My apologies to CNN, I copied and pasted some paragraphs from their article.
There's an old saying we've all heard before. "If it sounds too good to be true... it probably is."
It came to mind as I read about Donald Trump's immigration proposal that was suggested in a call with White House staff and members of Congress on Wednesday.
The latest proposal submitted by Trump is a doozy. This should have the spin doctors on both sides of the aisle working overtime. The White House framed it as a "dramatic concession" and "compromise." On the surface it sounds like a great deal for everyone concerned.
But coming from Donald Trump, I just can't help but be skeptical. After all, Trump changes his mind faster and more often than the weather in New England.
In exchange for $25 billion for his wall, Trump would accept:
Giving legal status and a pathway to citizenship to about 1.8 million people. Not just the roughly 700,000 undocumented immigrants covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program; But the proposal would also cover those undocumented immigrants who meet the DACA criteria but did not sign up. Even more people would be newly eligible under the proposal's time-frame requirements
In return, Trump is seeking the following:
A $25 billion investment in a trust for border infrastructure and technology, as well as more funds for [immigration?] personnel
An end to family migration beyond spouses and minor children.
Abolishing the diversity visa lottery, though the visas would be re-allocated so that the backlog of people already waiting for family visas and high-skilled immigration green cards would be processed.
The White House is also looking to close "legal loopholes" that will allow it to deport more immigrants, specifically as it relates to undocumented immigrants from countries that don't border the United States
The last part is considered a hard pill for Democrats to swallow. I don't have any problem with increasing our border security and deporting those who came as willing adults illegally.
I am at the point where I say, give him the money for the wall.
Anyone in their right mind, which excludes Trump, knows the wall is a fantasy. It might cost the taxpayers $25 billion to learn that lesson. But that's not as much as what it will cost us economically to deport the 700,000 dreamers. Not to mention the loss of productivity and taxes they pay while they are here.
It will take a decade to work through all the court challenges that will happen just over the use of eminent domain to steal the private land needed. Not to mention the logistics and new technology they will need to deal with is construction. In the end he'll get a fence that will be built in pieces that won't stop anyone.
His base will be pissed when he tries to explain why Mexico isn't coughing up the dough he promised and tells them that they will pay for it. That should help the democrats in the upcoming elections.
But 1.8 million people will finally have control over their lives and will become citizens. Productive, tax-paying, proud American citizens. And that prospect is worth a lot more than the wall will cost us.
It is such a great idea that it seems almost like an Anti-Trump idea. When I start thinking this could work, I start to feel Like Charlie Brown getting ready to run and kick that football Lucy is holding.
All together, the proposal seems to be a great example of the saying "If it sounds too good to be true... it probably is!"
So, for now I'm just going to watch and see how it all plays out. Because there is another old saying that applies to the issue...
"... Time will tell."
