READY: Can anyone make sense of our government?

This week I can’t really decide between my profound dislike of the scandal- ridden IRS (It is that time of year) and the incomprehensible policies of ICE, which we used to call INS, but now they prefer the tougher sounding “Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” one of the three branches of Homeland Security.

Hmmmm. I think I’ll select immigration for this rant.

 It’s the part about “security” and “enforcement” that confounds me the most. I don’t feel very secure, and I certainly don’t see any understandable enforcement going on within the policies of our immigration agency.

It’s a cliché now about the thousands of illegals coming across our southwestern border to receive employment, medical care, education, and protection from deportation when identified, even if it involves the commission of a crime. And many J-1 European and Asian students who came here legally didn’t return home, but stayed to join the growing numbers of illegals in America. Most of them are hard-working, decent human beings who would make good citizens, but with no governmental address of the issue, the problem gets worse.

Besides, by my perhaps narrow-minded definition, “illegal” means “in violation of the law.”

Recent news items on this topic are the reason I’m not only riled up, but also left scratching my head in bewilderment.

Jason Hill’s Australian wife of 16 years, Debra, who came to the U.S. legally, is now under a 10 year ban from returning to this country after she flew to Australia to see her dying mother. Her husband and two children are all U.S. citizens. Before leaving for Australia, her immigration paperwork was in process and her I-130 had been approved. She is still in Australia 26 months later, barred from returning to the U.S. for 10 years, and no longer eligible to apply for any American legal status. Mr. Hill is currently petitioning Secretary of State Kerry to remove the ban on Debra and allow his family to reunite.

Frank and I had a similar experience when our Romanian daughter’s biological father died in Romania.

Here legally, she was doing everything required by the terms of her visa. We bought three airline tickets and prepared to attend the funeral. However, a call to the Romanian Embassy resulted in some devastating news. She could travel to Romania, no problem, but she would not be allowed to return with us. Heartbroken, she almost abandoned nursing school to go to her Dad’s funeral, but her Romanian family convinced her he wouldn’t want her to give up her dream of becoming a nurse. She stayed, and Frank and I went in her place.  It took three years of immigration red tape and expensive documentation fees before she was able to visit his grave and her childhood home. She is now a psychiatric nurse practitioner who helps hundreds of patients and contributes positively to her community in many ways.

Yet, immigration turned her down for American citizenship.

So, in these two cases, ICE meant “enforcement” and tough as nails.

But the enforcement is not so tough on illegals who are embraced by our government and given benefits that not even many American citizens enjoy.

One more, nutty story.

The Social Security Administration, just as unstable in policy enforcement as IRS and ICE, has just approved disability benefits for hundreds of Puerto Ricans because they don’t speak English, despite the fact that Puerto Rico is a predominantly Spanish-speaking territory. According to a recent audit by the Office of Inspector General, the agency is misapplying rules that are intended to provide financial assistance to individuals who are illiterate or cannot speak English in the United States. The audit said a person applying for disability in Puerto Rico or in the U.S. who cannot speak English “will increase his/her likelihood of receiving disability benefits.”

For way too many English-speaking American citizens, getting disability benefits is a nightmare of paperwork, getting a Social Security Disability attorney, doctor and hospital documentation, etc. And, even at that, the chances for being turned down are great. Thus, people who have a bad heart, physical disability, vision impairment, and mental illness may go without benefits.

Apparently, these folks should claim they can’t speak English, so they are unable to work and need governmental assistance to survive. 

Whether it’s one government agency or another, uneven enforcement and illogical policy application seem to characterize the way things are done.

And yet, I still say “God Bless America.”

Mary Ready of Destin is a twice-retired English teacher and long-time area resident. Her columns are published on Saturdays.