Immigration: The problem that has no good answers... yet.

I have not talked about immigration on here for a multitude of reasons. The first being that I have zero qualification to do so. But I realized that I should at least get the ball rolling because, if nothing else this blog is a place for me to put some ideas out into the world, get feedback, and have a chance to reflect on what others think.

I decided to blog about this, after reading these posts:

• Immigration, Politics, and the Church - by: The American Papist
• Apartheid in Ann Arbor - by: Moonbattery via CMR
• Sent home for wearing the American flag - Sancte Pater
• Undocumented Fan Attendance Night - by: Pro Ecclesia * Pro Familia * Pro Civitat

If you were to ask me where I stand right now, I would say I really don't know. I think that unfortunately we are at the point that any real reform or debate is out of reach, because we have simply come to the point of political maneuvering. What I mean is that, our legislators and government officials are more worried about political gains, wins, and losses than actually devising a plan that helps fix the problem.

That being said, I will say that there is a problem. I think Thom makes some good points in his piece over at AmP. He first lists Archbishops Chaput's points (Thom explains their importance after the "/"):

1. Illegal immigration is wrong and dangerous for everyone involved.
2. The new Arizona law, despite its flaws, does unintentionally accomplish one good thing / the urgency of immigration reform and the human issues that underlie it / once again have moved to the front burner of our national discussions. Our current immigration system is now obviously broken. Congress needs to act.
3. No credible immigration reform will occur if the effort becomes an exercise in partisan maneuvering / If the immigration debate divides along the lines of party advantage and slogans / then real people will suffer. And nothing enduring will result.
4. Finally, we need to remember that America is a nation built by immigrants / The American Catholic community has a long history of welcoming immigrants and helping them integrate into, and enrich, our nation’s life.

So, objectors to the new law may think that I am all for the new law. I am not, at least not 100%. I think unfortunately what happened is that Arizona felt as if they were pushed into a corner, and this was their only way out. Think about cornering a dog, a child, or anything for that matter. Do they generally want to calmly talk their way out? No, they aggressively, and usually with ferocity, claw their way out. I am not saying that this is OK, I am simply explaining a reasoning for their behavior. 

So how do we move forward? Well again, Thom gives a list. He lays out the American Principles Project's Position on Immigration:

1. Strengthen Border Security
2. Prioritize Internal Enforcement
3. Legalize the Undocumented (a path for undocumented immigrants to earn legal status after paying a penalty and returning to the back of the line)
4. Create a Guest Worker Program (current work visa quotas are too limited and have been set arbitrarily by Congress)
5. Promote Patriotic Assimilation (immigrations should learn English, identify with America’s founding principles and study U.S history)

Will this work? I dont know. I don't see it being followed step-by-step anytime soon. The main reason being that there is still a racial and cultural divide in this country, and it is actually might be getting worse. Thom seems to think this list is pretty logical and makes a lot of sense. If you were to sit down and discuss the issue with folks from "both sides" you could at least agree on these 5 issues. But he asks the question I did above, in a different way: Why is the issue so inflammatory? He seems to think that a lot of the problem is in the deeply "un-Christian and... xenophobic" rhetoric that is used when discussing the issue. 

I think he is right in part. I also think that the racial divide I mentioned is problematic. The reason I posted this link: Apartheid in Ann Arbor - by: Moonbattery via CMR is to show that things aren't really getting better. The ends cannot justify the means. I won't sit here and pretend that things are fine, and equal access exists for all people in all situations. I know it doesn't, but Rawlsian - "justice as fairness" type programs cannot, and will not work. First and foremost they strike at the core of hypocrisy. If nothing else they inflame people to a point where they are unwilling to accept the solution. Secondly, they intrinsically contain within them the same prejudices and beliefs that created the problem in the first place. "Justice as Fairness" is one of those theories that a lot of folks work really hard on in college classes perfecting in some social situation to construct the perfect "method." Unfortunately, they might look good on paper, but are horrible in practice. 

So then how do we move forward? Thom stayed away from the Arizona bill, and I think I will too, at least for now. Sure, many could view this is a punt, but in reality examining this bill in a vacuum is pointless. The bill wasn't created in a vacuum, in fact it was created while in a corner. If you don't consider the fact that we are in economic hardship, that there are border violence problems, and all the other political and social issues that tie into this, then you aren't really examining the true problem. Are their those on the left that are making this a political issue? Of course, all the rhetoric about "Show us your papers"; "I might be an illegal"; and "Latinos look more Native than Whites" is simply inflammatory and misses the point. The right is doing the same thing though. They have exacerbated the problem by talking about extraneous issues that really have nothing to do with this debate. Thom lists things such as overpopulation and the environment as examples. 

We have gotten to the point that we are talking about this issue in sound bites. We have also let the situation get to this point because of some of the more lenient laws. Immigration is vital to the history and success of this Nation. We need to find ways to allow people to come to this country, live, work, and assimilate just like most of our ancestors did. At this point, I don't think there is a perfect solution, at least not one that has been forwarded by anyone. I think that to make this a MORAL issue aside from a political issue is to ignore the truth of the matter. I also think, that to make it purely political is to likewise ignore a major component of the issue.

Again, not to seem like I am punting, but if someone like Thom from AmP doesn't think it is right to comment on this, I surely am not qualified to do so. I did however want to mention something. I think it is important as Catholics and Americans to discuss this issue and find a good solution.  

Please feel free to comment on this issue, but let's do so in a productive manner. Also, be sure to keep checking in on blogs like AmP, CMR, and the rest. They do a much better job of staying on top of these issues than I do.