Widespread public concern with the growth in immigration has lead to increasing pressure to eliminate or limit government benefits and services for both legal and illegal immigrants. Although America is a nation of immigrants, Americans do not currently appear to care much for immigration. Republicans and Democrats alike have been campaigning on the issue, with "get tough" policies seeming to be the winning ticket. Republican and Democratic positions on immigration will be examined, and a middle-ground position proposed.
When most people think of cracking down on immigration, they think in terms of illegal immigration, of particular strain to the economies of states along the Mexican border, like Texas and California. However, Washington House Republicans are proposing to bar legal immigrants from 60 federal assistance programs. According to an article in CQ Researcher:
Critics of liberal immigration policies say the moves will save money and reduce the flow of illegal aliens into the country. But immigration advocacy groups say that illegal aliens are already ineligible for most welfare and education benefits and that working age, legal immigrants often get less government assistance than U.S. natives. (97)
California has been a hot spot of political foment over the immigration issue. In California, voters in November, 1994, overwhelmingly approved Proposition 187, a measure that bars undocumented aliens from public schools, health clinics, and social service agencies. Anyone "reasonably suspected" of being an illegal should be reported to the authorities, according to the proposition's intent. However, Pete Wilson, current governor of California--and presidential hopeful (he has since withdrawn his bid)--looked bad politically when it was discovered that he and his wife had hired an undocumented alien as a housekeeper. California, which has always employed legions of Hispanic workers since the days of no border...