By Emory Cole / Herald Forum
The Federation for American Immigration Reform estimates there are more than 16.8 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. today, costing U.S. taxpayers in excess of $150 billion annually.
The debate about how to deal with the illegal immigrant population can be solved by using practical business sense. To encourage the illegal population to come out of the shadows and identify themselves requires a humane “carrot and stick” approach.
It is not unreasonable to provide a solution that requires undocumented workers to obtain a guest worker permit, which would include an identification card. The permit identification card would be a photo ID providing a method of identification for law enforcement, employers, schools, health care facilities and lending institutions. It could give guest workers some assurance that they would not be separated from their family, jailed or deported; that’s the carrot. Those who are in the country illegally and do not register and get a permit could be deported if caught and banned from any possibility of future citizenship: the stick.
A guest worker program would require the applicant to pay a registration fee that would help fund the program and should include family census information. A date certain would be established to apply once a system was established, or the current system modified. A permit could be valid for up to five years and each year the permit holder would pay an annual fee and update address and census information, similar to a business license.
Social Security taxes on wages paid to guest workers could be replaced with a guest worker tax that would further fund the program and, hopefully, make it revenue neutral. State drivers licensing facilities could be funded, staffed and equipped to facilitate the program and provide access to a guest worker database.
Undocumented workers who obtain a valid permit could be eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship after a time to be determined by Congress. They would not have special access or a fast track to citizenship but could apply and get in line like anybody else wanting to become a citizen under current or revised immigration laws.
Perhaps exceptions could be granted for enlisting in military service for our country and a means of naturalizing the “dreamers” could be considered in the process. There would be no “amnesty.” If a guest worker is convicted of a felony crime they would be deported. If every state adopted such a process it could eliminate any perceived need for “sanctuary cities,” thus ending the contentious funding debates between cities, states and the federal government.
Politicians should provide smart business solutions to benefit all, instead of creating animosity or pandering for votes. Some in government have proposed holding businesses responsible for hiring illegal workers, which is absurd so long as the government will not do its job, by law, to secure our borders and give reasonable incentives for illegal residents to become documented.
Emory Cole is a lifelong resident of the Washington, a U.S. Army veteran, small business owner for 44 years, former mayor of Mukilteo.
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