Illegal Immigration
Have we exhausted all of the possibilities for solving our
immigration problems? We have tried detaining them, we tried catching and
releasing them, we tried to build a wall, we seem to have tried ignoring the
problem and saying it doesn’t exist. Texas is currently taking matters to the
state level and attempting to arrest illegal immigrants.
Maybe arresting illegal immigrants isn’t the best solution,
but turning loose thousands of undocumented immigrants in our country without a
means to support themselves is so much worse. Perhaps we should find a way to
allow these people, that want to work, to work and experience the American
dream.
Phase I
It is clear that our current immigration system is not
working well. What might work better? Perhaps we could allow individuals to
enter the USA with a Rapid Enter Pass. The pass is little more than a positive
ID that is biologically linked to the individual carrying it. When I say
biologically linked, I mean, they get the Pass Card and we take their
fingerprint, eye scan, a DNA sample, their name, and photo to be stored in our
database. The Pass Card is of no use without an accompanying thumb print to
positively identify them. The Pass Card then provides complete tracking of the
individuals’ movements as they travel about in our country. I know this
technology exists because China already uses it to track their citizens. Makes
you hate the idea already, doesn’t it?
Immigrants will use the card because it provides them a way
to legally stay in the USA. In fact, it would provide lodging for a limited
time at participating facilities or establishments. The Pass Card and a thumb
print will get them a night of lodging; and we know where they are. Likewise,
it will get them a meal, a bus ticket and most importantly, a job. When they
complete a day’s work, credit for that day’s work will go on their Pass Card.
They are given credit on their card rather than cash or a check because it is
safer for them. The card will do no one else any good because it is
biologically linked to the person. They would not even be allowed to get cash
from an ATM for safety’s sake. The Pass Card will provide them with everything
they need to get by until they can apply for a more permanent green card or
other forms of residency. It may be distasteful to track individuals this way,
but it is so much better than what we are doing now that I expect it would be
tolerated.
Phase II
I mentioned that the Pass Card would get an immigrant food
and lodging. How might that work? As an immigrant or a family of immigrants
come across the border each member is issued a Rapid Entry Pass Card. With the
Pass Card, they would find a community of individuals that speak the same
language as they do and may even be from the same country. These are temporary
communities designed to provide for immigrants. It may be necessary to take a
bus to this community, but the Pass Card coupled with their thumb print (these
machines already exist) would allow them to take the bus to the community.
These are gated communities, and they would again need to use their Pass Card
to enter or to leave the community. This is to keep individuals that did not properly
come in through a port of entry from entering the community.
They may need to get fed before they do anything, so they go
to the mess tent to get a meal. The mess tent isn’t run by volunteers or
government employees. It is run by immigrants. They prepare and serve the food,
under the direction of a sponsoring agency, to the individuals coming into the
country. Again, they use their Pass Card to receive a meal. The staff that is
running the mess tent will all have their Pass Cards too. At the end of the
day, they will scan their card along with their thumb print and receive a
dollar amount credited to their Pass Card account. They are already working in
the USA.
The immigrants will next need to check in with housing to
get a place to stay in the temporary community. It may be a tent until one of
the small houses (think tiny homes) becomes available. The next day, they go to
work. No one stays in the community unless they or some members of their family
are working. If they are able, they can get a job building the small houses
that will house the next bus of immigrants. If they are more domestic, they can
get a job at the mess tent. If they have no skills, well, someone needs to
clean the restrooms or pick up the trash. Children will be in school while
their parents are working. The school is taught by English speaking immigrants
that have enough English and communication skills to teach children at least
English and hopefully more school classes. When the parents are done working
for the day, they too can learn English from the pseudo-teaches.
We know that, along with the individual that wants to work
and live a proper lifestyle to become a US citizen, there are also individuals
that would want to exploit the law-abiding individuals. This is more difficult
since all currency is digital and accessed only with appropriate thumb scanning
hardware and the Pass Card. Also, the community would have very high security
with cameras and tracking that would detect activity that is suspicious.
Community activities are designed to educate and provide
skills that allow them to transition into jobs outside of the community, but
some people may find the safety and opportunities of the community allow them
to stay for a long while. They become staff members and work with the next
group of immigrants entering the US.
Phase III
Most of the immigrants will want to get out of the temporary
community and begin working in the USA. This process is much easier with the
Pass Card. Based on their activity on the Pass Card a work visa or green card
process would become much easier. They would then simply show up at a day
laborer office and, with the help of the card and their thumb print, the office
knows their work history. Some may want to live outside of the temporary community,
but others may find the safety and quality of the community very adequate.
While a few nights of lodging would be provided at no cost at some point and
after they are working, they would have to pay for their housing.
The workers that build the small homes in these communities
would be learning how to build according to American building standards. All of
the houses, while they are quite small, would be built to code. As they learn
these building practices and some English, they will find it very easy to find
work outside of the community.
The program may actually become self-sustaining. Paying
individuals by putting a credit on their Pass Card also makes it very easy to
collect the appropriate tax. If they start to live outside of the temporary communities,
they will need to take actual currency from their Pass Card. This would be done
in person at equipped banking institutions and would be tracked carefully to
make sure they were not being taken advantage of. Possibly, the only form of cash would be
checks made out to the end recipient, again for the immigrant’s safety and
security.
The DNA sample is an important part of their identity. With
groups traveling as a family, the DNA can be compared to make sure they are
actually blood relatives. If instead, they are using the Pass Card to gain
access to the US but are actually trafficking those who they are claiming as
children, they will of course discard the Pass Card as soon as possible. But
the lack of activity on the card will indicate that they have gone into
obscurity. However, the government will have their fingerprints, photo, and eye
scan so as soon as they break any law or try to re-enter the USA via a port of
entry the authorities can arrest them. That does bring up the problem of what
to do with individuals that don’t have Pass Cards or commit crimes. In some
cases, the worst-case scenario for them would be to be sent back to their
country of origin. That might be the threat that makes the Pass Card work.
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