Immigration Backwardness

"Have you noticed you don't see those Taco Bell ads anymore? Remember the ones that said, 'Make a run for the border?' For some reason those seem to have fallen out of Favor," ~Jay Leno

IMMIGRATION BACKWARDNESS

On the Immigration issue today, properly enforcing immigration policy and laws, is being commingled, and mistaken with, anti immigration.

People are responsible, first and foremost, for their own country. There is also no reason that those who came here illegally should get priority over their country mates back home.

It is not a question of "human dignity," as is constantly suggested. These immigrants did nothing morally wrong. To enforce our immigration laws is NOT saying that they did, only that our immigration laws matter.

Likewise, to say that immigrants "contributed" to our economy is meaningless. This, again is not to disparage immigrants who understandably came here in violation of U.S. immigration law. But that contribution was a benefit to the illegal immigrants who chose this path, and was outweighed by the cost of social and governmental services in return (this is basic economics 101 with respect to low paying jobs). Again, this does not mean they did anything wrong, it just means that once again, a false argument has been parroted across the country as part of the latest popular position of the moment.

If you think that our immigration laws are too restrictive, that is one thing. Perhaps, by some perspectives, they are. Since we are today a mature and overpopulated country, we think the opposite is and has been the better argument for some time. But that is a matter of subjective opinion. If you think otherwise, then make that case. But this is different than doing an end run around the real inquiry with misleading arguments, simply because seemingly everyone but "far right" conservatives is making them -- about how it is an issue of fairness, when it is not fair to their fellow countrymen, or about dignity, when it is not undignified to courteously enforce immigration laws, or about net "economics," when that argument is economically backwards.

Moreover, the argument that immigrants will "do jobs that no Americans will do" is demeaning, and crass. As is the idea of "guest workers" who in effect serve as second class citizens, to do our dirty work in return for their "better opportunity." It is demeaning to American workers, and to immigrants, and degrades the concept that any work that needs to be done, and that is done honorably, is honorable.

Once again, the large gap between rhetoric and reality under current far right wing leadership continues, as immigration policies have been more uniformly and consistently enforced under the previous democratic administration, than under the current Bush administration. Yet in the meantime, seemingly now as a response to the far right wing cacophony, our President -- who on this of all positions has decided not to adopt even the right wing perspective -- we are suddenly sending National Guard units to our national borders? Where has reasonable enforcement been for the past five years? And how is the consideration of various programs to grant work status and/or citizenship to those who have crossed those borders and remained here illegally, consistent with sending the National Guard to those very same borders?