Subscribe!I haven't followed the issue too closely, so I can't offer a detailed opinion. However, I can offer some thoughts.
On one side of the issue are those who are opposed to a bill that makes it a felony to be in the US illegally and make it a crime to give aid to illegal immigrants. My question here is, why do we need to make it a felony to be in the country illegally? Shouldn't the person just be repatriated? As for making it a crime to help somebody, that's going too far. At least on an individual basis. When there are people in the country illegally who are taking advantage of state and federal resources, that is a problem. But a church giving food to someone in need, that's not a crime.
There are those who would like to reform the system to allow for a guest-worker program. The program would also give illegal immigrants a chance to work toward citizenship. The positive side to this is that it allows for employers to gain employees to do work that most Americans seem to think is beneath them (another issue all in itself) and it gives people a chance to become US citizens. While there are still problems with this, it is better than the current system.
The guest worker program is opposed by those who fear it would create an underclass of employees. However, what do we have now? By creating the program, it would mean more control over the minimum wages for the workers, as well as give employers the chance to offer health benefits without fear of punishment. As to whether these benefits to the program would come to fruition, that's still to be seen.
Those opposed to the bill in its entirety are insulting those who went through legal avenues to gain entry to the US and become citizens. If someone wants to enter the US, they should have to do so through legal means, not sneak in and then demand resources from the taxpayers of this country. While the current solutions proposed in the US legislature may not be perfect, they at least seem to be a step in the right direction.
