Society

We Were Once Strangers Too

It is heartening to note that President Obama has decided to reform the immigration system, in the manner of the Lone Ranger, with his second immigration executive order. He'd started the ball rolling for young immigrants in 2012. The current step will prevent the deportation of five million immigrants. Out of the eleven million people who have sought refuge in the USA the fate of six million is still pending.

President Obama had to act because the immigration reform was blocked in the Congress again by the Republican majority. In a salami-strategy those who will be deported are: people suspected of terror activities, aggressive and brutal criminals, members of gangs and people who've crossed the border recently. It might be noted that 39 such executive orders were put into force by eleven presidents in the past after the immigration law was introduced in 1952.

President Obama's measures are of a temporary character and a sustainable solution of the immigration problem can only be resolved through the Congress, that is, the US senate and the House of Representatives. In case President Obama loses the next elections, the Republicans can topple the presidential executive orders. And thereby hangs a tale.

President Obama's solo performance is regarded by Republicans like Mitch McConnell as a massive provocation, and the Tea Party is understandably getting louder because for them it's a constitutional crisis.

The Lone Ranger has ridden ahead with the promise of better politics, and it was the recent loss in Congress that gave him the impetus. President Obama is an intellectual and not a hot-head like Bush. The immigration system is kaputt and it's no secret. Remarkably enough, nothing has been done since decades till now, till President Obama took the initiative in an it's-now-or-never manner. In this process, he's obviously using the presidential ace by coming up with a three-pronged programme with added protection of the south border, which the opposition has all the while been trying to enforce, in these insecure times, especially after 9/11. Like in Canada, Australia, Britain and Germany highly qualified professionals and rich investors will have it good if they want to stay on in the country, a step that is greeted heartily by CEOs and SEOs. In the end, President Obama admits that it's impossible to to trace millions of people and send them back where they came from. 80 per cent of the really really criminal refugees have been deported but the security resources have other priorities.

It's not up-keeping high American values and norms when families are separated by force. If the person didn't commit criminal deeds outside the US border, they should be allowed to legalize their status under certain conditions. This phenomenon of immigrants san papiere is universal and the people exist in many countries as shadows. Or they have to, at least, be in the USA since three years and possess children that are US citizens or have a stay permit.

Immigrants are expected to register, have their records checked and okayed and are obliged to give their consent to pay taxes without social assistance from the state organisations. Young foreigners will be subject to an extended existing law, but their parents won't enjoy the same privileges.

Some come to realise their American Dream in the USA, some because they're persecuted in their heimat or because there's a war going on, and there are those who wish to earn more. Even though there are laws and impediments a good many people take the risk. According to the UNO in 2013 there are 232 million migrants in the world. And two million families have been separated under President Obama's government, which shows that the President has followed a policy of appeasement towards the opposition, and at the same time a policy of containment.Immigration is a touchy theme when the economy of a nation isn't very healthy, as we have seen during the Great Depression, and the recent financial crisis.

14-Jun-2015

More by :  Satis Shroff

Top | Society

Views: 3388      Comments: 0





Name *

Email ID

Comment *
 
 Characters
Verification Code*

Can't read? Reload

Please fill the above code for verification.