The Torch's take:
Immigration laws: Fixing the wrong problem?
Issue date: 11/13/08 Section: Columns
One of the important issues surrounding the political world today is immigration. President Bush attempted to find a solution, and both Obama and McCain gave the issue of immigration a prominent spot on their platforms; however, policymakers are not accurately tackling the problem.
Instead of making changes to immigration laws and bureaucracy, lawmakers have concentrated on keeping illegal immigrants out.
Bush's take on immigration was televised nationwide on May 15, 2006, in an effort to clarify his stance on the issue. He concentrated on the need to eliminate the problem of illegal immigration through brute force.
Bush wanted to secure American borders by "increas[ing] the number of Border Patrol officers by an additional 6,000" and "launching the most technologically advanced border security initiative in American history." His entire speech centered on the removal of illegal immigrants and efforts to keep them out.
Obama ran and won on a platform that did not stray far from Bush's, though Obama incorporated several of his own ideas as well.
According to barackobama.com, Obama adheres to the same ideas of defending the borders with more men and technology, as well as "cracking down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants."
His site also says that he plans to make changes to the immigration bureaucracy, though he does not say how he plans to make these changes or which aspects of immigration he hopes to change.
Perhaps the bureaucracy of immigration is the true "problem," for lack of a better word. American politicians believe that illegal immigrants are a problem in America, and maybe that's true, but they are only a miniscule part of the problem.
David Wall, the former Wittenberg men's soccer assistant coach, felt the impact of immigration laws personally when he moved from Ireland to Minnesota to play soccer.
"Between lawyer's fees, all of the traveling, and the visas I've bought in the past 15 years, I would guess that I've spent between $15,000 and $20,000," said Wall.
Instead of making changes to immigration laws and bureaucracy, lawmakers have concentrated on keeping illegal immigrants out.
Bush's take on immigration was televised nationwide on May 15, 2006, in an effort to clarify his stance on the issue. He concentrated on the need to eliminate the problem of illegal immigration through brute force.
Bush wanted to secure American borders by "increas[ing] the number of Border Patrol officers by an additional 6,000" and "launching the most technologically advanced border security initiative in American history." His entire speech centered on the removal of illegal immigrants and efforts to keep them out.
Obama ran and won on a platform that did not stray far from Bush's, though Obama incorporated several of his own ideas as well.
According to barackobama.com, Obama adheres to the same ideas of defending the borders with more men and technology, as well as "cracking down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants."
His site also says that he plans to make changes to the immigration bureaucracy, though he does not say how he plans to make these changes or which aspects of immigration he hopes to change.
Perhaps the bureaucracy of immigration is the true "problem," for lack of a better word. American politicians believe that illegal immigrants are a problem in America, and maybe that's true, but they are only a miniscule part of the problem.
David Wall, the former Wittenberg men's soccer assistant coach, felt the impact of immigration laws personally when he moved from Ireland to Minnesota to play soccer.
"Between lawyer's fees, all of the traveling, and the visas I've bought in the past 15 years, I would guess that I've spent between $15,000 and $20,000," said Wall.
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