Give us your poor, your tired, your deoxyribonucleic acid …

Presidential candidate Tom Tancredo has hatched a new plan. He’d like the US government to ask foreigners seeking visas through relatives to provide DNA samples and scientifically establish their so-called family ties. He introduced a bill yesterday.

“This will help protect the integrity of our immigration system,” said Tancredo, who has based his presidential campaign on curbing immigration. “It will give us one more tool to make sure that the beneficiaries of these visas are who they say they are.”

Immigrants would pay for the DNA costs through visa application fees under the proposal.

Obviously, Tancredo pinched the idea from the French.  In France new familial arrivals must speak French, pledge to the government that their kids will behave, and someone in the family must show earnings of up to 1,600 euros a month. And give DNA.

Despite the grousing emanating from both the far-left and populist right, there is neither widespread abuse of immigrants nor are immigrants particularly beholden to government welfare. Recently, France, once known for welcoming all newcomers with open arms, has made a dramatic u-turn. Huge numbers of immigrants in France are dependent on a massive welfare state. Immigrants (even illegal ones) rarely come to the United States for the free goodies — not yet, at least.

One thing is for sure, if DNA is now required, an unnecessary tightening of already-arduous immigration regulations, we will only perpetuate more illegal immigration.

Which brings me to another question: what’s the real problem here? Immigrants or, as we’ve been told by Tancredo and Lou Dobbs, illegal immigrants? Why would we make the process to enter the country even more difficult? Actually, I know the answer. I’ve heard Tancredo’s Malthusian rhetoric up close. I’ve heard his suggestion that this country needs a moratorium on all immigration. One wonders how long? Five years? 100 years?