By Gary Bauer
Published: 12-06-07
Published: 12-06-07
As you know the debate over what to do about illegal immigration is roiling in both parties. Repeated efforts to pass so-called comprehensive immigration “reform” have failed in Congress as have other “half-measures” like the DREAM Act. In recent weeks the frontrunners in both parties have been tripped up by the issue in the debates and they are tripping over themselves trying not to appear to be soft on illegal immigration. The governor of New York has seen his popularity ratings plummet after trying to ram through legislation granting driver’s licenses to illegal aliens and President Bush suffered some of his worst approval ratings when he “went to the mat” for comprehensive immigration reform.
The issue cuts across party lines and unifies Republicans Democrats and Independents against the political establishment like few others.
But even among conservatives there is a division of opinion.
Some conservatives actually argue for more liberal approaches to illegal immigration from a “Christian” perspective. For example one Republican presidential candidate once supported legislation allowing illegal immigrants who had attended American high schools to participate in a college scholarship program. He also strongly opposed legislation by a fellow Republican legislator that would have ended taxpayer subsidies for illegal immigrants and required proof of citizenship in order to register to vote.
One year ago the same candidate speaking in overtly religious language compared America’s response to illegal immigration to slavery by remarking "One of the great challenges facing us is that we do not commit the same mistakes with our growing Hispanic population that we did with African Americans 150 years ago … I think frankly the Lord is giving us a second chance to do better than we did before.”
Today this candidate defends his position by arguing that denying illegal immigrant students scholarship money would be punishing children for the “sins” of their parents and he says “my soul will not let me” do that.
When asked on a Sunday talk show last weekend whether he would as president support federal scholarships for illegal immigrant students he said “I’m not sure…”
Critics of this approach point out that many illegal immigrants are entering the U.S. because they want to get benefits for their children. Increasing those benefits such as college scholarships would serve as a magnet for illegal immigrants. Since scholarship money is always limited every scholarship that is given to an illegal immigrant student is a scholarship that cannot be given to an American citizen.
In addition they point out that while it is a Christian responsibility to help the poor it is not Christian to take someone else’s money through the power of Big Government in order to redistribute it to the disadvantaged.
They also say that comparing slavery to illegal immigration is a complete distortion.
Finally they reject the argument that children shouldn’t be punished for acts of their parents.
Children do get hurt when their parents are punished including when a parent is imprisoned for criminal behavior. In such situations the whole family suffers and compassion may motivate individuals to step up and help. The Angle Tree program run by my good friend Charles Colson and Prison Fellowship Ministries is a great example. But our laws must be enforced and the rule of law must be respected in any civilized society.
Since the illegal immigration debate will continue to be a big part of the 2008 campaign and no doubt a key item on the legislative agenda in 2009 as it has been in Congress for the past few years I want to get your take on the controversy.
What do you think?
