Illegal Immigration Cheerleaders

Reading this over at the ICIRR website, I could almost sense their pom-poms quivering with fear.

Republican Speaker Hastert fast-tracks anti-immigrant bill;Democrat Leader Emanuel delivers key Democrat votes

They are referring, of course, to HR4437; the bill was introduced by James Sensenbrenner and passed on December 16th with a vote of 239-182.

First, ICIRR slams my pet peeve button right in the headline by referring to HR4437 as an "anti-immigrant" bill rather than and anti-ILLEGAL-immigrant bill. Then they go on to list some of their biggest complaints:

The bill would turn millions of hardworking immigrants into criminals by making unlawful presence in the US (previously a non-criminal matter) a felony.

About damn time. It isn't as if they weren't already breaking the law (hence the term ILLEGAL immigrant), this would just provide a stronger and much needed deterrent.

It would make anyone who provides any aid to an undocumented immigrant a felon (including relatives, lawyers, teachers, clergy members, and social service workers).

Good. Enabling or assisting someone in the commission of a crime is also against the law.

It would authorize local police to enforce immigration laws.

No! Say it isn't so! Giving the police permission to enforce immigration laws? What will be next? Allowing the police to arrest thieves or give a ticket to someone for speeding?

It would force employers to verify Social Security numbers, including those of current employees, in effect forcing millions of immigrant workers out of work.

Again, this is something that should have been happening all along. It may not be pleasant to have to start doing the right thing if you've gotten away with doing the wrong thing for years, but the right thing is still the right thing.

It would spend $2 billion on a nearly 800-mile long fence along the Arizona and California border.

That's a lot of money. If it works it will be money well spent. It will certainly work better than a line in the sand.

It would broaden many grounds for deportation and increase penalties for many immigration-related offenses

Terrific! If people can be deterred from coming here illegally, we won't find ourselves inundated by millions upon millions of people whose first step onto our soil indicated just how much respect they have for this country.

Abolish the Diversity Visa program, a major immigration program enables thousands of immigrants who lack a family or employer sponsor to lawfully come to the US

Wonderful! If you don't have a reason such as family already here or a job offer, then get in line. It's hard to get here legally, and it should be -- it's a goal of great value.

Until groups like the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights are willing to distinguish between legal and ILLEGAL immigrants, I'm just going to have to keep pointing out the vast and crucial differences for them.

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