Torch, Spring/Summer 2012

you a letter, warning, or ticket, but we’ve documented each time you’ve broken the speed limit. A fine for each occurrence is now due.” For me, that would be a very expensive bill, and I don’t think it would be fair. But that’s what we’re saying to people we have allowed to live and work here, as well as contribute to our society, some for more than 20 years. It makes no sense to say, “It’s been great, but now you have to go back to your country of origin, even if it means leaving your family here, and even if you have no ties back in your home country.” Christians have a responsibility to lead the church and engage in multifaceted ministry on a massive scale to meet the spiritual and physical needs of millions of men, women, and children living in society’s shadows. You may not agree with how they came here, but they are here, and they are people for whom Jesus died. Securing the Workplace You can’t secure the border unless you turn off the magnet, and the magnet is jobs. There is no border in the world with a greater disparity in living standard on either side than the border between the United States and Mexico. As long as that is the reality, people will find a way to come if they can improve their lives. They’re going to continue to be exploited, and they’re going to continue to drive wages down. A Council of Foreign Relations task force report states that undocumented workers suppress wages by 12 percent for Americans at the lower end of the economy — a significant amount for those living paycheck to paycheck. We need to pass legislation that would give people a certain grace period to come forward and register, undergo a background check, and pay a fine. Part of that fine would be used to produce a tamper-proof identity card, probably with a thumbprint, that would enable them to become a documented worker on probation. If they abide by the law and continue to be gainfully employed after a certain number of years, probably a sliding scale based on how many years they’ve already been here, they would move from probation to permanent legal status. The next step — this will be a hard sell, but I don’t see any other way around it — is issuing a new Social Security card for all American citizens with a thumbprint that would make it more difficult for someone to steal your identity. To secure the workplace, American employers should face a strict penalty 14 TORCH | Spring-Summer 2012 DARRENTAYLOR | ISTOCKPHOTO AND JOHN RODRIGUEZ | ISTOCKPHOTO