An indecent proposal

POL 213: I was shocked and taken completely off guard this week. It doesn't often happen that I fail to respond to a situation with words, but this time I was left with none. It happened Monday night, as a co-worker and I left work after our shift at one of the thousands of restaurants in New York. He began, hesitatingly, to tell me his story. How he had come from an Eastern European country with $150 in his pocket and was now attending school and working fulltime to support himself. His story continued with his portrayal of himself as a hard-working individual who lives according to the law and even pays taxes, but is viewed as an illegal alien by the authorities. Evidently his work visa had run out before his student visa application could be properly processed, and now he remained in the United States on the slim hope that he could work something out to be able to stay permanently.

"Mike," as I'll call him here, continued his conversation with me by broaching a subject I'd never have expected. I could tell he was struggling for words and for courage as he finally suggested an arranged marriage between us in an attempt to gain legal status, and possibly even his permanent green card. The price he was willing to pay? $10,000.

I was dumfounded. How was this possible? My response was that no man should ever have to resort to such a desperate measure in order to stay under the law. I told him that I would look into an appeal, and that perhaps my legislative representatives would be able to help.

This scenario again brought the immigration problem to the front of my consciousness. What IS the best way to integrate newcomers to our country? Do our laws serve as aids or hindrances to this process? It is time to review them and discuss our options and responsibilities as citizens of the United States. President Bush has introduced several initiatives. Let's analyze them fairly, apart from our party and personal agendas, and create a workable solution to this problem.

As we do so, we'll need to take several aspects of the debate into consideration. We need to realize that immigration is not going to go away. It's with us for better or for worse. Congress could sign a bill tomorrow granting universal amnesty for all illegal aliens, or they could choose to erect a 2,000 mile wall. Day labor, falsified papers, and arranged marriages will remain a fact of life for thousands of individuals.

Amity Shlaes addresses Mitt Romney's attack on supporters of immigrants in an article entitled Romney Ignores Blessings of New York's Immigrants by stating that historically, "New York may have served as a sanctuary for illegal immigrants, but it is illegal immigrants who have blessed the city, not the other way around." My friend Mike seems to confirm this sentiment with his story, and even though I'm not willing to compromise my moral stand on the sacredness of marriage, I'd like to see him succeed in his quest for citizenship or legal status in my country.