Amnesty.  Synonyms are Official pardon, General pardon, Reprieve, Forgiveness.

Senate Bill 744, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill has one substantial flaw.  It is amnesty. It would immediately provide legal residency to millions of illegal aliens.  They may have entered the country legally on a visitor’s visa or passport or they may have snuck into the country without any legal documentation. In both instances they were never given permission to live permanently in the United States.

My concern is the message that this Senate bill sends to the world. That is if you can manage to sneak into the United States and find employment we will ultimately grant you a green card and the opportunity to become a citizen. Thus this will not be the final wave of illegal immigration. It will be the second wave of illegal immigration. President Reagan’s amnesty law was the first. This law will be marked as an invitation for many more to sneak into this nation.

Everyone will agree that bolstering the border with 24-hour drones, 20,000 new Border Patrol officers and 700 miles of fence are good ideas. The idea that new immigrants must pay fines and fees, know English and be in good standing after undergoing background checks are good plans.  However, the reality is that there are communities where English is rarely used. We provide citizens with ballots in many languages. There is no motivation to learn English.  There is no motivation to participate in American culture.

I am not contending that all illegal aliens are refusing to become part of American culture. I am contending that large numbers of them do not integrate because they are part of communities that insulate them from American life.

Dearborn, Michigan has a large Arabic/Muslim population. Comfortable for them. They live in a ghetto or barrio like community of their own making. The do not have to mingle with American society.

San Fernando, California is 92.5% Hispanic. The surrounding community is primarily Hispanic. If you work there or nearby you do not have to learn English.  It is a Hispanic’s destination for those coming to metropolitan Los Angeles.

These are just two of the many ethnic communities that are insulated from American culture.

Participate in American society? They ask, why should we when we have brought our culture with us?