Congratulations President Trump

  President Trump has once again found a way to deliver on another of his campaign promises, which is certain to further endear him to his already rabid base.   This past week President Trump announced his support of legislation, which would cut legal, let me emphasize, “legal” immigration by half.

Of course this announcement was met with gladness, and shouts of joy from those who voted for President Trump, based on his promise to put America first, and to restrict the entry of illegal immigrants into the country.

The fact this legislation would restrict legal immigration, and would change the parameters by which a person could obtain a green card, matters little to those who wish only to keep out all foreigners,  especially those of Latin heritage. Forget how many times they may have said, “if these immigrants want to come here, let them come here legally”.

The Trump administration would have us believe this change in immigration laws would be beneficial to American citizens, based on the idea that having so many immigrant workers, be they legal or illegal, has a depressing effect on jobs and wages for American citizens.

The new legislation would limit how many people could legally obtain a green card, and would show preference to so-called, “more educated, and highly skilled” applicants. It would require the person to speak English prior to entry. Do not lose sight, we are talking about a green card, not citizenship.

Let us think this through. We already know we have a problem with immigrants entering this country illegally, a problem we have shown no real ability to handle for decades. Most people understand we need immigration reform, alongside of enforcement of our current laws.

In my opinion, the reform should include “migration” language, which would allow seasonal workers to migrate back and forth according to need. This would allow for documentation, and take the illegality out of the process.

By restricting the number of people who can legally immigrate, it goes without saying, this will only encourage people to come here illegally, further exacerbating the problem. Furthermore, by mandating immigrants must be highly skilled and educated, you again force all others to take the illegal path to entry.

Once again President Trump has shown his inclination to use a sledge-hammer, when a tack hammer would suffice.  But is this because of his belief, that somehow by restricting the immigration of people who will work in fields, and plants, and the service industry, that suddenly American citizens will rush to fill those jobs? Or, and I feel this is more likely, is this once again, President trump solidifying his base of supporters, who oppose any and all immigrants?

The legislation, as it is written right now, would also limit the number of refugees who would be able to seek refuge in America. So it would seem this is also a backdoor method to pass his anti-Muslim ban as well.

We as Americans must face the fact, we currently have a President, who, along with a hardcore base of support, feels, to “Make America great Again”, is only achievable by limiting who can become an American. And one need only look around the crowds at his so-called rallies, to see who they believe can be, or should be Americans.

But what is an American? Of course there are the legal limitations of being born here, or by obtaining legal status and citizenship. With this new proposal, it would seem as if President Trump and his supporters would like to limit it to only being born here. That my friends is known as nativism. Look to history and see how Irish immigrants were treated under the ideals of nativism.

But being an American, in my opinion, has a much broader meaning than simply being born here, and in fact, I would go as far to say, some people born here show very little attributes of being an American.

I see being an American, as someone who longs for freedom, someone who seeks a better life, for themselves and their family. Someone who understands their own success is directly connected to their own effort and abilities to achieve that success. Being an American is about respecting others, and about understanding, that while I may not agree with you, you have the right to be wrong, as do I.

Many of the people who come to our shores, both legally, and illegally share many, if not all of these attributes. To seek to restrict them from coming here legally, means only we are restricting the number of people who desire to be Americans, and who share our values. This is not how this nation was founded, and it certainly is not how we became the light of Liberty around the world.

So at this point you may be wondering why I have chosen in the title of this post to congratulate President Trump.

Well because, all of those American citizens out there, who have been longing to take on the lawn care, and melon picking, and room service jobs, can finally heave a sigh of relief. They will no longer have to compete with immigrants for those low wage jobs. No, if President Trump has his way, American citizens will only have to compete with immigrant, for the less numerous, and higher paying jobs.

Is America great yet?