文章基本信息

标题：Rules of the game
作者：Cameron Adamson Central Valley
期刊名称：Spokesman Review, The (Spokane)
出版年度：2004
卷号：Feb 2, 2004
出版社：Cowles Publishing Co.

Rules of the game

Cameron Adamson Central Valley

Pro

Sometimes the people you think are the most predictable can surprise you.

That was certainly my reaction when President Bush announced he would let illegal immigrants apply for three-year work permits. But the more I thought about the proposal, the more sense it made.

While I disagree with many of the things Bush has done, I think this plan is a good one. The problem the United States has with illegal immigrants is complex. More and more immigrants come into our country every day. And every day it becomes increasingly difficult to stop the flow of illegal immigration.

It's almost like trying to hold water in a strainer.

To eradicate the problem is nearly impossible. Should we open the borders and let everybody in because many are getting through? Absolutely not. But the fact is that they are coming through, with no immediate solution in sight.

Many or most of these illegal immigrants come to find work. The jobs these workers fill are usually not easy or fun ones. Currently, the government issues a dismal 140,000 green cards a year. This is simply not enough. What really needs to happen is for this number to increase significantly, so that people aiming to improve their lives have a better choice than crossing the border illegally.

The jobs these illegal immigrants are taking involve long, hard hours of work at minimum wage. Although the immigrants are here illegally, many come in search of these undesirable jobs that other people just don't want. To track these people down and deport them at a rate some 10 times slower than the rate they are coming in is pointless. Yet that is what we do.

President Bush's law would allow these people to stay. Their employer must first show proof that they tried unsuccessfully to hire legal American citizens. Then the immigrants would be given threeyear visas. Once granted the permit, the immigrant can leave the country to visit family - something not possible for an illegal immigrant.

This is an issue with some serious pros and cons. But when you consider that these people are searching for a better life - and our country is searching for a longterm solution - it's clear that this is a good choice for now.