The Center for International Policy, a Pro-Hispanic organization, has condemned the immigration bill that was recently defeated in the US Senate as “heavily weighted against immigrants… and unfair anti-immigrant measures.” See: Senate Bill a Step Backwards for Immigrant Rights | Report by Oscar A. Chacón
Likewise, The other side, could be summed up by Victor Hanson’s comments in IBD of Public Wasn't Fooled By Measure That Didn't Put Enforcement First .
Since neither side wanted this bill passed can I posit that the Congress really does not want to deal with this issue in a realistic way? For the sake of clarity, it was the American public who called, wrote, and pressed their representatives to kill this bill.
That said, I am standing on the law which states an illegal immigrant still needs to be subject to sanctions. It is not unjust for countries to protect their borders. We are largely a culture of immigrants who came to this country through what was, at the time, legal means. My ancestors came from Czechoslovakia and Russia to escape the communist fist. They did so legally.
Opening the borders is not the answer. NAFTA did not fix the culture of Mexico with the “have’s” and “have not’s”. Nor will it prevent illegal immigration. There is opportunity in the United States to find the dream of success but not with the promise to let the ends justify the means. Pete Wilson would say, “…the real issues were the rule of law, fairness to those who'd chosen naturalization, and assimilation of new citizens to be full participants in American life rather than just permanent legal resident aliens without the rights or duties of Americans. (http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=268612209588547 )
Face facts, the United States of America enjoys its prosperity because of who we have been. We need to control our borders so the life boat will not sink when there are too many hands on board. The United States of Mexico needs to fix their economic woes and the exodus of workers will cease. If there is no wealth in Mexico, then ask the richest man in the world today, a Mexican, how he became so rich. Maybe Mexicans have the answer.
