By Andrea Pigneri
The United States of America is a country that has the world’s most prosperous economy, which is one of the reasons foreigners are tempted to emigrate to our country.
However, if too many people start living illegally and not paying taxes, plenty of damage could be done to our thriving economy.
It is a terrible idea to try and help accommodate illegal immigrants for an undesignated period of time. The problem is as we try and take care of the ones here now, more and more will come and use up taxpayer resources. Our country needs to stop helping these people, and instead make it easier to become a citizen.
More than 20 cities across America are implementing new policies and regulations that help illegal immigrants live illegally, rather than helping them become citizens. Here are a few of these new procedures that have been put into place.
One policy is that police officers cannot ask if people are illegal immigrants. The purpose of this rule is to allow illegals to be able to get police services and report crimes rather than living with injustice. Despite committing a crime themselves, they can attain full police coverage. Instead of ensuring that non-citizens have full police coverage, these people should be identified and naturalized so they can leave the shadows.
Some other services that are offered free to the illegal immigrants are bilingual computer classes, official IDs and free medical check-ups. The bilingual computer classes are provided to help educate immigrants on surviving in our technological culture as well as teaching them English. Basic examinations and certain tests, like HIV testing, are also given free despite considerable expense.
Another freebie is an ID card that gives them the ability to rent an apartment, get a job, a bank account and many other such tasks that require an ID.
These IDs do state that they are illegal, and are made in no way to help this person eventually become a citizen. I want one too, because it is like a coupon to excuse people form certain taxes.
This is obviously an enormous waste of tax money and a problem. However, the immigrants themselves are not the problem; our system is.
Our country needs to make it easier to become an American. The way the system should work is giving Ids for those coming into the country. This ID has the same benefits as the one described above, including a social security number. However, it should include a mandatory naturalization plan to make immigrants into citizens.
Also, these immigrants should give fingerprint samples to maintain their identities to authorities. Until they become citizens, illegal immigrants would also have to live at designated housing facilities funded by the government, and are required to check in at least once every day.
Remember, these people are not citizens; therefore, they do not get all the rights of citizens.
With the ID and housing, these people will have six months to attain a job, or face automatic shipment back to their homeland.
If anyone misses reporting back to housing for even one day, the consequence is immediate termination of any chance to become a citizen.
This will eliminate runaways, and if it does happen the government has fingerprints and a social security number to keep track of the people.
This method would be cheaper in the long run because it makes illegal immigrants become citizens, rather than just encouraging them to remain illegal. Because the standard is attaining a job, this ensures that the economy can remain stable as taxation will add to the government’s coffers.
Our nation’s glory is due largely to our great success in business. If the economy would improve with the addition of new employees, why else keep them out? This system also would ensure no free rides – either you are here and paying taxes, or you are gone.
My own great-great-grandparents came to America from Italy. However, they became legal citizens because they understand that if one wants to live here, one has to sacrifice just like everybody else to be able to enjoy the benefits of this country.
This is why it is imperative that our country makes it easier to become a legal citizen – to ensure that everyone is sacrificing their fair share of the costs to live here. A new system is paramount to making a better nation for both illegal immigrants and everyday citizens.
Andrea Pigneri is a junior in the master’s of business administration program. E-mail her at opinion@louisvillecardinal.com.
