Immigration Enforcement and the Kitchen Sink



Doris Meissner, former head of Bill Clinton’s immigration agency writes in today’s Washington Post about a study issued by the Migration Policy Institute, that she co-authored. Her argument is that virtually all that can be done in terms of immigration enforcement is being done already so the time has come “…to better align immigration policy with the nation’s economic and labor market requirements and with future growth and well-being.” By that she means adopt a new amnesty for illegal aliens and increase legal immigration and temporary workers that are sought by businesses.

But, citing aggregate numbers of dollars spent since 1986 is misleading. Increases in expenditures are in part due to different timeframes and in part due to different budgetary categories, and relate in part to changes in the threat of international terrorism and in part to the costs of processing surging numbers of international visitors, foreign students and temporary workers as well as processing the increased numbers of criminal aliens being deported.

This argument is a flimflam designed to distract from the fact that the Obama administration has systematically been discarding any semblance of immigration enforcement in the interior of the country against the millions of illegal aliens who have taken U.S. jobs. The border is not secure because illegal aliens are still attracted by the ability to find better paying jobs than in their homeland, and the workplace is not secure against the continued flow of illegal aliens undercutting wages for American workers.

About Author

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Jack, who joined FAIR’s National Board of Advisors in 2017, is a retired U.S. diplomat with consular experience. He has testified before the U.S. Congress, U.S. Civil Rights Commission, and U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform and has authored studies of immigration issues. His national and international print, TV, and talk radio experience is extensive (including in Spanish).

8 Comments

  1. avatar

    It is quite problematic and reached critical levels when a college graduate is denied a government position up to 17 p/h because they do not speak Spanish. In Los Angeles, this is commonplace. The job goes to an illegal at a lower wage as well.

    Shameful.

  2. avatar

    It is too bad that even legal Americans do not want to live here any more. If all the illegals went to Mexico instead maybe those on fixed income would stay…

  3. avatar

    My solution; Instead of being angry with my government for deceiving me with regard to never granting amnesty again, after granting it “for one time only” in the 80”s. I have focused my real estate business on helping Americans living on a fixed income move to Mexico. I am showing people how to maximize their lifestyle and live better for less. I will help them get Mexican citizenship and enjoy all the freebies a government with no military expenditure has to offer. So check back with me in 20 years to see how Mexico is handling the influx of American and Canadian citizens turning into Mexicans living on the dole.

  4. avatar
    Living With Open Eyes on

    Well we’ll never stop everybody from drinking and driving so let”s just quit enforcing DUI laws. And that murder took place five years ago, the murderer worked, got married and had kids- so let’s give him amnesty.If we don”t start punishing and deporting illegal immigrants and their families they will never leave and will continue to bring more here.

  5. avatar

    You would think there was some chronic shortage of workers. Guess she’s been living in some cave and out of touch for the last five years. Our job creation rate is still weak and unemployment and underemployment still high and almost every economist agrees that situation is unlikely to change much anytime soon. How about we get those people off unemployment and working and paying taxes before we import workers that we DON”T NEED NOW and will likely never need. I may need a new car five years from now, but I’m not going to buy one now “just in case” while the one I have is just fine.

  6. avatar

    Let’s Sum It Up

    The Open Border folks errantly blame Americans for the world’s high birthrate [while America’s is down to 1.7 depopulation level], because we rely on their debt to this country and buy their product lines.

    Its America’s fault for their overpopulation problems.

    The answer: stop buying their stuff, depopulate America and we won’t need their debt money to pay for insourced overpopulation into America by the foreigners.

    Its that simple.

  7. avatar

    “…to better align immigration policy with the nation’s economic and labor market requirements and with future growth and well-being.”

    Not very subtle open borders gobbledygook. Jack, you nailed it. This so-called “study” is highly biased and was written to serve an agenda. The quotation implies that even higher immigration would be in the interest of the nation’s “well-being”. And did you see her quotations about being baffled that not everyone thinks enforcement is working perfectly. Straight out of Napolitano’s talking points about the border never being more secure.

  8. avatar

    I notice that the lazy, biased media is regurgitating this bogus report right on cue. This is part of the massive pro-amnesty, pro-illegal alien campaign about to begin.