Illegal Immigration, Part 2

***Originally posted on 6/1/07***

In the previous blog I laid out what I see as the real issue, and a number of reasons this issue is a major, major problem. So, the next logical question is what to do about it. You hear a lot about securing the border, and the Senate even went as far as to vote to build a fence on the US-Mexico border not too long ago. Of course, they only funded that bill enough to build 2 miles of the 700-mile fence, so it didn't end up accomplishing anything real. Way to go, Senate!

But, I digress.

It seems to me that there are two major elements to this question:
1. how to stop the influx of illegal aliens
2. what to do with the illegal aliens that are already here

The simplest thing to do, of course, is to enforce the laws that are already on the books. We already have laws against being here illegally, against businesses hiring illegals, etc. If we would just enforce what's there, we could fix the problem. Securing the border would be one first step, but it's going to be hideously expensive, and I think it's somewhat impractical to think it'll actually happen.

First things first. We need to ask ourselves why most illegal aliens come here. Typically, it's probably to make a better life - basically, they can find jobs, free health care, education, and government benefits. To address all of those things, I like what Selwyn Duke proposed at the American Thinker recently. His basic plan is this:
1. enact laws that will severely punish employers who hire illegals
2. enact laws that will eliminate illegals from receiving any government benefits
3. eliminate the "anchor baby" clause (anyone born on US soil is an automatic citizen)

These three things alone would more than likely remove most of the incentive for illegals to come here. But, he goes a couple steps further:
4. enact a law that establishes a date beyond which any illegal alien caught in the US will be subject to severe punishment
5. enact a law that says if an illegal is found in the US beyond that date, they will be prohibited from entering the US ever again, even legally

All this would be accomplished without having to go to the time, trouble, and expense of building a fence (which would cost literally billions of dollars and take who-knows-how-long to do) simply by removing the reasons for them to come here. Furthermore, no jobs and no freebies would mean that there would likely be a mass exodus of those already here. Voila! We've answered both of the major elements of the question!

Now, let's talk about some of the common protests to these measures.

"Illegal immigrants do the jobs Americans won't do." Who did those jobs before illegal aliens came here? Americans. And, there's a glaring weakness in that phrase that doesn't get pointed out much - you've probably heard that illegal aliens make up about 25% of the low-skill work force in the agriculture industry, but have you thought about who makes up the other 75%? Americans. As Duke points out in the above article, the point is not that there are jobs Americans won't do, rather there are wages that Americans generally aren't willing to work for. If illegals suddenly departed from the equation, the market would simply balance out, and wages would normalize to where they should be rather than being artificially deflated by illegal workers. It might get a little tight for a time while that normalization happens, but it certainly wouldn't be catastrophic. In fact, that kind of market push/pull relationship is the essence of capitalism. Also, isn't America the most technologically advanced society on the planet? Why do we have so much manual labor going on anyway? If 25% of those low-skill jobs suddenly open up, why can't we fill those needs with machines and technology?

"We can't possibly deport 12-20 million people." If we follow the plan outlined above, we wouldn't have to - I believe most would leave on their own. Even if they didn't, the logic in that statement is appalling. What would happen if we applied the same thought process to law enforcement? Do we shut down all law enforcement agencies because we can't possibly stop every crime? No, you do the best you can with what you've got! Last year, we deported over 220,000 illegal aliens, which was about 20% more than the year before. Take it one step at a time, and it becomes possible. Put the proper disincentives in place, and it might actually become simple.

"They're just here to make a better life for themselves and their families." For thorny issues like this, I try to think about the general principle to see how it could be applied to other situations. For example, let's say I live next door to a really rich guy who never locks his doors. I know for a fact that he's got huge TVs, lots of fancy jewelry, and an expensive coin collection in his house. I also know that he travels a lot. I could walk over to his house while he's away on his next trip, take a bunch of his stuff and bring it back to my house without getting caught. But, would it be right for me to do that? No, of course not. Now, let's say I do it anyway, then he comes home and discovers what I've done. I could point out that since he's rich he can just buy another one of everything I stole from him, and that I'm just trying to improve my standard of living and make a more comfortable life for myself. How's he going to react to that? What if the rich guy next door is you? How would you react?

"Some have been here for years or decades; we can't send them home." Again, apply the general principle to another situation. Let's say someone stole $25,000 from you tomorrow, but the police weren't able to find him. Fast forward to the year 2027. The police in another state catch a bank robber who confesses to stealing money from you back in 2007. Are you going to want justice for the thief, even though the incident happened years earlier?

In my mind, this is a case of principle over individual. There is a greater principle at stake than any individual (or group of individuals), and that is the law and integrity of the United States of America. I'm choosing the side of the principle.

Now, let's get concrete. What can YOU do right NOW? First and foremost, contact your Senators/Representatives and ask about their stance on illegal immigration and the current immigration reform bill. Do this whether you agree with me or not. One of our most priceless rights as Americans is the right of representation, and your reps need to know what you think about issues like this. I've adopted the attitude that anyone who doesn't get involved doesn't get the right to complain! :) That's one reason I've posted contact info in the box at the right - to make it easy for you to get involved. I've listed my own representatives here, but you can also call the Capital Switchboard and ask to be transferred to any Congressional office, so that's the only number you really need.

If your reps don't agree with you, politely inform them of your opinion and state that this issue is important to you and that their voting record on this issue will affect your vote at the next election. Additionally, when you hear people around you talking about the issue, don't be afraid to engage in polite discussion with them. It's okay to disagree (as long as you don't get crazy or obnoxious about it!), and word of mouth or friendly discussion is the best way to change other people's minds. And remember, chances are pretty good that most of the people around you actually agree with you anyway.

Lastly, pay attention, pay attention, pay attention! Don't let the issue sneak past you - this is something that has huge financial and cultural ramifications that may not be fully revealed for years, and by then it may be too late to "fix". If you don't pay attention, you may end up regretting it. So might your children and your grandchildren.

There's my two cents.