Amnesty, Compassion, And Immorality

The battle over amnesty is fought on a number of grounds that often get intermingled. Very rarely, at least on the Republican side, is the case for amnesty made explicitly on moral grounds. You'll hear someone like Rubio talk about treating illegal aliens humanely (as if we are doing what now? Shooting them down in the streets?) or as part of a call to be charitable but mostly it's couched in terms of security or "getting people out of the shadows".

Rand Paul is giving a speech this morning and according to the previews he's released, he'll be making a fairly explicit appeal to the moral causes for immigration reform, if not specifically for the current Gang of 8 proposal.

Paul’s speech, which was obtained by National Review Online, is part of his push this month to both amend the Gang’s legislation and improve the GOP’s standing with Latinos. That means calling for beefed-up border-security measures, as well as calling out conservatives who use incendiary rhetoric. “We’re not talking about criminals,” he says. “We’re talking about immigrant workers caught up in a failed government-visa program.”

Paul will also voice support for granting work visas to millions of undocumented workers as part of a larger package that includes carefully monitored improvements to border security. “The solution doesn’t have to be amnesty or deportation,” he says. “A middle ground might be called probation, where those who came here illegally become legal through a probationary period.”

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“Common sense and decency have been neglected for far too long,” Paul says. “Let’s secure our borders, welcome our new neighbors, and practice the values of freedom and family for all to see.”

Sounds pretty much like the current plan on offer in philosophy if not detail. I guess I'll just wait to see how he votes.

I think arguments like this miss the point however. There is nothing moral about amnesty.

First, the people who came here illegally did so knowing they were breaking the law of this country and that they would not be able to do things that citizens or legal immigrants can do.

We as a country didn't perform some bait and switch maneuver where we said, "No, we're just kidding about that pesky legal system we set up. Just hop on over the border however you can and you'll be treated like the suckers who wait at home and play by the rules".

They made their choices and like all choices there are consequences.

My concern and compassion is for the sucker who have and continue to play by the rules we've set up. Does the process we've set up need reform? Desperately. But the fact that we didn't come up with a plan that would enable anyone who wants to come here to just walk on in mean that people are entitled to walk on in.

Currently there's something like 4 million people waiting to come to this country by legal means. No matter what amnesty supporters say about illegals going to "the back of the line", the truth is those who get the provisional legal status BEFORE any border security actually happens will be here and will have the ability to work and travel freely. I'm sure the people on that years long line would love to pay a $1,000 dollars and presto! have legal residency here. But they aren't offered that chance, only those that broke our laws get that easy and instant path. Where's the morality in that?

Amnesty proponents also ignore the inevitable additional wait times legalizing illegals will add for people who are playing by the rules. The current system can't handle the approximately 1 million legal immigrants per year in an efficient manner. In what universe will an influx of 8, 10, 15 who knows how many millions more not have an adverse affect on the current waiting list? Even if you had additional manpower, it will take months, if not years, to get people hired, trained and up to speed and that assumes a level of government competency that exists nowhere else.

So amnesty supporters, don't lecture me on "compassion". You've simply chosen to privilege a group of lawbreakers over people who have shown a respect for the country they wish to be a part of.

Ah yes, about respect for America. Personally, I think being born an American is one of the greatest gifts a person can be given. By almost any measure it sets you ahead of the vast majority of people on this planet when it comes to opportunity and quality of life. It's understandable why so many people want to come here and I think we should welcome many of them. But the first rule of be coming a naturalized American is to respect America.

I see no reason why we should devalue the gift of immigration to America (and that's what it is) by giving legal status to people whose first act in America is to break our laws.

We should place a higher value on legal residency and eventually citizenship than to simply hand it out to people who have shown contempt for our laws.

Under current law people here illegally are subject to removal and are barred from coming back to the US for a number of years depending on factors like how long they were here, etc. Whether you call it amnesty or an earned path to citizenship, what these people are asking for (demanding in many cases) is mercy. America is a merciful country but we should exercise our mercy in ways that shows compassion for those who respect our laws and do so in at a time and in a manner that treats trespassers fairly but does not reward them.

Legalization before reforming our current immigration system and border security is the immoral path.

posted by DrewM. at 10:17 AM

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