This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
There has been a lot of talk about immigration reform, but a forgotten segment of that population is the legal immigrants, like my parents, who paid taxes and lived a fruitful life.
Any path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants should require the following provisions:
1. They must pay any past taxes, or all legal immigrants should be refunded the many taxes they paid.
2. They must be held responsible and pay a fine for being here against the law. Or are we to the point that we only obey the laws with which we agree?
3. They must learn English. My parents struggled with English all of their lives, but they learned it well enough to function in our society. The English as a second language program in schools is just a crutch that merely delays the need to learn English; it should be ended.
4. They should go to the end of the line of immigrants waiting to obtain U.S. citizenship. They should not be allowed citizenship before someone who follows the required and legal path.
Those illegal immigrants who disagree with these provisions don't want reform, they want amnesty.
Victor Roblez
Holladay