No “Stimulus” for immigration

 

• by Attorney Jan G Johansson
  As the U.S. economy continues its free fall into the abyss of the 1930's, immigration advocates and immigrants alike face a long hard struggle to stay afloat.
  The new man in charge of immigration affairs is actually a woman; Janet Napolitano, the former governor of Arizona is the new Homeland Security Secretary.
  As governor of a border state, Secretary Napolitano is no stranger to the immigration debate and has often been on the front lines of the various immigration issues. Napolitano certainly needs all the experience and knowledge that she can muster as she takes on one of our most dysfunctional departments.
  In a recent interview Napolitano hinted at what the future may hold for immigration: She stressed the importance of border control - with both man power and technology ground sensors - and interior enforcement (going after the illegal labor market and those who create a demand for illegal laborers), adding that the combination of these is essential in the overall system.
  What about the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in this country? What about lifting restrictions on work visas like H-1B’s? Here Secretary Napolitano was decidedly vague in her answers, stating that this is for the Congress to decide, “and at some point in time, I think the President and the Congress will work it out when it is appropriate to take that topic up again.”
  Well, I think that says it all, and really at this point it does not come as a surprise since the administration has more than its fair share to cope with and needs a new immigration debate as much as it needs a hole in the head. That does not mean however, that we should not lobby for issues we think are right, only that we, at this critical juncture in our nation's economy, will have to wait our turn and that the good we try to accomplish should not be looked upon as evil or a threat to people’s sense of security.