This is a manufactured wedge issue that Congress is using to energize certain voting blocs.
All Congress has to do
- Update immigration program to be pro-America in the sense that we take in people and fast track those immigrants that actually benefit the US. For example, Indian computer science engineers ... that we don't want to go back overseas after studying at Stanford, MIT, etc. Stop making them wait an entire decade or more to get their citizenship!
- Grant a temporary amnesty to those that came here illegally. Make them pay a fine and go through a ten-year process to get legal citizenship. If they fail, deport. You don't want everyone to stay here that won't be productive citizens. .
- Grant amnesty to children that are born here. Preferably to parents that have applied for temporary amnesty.
- Build the wall to strengthen the newly updated immigration program from step 1.
Get your facts straight re #3: Children born in the US are US Citizens from birth. The US is one of the only countries left on the planet that still allows this. Even the beloved New Zealand got rid of "anchor baby" citizenship years ago.
RE #1: The H-1B program has NEVER required that employment markets show a shortage of labor supply before visa are issued for jobs in those markets(look it up). The lack of such protection caused an oversupply of (mainly tech) workers, and a reduction of salary levels. We need a guest worker program, but not one that damages labor markets by scuttling wages. In a capitalist democracy, congress has the power and duty to enact legislation to allow proper function of free markets - including immigration policy. But congress should NOT be able to damage markets by killing wages. The H-1B visa program has been abused and needs to be repealed and replaced with a system that protects U.S. workers. But to many powerful people (specifically in tech) have members of congress in their pockets for that to happen.
The issue with DACA relates to their eligibility to work legally. That eligibility was granted by bureaucrats within the USCIS, not by enacting proper legislation. The same issue also applies to granting spouses of H-1B visa holders the employment eligibility. This has become a free ticket to work in the US via arranged marriages. This issue was heard by SCOTUS last week, and its decision is pending. Like the H-1B problems, this is also a money = power problem.
#2 Will not work if it is fine based. Imposition of a higher tax rates on aliens over (at least) 10 years is the only way to vet them properly. Some taxation of employers hiring aliens should also occur.
Totally agree on #4. Spend extra taxes collected from aliens to build it.
Also, the US should heavily tax ALL funds sent out of the US that are earned by alien work visa holders. More to spend on the wall.
The goal of ALL immigration policy should be to enable proper functioning of free markets.
The main problem now is how to fix the damage to employment supply caused by these reckless immigration policies. The US education system generates less STEM graduates than it did decades ago, and the number continues to plummet. Why go into tech if your wages will be suppressed and you'll be screwed out of a job after you turn 40?
Now the US is in a panic because there is no 5G telecom equipment vendor. Duh, why would anyone invest in a 5G startup when there's no one to hire, or your IP will be stolen by the Chinese?
Timmy's emotional "until my toes point up" platitude only demonstrates how immigration policy can be spun into emotional manipulation. This is how common sense goes out the window.
Power of government should be limited and not driven by emotions.