My father always told me that Democracy can only occur when we have an informed and educated public. Today we are seeing less and less education and dialogue about the issues, and immigration, in my opinion is at the top of the list.
Last night, someone amazing happened. I was attending a business forum for Human Resource Leaders and sat down next to a delightful woman, Melissa Burkhart, President of Futuro Sólido USA and struck up the conversation about what we both do. Before the night was over she had all of us in a roundtable talking about exactly that – community & immigration.
The synopsis of our conversation is here and it is based on her 9 years in business and decades of conversations with Spanish-speaking immigrants on both personal and professional fronts. I was astounded by how little I knew.
Most Americans are entirely unaware of the phenomenal amounts of money that exchanges hands as undocumented immigrants get to this country and attempt to build security once they have arrived.
Some ballpark examples are:
- Crossing the border $3-$5,000, paid to a “coyote”
- Drivers license $1-$2,000, paid to a criminal with a cut for someone inside the DMV (this is no longer possible in CO; people are going to NM and KS)
- Fake ID papers $2-$300
- Fraudulent marriage $5-$15,000
- Work permits for a family of 4 $13,000, paid to someone on the inside of the Department of Homeland Security. (Usually this person promises immigrants permanent residency for a substantial fee. They get them far enough in the process so that they receive work permits, which are generally valid for a year or two. At this point they usually ask for more money, then they disappear.)
Melissa’s thought is that these funds be diverted to state governments in the form of fees in exchange for a path (perhaps a long, slow path, but a path nonetheless) to permanent residency and citizenship. A large portion of the funds collected with such fees should go directly to states where immigrants are residing, so as to close, or at least considerably mitigate, budget gaps. What would it do for our state, for example, if each single undocumented immigrant were to pay a fee of $5,000 and each married couple $7,000, in installments over the course of one to two years —just as an example?
This program would be called, “Pay to Stay,” and it would certainly encounter opposition. Some might argue that we are rewarding those who have broken the law. She would say, no, we are imposing a substantial fine on those who have broken a law (a fine is the penalty for many legal infractions) but who have otherwise demonstrated a commitment to making a contribution to this country. We are also creating a significant source of revenue for those states with large numbers of undocumented immigrants, states which have historically borne costs associated with this population.
Furthermore, are supporting commerce and local businesses, as people who, for example, have valid drivers’ licenses will be able to purchase insurance, purchase and register cars, rent cars, stay in hotels, fly on an airplane, and open a bank account.
Finally, we are supporting employers in a wide range of industries who have a great deal of trouble filling certain positions with hardworking and trustworthy employees.
Others might say we are bleeding the disadvantaged who struggle and suffer enough as it is. Better, however, to have them pay the state for true security than be exploited by criminals. The money is there. They are paying it anyway and getting the short end of the stick at best. They should get something meaningful for it, and so should our country. (A good historical comparison is Prohibition. When alcohol was made illegal, the mafia made a killing—no pun intended.)
She would also consider taking this idea one step further and suggest that Homeland Security give priority to those families who have a qualified retirement account, either individually or through their employer, and are actively contributing a minimum of perhaps $2,000 per year to it. This would provide a shot in the arm to our stock market and would allay fears that this community would be relying on social programs as they age.
For more information contact Melissa directly:
Melissa Burkhart
President
Futuro Sólido USA
668 Cook St
Denver, CO 80206
Phone: (303) 837-8224
Fax: (303) 333-3617
Smiling into Diversity, Kendall
