Hey folks! So I’ve been seeing a good number of new abortion and immigration related threads popping up recently and that got me to wondering what you all might think of the political forum consensus positions on the subjects. For those who don’t know, last year a bunch of us participated in a series of Ranked votes to try and find acceptable middle ground on what we all thought ought to be done in relation to a series of different issues, including Abortion and Immigration, two topics in which we also happened to use the results of those votes to pull together comprehensive consensus plans to act as a compromise between extremes. The results of those two threads can be found here: Ranked Vote: How Should the Law Handle Abortion? Ranked Vote: How To Enact Immigration Reform? (Consolidated) Rather than bump up those old threads though, I figured I'd pose the question more directly with regards to what folks thought of the results, giving them their very own threads. This one will focus on the immigration side of things, while the abortion part can be found here: http://www.politicalforum.com/index.php?threads/pf-abortion-reform-compromise.550627/ So with that, let the discussion begin! What do you think of the following Immigration Compromise proposal? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tier 1: These are the top options as voted on by us. The options for which there is pretty broad support for. Any comprehensive immigration compromise plan would pretty much have to include these... More towers, cameras, ground sensors, radiation detectors, drones, other aircraft, ships, and radars on the borders New Ports of Entry along the borders Expanded inspection lanes at high volume southern border ports of entry Deport any undocumented adults or unaccompanied children who sneak or who have snuk into the country Deport children/parents who sneak in together but require they be kept together at every stage in the deportation process Deport and ban from reentry Visa Holders who overstay their visas if the overage is over a year Crack down on employers of undocumented immigrants with stiffer penalties and more aggressive enforcement Establish a Conditional Path to Citizenship for current Dreamers (DACA recipients) Increase # of Border Agents to min of 38,405 Improve Coordination between CBP and Local Law Enforcement Add roughly 350 new Miles of border Fencing for a total of 700 Miles Tier 2: These options have less support than the previous ones, but still a lot more support for than against based on the votes, and many of which necessary to include if we want the compromise proposal to be fully comprehensive... Increase H1B Visas for Temporary Seasonal Workers Make H1B Visa program a first come first serve waiting list instead of a lottery New immigration judges and attorneys New Court Training and Technology Change to 7 years of Service instead of 12 for Military Green Card Reduced Green Card requirements if Involved in Combat Situation while serving in Military Discontinue Allowing Parents and or Siblings to count as Family for Green Cards Streamline Visa Application and Petitioning Process Reinstate the Family Case Management Program Increase Limits for Educational, Advanced Degrees, and or Exceptional Talent Based Visas Require All Employers to Utilize an e-Verify System Grant Conditional Temporary Residency Status to Asylum Seekers/Refugees Income tax increase to pay for reforms Tier 3: These options have relatively little support, but yet aren't contradicted by any of the higher ranked options. They aren't necessary to make a proposal comprehensive, but imo would be good to add. So I would say they should be thought of as optional options, good if they are included, but no big deal if they're not... Provide Financial, Volunteer, and or Other Aid to Mexico and South/Central American Countries to Help them Improve their Countries End Permanent Visa Lottery Program Make any new policies widely known in Mexico and South/Central America Establish a Fast Track to Citizenship for Legal Immigrants Coordinate w/Mexico to specify how many asylum seekers/refugees each country will take in Pull Federal Funding from Sanctuary Cities and or apply fines until they dissolve their sanctuary status ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Questions: How does the above proposal differ from what you would view as your ideal resolution on immigration? Despite whatever your ideal might be, do you view the above proposal as at least acceptable as a compromise? If not, what specific immigration related changes would you make to the proposal to make it more acceptable, while still maintaining its status as a compromise? Also note that this immigration proposal is separated into tiers. Would some tiers be more acceptable to you than others? Looking forward to reading everyone’s thoughts on this! Please be sure to keep all discussion respectful and nonpartisan. Thanks! -Meta
I personally think that the consensus position we came up with actually makes a lot of sense. There isn't a whole lot about it I would want to change at all... but then again, immigration was never really one of my top political concerns, and I'd probably be accepting of quite a bit that others wouldn't...
...so I'm curious to know whether or not others are the same as me? Is immigration a hot topic for you? If its not, would you still be OK with the posted compromise, or would you prefer that things simply stay exactly as they are now? And if on the other hand you believe that reforming the immigration system ought to be near or at the top of the list of things to do for our country, then what are your thoughts on the proposal? Does it meet your needs, or does it lack something critical/add something completely untenable in your opinion?? -Meta
