I am an immigrant citizen with a long and successful history in international business. I abhor President Donald Trump yet agree that our immigration system is broken — but not his solution!
Trump’s policy is built on racism and receives widespread support from areas where unemployment is high and immigrants congregate.
That’s not dissimilar to the U.K. and France. For many years in the U.K., citizens from Commonwealth countries could immigrate freely — with the result that certain neighborhoods have a majority of nonwhite Jamaicans and Pakistanis. Some cities have even attempted to replace English law with Sharia law. The recent influx of East Europeans competing for low-paying jobs proved the last straw and led to Brexit. A similar situation exists in France, where millions of immigrants from their African colonies are concentrated in their inner cities.
We don't need a border wall — especially as roughly 50 percent of illegal immigrants simply overstay legal short-term visas. What we need are immigrant quotas backed by immigrant licenses — similar to driver licenses.
Employers should be required to apply for permits to hire immigrants (as Trump does at his hotels and golf courses) after demonstrating that they can't attract citizen applicants. Large fines and other penalties should accrue for employers who cheat. Employers who need seasonal workers or don't want to pay enough to attract citizens (Trump, for example) should be able to apply for temporary visas. A similar system has worked well in Switzerland for decades — but was rejected by Republicans here several years ago.
Finally, all employers should provide classes in English for their employees and their spouses and/or readily available computer or phone based lessons free of charge.
In addition, there are plenty of volunteer organizations or school districts who will provide instruction — also free of charge. My wife spent 30 years doing this. Reasonable progress in learning English should be a requirement for visa renewal and will result in better integration into the community.
Frank Fish, Park City