Immigration As Foreign Aid?

Grim's Hall houses a very thoughtful guy, who makes an interesting couple of points here, usually overlooked by those opposing the Immigration Bill.

...I can see why we might want to allow Mexican immigration to continue at roughly the same levels we've seen -- we can't afford a failed Mexican state, and US cash is propping up its economy. Even by the lowest estimates, we're talking billions of dollars.

The problem is that these amnesty bills don't recognize that our real reason for allowing this isn't a desire for immigrants, but a desire not to see Mexico collapse and have to deal with the fallout. As a result, any bill dealing with the issue needs to address that reality:

1) We need strong border controls. This is partially to ensure that we do have control of the border, which is the duty of a sovereign state. It is also a hedge against the possibility that Mexico fails in spite of our efforts to float them; and to deal with the criminal gangs already flourishing because of Mexican government weakness.

2) We need any "Z" type visa to permanently forbid the holder from ever pursuing US citizenship.

His #2 really forces one to think hard about the current (and flawed) interpretation of the 14th Amendment, by which interpretation anyone born in the US is automatically a citizen.

It also forces one to admit the possibility that many of the Illegals are simply NOT interested in US citizenship. This is critical, for the natural assumption is that the Illegals actually WANT citizenship here. And, given sensible (and much larger) quotas plus adequate screening, we're perfectly happy to accept them as fellow-citizens.

At the same time, a "Z" under Grim's terms means that we are (in effect) creating a class of legal untermensch--they may work; they may pay taxes; but they may not vote. Ever.

The reason for this is that we're allowing essentially unrestricted movement, in order to protect Mexico from collapse. In return for allowing them to export their poorest to us, and receive large sums of hard currency in return, we should be able to recognize that what we are doing is not "immigration as usual" but an emergency aid program.

That's fine -- I don't really hold it against anyone that they snuck across the border for work to feed his family, any more than I would hold stealing bread against a poor man.

Here's where Grim accepts (and explicitly approves) the "untermensch" conclusion:

However, we're accepting them at a speed and level that we can't assimilate. In return for being allowed to come here and get the work they want and need, they should be willing to declare that their alliegiance remains to Mexico, and forgo voting in US elections.

And here he acknowledges that "Subject to the Authority" shoulc actually exclude children of Illegals--(common sense to everyone except Immigration Attorneys and the SCOTUS):

We should also change the law addressing citizenship to undo "birthright" citizenship, and instead do what almost all other nations do, and restrict citizenship to the children of citizens, plus those who lawfully nationalize.

If GWB's "plan" is actually a Foreign Aid plan, he ought to say so. There's nothing wrong with proposing more Foreign Aid--especially to an immediate neighbor.

But there IS something wrong with disguising Foreign Aid as an "Immigration Bill."