Border Town Perspective on Immigration Reform
Republicans saw how poorly they fared among Latino voters in November and know they have more than a year until the next election cycle. Many in El Paso say those conditions make the timing right for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform with bipartisan support.
Some lawmakers, though, demand more border security ahead of any discussion of reform. Those demands, many border residents say, amount to "meaningless rhetoric."
"This idea that we need more is just absurd," Fernando Garcia is the Executive Director for the Border Network for Human Rights, a grassroots organization based in El Paso that documents civil ...
Comments (10)
Buzz Mills
Is the border secure?....that would be a BIG NO....if it was, illegal immigrants would stop invading our country
Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector Monthly Apprehensions --- 316 miles (DHS/CPB)
-------------OCT---NOV---DEC
FY2013--8871--8355--6588
FY2012--6203--5513--4285
FY2011--3630--3624--3349
FY2010--4235--3690--2989
FY2009--5090--4259--3341
FY2008--5989--4696--3974
FY2007--5772--4549--3649
FY2006-10060--9111--7128
wiggl wagon
The penalty for employers of illegal aliens should be mandatory sentences of $15,000 fines per illegal worker and 2 years in jail without parole per illegal worker. That and deportation of the illegal workers would put an immediate end to the problem.
That is all the reform we need.
Charles Voith
El Paso politicians attempt to persuade readers that El Paso and the Mexican border are completely safe. Yet I continue reading AP and New York Times reports about high level Mexican Drug cartel members residing in El Paso because it's safer than Mexico; and bullets flying across the border and hitting University of Texas El Paso buildings; and El Paso residents getting whacked by drug cartel operatives after crossing to Mexico...just blocks away from the border.
I suspect the drug cartel hiding-out-loud in El Paso is similar to the mafia hiding-out-loud in Sicily...it is something El Paso politicians & police allow - to avoid Mexican drug cartel gang warfare in the streets of El Paso.
Brittanicus
The Liberal Progressives, who follow President Obama lapping at his every word, have associated themselves with the open border zealots. Emperor Obama has already overreached his authority and bypassed the Congress, but the Congressional house members hold the purse strings tightly so going over their heads will certainly be a stalemate. Although as far as I am concerned as an independent, he and his thrall have placed their dirty feet on the limits of constitutional law, that has led to the term sedition rising above the crowds in the legal population of these United States. Every organization and group pushing for a Path to Citizenship for law breakers to enact has their own agenda. In most instances it is nothing more than massive greed, when it comes to discount labor. That’s the plan of the business industry, which can exploit, pay minimum wage and no benefits; the large farming corporations who pay minimum wage, no benefits and ferry any injured worker to the emergency room, so they are not responsible for the health care of their burden to any of the foreigners who sneak past our border guards and are seeking work. Unions have been losing dues for years, as more American workers realize they don’t have to join the individual trade unions and pay dues to keep their big bosses in the height of luxury. The church hierarchy has its need to gain more people to fill their congregations, and some members follow the deacons, bishops without questioning their true agenda. I don’t think half the American populace even has the time to assimilate the consequences of another Amnesty as was forced upon them in 1986? The general public has been fed with mindless propaganda from the mainstream media, the U.S. administration, big business, organized religion, unions, and giant minority groups along with their radical entities. The U.S. Population are faced everyday with a whirlwind of problems in their family circle, what is carefully exposed by the press, TV and radio, along with word of mouth from friends who have been misinformed. What Americans has time to even comprehend rationally about the predicament on illegal immigration, when they are full of anxiety about gas prices, paying a mortgage, repairing a car, the registration, paying child support, insurance premium or for a baby delivery and so much more?
They have no conception of the cost of decades of irrational thought by the people we elect. But then when you are heavily influenced by special interest group that descend like locusts, converging on them in Washington, so what can the public expect? Have any of these lawmakers taken the time, to read the Heritage Foundation report of the 2.4 Trillion dollars it will cost today, to process all these 11 million illegal aliens who are currently settled here? That’s for 11 million; so what really is the true financial payout, for what pro sovereignty groups have estimate to be over 20 million and NOT the 11 million drummed in the head? Then do you think for one minute, that the people who are squatting here are not going to market to other friends and relative, to arrive here before Obama signs the bill into law? Then what happens to the 23 million of legal immigrants, the low income and others who have no job, working on a temporary basis or just dropped out looking? About 10 years ago (FAIR) Federation of American Immigration Reform in one of its considerable surveys came up with a conservative dollar figure, paying for the smuggled automatic citizen children, the pregnant women, the family sponsorship of chain migration? $113 billion dollars is not pocket change and it’s increasing every year, while our old, disabled, single mothers with kids, homeless are disenfranchised and with the safety net cut back to pander to the illegal alien invaders.
Have you ever wondered why health care cost so much for honest citizens? Why are taxes so high for honest citizens? It’s because of Illegal aliens. Everyone should receive needed medical care—in their home country. If the government enforced our immigration laws our young and elderly would receive more and better care. Instead criminals from foreign countries are stealing the very lives from our families. Thought you should know that while Democrats are being “compassionate” in helping illegal aliens, they are heartless when it comes to money and health care for Americans. “But while federal law generally bars illegal immigrants from being covered by Medicaid, a little-known part of the state-federal health insurance program for the poor, pays about $2 billion a year for emergency treatment for a group of patients who, according to hospitals, mostly comprise illegal immigrants. Most of it goes to reimburse hospitals for delivering babies for women who show up in their emergency rooms, according to interviews with hospital officials and studies.” So expresses Stephen Frank of California News and Views, daily report on the web.
California hospitals get about half the $2 billion spent annually on Emergency Medicaid. The rest is spread mainly among a handful of states.
In 2011, for example:
New York spent $528 million on Emergency Medicaid for nearly 30,000 people.
Texas reported 240,000 claims costing $331 million. (One person could be responsible for multiple claims.)
Florida spent $214 million on 31,000 patients.
North Carolina spent $48 million on about 19,000 people.
Arizona spent $115 million. It couldn’t break out the number of people.
Illinois spent $25 million on the cost of care to nearly 2,000 people.
The federal government doesn’t require states to report how many people receive services through Emergency Medicaid payments to hospitals.
Some groups say the services encourage people to cross the border for care, while advocates for immigrants say the funding is inadequate because it doesn’t pay for prenatal care and other vital services. You, the American voter are only separated from your state and federal politician by a phone call. Before even deciding on any ethical bill to give illegal aliens any rights at all, this administration must construct two parallel fences, on the same lines as the State of Israel. A bill passed into law in 2006, then underfunded, by two Republicans and a group of other lawmakers, so what we have is a fence not acceptable as a real barrier. There are still too many open, easy access areas with limited control. Currently there are two laws that could restrain illegal migrants and immigrants from converging on this sovereign country, THE LEGAL WORKFORCE BILL, a provision adding the E-Verify tool to detect and flag illegal aliens already working, or being hired, including the prosecution of a much more tough punishment on business owners. Additionally to reinforce immigration law THE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP BILL, to eliminate women who smuggle children into America to gain benefits as a foothold baby. An amendment would cancel this claim, unless one parent was already a citizen. As ugly as it seems the women become incubation units, to produce as many children as they can? That way they have a better chance of not being deported.
YOU WILL HEAR THE BODIES FALLING OF POLITICIANS, WHEN TAXES GO UP INEVITABLY TO PAY FOR ILLEGAL ALIEN FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND THE NEXT WAVES THAT ARE SURE TO APPEAR.
Cheryl Gonzales
Finally, someone asks El Pasoans for their expertise. They've created a beautiful tri-cultural world in their schools, government, and commerce for 100 years. Amigo state New Mexico also shares El Paso as their border crossing from Mexico. Also ask the citizens of McAllen, Brownsville, Harlingen, Chula Vista, San Diego, Yuma, Nogales, Douglas, Sierra Vista, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Laredo, and Las Cruces. Then, and only then, will I listen.
Anya Khan
I so agree with "wiggle" Fine the ones who knowingly hire illegals severely, and jail time. I have zero problem with legal immigration, but los illegals have to go.
Mary Steele
Protect unemployed legal immigrants and citizens which have the right to work and feed their family, which is curently being denied to them and given to illegal workers!
Mary Bell Lockhart
I fear that the anti-immigrant forces insert poison pills in comprehensive immigration reform and too many progressives buy into the fine print unaware of the reality they impose. The requirement to make a path for citizenship contingent upon increased border security is a major block. Rather than hiring more border agents as security or to bust immigrants or employers, why not hire agents to track a real guest worker program and to assist those on the path to citizenship? The other poison pills are requirements that, in order to get on a path for citizenship, undocumented immigrants would have to pay fines or back taxes. If they've been in this country working they've been paying taxes already. Who will come out of the shadows if they have no money to pay a fine or taxes they already have paid?
The reason for the poison pills is that those short on facts but long on hatred and prejudice just don't get it that immigration is NEEDED in this county. These folks ENHANCE our lives just as immigrants always have. They are a net PLUS for the economy. We should be finding a way to increase legal immigration so illegal entry or overstaying visas is unnecessary.
Rudy Gonzales
TEA-Republican's know they are in for one serious take-down in 2014 and need to get action taken to soften their hardened stance. The vociferous rhetoric belted out during the primary has gone viral in some areas along the border and the scarlet (L) for losers has been tattooed on their foreheads for many years to come. Border security has been doubled and tripled in some instances, but serious negotiations with TEA-questraitors has fallen mute in Texas. The TEA-Republican pronouncements that have been made over 70 years by Republican's who have morphed into TEA-types has radically change the perception of Mexican-Americans and American-Mexicans. Congress has not been conducive to fixing the problem which has been around since 1942. The "Bracero Program" which was in place from 1942 until 1964, provides the basis for the situation currently being discussed. Ronald Reagan signed a law in 1986 which failed to fully carry out the requirements. Hurdles and hoops, including fines, back taxes, years of waiting and learning English have been proposed. Paying back taxes is a no-brainer since that one issue alone will shut down this process. Imposing workplace requirements to shut down immigrant workers will not work as many will do menial labor and stay for their families. So many of the immigrants have been drawn to the Democratic party for their inclusiveness. Every effort they make in setting up road blocks and hurdles for new immigration as well as those who have been here for a long time has been fully documented and recorded and disseminated to the educated off-spring of immigrants with families here. The constant and repeated legislation to limit and infringe on voters rights across the nation are also noted and Hispanics from every nation will get that info and vote accordingly. And when Sequest-traitors continue their comments like "illegal immigrants" rather than use "undocumented workers" they feed the both ways on immigration reform. We well know the truth of the concentration of wealth in the hands of fewer and fewer people and the concentration of power in stricter, less compassionate hands. "Sweep your state Capital CLEAN....in 2014" "Sweep the House CLEAN....in 2014" "Sweep the Senate CLEAN....in 2014"
Meme Me
Why eat beans and rice in Mexico when you can have steak in the U.S. Out of the mouth of the man with two identities. Enough said.