Immigration Control

The Senate is working on a bill that has no chance in Hades of passing in the House, and the House passed a bill that doesn't stand a chance of passing the Senate. And God knows what mess will result when a conference committee gets both bills.

What Bush should do is propose a new bill, and say he will sign it only if it contains all of the above:

(1) Funds to build a wall. Such a wall may or may not be built (see the additional points), but if technoligical features are considered better the funds could be used for them

(2) Posse Comitas will be changed to permit the Military to enforce laws within 10 miles of an international border. Then the Military would be sent on training exercises to back up the Border Patrol, and learn how to close a border (a skill needed in Iraq and Afganistan)

(3) A Guesd Worker ID card would be developed which would be impossible to forge. It would have a color photo of the person, and a unique number which would be clearly printed on the card, and also on a magnetic stripe, and that number would provide access to additional biometric information including fingerprints, retinal scan, and DNA information. If it is feasible that info would also be on the card. In order to get an ID card the person would have to pass a medical test and not have any felonys on their record, and if they commit a felony in the US it would be grounds for cancelling the card and deporting the individual.

(4) A person outside the US, or a person inside the US with a legal green card, could get an ID card for the cost of issuing the card, if their record is clear. For a person inside the US who entered illegally, the card would be available, but there would be an additional fine of $1,000, which would go up to $2,000 after two years, and $5,000 after four years.

(5) A person with such a card could enter the US after the card was validated, but it would not guarantee them a job, or any social services.

(6) An employeer hiring less than 5 people would merely have to record the number from each card, and provide that information when they filed their taxes. An employeer hiring 5 or more people would be required to have a machine like are used with credit cards, that they can swipe the card through, and verify that it is a valid card.

(7) A person with the ID card could work in the US, but if they want to go on a path to eventual citizenship they must learn English, and then apply, at which time they will be placed at the end of the line of others from their country of origin.

(8) If any state or local government issues any ID cards (Drivers licenses, etc) to a non-citizen, it must list the number of this ID card, and it must be clearly identified (different color, etc) as being for a non citizen.

(9) Applying for a second ID card (not a replacement card, but one with a unique number) would be a felony.

(10) The Department of Labor would annually look at the unemployment rate, and the number of people with these Guest Worker cards, to determine how many additonal cards to issue each year.


(4) The ID card would