Me Casa Su Casa
Beautiful neighborhoods near where I live are made up of mansions, immaculate landscaping and tree canopied streets. Many stately homes directly face the majestic Lake Michigan shoreline as the entire area reflects sophistication. It is a grand place to go for a stroll.
Imagine that one day, I walk up to one of the houses in this community because I kind of know the people living there. I knock on the ornate door. My “kind of” friend opens the entry and is surprised to see me since we really don’t know each other that well.
“Hello Helmut?”
“Fred, how ya doin!” (I made up that homeowner’s name.) I clap my hand on the surprised man’s shoulder as uninvited, I walk inside. Without taking off my muddy boots, I head straight for his refrigerator and open it.
“Helmut, wa…what are you doing?”
My only answer is “good stuff in here. Can you get my suitcases from the car?” Then I reach for food. Certainly everyone would be very concerned for “Fred” if he didn’t immediately demand that I “get the h…. out of his house, right now!”
Most cultures around the world take their homes very seriously. In some, it is anathema if we keep our outside shoes on when entering. In some cultures an acknowledgement to religious shrines at the door is essential, respect given even if we don’t adhere to that religion. Some cultures expect some sort of gift, flowers for the hostess, drink, treat or food be offered. The list goes on in a beautiful collage but all cultures disparage crude, rude, uninvited dudes as my story did at “Fred’s” place. There can be honest misunderstandings such as the dwarves and their unexpected party at Bilbo Baggins’ comfy hobbit hole, in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit.” However, any confusion usually is quickly dealt with in the real world.
Therefore it is intensely weird as established by the entirety of human existence when an uninvited and unannounced person looks at the United States and says, “I am coming into your country knowing that I am not following your laws as I do this, so I will decide which rules of yours’ that I follow, not you.” My “Fred” story above is tiny compared to this act. Worse yet is when that same incoming person insists that they will not acclimate to the laws and customs of their gracious host, demanding that the host acquis to their standards instead. Rude is not even a beginning description. A personal example of this crudeness in my life was when some friends had their daughter’s first date mock the religious icons placed throughout their home upon that date’s entering and even before any introductions. Topping this off, we sometimes find an insistence of some illegal immigrants to not participate in our system in any meaningful way, demanding handouts and free stuff when gracing us with their presence instead. Most of us have had long-term, visiting family or friends with that attitude. All of the above aside, it is puzzling when people already in this country, throw themselves in rage at legally deputized, trained and vetted officers of the law that simply are trying to enforce laws which we the people have agreed upon concerning uninvited, national guests. I once knew an emotionally unstable person who often placed comparable demands with comparable actions on that person’s family when presenting uninvited, unannounced, complete strangers to family events and personal times.
Immigration is a complex issue from the start. When researching this matter, the scholar needs to take several facts into consideration because of variations in each nation’s laws and the particular view of the information presenter. However interpreted, most countries punish illegal entry or staying beyond authorization. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/punishment-for-illegally-entering-countries With sources much too varied to outline here, it is my opinion that there are at least ten countries on Earth where a person stands a significant chance at facing capital punishment for unapproved entry, overstaying visa deadlines, or what the host country deems related offenses. Several other countries have severe punishments including but not limited to long term incarceration. Even countries that some sources insist are not punishing unapproved entry or durations of stay may show up on other documentation as actually doing so in various ways. Often countries listed as not punishing unannounced entry or duration of stay simply don’t have the infrastructure to enforce immigration rules if they have them.
To add complexities, when a national sovereignty attempts to vet incoming individuals in order to determine if they are a good fit for that nation, it is an easy thing for objectors to that vetting process to bring up the straw men of racism, xenophobia, etcetera. Though these pejoratives historically could and currently can be descriptive concerning many national policies around the world, the negative interpretations are not forever facts. Vetting of incoming persons is not by definition, an unethical process. Rather, vetting is a necessity because it is a given within world history as far back as human written documentation goes, that a nation must operate in its’ collective interests or it shall soon cease to exist. This includes jurisdiction over who enters the nation. For example, that area on our globe that we call “China” today, lost authority over their borders from the late 1700s to early 1900s to its extreme detriment. The negative outcomes of that history affects this part of the world even today where now, whoever enters or stays in China is heavily controlled.
On to solutions: An important distinction is the difference surrounding a discussion about general immigration and illegal immigration. Since most Americans (including South Americans,) have immigrant roots, general immigration and illegal immigration are two completely different but related discussions. There seems to be a consensus on the following points when researching United States ILLEGAL immigration.
There are approximately 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States today but published numbers fluctuate upwards considerably. “The vast majority of whom are working, paying taxes, and contributing in both economic and non-economic ways to their community, often starting their own businesses, and playing integral roles in agriculture, construction, hospitality, and other industries that are essential to the U.S. economy.” https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/
The United States legal immigration system is out dated, a horrible tangle of inconsistencies and is politically sensitive for a wide spectrum of reasons. Though legal immigration is undeniably good for the United States, it will take extreme political diplomacy to see the massive restructuring necessary, no matter the party in power. (Author’s interpretation of https://www.cato.org/immigration )
Per this author’s personal interviews, most United States citizens do not want people of bad intent coming here. Though, there is a significant difference on what that means. For example: organized crime figures, agents of hostile nations, terrorists, slavers: (sex and labor,) people who refuse to assimilate with the laws and general cultural consensus of our nation, people with criminal histories having violated domestic or other nation’s laws, and people who only are seeking free handouts, seem to be unwelcome in the United States. The following will bring some clarity to the matter. https://www.fairus.org/issue/illegal-immigration
Helmut’s suggested solutions to begin a change process.
Based on statues of limitations precedence, we need a real illegal immigrant, reconciliation system for those that have productively lived in the United States for an extended period. However, this system must not encourage illegal immigration intending to later apply for legal status, in any way.
We must update the entire United States immigration process according to generally accepted business standards of today with complete transparency.
We must have a generally known and easily understandable vetting system for intended incoming persons with real enforcement including significant punishment against human smugglers however described. This effort should also address United States officials and private persons that for whatever reasons, imagine themselves above the law concerning this matter.
As an immigrant’s kid, this author has some advice to potential new comers to United States.
Never lie or withhold material information even if the truth negatively affects you. It is much easier to deal with the problem now than attempting to say you are sorry later.
Never, never, never, violate a United States law no matter what you think of that law.
If the outcome ends up that you cannot enter here then be productive where you are. I have had to look into the eyes of relatives and friends who had to stay where they are but I still will stand with my statements.
