Translate

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Lament of a Legal Alien


Lament of a Legal Alien


If I had come here illegally and married my wife, a U.S. citizen, I'd have a green card by now.
 

By Manmeet Singh in the Wall Street Journal

Fayette, Miss.

My desire to come to the United States was born out of ambition, not desperation. I stood in every line there was, beginning at the U.S. Embassy in my native India and then here, filled out every form that needed to be filled out, and made copies and certified copies of all the documents that were needed to prove that I was who I said I was.

At every point I was warned that if I lied or falsified information or tried to find work other than the job I was authorized to do in the U.S. there would be serious consequences. In particular I was warned about the rather grave repercussions if I chose to stay here illegally.

I was impressed with the United States' laws and those who enforced them. I felt that if I had to stand in line so did the others and that the process was fair to everyone. I did a whole lot of waiting, filled out lots of forms, got photographed and fingerprinted and waited some more to be called a "legal alien physician."

I have been here for seven years and have been married to a U.S. citizen for a little over three years. The reason I am still on a visa is that I signed a clause with the U.S. government that said that I would work in a medically underserved area for a total of three years after my medical-residency training here, and that I wouldn't be able to wiggle out of this commitment even if I married a U.S. citizen. My wife and I often joke that if I came here illegally and married her then I would at least have had a green card by now.

Such laughs aside, over the past two years I have watched the immigration debate with fascination and a sense of utter helplessness. The helplessness stems from the fact that as a "legal alien" I have absolutely no voice in this discussion. People like me do not represent a vote bank, and politicians assume (correctly!) that I will continue to work diligently and not question the laws in place.

People in my situation also probably represent the most law-abiding segment of the population. Any skirmish with the law—even one not involving violence—can result in loss of working privileges and possible deportation. A recent NYT in Your Value Your Change Short position article in The New York Times about how legal immigrants' applications are being stalled because the officials who process files are overwhelmed with applications for deportation deferrals was a stinging slap in the face to all of those who chose to do the right thing and get here by following the rules.

What is really surprising is that, in a nation that prides itself on being a nation of laws, the enforcers of the law are told to deliberately look away when it comes to illegal immigration. Also the politically correct term now is undocumented rather than illegal. I for one—after being fingerprinted, photographed, inquired about in detail every time I re-enter the U.S.—know for sure that being undocumented is illegal.

As an "alien," I have always been and always will be extremely grateful for the education that I have received and the opportunity to work and live in the U.S. In return I have been a good citizen (well, not exactly a citizen), paid my taxes, paid immigration attorneys and stayed on top of the paperwork. I have done so because I realize how important the legal process is and I have nothing but respect and reverence for the law of the land.

As the debate in Washington and the media centers on the plight of willful wrongdoers, America's reputation as a nation of laws and as a nation of immigrants is at stake here. Making the law-abiders feel discounted would not have rested well with the Founding Fathers either.

Dr. Singh practices internal medicine in Jefferson County, Miss.

 

No comments: