Kriegsspiel wrote: ↑Mon Dec 19, 2022 4:57 pm
Like with most things, I think the best way to go about things is to start enforcing the laws that are already on the books (with one exception), then adjust them afterwards if needed. It's my understanding that the number of foreigners that are allowed to become US citizens is pretty small, there are some quotas on who we'll allow in, etc etc. Start with that and go from there.
I'd say the first order of business is to secure the borders against people just walking across, not just physically, but in preventing them from exploiting asylum and refugee customs to get in. I'm obviously not an immigration lawyer, but the one exception I mentioned are the asylum/refugee exploits where foreigners claim asylum/refugee once they get into the US and stay here.
I know we're off the topic of the original thread but...
I think we need to de-couple the issue of (1) securing borders/stopping illegal immigration from (2) re-organizing and encouraging legal immigration i.e. applicants, not people walking across a border. For a country struggling with labor shortage and wishing to grow tax base, we should want the latter and not sacrifice it in the effort to stop the former.
If a legal immigrant is willing to go through the procedures, make their case, embrace American life, start a business, take up gainful employment, pay taxes - that's just good business because those are things that help us all. If most of us look back in our own families, it usually should not take more than three, maybe four generations to find someone who fits this description.
I like the idea of putting conditions on immigration. Shorten up green card and driver's license expiration dates to align with immigration terms. Send them to places with economic and labor need for an initial term, maybe 5 years? What about a system approximating a parole officer who the immigrant checks in with every 6 months, verifies employment, that income taxes were filed? Maybe require night ESL classes for non-English speakers. If all that is asking too much, then don't take the deal and don't come.
Flawed logic or all around bad idea? Tell me why