Some folks criticize our elected officials in Washington for being a “do-nothing” Congress. And, with a 9% approval rating, who can love ‘em? But I’m more afraid of my rights (and my pocketbook) when Congress acts than when it doesn’t.
Well, it appears that, at least once in a while, the “do-thing” Congress does something in spite of itself:
Washington - Some 1.3 million illegal immigrants have left the United States since Congress failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform in the summer of 2007. If the trend continues, according to a new study, the nation’s illegal population will drop by half in the next five years.
I’ll believe the scenario described in the second sentence when I see it. But, still, there’s more good news. Even the so-called “token” efforts at enforcement by DHS (and I happen to be one of the few people who think Michael Chertoff is doing his best under very difficult conditions - conservatives claiming he’s in bed with Mexico and liberal advocacy groups screaming he is tearing mammas away from their babies) seem to be having some effect:
Moreover, reports the Center for Immigration Studies, young Hispanic immigrants began heading south before the nation’s economy did – a clue that what’s driving the new outmigration is a stepped-up border and workplace enforcement, not a souring US job market.
It should be noted that the group releasing the study is staunchly anti-illegal immigration, and others cited question the reasons for these numbers (the economic downturn is suspected by many). But there does not appear to be any dispute that fewer illegals are here now than last year.
The story repeats what has long been believed: There was a surge of illegals into the country when Congress was considering a “path to citizenship.” When folks like us helped defeat the amnesty bill, the “undocumented workers” started to go home.
And despite the snide criticism of Chertoff and DHS, the numbers are there:
When the Senate fell short on its last vote on comprehensive immigration reform in June 2007, the takeaway message for politicians on both sides of the issue was this: Secure the borders first. Since then, the Department of Homeland Security has beefed up security along the southern border and reported a spike in the deportation of illegal immigrants – 285,000 in fiscal 2007 – and nearly 100 employers of illegal workers facing jail sentences and very substantial fines, also a record.
Record enforcement numbers. Interesting. Who says illegals can’t be deported?
Moreover, Chertoff claims that, by the end of the year, the Border Patrol will be twice the size it was when President Bush took office. This blog will attest to the fact that I am no fan of “Jorge” Bush (as some call him) when it comes to his immigration performance, but I am not one to ignore facts shoved in my face.
In fact, Chertoff says it’s getting better on numerous fronts:
“We’ve seen a turn of the tide in terms of illegal immigration,” he told the House Homeland Security Committee, citing a “substantial” decline in apprehension of illegal immigrants crossing the border and reports that remittances through Mexico and other countries in Central America from the US are declining.
The story notes that even immigration advocates have observed more people leaving and fewer coming.
So perhaps, like a broken clock, even Congress critters can get it right once in a while. And to think: All they have to do is to do nothing.
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Please, let’s not stamp their hand so they can get back in without paying through the nose.
We are seeing a product of this, I think, with US Border Watch. There are still plenty of day workers here, but they are not getting the jobs as readily. When we show up, they are angrier. That’s a good sign. Every American who has contacted Washington in one form or another, held a sign, shouted, voted, gets credit for this
The best barometer of what is really happening with illegal immigration, is for a person to go to the closest emergency room. The one they would have to visit for an emergency. Do this about 8p.m. If the demographics of the emergency room have not changed to what they were 20 years ago. We still have work to do. Our big problem are those illegals who have a relationship here, and have had children.. Of course, some of them have second families in Mexico, but they will not have motivation to leave. I have no idea how to fix that problem.
Good work, Rick. There may be hope yet.
Until someone can actually give us a count on how many ILLEGALS were actually here before, this information is not very credible. I believe this is an election year feel good tactic. Get real.
I read an article a few months ago about how the new laws in Arizona and especially Oklahoma were driving the illegals into Texas. But they were not happy campers. The illegals complained that while they had worked every day in and around the large Oklahoma cities, they were only finding work a couple of days a week in Dallas, Houston or Austin. And they also complained that due to the competition from other illegals who had come to Texas because of the housing slump in other northern cities, they were making less per hour.
A couple of them said that if they couldn’t start getting daily work, although no one in Houston or Austin every bothered them, they would go back to Mexico.
Ah, poor babies.
The cure is simple. Make it so expensive for employers to hire illegals that if caught, they will risk losing their business to pay the fines and the lawyers to get them out of jail. It would not take a hellofa lot of businesses to go under with fines and legal expenses for the word to get out “It just ain’t worth it, bubba.”
Where there are no jobs, illegals will return to where they are familiar. Then end all the damn freebees that our government gives them.
Did this news upset the compassionate traitor-n-chief?
First and foremost, I know progress is being made and I very much accept and appretiate this progress. Chertoff, however, deserved every bit of criticism when he ran around the country telling conservative folks that they’d rather do nothing than something: ergo; accept Comprehensive Immigration Reform. His boss, George Bush, wanted it and so Chertoff pimped it. I have no idea of that’s what Chertoff believed or if he was under a directive to promote the Immigration Reform Bill or if he was simply giving his hand to help promote what Bush wanted to promote. Either way, he stood against what Conservatives wanted and fought for.
Once again things seem to boil down to Bush’s lack of communication to the people. There is every reason in the world Bush should talk about recent successes, the very ones you cited Rick. That would have a rallying affect behind Bush and Chertoff. But, again, people have to go to blogs to find out what’s going on. Bush was far more public about supporting Comprehensive Immigration Reform than he is now about cracking down on illegal immigration. or so it seems to me.
Actually, I’d say it was Conservative political activism that achieved progress on the immigration front. Also, as retire05 post # 6 reminded me, it’s been the cities and states that have initiated this achievement. Both Liberal and Conservative leaders have put tremendous amounts of pressure on the federal government to do something. It seems to have worked quite well.
Just my take.
One more thing. I’m no fan of McCain and I’m still “roller coating” my decision to vote third party or not. One thing here that stands out in favor of voting for McCain is that he’ll be much more susseptable to, um, “control”(?) than Obama on immigration.
And that’s an ugly reality to face isn’t it. It may have to come down to forced deportation even for those who have children here. On this issue I would indeed support deportation but AFTER THE BORDERS ARE VERY SECURE, I think I can compromise on those who can show they have come here and to make an honest living. To me that would mean little to no police records, have had jobs, children ave been in school, etc.
It isn’t solved yet. I was speaking to a friend of mine and he is trying to hire people. He said all he sees are fake licences and SS cards. He won’t hire illegals and is frustrated as all get out.
However any progress is still progress.
Let us not fail to acknowlege the declining economy as a factor in reducing illegal immigration. It is kind of the inverse of “Provide the jobs, they will come.”.
Simple
5. vlou
I’m curious why you would say that. This was not a government report. It is from a seriously anti-illegal immigration, pro-enforcement group. Since the government is still being criticized by such groups for insufficient enforcement, what would be their motive for falsely saying the number of illegals is decreasing?
Those numbers are highly suspect. The 12 million illegal aliens is just a broad estimate in the first place, so any report that says this estimate went up or down by 10% is a guess based on an estimate. No one really knows how many illegal aliens are in the country, and no one can tell you with any certainty if that number went up or down over the last year or so.
CIS interest in promoting this story is to bolster the claim that enforcement works to reduce illegal immigration. I would agree that the number of illegal immigrants has probably gone down and that the rate of entry of new illegal immigrants is slowing, but I do not agree that enforcement is the cause. Immigration is a market driven phenomenon and is responsive to market forces. Immigrants are disproportionately employed in sectors of the economy that are not doing well - construction and landscaping, in particular. Also, immigrants are very sensitive to these economic changes - if the market is not doing well, better to go back to Mexico and wait for the recovery than continue to pay the high cost of living in the US and eat up the family savings. When the housing market picks up again and the US economy gets some life, they will be back. A good job making good money is a powerful motivator.