Babe's Eye View article

For a country that was built by immigrants, the United States is ironically going through a rough time with Americans deeply divided over the issue of illegal immigration. Politicians are wrangling over a comprehensive immigration reform bill that would decide what to do with the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the US.

President George Bush acknowledged that past efforts have failed to address underlying economic conditions behind the continuing surge of illegal immigrants, and that is, people are going to the US to put food on the table, doing jobs that Americans are not doing, and since many of them have no lawful way to come to America, they sneak in.

However, a leaked White House document detailing stricter immigration principles prompted protest rallies among immigrants’ rights groups. The proposal would require illegals to return to their countries and pay a stiff $10,000 fine to re-enter legally, plus another $3,500 to qualify for a three-year work visa. Congressmen have also come up with their own proposals, such as the Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy Act that would require immigrants to leave the US but sets lower fines for those who want to continue to work, and would allow those who have been in the US before June 2006 to become citizens.

Hardliners, however, are against the idea of granting amnesty to illegal immigrants, saying it is tantamount to rewarding lawbreakers. With the US intent on enforcing tighter immigration controls such as the construction of a 700-mile series of fences along the Mexican border, intensifying efforts to apprehend illegals, Filipino TNTs (acronym for Tago ng Tago, literally translated as "hiding and hiding")—estimated at 250,000 to 350,000 and even up to one million—are naturally apprehensive that they would become the next target for the crackdown on undocumented immigrants. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been raiding the homes of suspected TNTs, with a number of them already deported to the Philippines.

In California, a recent poll showed that illegal immigration is viewed as a serious problem, but people believe that those who have been in the US for many years should be granted legal status. A significant majority, however, said they agree to an increase in Border Patrol agents and want a crackdown on those who hire illegal immigrants, and are amenable to the idea of rounding up and deporting those who have entered the country illegally.

Another bitter issue is the Iraq war, with some favoring the withdrawal of troops while others disagree, saying it would lead to chaos across the Middle East and would expose the US to a disaster worse than 9/11. Experts say a looming constitutional showdown over deadlines for combat operations could result in a political crisis, made more intense with plans to send 30,000 more troops to supplement the existing 145,000 soldiers in Iraq.

Meanwhile, the number of American soldiers killed in Iraq has exceeded 3,000, and the death toll keeps mounting every day—making it more difficult to persuade soldiers to stay in the military. No wonder Army and Marine bonuses have zoomed up to $1 billion since 2003, with some getting as much as $150,000 if they re-enlist—putting a strain on the defense budget. The extra cash seems to be working, but it’s a different story for families who fear the rising death toll.

Bush’s approval rating has sunk so low, and this "loss of confidence" over Iraq has extended to the growing disapproval over his handling of the economy. Sixty percent of Americans expect a recession within a year, and many blame the high cost of keeping the war in Iraq. The IMF had predicted a 2.2 percent economic growth for 2007, the slowest so far in five years, placing the US behind the UK, Canada and Japan.

A Federal Reserve report saying the economy may slow without curbing inflation has also caused a decline in US stocks, with investors preparing for a worst-case scenario of "stagflation." The dollar—the cornerstone of America’s political, economic and military might—is also in big trouble. It’s been on a continuing slump, raising concerns that it could be dislodged as the top currency, a fear that is not unfounded considering that in 2002, the euro was $0.87 on the dollar. Last week, it closed at $1.34—a hefty 50 percent gain for the euro in just four years.

These are indeed changing times in America, and the situation will obviously affect many Filipinos. For one, the US is our biggest trading partner. Plus, there are close to three million Filipinos living in the US, almost one third of them illegals while the rest are OFWs who send the bulk of dollar remittances to this country.

I was with First Gentleman Mike Arroyo before I left for the US, when we both stood as sponsors during the wedding of the son of Atty. Ted Cruz, a mutual friend. I noticed that he didn’t look too well, and I kidded him about stressing himself with the media and the libel suits he filed against them. The First Gentleman simply laughed, replying that he was probably just tired. The news about his condition has reached the Filipino community all over California. If there’s one good thing that came out of this, it’s the fact that it has brought out the Christian in everyone, even among Mike’s bitterest enemies. As Ping Lacson said, he is no fan of Mike Arroyo but when someone’s life is at stake, everyone should pray to save it. Clearly, the saving grace of Filipinos is their deep Christian beliefs.