Searchlight Logo
special_image

    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
Full Disclosure
May 26, 2006

Inside Bush’s immigration plan

In my recent article concerning the United States’ immigration reform policy, I did not have the benefit of the address made by President George Bush on Monday May 15th 2006. Although the address was aimed at discussing immigration reform, issues concerning economic dependency on the US by others, and the ability of the US to influence global migratory patterns and trends were both apparent and direct.

The address was precise on some important points. • Firstly, despite the tightening of the US’ immigration policy, the President recognizes the importance of immigrants’ contribution to the sustained development of the US economy.{{more}}

• Secondly, that a failure to structure a comprehensive immigration plan can be extremely detrimental to the US.

• Thirdly, a weak, unchecked and poorly supervised immigration plan contributes to the weakening of border security, which in turn can be a loophole for the terrorist, and

• fourthly, the new immigration policy is intended to mirror a temporary workers programme.

The President caught most listeners off their guard when he clearly stated in his introduction that there was a most direct link between immigration and terrorism. This was clearly an apparent and an almost totally unjustifiable attempt by the President to link the need for stringent immigration policies with the need to increase homeland security. It is interesting that this took precedent over the more obvious economic justifications available to the President.

The President is aware that the issue of immigration is one which attracts great “emotion”, hence, the new immigration policy could also be used to show those who oppose the war in Iraq that there is at all times an imminent threat by the terrorist to the US, therefore justifying the war on terrorism and all that it entails. The greatest jest of the situation though, is that the immigrants referred to in the address are really people coming from the south particularly Mexico who are armed with no more than straw hats and a worn pair of jeans.

It was not by mere coincidence that the President introduced his address as follows: “There is still an enemy that wants to do us harm and the most important job of the President of the United States is to protect the American people from that harm.” He was extremely clear when he noted, “My job is to use the resources of the United States to prevent such an attack from happening again.” The President was merely saving face by all this talk. However, as the President of a Super Power he has the right to decide the manner in which he handles his internal affairs, and to decide how to use his addresses to justify his actions. In fact, there may be a scintilla of truth in saying that stringent immigration policies would form the most important limb of the War on Terror.

The President was, however, more realistic when he stated that “I believe that, immigration has helped reinvigorate the soul of America. We are a nation of immigrants, we have had a grand tradition in this country of welcoming people into our society; however, the fact that America is a compassionate nation can also be viewed as a weakness.” There are many truths residing in that statement. It is tantamount to the view that in today’s world many good Samaritans in their attempt to show compassion are the same ones who in the long-run must grapple with a host of inflictions directed from the very persons whom they assist.

What was also very interesting is the heavy responsibility that immigration legislation is expected to place on all employers in the US.

The President noted clearly that there is to be an expected increase in manpower to ensure that employers account for the hiring of illegal immigrants. It was also viewed that although a greater responsibility would be placed on employers by the new policy, it was recognized that many employers are actually tricked into hiring persons who are illegal since in many instances they are presented with false documents and have very little means of verifying them.

I cannot fault the President for taking the position that “people ought to be, obviously, here to work only on a temporary basis, the definition of temporary which will be decided in the Halls of Congress.” This, the President contends, would bring order to the immigration situation. However, the President was a bit uncouth when he noted in a reference to immigrants that, “You can come on a temporary basis to do a job Americans won’t do.”

The intention to have a “rational temporary workers plan” is the way forward. One cannot be against this approach, since the immigration policy concerning the free movement of people within the region appears to be structured on a rational immigration plan. The lessons to be learned by the Caribbean region as we embark on the implementation of a single market and economy which involves as one of its primary tenets the free movement of people, is that anticipated migratory patterns in our region must be carefully studied to prevent an economic chaos of imbalances.

So far I hear our leaders merely skim the surface when they speak of the CSME by explaining that people would be able to move from Country X to Country Y to seek employment freely; however, the issue is not so simple. The movement of people is an extremely complex, detailed and many-sided issue, which must be carefully studied.

The long and short of it all is that we must begin to set our own houses in order in the region to respond to the many shocks that may be created by the strengthening of the US immigration policy.

  • FacebookComments
  • ALSO IN THE NEWS
    12 left homeless in mid-day fire at Richland Park
    Front Page
    12 left homeless in mid-day fire at Richland Park
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    A fire that destroyed a multi-family complex in Richland Park over the weekend has left at least 12 people homeless, including a 23-year-old mother of...
    PM responds to US military strike on small boat off Venezuela
    Front Page
    PM responds to US military strike on small boat off Venezuela
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves has responded to reports by the United States administration that its military had carried out the bombing of a boa...
    Building material disappear from the Mary Hutchinson Primary School
    Front Page
    Building material disappear from the Mary Hutchinson Primary School
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Police investigators on Union Island are said to be looking into the “disappearance” of building materials that were sent to the Southern Grenadine Is...
    What’s new at Fitz Hughes Government School?
    Front Page
    What’s new at Fitz Hughes Government School?
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    by Grace Francis After sharing a small space for over a year, children and teachers at the Fitz Hughes Early Childhood Centre went into brand new prem...
    MRI-6 donates over $70,000 for school meals for vulnerable students
    Front Page
    MRI-6 donates over $70,000 for school meals for vulnerable students
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Several secondary schools and special needs institutions across St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) have received $5,000 donations towards meals for s...
    Minister of Information Technology  emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    News
    Minister of Information Technology emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Robust cybersecurity must be at the heart of the digital transformation that is currently taking place in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) says Min...
    News
    Minister of Information Technology  emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    News
    Minister of Information Technology emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Robust cybersecurity must be at the heart of the digital transformation that is currently taking place in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) says Min...
    Entities team up to boost disaster communication capacity
    News
    Entities team up to boost disaster communication capacity
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    The Climate Change Resilience Network (CCRN) in collaboration with the Youlou Radio Movement (YRM) recently embarked on a disaster preparedness initia...
    Ministry of Health to get more dialysis machines
    News
    Ministry of Health to get more dialysis machines
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, is to obtain three more Heamodialysis machines as part of the revolution in the healthcare secto...
    PM Gonsalves heads delegation to Ethiopia
    News
    PM Gonsalves heads delegation to Ethiopia
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, is leading a delegation to the East African country of Ethiopia; the delegation left the state on Wednesday, Septe...
    New Port to be opened on October 24- PM Gonsalves
    News
    New Port to be opened on October 24- PM Gonsalves
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    The modern port in Kingstown is expected to be handed over to the government just before this country celebrates its 46th anniversary of political ind...

    E-EDITION
    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store
    Subscribe Now
    • Interactive Media Ltd. • P.O. Box 152 • Kingstown • St. Vincent and the Grenadines • Phone: 784-456-1558 © Copyright Interactive Media Ltd.. All rights reserved.
    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok