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Health & Fitness

Immigration: No Room at the Inn

If you were watching your baby starve, what would you do?  If you saw your sons try to go to school every day, but get harassed by the local gangs, what would you do?  If you were running for your life, with guns shooting at your back, what would you do?

 

Sweetness was a client from Haiti.  He was only 7 years old when the Gens d’Armes broke into his home and machine-gunned his mother to death, dragging his brother outside and beating him to death while Sweetness watched from under the bed.  When the militia finally left his house, Sweetness waited for darkness, crawled down to the banks of the sea, climbed into a small boat and made the voyage to the US along with other escapees. 

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Juan was a young man from El Salvador.  When he was only 13 years old, the local guerilla army entered his village and told all the young men that they had to join the guerilla army.  When some of the boys protested, the guerillas made the others cut off the hands of the resistors.  Juan refused, making the long trek to the US alone.

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What would you do?

 

Every day, mothers and children are escaping horrendous conditions in their countries; countries like Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.  They are watching their children die of starvation, of beatings and other unimaginable cruelties.  It is hard to watch them crossing our borders. 

 

It is even harder to tell them, “We only have enough food for our babies.  We don’t have enough for yours.”

 

This country was founded by original immigrants escaping religious persecution, seeking freedom of religion.  It is hard to say that we are a country founded upon the tenants of religious freedom, and then turn away families that are starving. 

 

Our country already has enacted a policy of political asylum whereby asylum seekers who have been persecuted in their country can seek safe refuge/political asylum in our country.  This policy has brought scientists, athletes and researchers to our ranks.  We also have a policy of Withholding of Removal whereby our government will not return a person to his/her country if it is likely that that person will be tortured or killed if returned.  We recognize a U-Visa whereby victims of crimes in the US who cooperate with local law enforcement have a pathway to legal status. 

 

We have tough economic times in the US right now.  Many people are out of work, others are struggling to support their own families.  What would you do if the situation were reversed?  What if you were the one holding your starving, beaten child in your arms?

 

Back in 2001 we had an immigration law that ended.  That law allowed almost all undocumented persons to pursue a regular immigration process and pay an additional fine/penalty at the end of the process right before obtaining the permanent resident visa (green card).  The fine/penalty was in addition to all the regular immigration filing fees.  In 2001, that fine/penalty was $1,000/person.  For a family of five, that added up to a $5,000 penalty.  Even if that fine/penalty were doubled or tripled, that could be significant additional income into the US coffers.  There are an estimated 11.7 million undocumented persons in the US. 

 

Just about 100% of my clients file tax returns in the US and pay taxes because they know that in order to become legal, they must pay their taxes.  Those who are undocumented are ineligible to claim refunds.  All of that refund money stays with our government. 

 

Aren’t there ways to make our immigration system work for all of us:  payment of penalties/fines, perhaps mandatory US military service, perhaps mandatory volunteer work, perhaps mandatory payment of back taxes for a period of time, perhaps mandatory government service?  Some people say that everything has a price.  What is the price of immigration reform?  Is there something that would make you sit back and say, “If all undocumented persons could do this for our nation, then I would agree to immigration reform?”  Is it paying a fine/penalty; is it creating one job for a US worker; is it creating 10 jobs for US workers; is it providing a service to our community or our nation? 

 

Are you the Innkeeper who has no room at the inn, or are you the person who finds room in the stable?

 

 

 

 

 

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