There are 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. as of 2007.
Unemployment is at an all time low of 4.5%.
Somehow the statement that illegal immigrants are stealing American jobs, does not really seem to be in any statistics I have seen. Nor have I ever met someone who said they were fired and replaced by an illegal immigrant. A job will probably go overseas before stolen by an immigrant and labor jobs seem to be abundant for whomever is willing to work. But, somehow the illegal immigrant is the villain. Not the companies who supply the jobs, help get them into the country, and treat them as slave labor. Not the companies who move the jobs overseas and then take no responsibility of how the products are not safe (China toys) or how the employees overseas are treated.
I agree we need an efficient way to monitor who comes into the country. We should not accept people who could be a danger to our society. We just need to focus on it across party lines and realize we all were immigrants at one time or another. Except if your native American (that's another story). It is unfortunate that currently the system is setup in a way that most immigrants have to be fluent, educated, and with money to gain legal entry.
Why do we have so many illegal immigrants?
In the old days of our great grandparents, from what I understand immigration was very different. They would come over to the country, fill out some paperwork with no need for lawyers, and look for work. Within a year they would obtain citizenship and build financial and family stability.
I did some research and found out that currently to enter the country you must have a green card which takes up to 3 years to obtain and legally cannot be in the states to do so. It is also recommended you get a lawyer to assure everything is completed on time and correct. Applications can be difficult for most citizens, let alone an immigrant from another country. Last year 3 million out of 8 million applications were rejected for not being completed fully or correctly. Also, there is a 1 month window when all the paper work has to be in. It cannot come in prior or after that month. Then applications are drawn from piles and reviewed. There is no standard turn around time and can be years. If more information is required, more paper work, lawyers, and money is needed. Once a green card is given, citizenship takes up to 10 years.
It really seems very different then in the past and appears only the economically viable candidates can afford to follow the proper process and wait to enter legally.
The rest have to decide to try to follow the legal path with little hope or come in illegally and then try to gain citizenship for them or their children once in the country.
I have read specifically about immigrants from Mexico. In Mexico many work full time for $4 per week. The living situations are bad but dreams are high when they see that coming into America they can make at least $4 per hour. They are building communities, supporting each other, sending money to their families in Mexico, and raising children here. All in hopes to embrace the same American dream our families desired. They want a better life for their children and want dreams to be larger then theirs. If I were in their shoes, I would run over the border and risk it for a better future for my family.....
Coming from Texas I think George Bush understands the situation and has tried to slowly make change. He is trying to balance the political machine, so the monster does not turn on him and because this compromise is needed it appears little will be done.
It seems like we all need a villain to make us feel good and it seems like if it is not another country, we tend to pick the weakest group. Black as slaves, child labor, women, and now illegal immigrants particularly from Mexico.
What amazes me is some of the evangelical community that preaches love and the need to live more like Christ, turns their backs on these immigrants. Hebrew 13:2 talks about entertaining strangers, which translates to open your home to aliens/immigrants. Matthew 25:31-36, talks about how we should treat "strangers" again the translation is immigrant. This passage freaks me out because he stresses the accountability of loving and caring for the poor, strangers, voiceless. I know we can take scripture out of context and find a verse to support any side we want. But for me it comes down to Christ's actions. He loved to the point of death and knew it was coming. I guess Christianity is not a wimp religion if you are expected to love even if your afraid or not sure of the outcome. What is even harder is to be a Christian first, then a citizen of the state (America for me) . This is asked of us and is VERY hard to do since we are shaped as American citizens and even our Christianity is shaped in some sort of Americanized fashion.
If we follow this principle, does it change our perspective on illegal immigration?
For me my post does not resolve anything and raises more questions. But, I felt like I needed to express my thoughts.
Post your comments, I would love to know others thoughts. There are strong feelings on such topics and it has become a political catch phrase for candidates. These are the type of issue that are not black and white and causes lots of emotion and struggle. I wish it were simple.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Illegal immigration
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According to the University of Texas, more than 40 percent of Mexicans make $2 a day in Mexico; in the United States, they can make 20 times that. For thousands, the potential sacrifice in braving the desert is worth it. The Houston Chronicle reports that each year, Mexican immigrants send back half their earnings -- an estimated $200 million -- to their families in Mexico. This is money pumped right out of the U.S. economy, and while this money may keep immigrants' families alive, it it comes with disastrous fiscal repercussions.
The consequences of illegal immigration have distinctive economic overtones detrimental to the United States. The health care system of Los Angeles County, for example, provides medical services for the poor. According to the Los Angeles Times, 32 percent of its patients are illegal immigrants from Mexico. Millions of U.S. tax dollars are spent each year to take care of adults and children who are not supposed to be in the United States to begin with. This is the price of illegal immigration. The county is strapped for money, yet according to the Times, an immigrant with less than a high school education -- this being the majority of these immigrants -- drains the economy of $13,000 during his lifetime. There are an estimated 1.1 million illegal immigrants in L.A. county alone.
What lies at the heart of illegal immigration, however, is the philosophy of the immigrant. Unlike legal immigrants who come to the United States each year, illegal immigrants want little part of U.S. culture. The fact is, illegal immigrants want to work in the United States so their families in Mexico can live. They simply exploit the U.S. job market.
JAL
Interesting, thanks for the post. I plan on going to Mexico or other areas in the south to see for myself the motivation. I find the statistics very interesting and know we can find data for either side.
Again, we are focused on the individuals, not big business who supplies these jobs, treats many like slaves, and lobbies to not change the laws.
If we could make it easier for ones who want to become citizens so they are able ot be protected by laws this would be a first good step.
For those who send money back home and dont want to be apart of America? Should we stop people from England and other places from working here?
Interesting, thanks for the post. I plan on going to Mexico or other areas in the south to see for myself the motivation. I find the statistics very interesting and know we can find data for either side.
Again, we are focused on the individuals, not big business who supplies these jobs, treats many like slaves, and lobbies to not change the laws.
If we could make it easier for ones who want to become citizens so they are able ot be protected by laws this would be a first good step.
For those who send money back home and dont want to be apart of America? Should we stop people from England and other places from working here?
My answer is Yes if they are not legal. Go back to Mexico, England or whatever country you are from and make it on your own within your own system. Stop sucking the life out of my country and my benefits.
If the standard of living is poor in your country - fix it. If it can't be fixed - move here legally.
If the immagration process is too slow here and you want it fixed - VOTE.
James, on your way to Mexico stop by the immigration office in your town and ask them how you can help. It might save you the gas to Mexico.
Here are my original comments I posted on the wrong part of your blog;
The key to this debate is in the title of this blog entry......"illegal". I would like to bullet point my responses and end with my opinion;
1. We are all immigrants. Including the American Indian. They migrated from other parts of the world and were once themselves immigrants. I am sure they got a bad deal but just like every other faction of humanity that was persecuted we are past that, I respect it, I think it sucks it happened to them but lets move on and work together on what we can do to make our country better; not hang on and drag us into the past.
2. Unemployment at an all time low? Don’t tell the liberals that unemployment is the lowest it has been ever………they are screaming about the economy, the housing market and how bad Bush has been for the country………….this news will ruin them – bury that would you?
3. You mentioned something about toys from China and lead paint issue. Being in retail I see the massive amount of recalls that happen for all kinds of reasons. You would be shocked to hear how many recalls are posted. These do not make good news though – they are not scary enough or political enough. Mix China and lead paint and you can sell some papers baby!!!!!! That is what that was all about. Parents in this country are more likely to buy a toy that is not age appropriate and have their kid choke on it than they are to buy a toy from China that would give them lead poisoning. This China recall thing was large I agree but how many people have died from led poisoning lately? More people are dying because of the types of food they shove into their pie holes more than anything else…………me included! Lastly, stop licking your toys and as with any free market economy vote with your wallet and put bad companies or countries out of business.
4. The immigration process you mentioned is long and drawn out? I have no knowledge about this but I agree with you we need an organized system and if it is too slow we should do something to change that but the system being slow does not change the fact that you must have a system and it must be followed. Max’s teacher is from France and is working here legally in the US. She is awesome, we love her and we would be devastated if she had to go back to France (which almost happened) but if it happened we would have to support it because that is our system………..good or bad.
5. The standard of living in Mexico is different. If it was better in Mexico than in the US I would show my children how to be successful in my home country, change my country or I would work through legal means to go somewhere else. They are not refugees – they are not being executed – in fact their country openly promotes and teaches them how to gain access to the US and send money home - their country may need to be fixed and they should do it. Take ownership – buck up – get pissed - Viva La Revolution!!!!!!!!
6. You mentioned scripture and I do not want to debate anyone’s beliefs. The comment I have about this point is that it never says in the scripture to break the law. We can be nice to strangers and help them but we also need to follow the law. The scripture does not ask us to be a doormat. Immigration laws, like many others, are written to protect our country and they need to be followed.
I am all for immigration - Legal immigration.
My challenge for anyone wanting to debate the merits of the system are to shut up and vote. This is how things get changed. We have a perfect opportunity with this election coming up. I believe that in a way the candidates are all snakes in the grass and will say what they want to be elected. The only thing you can do is find the topic that is most important to you, find the candidate that has a proven track record on that topic and vote for that person.
We cannot in the meantime allow illegal immigrants the ability to come to this country illegally. They are living off our “system”. I am paying taxes into that “system” and they are reaping the benefits of our tax dollars, essentially taking money and benefits out of our families’ pockets.
I will be voting for the person who will build the fence that we have already funded, shore up the immigration issue on other fronts as well as staying after anyone that intends harm to this country. Now because of this discussion I will look for the person who will also audit our current immigration system to make sure it strikes a balance between protecting my way of life, my benefits as a tax payer and my child’s future while being able to allow people to come to our country legally.
December 20, 2007 7:56 PM
The issue is the laws need to change in order to help them and us. It would help us as well.
1. In a certain way, we were the first illegal immagrants running away from oppression and for a better future.
2. The 2 comments about big business was to show they are apart of the problem and if there was no one providing opportunities, no one would come. We talk about the illegal alien like they are at fault, but it comes down to supply and demand and businesses are not accountable. Also, do you think they risk their lives if they could just suck it up and get a better job in their country?
3. Illegal immigration in your comment the teacher from France had an education and means to do it correctly.
If you really look at in particular the situations many of these folks are in, they or their parents do not have the luxury of education and survive day by day. With that in mind and the true feeling that most have no hand up, they see the United States as their way out.
Again, the process is now harder then ever and they are doing it the only way they feel. As an American it is fortunite to
have opportunities. It is also easy to assume the rest of the world does, when in fact they dont. Yes, in a way we should and want to protect our way of life. Heck, the Indians should have :) But, ther is also the prespective of humanity and since it is an issue, not playing games with it but addressing it head on.
4. Shut up and vote - Well your right voting is important and so is open discussion. Without it Civil Rights and other social issues would never have came about if someone did not have courage to talk about it. To question it? To see what should change? In this case I feel the laws should change and be easier for immigrants to obtain green cards and citizenship, since we are never gonna see the migration end, even if we build walls.
5. Faith - Your right it does not say to break the laws. It does say to turn the other cheek and to take care of others unlike you. This speaks to me as helping someone, who may even have broken the law, if my path crosses theirs. Also, to speak for the voiceless.
In the end voices will have to unite to speak out against the way immigration laws are written, business will have to exposed for the way they are taking advantage of them in order for the world to see the unjustice they are in. Yes, it was their choice to come over illegally for many reasons, but they should be treated like humans and not have barriers to become citizens if they desire to become productive citizens. None of this would happen without a voice growing into many voices, which in turn will become votes.
Like I said it is a complex issue and that is why it is not fixed, but until it is we should at least try to understand the situation from all sides and talk. We may not all agree but could come to a middle ground to make it better for all.
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