August 4th, 2017 (article from me to the Chicago Tribune)
President Donald Trump and two conservative Republican members of the U.S. Senate are promoting legislation to severely limit legal immigration into our country. I want to emphasize that this proposed law has only to do with legal immigration. It would cut in half the number of people able to apply for green cards. It would also set up a “merit-based system,” which would somehow only allow the “best” people to enter the United States.
I help to teach a citizenship class at Voces de la Frontera in Milwaukee. I primarily tutor immigrants from Mexico. These are green card holders who have been in this country for several years. They work as forklift operators, cooks, machinists and landscapers. These people obey the laws of our nation, they work full time, and they pay their taxes. These adult students contribute to their communities, and they are an asset to all of us. They will all be good and loyal citizens.
The fact is that, under Trump’s proposed immigration rules, none of these people would ever have made it this far. They would have never qualified for a permanent resident card. Actually, my wife would not have qualified either. And, come to think of it, my ancestors, who came here over a hundred years ago from Slovenia as unskilled labor, would never have become residents or citizens.
This new legislation would keep out the people who will make America great again.
Frank is Emptiness 