Immigration 101

I know this may not be popular to some, but this is my view in light of Congress’ push for a bill making status as an illegal alien a felony. I have heard and read of illegal aliens, primarily Mexicans, comparing their plight to that of Blacks and Women by saying that this is their revolution. I see a few very large and overriding differences.

Black and female citizens of the United States of America were denied the right to vote or to buy land or to marry freely or many other freedoms that other citizens shared. These same blacks and females had to pay taxes, had to have insurance, were subject to our criminal laws, could be sued, and could generally be held accountable for their actions both positive and negative. Can the same argument be made for illegal aliens?

Remember, this argument is not about closing the borders to LEGAL immigrants, the argument is for enforcing our current laws. They are called illegal aliens for a reason……they are breaking our nation’s laws. Blacks and women are legal citizens who were systematically denied rights without breaking any laws. The same cannot be said for illegal aliens.

But what about the fact that these immigrants build our houses and places of work, worship, and dining? What about the fact that they, as Mr. Bush stated, “Do jobs that Americans wont’ do?” Look at how much money they save Americans in housing costs….the argument goes.

How much of your tax money is paying to subsidize medical costs for uninsured and illegal immigrants? How much of your property tax is subsidizing education for illegal children? How much has your insurance costs risen due to the fact that there are illegal drivers driving around with no driver’s license, insurance, or social security information.

In addition, illegal immigrants often get away with offenses for which citizens would be liable. For example, when I served as a Special Assistant US Attorney in Georgia there were several times when I had illegal aliens come in on violations ranging from falsified IDs, traffic violation (no drivers license/insurance), assault or even theft. In most of those cases I had to contact INS and the response was usually the same….just let them go. We couldn’t fine them or put them in the system because they had no information and apparently it would be too much of a strain on the system to prosecute these individuals for non felony violations….of course there is no such strain when it comes to prosecuting me and you.

Finally, what is the end game of allowing illegal immigrants to stay. Bush proposes (in order to benefit business) that we give illegals that are already here work permits that will expire and they can apply for citizenship then. I doubt that is his aim is liberty and justice for all. He wants to encourage a working underclass in this country to the benefit of (once again) the RICH. Who suffers as a result? The poor who don’t benefit by low housing cost because they often cannot afford to buy houses anyway. The middle class by increased taxation and health and auto insurance premiums.

In closing, if illegal aliens were not building houses, would houses not be built? Of course they would, and lower to middle class Americans would be building them. We are a nation of immigrants but we are also a nation of laws. All I ask is that we actually start enforcing them.