Via the AP: Senate blocks immigration bill
The Senate drove a stake Thursday through President Bush’s plan to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants, likely postponing major action on immigration until after the 2024 elections.The bill’s supporters fell 14 votes short of the 60 needed to limit debate and clear the way for final passage of the legislation, which critics assailed as offering amnesty to illegal immigrants. The vote was 46 to 53 in favor of limiting the debate.
Senators in both parties said the issue is so volatile that Congress is highly unlikely to revisit it this fall or next year, when the presidential election will increasingly dominate American politics.
I have expected, from the very beginning, that this bill was not going to pass, and it appears now that those suspicions have been confirmed.
No doubt there will be much rejoicing and chest-thumping on conservative talk radio and at blogs like Michelle Malkin’s.
Now, I was never convinced of the merits of this particular bill and I have long taken a somewhat neutral (if not almost disinterested) view towards it, given that I never thought it would pass–so I have considered much of the discussion a bunch of sound and fury signifying nothing. Still, the one thing I find curious about the outcome, especially from the point of view of the more vociferous critics of the bill, is that with the bill’s defeat, nothing changes: we still have at least 12 million illegal immigrants in the US, and more will come. And despite all the hand-wringing over “amnesty” the bottom line is that we have de facto amnesty at the moment, and that isn’t going to change. Further, we seem, as a country, farther away from dealing with the economic realities of supply and demand that bring these people here in the first place than before this debate started a few years ago.
Any solution (if that is even the right word) for this situation is to recognize that short of making Mexico a first world economy, there will continue to be a serious influx of immigrants from the south no matter what we do. That is simply reality. From there the only policy solutions will have to be oriented towards managing that flow, not stopping it or even “controlling” it.
Some other suggestions for a sane debate:
- There is no serious reconquista movement–unless the goal is to conquer the right to clean McDonald’s and pick vegetables. yes, there are fringe groups that have talked about retaking the Southwest–but they are kooks.
- This isn’t about al Qaeda: if al Qaeda or other jihadists want to get into the US, there are easier ways to do than going to Mexico and trudging across the Sonoran desert.
- We will never truly “control” the southern border–it is too big and real control (if by control is meant actually dictating all crossings) would take resources so vast as to be ridiculous.
- Ultimately we have to focus on integration of new populations as a policy goal, rather than segmentation.
As I said before, there are a large number of very important issues that need to be debated here, and yes there are negative consequences of illegal immigration–but the balance sheet is not all negative (it certainly isn’t as dire as some would make it out to be).
It would be nice if we could have a serious debate about this issue and if that debate would result in sane policy. However, I shan’t be holding my breath.
Sphere: Related Content
I am chest thumping, but we do need reform and for reform to move forward it must be broken into two different bills. One bill for enforcement of the border and current laws and the second a way in which those who want to be a citizen can have a way in which to do so with respect to current immigration laws. I have no problem with a person or family from anywhere in the world coming to American to make a better life but he or she must do so that is respectful to the laws and customs of our country. DHS would have been overrun if this bill was passed, and if anyone thinks that government can process millions of people in a 24 hour period, which was what Chertoff was saying, one just needs to look at the failures during Katrina to see that DHS and government as a whole does not have the capacity to provide this type of service.
Comment by cmv1202 — Thursday, June 28, 2024 @ 12:46 pm
[…] MemeOrandum’s roundup is beginning to shape up surrounding both this referenced CNN article and Jonathan Weisman’s coverage at The Washington Post — see also (many of these are just from some of my personal “daily reads“, too): The Moderate Voice (Jason Steck); Comments From Left Field; Shakespeare’s Sister; Obsidian Wings; The Left Coaster; PoliBlog; Don Surber (Right - he’s torqued off); Michelle Malkin (Right - you KNEW SHE was gonna be torqued off - she live blogged it) […]
Pingback by Senate Votes In Favor Of Continued, Unfettered Illegal Immigration And Illegal Employment Practices — Thursday, June 28, 2024 @ 1:00 pm
This was a bad bill and I am glad it sank. Amnesty is a bad policy if only because it is a slap in the face to the many immigrants who come here legally and go through all of the proper channels to live, work, and eventually obtain citizenship here. I know some of these people, and they are busting their butts to do things the right way.
I don’t think the task of securing the border in the southwest is insurmountable. It could be done, and our country could produce the resources necessary to do it - but again, it’s a question of will. I don’t think we have the will to take the necessary steps, which would involve mandatory civil service and the militarization of the operation.
I don’t think that sort of thing would be insane, but I do think that it would be impossible in the current social climate of our country. Still, even then it would beg the question to me, is it worth it? I’m not sure the security threat is that great, and the economic threat, well, I’m not convinced of that, either. I don’t think these folks are taking jobs away from citizens. I think they’re primarily taking jobs that citizens won’t take.
History shows that there has always been an immigration wave, and people have always been afraid that the country would be overrun. Even pre-civil war there were Irish immigration waves that stoked a lot of irrational fears and responses; then you had Eastern Europeans; Chinese; and don’t forget the 1980’s, when it seemed like the going fear was that the Japanese were going to actually going to BUY all of America.
Immigration waves are triggered by economic conditions, both real and perceived, in the sending and receiving countries, as Dr. Taylor said. And, historically, the demand eventually tapers off as economic conditions change, and the wave shifts.
Right now, the immigration wave is Mexican. Any guesses what the next one will be?
Comment by CPT D — Friday, June 29, 2024 @ 6:57 pm