For all the noise over immigration this year, the issue ultimately fizzled in Congress—not for lack of passion but for lack of anything approximating a shared vision. Republican House members envisioned a world in which America's southern border would be protected by a 700-mile-long fence. In that world, undocumented immigrants would be criminally prosecuted and people giving them aid would face criminal penalties as well. "If we didn't invite you, get out," was the clear message sent by the House bill authored by Judiciary Committee chairman James Sensenbrenner.
Senators were more compassionate, or perhaps simply more pragmatic. Their proposed legislation also aimed to tighten the border; but it welcomed foreign guest workers and offered many of the 10 million or so undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship. The House version "would only drive illegal immigrants further into the shadows," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.
Congress's inertia on the issue notwithstanding, 2006 still will go down as the year when America's invisible workers declared that "the shadows" was no place to be. They called May 1 a "day without immigrants" and tens of thousands took to the streets in cities across the nation. The idea was not just to take a stand against the House bill, but to make the point that immigrants—even if here illegally—were part of the American family.
America always has been of two minds on immigration. We have embraced it and then restricted it, as we worried about being overrun by it—and never more so than when the immigrants were perceived as somehow different from those already here.
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America needs these undocumented workerd just as bad if not worse than the workers need America. Yes there are a lot of bad people attempting to smugle drugs. Drugs is all I can think of. When it comes to thinking of a good reason to tighten security. The majority of undocumented individuals that are here are only here to work and send money back home to feed their families. If America wants to put a stop on illegal immigrants I sugest it does what it does best. Invade the freaking country. The Mexican government / people with money are the ones pushing the illegals out of the country. The Mexican Gov, is wrong in more ways than one. I would like to see an invasion of a country that directly affects America, a country that is less than a 10 minute drive to America, instead of a 12 hour fliight.
Mexico is a very poor country. They think they could come here and take our jobs. I think we need to create a nother Burlin wall but in Mexico.
