I hope House Republican leaders will surprise
me and prove me wrong when they release their Immigration Principles that
the news media have been hyping the last two weeks.
But from all the leaks from GOP aides and
interviews from GOP leaders, I'm not seeing much sign that their principles
will be "Ethical Principles."
I'm expecting instead to see "Expedient
Principles" designed to meet various political goals, to
please their corporate funders and to trick Republican back-benchers into
supporting them.
Are these really principled
"Principles" that the House Republican leaders have put
together? I've not heard a word that indicates their
principles recognize the need to protect the most vulnerable citizens
of our national community, for example. Again, I would love to be proven
wrong.
Here's a short list of ethical principles
that I believe should undergird all immigration policies. I propose these to
inform the writing and the implementation of all policies having to
do with both legal and illegal immigration.
Whether you are a constituent
or a Member of Congress, please tell me why any one of these should not be
an honored principle.
ETHICAL GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF IMMIGRATION
POLICY
1. PROMOTES THE NATIONAL INTEREST:
Just as every other country has immigration policies to protect its own
citizens, the purpose of U.S. immigration policy is to advance the national
interest in benefitting the citizens of the United States.
2. PROMOTES THE FAMILY:
U.S. citizens should be allowed to bring in immigrants through marriage and
adoption, and new immigrants should be able to bring their spouse and minor
children.
3. PROMOTES PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS:
Unless there is a compelling national interest to do otherwise, every part of
an immigration policy should be designed to protect the ability of non-working
Americans to obtain a job, and of those with jobs to earn promotions and raises
for their contributions to society.
4. PROMOTES THE MOST DISADVANTAGED:
Special attention should be devoted to ensuring that policies don't reduce
incentives for employers to recruit and train workers from U.S. demographic
groups with persistently high joblessness and poverty, including Black,
Indigenous and Hispanic Americans, veterans, the disabled, young adults, the
less-educated and ex-offenders.
5. PROMOTES ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY:
Policies should expedite the immigration of foreign citizens with extraordinary
skills whose presence creates economic opportunity for Americans while not
violating the previous-stated principles.
6. MEETS COMPELLING HUMANITARIAN NEEDS:
Policies should reflect the national interest in providing for asylees, for a
fair share of internationally recognized special needs refugees with no
long-term chance of return to home countries, and for some immigration
lawbreakers with compelling cases, provided other parts of immigration policies
are adjusted to help offset the harm these humanitarian admissions may cause
disadvantaged Americans.
7. PROTECTS QUALITY OF LIFE, LIBERTY and
SECURITY:
Since immigration policy, especially through its numerical level, can
profoundly and quickly change a community, it should be set by deliberate
actions, not by accident or acquiescence, with careful consideration to ensure
that it does not adversely affect the quality of life, security or liberty
of U.S. citizens and their communities.
-- ROY BECK is Founder & President of
NumbersUSA
NumbersUSA's blogs are copyrighted and may be
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Source:https://www.numbersusa.com/content/nusablog/beckr/january-23-2014/real-immigration-principles-house-gop-leaders-seem-prepared-ignore.ht
Comments: Amen.Norb Leahy Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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