The heated debate on immigration is getting fired up once again. Executive Director of Voto Latino Maria Teresa Petersen comments on the issue in her own words via her CNNBlog:
Our current immigration system is broken: eight years after the tragedy of September 11th our borders still aren’t secure and there are 12 million people who are undocumented living in the shadows of our society. This isn’t some fringe problem: chances are all of us interact with undocumented workers every day. Some may be colleagues, friends, and neighbors. Smart reform promises to bring these generally hard-working, decent individuals into the light where we can tax them appropriately and prevent employers from suppressing their wages (and thus wages for all of us).
There are still some who argue that we should round up the undocumented and send them back. This is an awful idea for many reasons, not least because it’s simply not tenable. What would a mass exodus of 12 million workers and consumers do to our economy, our schools, our tax revenue? The General Accounting Office (GAO) says a mass deportation of this kind would cost American taxpayers $47 billion – in other words it would bankrupt the Department of Homeland Security, not to mention the impact on businesses and communities where these folks live. I hope that President Obama can help us move the debate past these knee-jerk reactions to more sensible policies that make the best out of a difficult situation.
Here’s a great way to start: Congress should pass the Dream Act, which offers opportunities for promising children of undocumented workers to get an education and legally join our society. 30% of undocumented people in America are children. Instead of seeing that as a problem, let’s view it as an opportunity. These young people can grow up to be doctors, teachers, even members of Congress, if we craft an immigration policy that is best for America in the long-term.
Doing the math from a recent Congressional Budget Office report, had we passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill three years ago when President Bush proposed it, taxpayers would have made $66 billion in taxes, fines, and fees paid by undocumented workers. That’s just one more reason why we have to stop saying mañana when it comes to immigration.
Petersen appeared on CNN’s American Morning with former Congressman Tom Tancredo.
Sep 13 2009
Hello readers
I have read this article and I just had to comment. I definitely agree that we need to get these illegal aliens out of the shadows but send them back to where they came from. I guess no one here uses the words illegal alien. Anyways, I also agree that we don’t need mass deportations. We need the E-verify system to select these people out of the population. And if you think it won’t work, look at the case of Overhill Farms in Los Angeles. As long as employers are fined for hiring them, they will be let go and they will hopefully migrate to where they came from. Losing these people would not mean America loses 47 Billion dollars. Go to the Federation for American Immigration Reform andask them the billions they cost our country and the services they use up. Look at the polls that show people are tired of illegal aliens. And I hope the Dream Act doesn’t pass. No way are these people going to take away the seats from American college students. Especially in California where the Cal State and UC systems can barely keep the class they already have with major cuts. I am tired of people setting foot on our country and declaring themselves citizens and using our benefits just because they think they can.