Immigration Policy in Congress Looking at Wrong Problem

While the news stories dealing with the congressional immigration debate concentrate on the number of ideas bandied about, the American public should be focusing on real solutions for our weak borders and our clueless representatives. The legislation currently coursing its way through Congress is not acceptable.

We need to give short-term visas, less than five years, to the illegal immigrants and put a higher burden on their ability to gain future citizenship, considering they came into our country illegally. There is a reason poor Mexicans break into our country, and we should not force these poor souls to stay in their failing nation.

We need to force the Mexican government to do more for its citizens or use economic and political sanctions to show that Americans are not willing to deal with leaders who encourage illegal immigration into another nation. Congress needs to also strengthen our border patrol and build a sturdier defense system on our southern border, which should not be a problem with the hyper-awareness on homeland security that both parties have utilized since 9-11.

Finally, we need to make sure that our system of giving citizenship to legal immigrants remains strong and encourage an increase in legal visitors, workers and potential citizens into our borders. The rest of the world needs to know that we are open for business but that we won’t be held up because we have prosperity within our borders.