Obama has half of a good idea

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

President Obama plans to ask Congress to consider anew in 2011 his rejected 2010 proposal to give illegal immigrants who came here as children (not through their own choice but through decisions made by their parents) a chance at citizenship if they go to college or serve in the military.
We'll buy half of that idea.
We think that aliens who complete four years of honorable service in the United States military would have earned an expedited chance at American citizenship.
Though little known, this path to citizenship has been taken in similar circumstances by aliens who aren't illegal immigrants. Back in the years immediately after World War II, Filipinos who had served in menial positions in the military were given similar privileges.
But we think it is a total crock of nonsense to grant the same privilege to illegal immigrants who go to college.
That's doubly dubious because, in many cases, the only way these illegals get to go to college is on Uncle Sam's checkbook.
We understand that many of these illegal immigrants did not make the choice to come to this country.
But life is not always fair.
Their parents did make that choice, a choice to commit a crime.
That has consequences.
We also understand the philosophy behind the Constitutional prohibition against bills of attainder, the forbidding of a punishment against parents being passed on to children or other relatives.
But this isn't that situation. The children are not "innocent" in the sense of having had no involvement. They are in the country illegally, and we need to secure our borders. That means we need to deport persons found to be here illegally.
Military service strikes us as an acceptable alternative, and a repayment for the undeserved educational and social welfare services these young people have received from taxpayers.
College, though?
Hah.
And for those who might be physically unable to serve in the military, or have other barriers to such service - as we said, life is not always fair. They should return to their birth country, and reapply. Again, we would consider tolerating some form of expedited re-entry path - for those with clean records. But we cannot see how completing what is a privilege, not a right - a college education - equates with nullifying illegal-immigrant status.
President Obama has said he will push for reconsideration of his proposal next year.
Congress should meet him - halfway.
- Denny Bonavita