Being an immigrant myself (legally, I hasten to add!
), perhaps I can contribute to this discussion.
I don't think anyone minds those who are productive, contributing members of society. I think there is a case to be made for a "guest worker" program to allow those who can indeed contribute to our society to come here and share its benefits. However, the huge problem with our illegal immigrants is that they are far more of an economic burden than an economic asset. Consider:
- Hospitals driven almost into bankruptcy because they are forced to treat those who have no means to pay, or no intention to pay, and are not adequately reimbursed by the government for being placed in this position;
- Schools and universities spending literally hundreds of millions of dollars (in some states, well into the billions of dollars) to educate the children of illegal immigrants, who cannot be turned away;
- Social services provided to illegal immigrants at great expense;
- Billions and billions of dollars in tax revenue lost because most illegals don't bother to file tax returns, and many employers will deduct "taxes" from their wages but neglect to turn these in, because they know they'll never be exposed, since the illegal won't complain;
- Massive overload of our law enforcement, criminal justice, and prison systems (I'd estimate that at least 20%, if not more, of our prison population are either illegal immigrants, or criminals by association with them in gangs, drug crime, etc.);
- Social disruption caused by non-assimilating minority communities who won't learn English, won't adapt themselves to the indigenous culture, and instead insist on their "right" to their own culture (illegally imported or not).
I could go on, but you get my drift. No economic return from illegal immigrants' labor can compensate for the above problems. I'm unabashedly hard-line about this: DEPORT THEM ALL! Impose swingeing fines on any company employing illegal labor. Charge enough for a product to enable you to pay adequate wages to those who produce it, so that you'll have people willing to work in those jobs. Withdraw all economic aid from countries that don't take steps to control their citizens' contribution to the illegal immigration problem. Stop all bank transfers to other countries except for those who can prove that they are legally present in the US. Allow all law enforcement officers, regardless of agency, to arrest illegal immigrants and turn them over to the INS. Deprive the children of illegal immigrants of their US citizenship, on the grounds that the fruits of a crime cannot be declared legal (and yes, if this takes a Constitutional amendment, let's do it!). Deprive all illegal immigrants of the right to State-subsidized education, health care, and social services.
In conjunction with these measures, institute a "guest worker" program that will allow enough legitimate immigrant labor to meet the economic needs of the USA. Insist that such people have no criminal record, and get their visas outside the US, not after they've already illegally immigrated. Ensure that they are registered as taxpayers, and that their continued presence in the US depends on their continued gainful employment. If they become unemployed, they should have a reasonable period in which to obtain alternative employment, but if they don't find another job, they should have to leave, and should not be eligible for social security and/or welfare benefits. They should have access to education, health care, etc. for their families, but should be required to fund their own health insurance for this purpose (and/or participate in an employer health care program). In other words, they should be an economic asset to the USA, not an economic burden.
Harsh? Perhaps... but realistic, I think.
