How Do You Eat an Elephant?

There is a riddle that harkens back to my days in public school that asks, “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer to the question that serves as the title for my commentary is, of course, “One bite at a time!”

The Senate's massive immigration bill, S.744, is often described as simply being about amnesty for illegal aliens. In point of fact, there are many components to S.744, with amnesty being just one of many provisions by which the Senate bill, if enacted, would irreparably harm America and Americans.

Among provisions of the bill are ones that would import huge numbers of foreign high-tech workers who would unfairly compete with American workers. In addition to roughly tripling the number of H-1B visas, for the first time the spouses and adult children of these high-tech workers would also be granted Employment Authorization Documents that would enable them to take any job in any industry with equal entitlement to a job as an American worker. They would sail through the E-Verify Program.

Other provisions – too numerous to note here – would provide waivers of deportation for criminal aliens, and other components of the bill would undermine public safety and national security.

Now, members of the Republican Party who had stood against Comprehensive Immigration Reform are developing “weak knees” and are talking about passing a series of immigration bills. The Democrats are feigning hostility to this. In their heart of hearts though, they probably are eagerly awaiting the dismantling of Comprehensive Immigration Reform, knowing that by the time all is said and done, most of the provisions of the massive Senate bill will be passed piecemeal. When this process is complete, most of the provisions of S.744 will have been enacted, and America will never be the same.

Some Republicans are seeking to provide a bit of “political cover” for themselves by saying that if they were to pass immigration bills in the House of Representatives, their legislation would not provide illegal aliens with a pathway to U.S. citizenship, “only” lawful status and official identity documents to convey their legal status. This is nothing short of utter folly!

Perhaps these politicians have made this claim because they don't want massive numbers of immigrants to be able to naturalize and vote for Democrats – it is generally thought that newly minted citizens more often than not vote for the candidates of the Democratic Party. Or perhaps the politicians are trying to create the illusion that they are being “tough.” What they are completely ignoring are the findings and recommendations of the 9/11 Commission that noted that identity documents and immigration benefits were the embedding tactic of choice for terrorists.

Any massive legalization program would, of necessity, provide identity documents and lawful status for millions of illegal aliens who evaded the inspections process that is supposed to prevent the entry of criminals, terrorists, fugitives, spies and war criminals, as well as those who would displace struggling American workers. The beleaguered USCIS would not be able to conduct in-person interviews or conduct field investigations to verify any information contained in the applications.

Members of Congress need to be asked why they would want to massively increase the numbers of foreign workers from around the world, thereby creating unfair competition for record numbers of unemployed and underemployed American workers who, at least in theory, are their constituents.

These foreign workers can also be expected to increase the amount of money siphoned out of the American economy, exacerbating the national deficit and debt. It is estimated that last year roughly $200 billion was wired from the United States to Third World countries by their workers. India received an estimated $60 billion in remittances, making it the most successful Third World country in terms of money wired home by their workers in First World countries. Reports published on UN websites indicate that passage of Comprehensive Immigration Reform would result in even more money being siphoned from the U.S. economy and wired to the Third World.

Politicians from both parties must come to understand the magnitude of betrayal these provisions of immigration reform would represent to their oaths of office, their constituents and to America and the “American Dream.”

Mike Cutler believes more questions need to be asked of our elected leaders about immigration reform. He addressed some of the questions in The Washington Times. Contact your elected officials and ask them what they’re thinking about immigration reform.