Immigration Reform and the 21st Century Ellis Island

Last year, Congress debated, agreed on, then let die proposed immigration reform legislation. This fall, the issue will be resurrected in the run-up to the general election.

The ideas discussed included $5,000payments, repatriation/deportation and employer sanctions. None of the discussion considered the role that the countries of origin, or at least of crossing, should play.

A plan involving all of these concepts should be considered, putting major responsibility exactly where it belongs: on Mexico, Canada, employers, and the immigrants themselves. The following represents just an outline of such a plan; but, without an outline, you really can't get started. So, consider the following as one possible solution to the problem of illegal immigration.

Perhaps the idea of a $5,000 payment for aliens who have repatriated isn't so bad after all, if you work it correctly.

We should plan to eliminate the incentive to come, increase the incentive to stay, and provide the ability to eventually assimilate for those who would otherwise enter the United States illegally.

First, the United States should place some of the onus for stemming the flow of illegal entrants on the sources: Mexico and Canada! What if we agreed to send each country the funds (the controversial $5,000 payments) conditioned on the creation of "Emigration Centers" (ECs)? Such centers would bear the responsibility for verifying identities, performing criminal background checks, certifying health and "readiness." Readiness would include some marketable skill and at least a rudimentary ability to communicate, orally and in writing, in English. (That's only what we get from most of our public schools anyway; why hold our neighbors to a higher standard?)