I am against special
treatment for DACA "Dreamers."
My first job in the
Foreign Service was as a vice-consul issuing visas at the American Consulate
General in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in the 1970s.
Every time I refused a visa to a Brazilian applicant because I thought
he might try to work illegally in the US, I felt badly because I knew if he
lived in Mexico, he could just walk across the border into the US. That was not an option for Brazilians,
especially poor ones for whom travel was expensive.
For immigrant visas,
two of the most important requirements were that the visa applicant have a
labor certification that he or she would not take a job in America that would
displace an American worker, and that he or she had sufficient financial
resources so that they would not become a public charge and receive welfare
benefits. Mexicans illegally entering
the US did not have to meet either of these tests. On the one hand, DACA advocates argue that
illegals only take jobs that Americans will not do; on the other hand, PBS and
other pro-DACA news media show many DACA candidates who are studying to be
doctors, lawyers, or computer scientists, or who have started successful businesses. Which is it?
It's some of both, but interestingly, many of the low wage Mexican
workers probably displace African-Americans.
Democrats don't worry about African-Americans, because they are
guaranteed to vote Democratic. To
assuage black concerns about losing jobs to Mexicans, Democrats will give them
lots of welfare.
The Democrats are
pushing for DACA because they expect Mexicans will vote Democratic and they
want as many of them in the US as possible to build up the Democratic base,
even if it takes a few years to get them the vote.
The American
immigration system has been broken for at least 50 years. It is sort of the reverse image of our drug
laws. We have relatively few immigrants
in prison, even for serious crimes, while we have many drug users in jail for
minor crimes. Both represent failed
policies and poor law enforcement.
We should be
somewhat concerned about hardships imposed on Dreamers; we don't have to put
all of them on buses back to Mexico tomorrow.
But we should enforce applicable laws in a humane fashion. While they are here, I don't think we should
give them lots of money, whether for subsistence, health care, or other
necessities. If they can't support
themselves, send them back to Mexico sooner rather than later, and let the
Mexican government support them. They
should also show some interest in becoming Americans, whether as citizens or
permanent residents, not just in working or going to school here because they
just happen to be here. The whole point
of DACA is that these kids did not want to come to America; they were dragged
here.
People say that
children should not be punished for the crimes of their parents, but if the
parents rob a bank, the children should not be allowed to keep the money their
parents stole. Allowing Dreamers to stay
in the US is a benefit for which they should be prepared to work and
sacrifice. If they don't want to, send
them back to Mexico.
I was concerned
during the government shutdown that the Democratic Party was putting the
interests of Mexicans (Dreamers) ahead of the interests of American citizens,
such as military veterans. The VA
hospital in Denver is an illustration of government's perverse priorities. Millions, maybe billions, have been paid to
contractors and other political donors to construct an empty building that is
an insult to veterans. While veterans
die, Democrats cry tears for Dreamers and shovel money out the door to help
them. I understand that Mexicans are the
future of the Democratic Party and that they must buy their votes now to
strengthen the party in future years, but it leaves a bad taste in the mouths
of Americans.
I do not care much
about building a wall. The wall is
symbolic. If we build it, it is concrete
proof that we are serious about enforcing immigration laws. If we don't build it, it means we will carry
on with business as usual, ignoring many laws already on the books.
