{"id":21538,"date":"2019-05-31T13:00:14","date_gmt":"2019-05-31T17:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.immigrationreform.com\/?p=21538"},"modified":"2019-05-31T13:03:25","modified_gmt":"2019-05-31T17:03:25","slug":"nobody-asked-me-but-here-are-my-answers-to-the-national-immigration-forums-candidate-questions-immigrationreform-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.immigrationreform.com\/2019\/05\/31\/nobody-asked-me-but-here-are-my-answers-to-the-national-immigration-forums-candidate-questions-immigrationreform-com\/","title":{"rendered":"Nobody Asked Me, But Here Are My Answers to the National Immigration Forum\u2019s Candidate Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It isn\u2019t often that FAIR gives a tip of the hat to the open borders National Immigration Forum<\/a> (NIF). This is one of those rare occasions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahead of the first of (far too many) Democratic presidential\ndebates scheduled for June 26-27 (two days?), NIF notes that only two\ncandidates, Juli\u00e1n Castro and Beto O\u2019Rourke have offered detailed plans for\nimmigration reform. They both amount to open border and immigration on demand,\nbut at least they are plans. NIF then challenges the remaining candidates (I\u2019ve\nlost count) to step forward with some answers to questions that might be on the\nminds of voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019re good questions, and deserve answers. And, while no\none has actually asked for my help, here, free of charge, are some shorthand\nideas for the remaining Democrats not named Castro or O\u2019Rourke in response to\nNIF\u2019s five questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SECURITY: How will you\nreduce illegal immigration and increase security along the border, at ports of\nentry, and in American communities?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, and foremost, we must end the numerous incentives we provide for people to violate our immigration laws and abuse our humanitarian policies. That means securing the border, including construction of border fencing that most Democrats supported until just a few years ago, and which 55 percent of voters<\/a> think would be an effective deterrent. We must also stop people from abusing our asylum system and our inclination to protect children. Fully two-thirds of voters believe \u201cpeople with questionable asylum claims\u201d should be barred from entering the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also need to do things to make it clear to illegal aliens\nthat they won\u2019t benefit from violating our immigration laws. Making E-Verify\nmandatory, ending sanctuary policies, and ending perpetual talk of amnesty are\nsome other good ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TALENT: President\nTrump wants more talented workers coming to the U.S. What is your plan to\nattract and retain the skilled engineer and the skilled farmworker?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The umpteen declared candidates who are currently members of\nCongress could beat the president to the punch and offer a bill that moves us\nto a merit-based immigration system that objectively assesses the country\u2019s\nlabor needs and provides those, and only those, workers who fit the\ndescription. Heck, they could even point out that it was a Democratic idea in\nthe first place \u2013 proposed by a commission chaired by Barbara Jordan (a\nDemocrat).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CENTRAL AMERICAN\nMIGRANTS: Given the increase in the number of migrants coming to the southern\nborder in recent months, primarily from Central America, what will you do\naddress the challenge both in the near term and long term?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short-term, see Question 1. We can expedite the termination\nof meritless asylum claims and require that people who are eligible for asylum request\nit at a legal port of entry and expect to await a decision on their claim\noutside the U.S. or in an immigration detention facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long-term, we need to hold the governments of sending countries accountable. The most basic economic and security interests of people in those countries have been systematically neglected by the ruling oligarchs for generations. Those corrupt political leaders are only too happy to have their people come here and send back remittances<\/a>. The surge of migrants is not just a humanitarian problem. It is a multifaceted social, political and economic crisis that requires a menu of sanctions and rewards based on the willingness of foreign ruling elites to correct longstanding problems in their own countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THOSE ALREADY HERE:\nWhat is your specific plan, that could win GOP support, for undocumented\nimmigrants already in the U.S., Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status\nrecipients, and those here via the Deferred Enforced Departure program?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right now the house is on fire. The first responsibility of\nour government, regardless of which party is in power, is to honor countless\npast promises to the American people that our borders will be secured and our\nlaws will be enforced. As far as those who are here because they, or their\nparents, consciously broke our immigration laws, or accepted temporary<\/em> protection under false\npretenses, talk to us after our government has demonstrated an ability and a\nwillingness to enforce laws that have already been enacted and uphold promises\nthat were made to the American people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DEMOGRAPHICS: Last\nyear immigration accounted for nearly half of population growth in the U.S. And\nin the face of the administration\u2019s hardline policies, economic growth is\nstarting to outpace growth in the labor force in parts of the country,\nproducing acute labor shortages. How would you address this challenge?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the saying goes, \u201cIf it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it.\u201d A tight labor market is good for American workers. Democrats are supposed to be the friends of the working people, while the Republicans are supposed to be the party of Wall Street, right? Real wages are rising<\/a> for the first time in a long time, so why mess with it by importing more labor? And, if there are actual \u201cacute labor shortages,\u201d they\u2019re likely to be very short-lived. According to a recent (Democratic-leaning) Brookings Institution report<\/a>, \u201cone-quarter of American jobs are at a high risk of automation.\u201d Importing large numbers of foreign workers whose services may very soon be unnecessary is not a good political or economic strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, there you go, Democratic candidates. Good luck, and if\nyou feel the need to thank me, you know where to find me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It isn\u2019t often that FAIR gives a tip of the hat to the open borders National Immigration Forum (NIF). This is one of those rare occasions. Ahead of the first of (far too many) Democratic presidential debates scheduled for June 26-27 (two days?), NIF notes that only two candidates, Juli\u00e1n Castro and Beto O\u2019Rourke have<\/p>\n

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