All Illegal
Immigrants Committed Crime and Must Submit to Our Laws,
by Dr. Sarah Condor, 8/29/16, Politichicks
As a practicing California attorney
and legal immigrant to the United States, I am well aware of the nuances in
immigration law and hurdles that those who want to “do the right thing” and
come here face. However, the fact that over 1 million legal immigrants are
naturalized each year is a testimony to the soundness of our legal system and
the fact that none of these hurdles is insurmountable.
Self-deportation means that the
person who has been here illegally will travel to the U.S. embassy in their
country of origin to request a visa. If you are not willing to do that, if you
are not willing to show the least respect for our laws, you do not deserve to
be here at all!
There is a myriad of visas to choose
from and possibilities are virtually limitless. Let us not forget that there is
seasonal demand in our industry for wage laborers and many people do not wish
to abandon their roots but simply come here for economic reasons. That should
not automatically entitle them to a path to citizenship or give them voting and
other rights.
Interestingly, “self-deportation” is
necessary for all immigrants. I myself (after two stages of visa extension and
modification) was forced to travel back to Europe, in order to request
permanent residency. I recall asking my attorney at the time if I would be
allowed back into the United States. He could not say for sure. I simply had to
take the risk, which was not insignificant, that I would not be granted
re-entry – even though I had produced all the requisite affidavits, diplomas,
certificates, University professors’ and former employers’ recommendations, and
even though I had an employment position and sponsor in the United States.
What is more, arriving in the United
States by plane is not as simple as it sounds. Everyone without the U.S. passport
and citizenship is “lined up” for a different entry and closely scrutinized.
When I was arriving here for the first time, I was held up at the airport for 6
hours, my two trunks were turned inside out and the more I sweated, the more
questions the 5 uniformed “yuge” African-American customs officers fired at me.
Naturally, coming from a former
socialist police state where police had unlimited powers, having been jailed by
the KGB… well, the shock was almost more than I could bear. No! I would bite my
tongue, force a smile, try to be as polite as I could – I grew up with America
in my heart, surviving only with that one thought: that one day I would live in
the Land of the Brave, the Home of the Free… nothing and no-one could stop me
from coming to where I belong! Those midnight hours on end with a banned
textbook of English learning forbidden language in the country of envy and
hate-filled socialists bore fruit, for had I not been able to answer all those
questions, I doubt I would be here now.
To say that our country is a “nation
of immigrants” is not the same as saying that our country is a “nation of
illegals” where anyone can come and is free to do what they want – burn our
flag, vote without understanding our Constitution, accept social security and
medical care without working or even speaking English.
Please allow me to reiterate – from
my own personal experience – what everyone who wants to “do the right thing”
and come here legally must show prior to applying for the Green Card: 1) a
proof of employment and employer’s affidavit (the employer must have advertised
the given position for at least 5 weeks to make it available to U.S. citizens
first – only if no U.S. citizen was interested may the employer accept the
non-citizen employee), 2) a sponsor (an American citizen who will vouchsafe for
the new “applicant-citizen” that they will not be a burden on the taxpayer and
our legal system), 3) proof of health (where every new permanent resident is
stripped, examined for any contagious diseases and possible drug use), 4)
self-sufficiency in other respects (mainly that they have where to live).
On top of these requirements, prior
to applying for naturalization, the new prospective citizen must show
allegiance to the United States (prior to my requesting Citizenship, I was not
allowed to leave the country for four years – not that I would even want to,
hard as it was to get here in the first place!) and that they are acquainted
with our culture and speak our language. The two latter requirements are part
of the “Naturalization Test,” which is very simple and a far cry from what it
should be in order to really make new citizens appreciate our values. In
particular, as to the English language, all that this “test” consists of are 3
simple sentences which the applicant is required to read and understand. I am
not sure if I was treated differently because I hold an MA in English and Ph.D.
in American Literature, but the INS agent was over “testing me” as soon as I
read one of the sentences. Like our borders, our language is the cornerstone of
our country and we all should be proud of it and speak and write only polished,
beautiful English – and insist that everyone else does likewise!
If someone says that our country is
a nation of immigrants, they must also say: immigrants who came here legally.
Ellis Island immigration records date back to 1855. From 1892 to 1953,
thousands of people were sent back to Europe based on the following criteria:
1) extreme poverty, 2) sickness, mental or physical weakness, 3) criminal
record, and 4) religious bigotry or intolerance!
That is what made us strong: the
selection of the strongest, toughest, hard-working people who mean good and
commit no evil. Why should we change our policy and laws to suit anyone who
does not meet these criteria today?!
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