On Becoming American

In 1980 the United States accepted for potential citizenship over three-quarters of a million more foreign nationals than were taken in by all other countries combined. U.S. taxpayers spent $2 billion supporting refugees from Cuba. Haiti, and Indochina alone. Americans saw whole cities Balkanized into hostile foreign-language communities and expressed their disgust at illegal immigration in poll after poll. Twelve million “illegals” live in this country (as against two million in 1970), many from Mexico, where the waiting time for a legal visa to the U.S.A, is now ten years. In the New York Times, John Crewdson claimed that “practically anyone who wishes to and who can afford the passage can come to the United States, legally or illegally, and stay for months or years, if not for good.” Clearly, the new Administration has to face this problem.

It has been called insoluble. Every solution studied by Alan Simpson’s Senate subcommittee on the subject met some sort of liberal roadblock along the route. It was said that mass roundup and deportation would be illegal, as well as impossible for our Immigration and Naturalization Service. The reverse, Carter’s total-amnesty idea, was killed in Congress after due fury was heard from constituents. A requirement that illegals return to their home countries and apply from square one was opposed as overburdening consular posts overseas. Hispanics claimed that instituting a work permit, which seems reasonable enough, would subject those with Spanish surnames to unconstitutional search.

GW

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Geoffrey Wagner

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In 1980 the United States accepted for potential citizenship over three-quarters of a million more foreign nationals than were taken in by all other countries combined. U.S. taxpayers spent $2 billion supporting refugees from Cuba. Haiti, and Indochina alone. Americans saw whole cities Balkanized into hostile foreign-language communities and expressed their disgust at illegal immigration in poll after poll. Twelve million “illegals” live in this country (as against two million in 1970), many from Mexico, where the waiting time for a legal visa to the U.S.A, is now ten years. In the New York Times, John Crewdson claimed that “practically anyone who wishes to and who can afford the passage can come to the United States, legally or illegally, and stay for months or years, if not for good.” Clearly, the new Administration has to face this problem.

It has been called insoluble. Every solution studied by Alan Simpson’s Senate subcommittee on the subject met some sort of liberal roadblock along the route. It was said that mass roundup and deportation would be illegal, as well as impossible for our Immigration and Naturalization Service. The reverse, Carter’s total-amnesty idea, was killed in Congress after due fury was heard from constituents. A requirement that illegals return to their home countries and apply from square one was opposed as overburdening consular posts overseas. Hispanics claimed that instituting a work permit, which seems reasonable enough, would subject those with Spanish surnames to unconstitutional search.