Offering illegals money to self deport is not wrong; on the contrary, it’s a good idea.
A “business president,” a dealmaker taking this course should not come as a surprise to the country. Perhaps more surprising to Americans? The fact nobody tried it until now.
Think about it.
President Trump is offering those here illegally an incentive to self-deport, a means to leave the country without the burden of personal travel expense and not placing restrictions on re-entering legally later. What about that is bad? Nothing.
The benefits do not end there.
Offering and acceptance of a deal leaves the concept of due process intact while creating a speedier path to desired results. The law matters. Coming to America legally matters. Due process matters. This option encourages and preserves all those values. An offer and acceptance or denial could not be more American. And for every offer accepted, officials can focus more resources on those undocumented immigrants who are likely the worst of the worst. A good thing.
Some may say this move reeks of the boardroom and not the courtroom. Fine. When has a court ever settled a dispute more equitably than two parties coming to an agreement without adjudication? Rarely. This is not to say courts play an unimportant role in society – they are crucial – but better courts serve as a means of last resort, not first, when possible.
Why now?
The Trump administration is experiencing the difficulties of mass deportations. That was predictable. Sliding are day over day numbers. The New York Times reports the Administration has deported 140,000 migrants from the United States. Those numbers do not compare to the millions promised during the President’s campaign. The Administration needs a new approach that generates results now, in addition to one that satisfies due process. Winner, winner.
Seldom is the stick better than the carrot. But is the carrot attractive enough? We’ll see.
For now, there is no downside to trying.
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