the program to cover 3 million children, including children of other visa holders that ordinarily would be required to leave. Many of these are deserving of relief, but it again should be part of a comprehensive bill.
The second bill is more problematic. The Farm Worker Modernization Act (HR 1603) would allow up to 1.5 million farmworkers who have worked without authorization for up to 10 years to obtain temporary status and the opportunity to attain a green card and then obtain other employment. It would also grant amnesty to the employers who illegally employed them. The main saving grace of the bill is that it would require farm employers to use E-verify for their workers in the future. It also updates the visa programs for farm workers and strengthens protections for their wages and working conditions.
Again, both of these bills could be appropriate ways to bring these workers out of the darkness and give them the fundamental rights they need. However, the Senate should not take up either bill now until it considers a comprehensive immigration bill with effective limitations and enforcement mechanisms. I urge you to write or e-mail your state’s senators to ask them to table or vote against the two bills until it considers such a comprehensive bill.
