By By Dr. Steve Finger
Immigration reform should be considered as two separate but related issues. The first is the way we deal with people who want to come to this country and the second is the way we deal with those already here. As to the first group, we need to establish an inclusive and humane guest worker program. Anyone wanting to come to this country should be screened, fingerprinted, iris photographed, DNA mapped…whatever is necessary to be sure that we are keeping out criminals or potential terrorists. And we must secure our borders, a task which would be made much easier by a guest worker program. After all, if any honest, decent person can get a card and come across the border legally, the only ones left sneaking into the country will be, well, we don’t have to be so gentle in dealing with them. As to the second group, immigrants who are already here, we should do…nothing. Or, at least, nothing for now. Why do nothing? Well, aside from the fact that, short of rounding up and deporting 12 million people, our options are limited. But, more importantly, the behavior of the illegals who are now here will be greatly affected by the way we conduct a humane guest program. Why would anyone want to live here illegally, in the shadows, constantly in fear of the dreaded “Immigration!” when they can go home and come back as legals? And why bother smuggling wives and children across the border when they can go home to visit any time they choose? And let’s stop this divisive and hostile ‘amnesty’ rhetoric. Not everyone who comes here wants to be an American citizen. Most are hard-working folks who just want to make a few bucks to take care of their families. We should make it easy for them to do just that. The world is a dynamic place, constantly changing. Like a giant balloon, we push here and it will bulge there. We may know what ‘here’ is but we’ll always be surprised by ‘there.’ First step, guest worker program and secure borders. Next, well, we’ll see… Dr. Steve Finger is an Ear, Nose and Throat & Facial Plastic Surgery doctor living in the Marine Park section of Brooklyn.
