07/12/07 What's Up With Immigration?

What's Up With Immigration? I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. One of the biggest issues facing the people in the U.S. is something that we used to embrace, immigration. This country is a melting pot of cultures and its part of what has made this country great. But there is a shadow being cast over the word immigration. It's no longer being talked about as a good thing. Bring me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free has become a burden on the country that used to welcome them with open arms. Legal immigration is not the issue though, it's illegal immigration causing the headaches and politicians have been trying to come to a successful conclusion. Oregon's Senator Gordon Smith has been on the leading edge of the issue. SMITH: As I have defined that in all of my campaigns and votes that consists of border security of biometric employment verification system and a guest worker program that puts American workers first but that floats to the needs of our economy. Smith was one of the votes against the last bill that was defeated and he explains why. SMITH: The bill that we just voted on and against which I voted, gutted the guest worker program and it contained the Z-Visa which was essentially for $5-thousand dollars you get permanent American residency and I've always said I'm not for amnesty and I'm afraid that amounted to amnesty. So how do we get immigration reform passed in the U.S.? SMITH: We need to break the bill up in pieces and move on border security and biometric employment verification and a guest worker program. Those are the kinds of things which I believe we could get through the Congress but this last immigration bill was a bridge too far and a wall too short. Like many other Senators, Smith believes immigration reform is necessary but it's what is contained in that package that needs to be hammered into shape. Many industries are dependent on the immigrant labor force, not just the ag industry but how long can we keep holding on. Smith says it will happen. SMITH: What we have now is the status quo and the status quo is frankly unacceptable but having said that, it's a problem that will only grow and we have to have some legal system; a safety valve if you will for our economy, some fairness for migrant workers and a way to let them work when American workers aren't showing up and in sufficient volume that you can avoid illegal paths and that's in my view the essentials. Tomorrow more with Senator Smith on immigration and the war in Iraq. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.