Immigration Reform Coming in Some Shape or Form

By Amy Hart in News on Mar 31, 2006 4:45PM

Washington lawmakers are currently trying to figure out how to deal with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants who currently reside in the United States, as well as those who will enter the country illegally in the future, and the deliberations are not pretty. The whole debate has left a sour taste in the mouths of many on both sides and set off large immigrant rallies in Chicago and Los Angeles that were quickly and unfairly ridiculed by right wingers.

Last December the House voted for a bill that would, among other things, build a wall along the US-Mexico border, make being in the US illegally a felony, and make it against the law to offer assistance to illegal immigrants. Now the Senate is debating two bills, one focusing on law and order, and the other on eventually granting illegal immigrants legal status, an idea several conservative lawmakers are not too fond of.

So, what say our Illinois lawmakers?

House Speaker Denny Hastert said he is not a big fan of the guest worker program as presented by one of the Senate plans, but he is willing to compromise. Senators Barack Obama and Dick Durbin support the guest worker program and believe too many “get tough” measures would do more harm than good. The city of Chicago appears to agree with Durbin and Obama, as earlier this week the City Council decided it would not enforce any federal legislation that would designate illegal immigrants as criminals. This means that no city services would be conditional on immigration status.

Look, we know immigration is an increasingly important issue that invokes impassioned argument from both sides (complete with racist tinged remarks from the right), and steps need be taken to try to stem the tide, but we stand behind our city on this one. It is indecent to go after people who fight so hard to be in this country and are just trying to make a life for themselves.

As for the guest worker program, it is probably a good idea, but it seems that wanting illegal immigrants to do the work that Americans don't want to do is insulting to both immigrants and Americans. We have to agree with the Sun-Times' Andrew Greeley who today said of Americans, "(we) want to have it both ways: the benefits of a secondary labor market without the people who work in it."

A new study shows Chicago is very tolerant of immigrants, yet worried about the effects immigration has on the economy. The question we are left to struggle with is this - How do we reconcile human rights with maintaining our standard of living in this country?

And just so we don't get too deep on you for a Friday, here is the "Aliens Vs. Senators" video from last night's Daily Show, examining how the media has reacted to immigration reform.