Immigration Expanded 05-10-2006

to understate the obvious, it is my recent experience and opinion that most discussions of illegal immigration in the US fail to come within reach of any satisfactory conclusions. i am also of the opinion that no real answers can ever be reached for just as long as the consideration of the topic remains narrow. so, i have decided to begin a complete listing of the issues related to this topic, that anyone interested in discussion might better see the topic in its entirety.

i welcome any additional points to be added into the various categories. please feel free to comment them at the end or to email me (remove the NOSPAM). i do not, at this point, propose to analyze or take sides. I merely wish to present a listing of any and every point that i can find from any perspective. I shall endeavor to state each point from the perspective of its advocates.

for purposes of organization, I shall divide the points into the following categories (in alphabetical order): cultural, economic, ethical, human rights, legal, political (other), and security

cultural/racial

1. The US has a long history of encouraging immigration, and has benefited from it. The country has been called the "melting pot" of cultures, and has welcomed many immigrants in its history.

2. The formerly dominant European culture of the US has been decreased by the influx of Latino culture, which is accused of diminishing or even poisoning the US culture. this is frightening and unwelcome by those who feel that the former culture should be preserved. (the "star spangled banner" in Spanish is upsetting to cultural preservationists)

3. It is also accused that most or all anti-immigration advocacy is hidden racism. No one, for example, seems to be overly upset about illegal Canadian immigrants. The focus of the anti-immigration activity is Latino immigrants. This can be countered by stating that the bulk of illegal immigration is by Latino immigrants, so they make up the most appropriate majority of offenders.

economic

1. supply and demand dictates immigration. in the US, there is a demand for low cost labor, which can be supplied by immigrants from less developed countries. a pure free market of labor would require an open border such that supply could meet demand.

2. competition from low cost immigrant labor drives down wages for native unskilled workers. if a pool of low cost immigrant labor is available for a given job, a similarly skilled citizen will be forced to lower his price (wage) to gain employment.

3. illegal immigration is a drain on public funds. while illegal immigrants do pay some taxes (property tax, sales tax, and often social security tax), studies have found that the taxes paid by illegal immigrants do not pay for the services they receive. however, this tax inequality - the difference between the cost of services rendered and the tax revenue received on a per person basis - is characteristic of any low wage worker or group of low wage workers, regardless of legal status.

4. The current economy depends on a given amount of low cost immigrant labor. agriculture, construction, domestic services, restaurant, and resort industries all rely heavily on the illegal immigrant work force. economic stability (prices) in these markets could be impacted by a change in immigration law. it can be here asserted that a maintenance of the status quo legal system and population of undocumented workers is in the economic best interests of both the producers and consumers of these markets.

5. immigration contributes to population growth. this argument is used both as a pro and a con. while the immigrants themselves are an increase in population, they are generally assumed to have higher birth rates as well. as a con argument, this is seen as a potential overpopulation crisis: more crowded classrooms, housing crises, water and energy demand crunch, etc. as a pro argument, the increase in population is seen a a solution to decreasing fertility rates in the current population. The US has escaped the problem of sub-replacement fertility rates which is currently being faced throughout Europe. immigration is credited as contributing to the US population stability and growth, which is likely to remain important as the native population ages.

ethical

1. any program of amnesty for undocumented workers is not fair to those who have legally immigrated and obtained citizenship. amnesty programs are said to reward those who have broken the law.

2. sweatshops and slavery are both unethical. the status quo system of loose enforcement may allow both to occur.

3. the deaths of those crossing the border, are, from an ethical standpoint, disputed. on one side, one who dies while engaging in the unethical act of breaking the law deserves no sympathy. on the other side, an economic system which encourages illegal immigration should bear ethical responsibility for these deaths.

4. the value of human life, dignity, and treatment of fellow humans should be considered versus the value of inexpensive labor and the low cost commodities it produces.

human rights

1. it is proposed that all workers, regardless of origin, are deserving of equal rights as workers. These rights include: decent and safe working conditions, fair wages, accountability of wages paid for services rendered, etc. illegal workers are not guaranteed these rights.

2. guest worker programs are said to create a group of "second class" citizens. the guest workers would likely be awarded certain rights (property, right to work) and restricted from others (due process, voting). This has a historical basis. In the Bracero program (1942-1950), Mexican workers were allowed as guests in the US for agricultural and railroad work. The program, in retrospect, is widely considered a human rights failure, rift with stories of worker abuses.

3. illegal workers, lacking valid identification, may be denied basic services available to citizen that constitute a difference in human rights. Among these are access to legitimate property, legal rights, police services, banking services and driver privileges. these services may also include health and education (though legally schools and hospitals are required to provide services regardless of immigration status). sometimes, these services are available via corruption of legitimate routes or by black markets.

legal

1. immigration without proper clearance is a crime in the US, by letter of law. the enforcement of this crime (prevention, deterrence) varies, and is urged by various parties to be more or less pursued.

2. the use of false identification and social security numbers is a crime. the same enforcement controversy exists.

3. employment of illegal immigrants is a crime. enforcement on the employer end is universally recognized as severely lacking. even where they do exist, legal penalties for employment of illegal immigrants are less costly than the economic penalties of not employing illegal immigrants.

4. there currently exists no pathways for illegal immigrants to become legal.

political (and other)

1. accusations are sometimes made that many or most illegal immigrants come to the US so as to seek out and receive free public services. these accusations are not, to my understanding, based on any data.

2. accusations are sometimes made that the anti-immigration movement is a conspiracy by the wealthy elite to divide the working class against each other so as to retain control of society. these accusations are also not based on any data that I can find.

3. it is sometimes pointed out that illegal immigrants are not officially eligible for welfare since the welfare reform act of 1996. it is often rebutted that a fake identification and social security number may be used to defraud welfare services. accountings of illegal immigrants recieving welfare are, for obvious reasons, not available to colaborate either claim.

4. As previously mentioned, in the US, neither hospitals nor schools may refuse service based on immigration status or ability to pay. the correctness of this policy is debated.

security

1. the US border is not secured by any physical force or barrier. this insolubility allows immigration of workers, as well as other criminal elements (drugs, terrorists, gang members, other criminals).

2. violent crimes are committed by illegal immigrants, and in such cases, enforcement is difficult due to lack of identification. illegal immigrants are not, however, shown to be more likely to commit crime than their legal counterparts of similar economic status.

3. Some of the 9/11 hijackers were in the country illegally on expired visas. The suggestion that they entered the country via the Mexican border is, however, urban legend.