Illegal Immigrants: Get Over It
The recent passage of Arizona SB 1070 has raised quite a bit of controversy in the American Latino community, as the provisions requiring police officers to ask for identification from suspected illegal immigrants are perceived as “racist” or “discriminatory.”
You know what I think? Get over it.
The illegal immigrant community is, by and large, an enormous drain on American resources. They don’t pay taxes, they take American jobs, they invite drugs, prostitution and crime into the United States from across the border, they transplant American capital into a far less stable and prosperous economy, they set a dangerous precedent if they stay permanently, they benefit from welfare, health and education services, they enjoy the same legal rights and protections as everyone else, they enjoy police and military defense and they apparently have a very influential voice in American politics.
They enjoy all of these benefits, in spite of the fact that they are in violation of American laws by simple virtue of the fact that they are here. And while legal Americans repay their government for countless services through taxation, illegal immigrants simply ignore that obligation, since it would inevitably be revealed that they are breaking immigration laws. It’s a pretty good deal, if you ask me.
And yet they have the audacity to call this law “racist?” For all the ways they take advantage of the American social, economic and political framework without paying their civil obligations, they are really going to criticize a law like this? All it does is allow police to check for proof of identification. Where’s the problem? When I get pulled over or stopped by a police officer, I need to provide proof of identification too. And if you really are a legal resident, you lose nothing more than 30 seconds of your life. There are worse things that could happen to you.
This is the most arrogant and cocky expression of entitlement I have ever seen. To the illegal immigrant community: how dare you compare the United States of America, the most tolerant and pro-human institution ever conceived by mankind, to a gestapo-run, Nazi police state simply because we wish to ensure the legality of our citizens? You are cheating the American community out of millions in taxpayer dollars and are destroying the credibility and integrity of our immigration laws. Instead of imposing an appropriately harsher fine or punishment on you (which, frankly, we should), we simply ask to see your identification. So sorry if you’re “offended” by that. Maybe you ought to go through the legalization process and stop leeching off a system financed by me and the 300 million other legal residents.
And one last thing. This has been called a bill that legalizes racial profiling. Yep, it is. That’s exactly what it is. Arizona law enforcement officers will be targeting Mexicans (yes, people from Mexico) when looking for illegal immigrants. As much as I’d love to randomly check every third person that walks by — black, white, Asian, Latino, Native American or whatever — to see if they are illegal Mexican immigrants, I kind of think targeting actual Mexicans might be the most efficient means. Just a thought.
So, I will again address the illegal Mexican community: I leave you with three truly just options. One, you can shut up, risk deportation and realize that this law is necessary for our national security and for the equitable treatment of all legal citizens. Two, you can become legal and accept that you might get asked for ID once in a while. Or three, as much as I hate to echo sentiments of the Tea Party, you can leave. I won’t lose any sleep over it.
Too much of present and past arguments used against immigrant groups are grounded not in economic theory, but emotion. With this new law, Arizona acts against its economic self-interest, to enact policy influenced by subjective anti-immigrant rhetoric, and the perceived threat which immigrants pose.
Immigration offers more economic benefits than most people realize. In the Immigration Equation, Roger Lowerstein argues that with greater supply of immigrants in America, there are more opportunities to open new businesses, create jobs. Lowerstein writes, “Somebody would realize that the immigrants needed to eat and would open a restaurant; someone else would think to build them housing”. Immigrants consume goods and services like everybody else, provide previously unavailable capital, resources and through their daily transactions new markets are made.
Immigrants are seen, labeled as threatening because native born-American citizens are upset with the status-quo, but choose to blame a group which offers the US more benefits than negatives. Mexican immigrants work jobs most native-born citizens would not do. They pay taxes but do not receive an equitable share of benefits. Most immigrants want steady employment, educational opportunities for their children, and to improve they their adopted country. Why then do States not accept, welcome these hard workers which enable economic growth?
Arizona, and other communities hold unfavorable views of immigrants, because emotionally-based rhetoric and fear mongering unnecessarily clouds debates on immigration. Native-born Americans are manipulated by popular media and political ideologues which shape views on this issue. Thus, if America wants to move beyond racial, ethnic immigrant discrimination, it must have more universal empathy, respect for all ethnic groups.
One of the things I find most frustrating about this debate is when people take illegal immigration and make it an issue of racism, rather than an issue of legality.
I have no problem with people from Mexico. I have no problem with people from any other country. I have no problem with people who have a different skin tone than me, who speak a different language than me or who practice a different religion. You know this.
Yet you say that “…emotionally-based rhetoric and fear mongering unnecessarily clouds debates on immigration.” Who here is practicing fear mongering? I said nothing racist, xenophobic or anti-immigrant. My position is and always has been staunchly anti-ILLEGAL immigrant.
Suppose that immigrants are all, across the board, a major series of pluses for our economy. That doesn’t matter. This is not an issue of providing a good living to people who want to work hard, and the economics are a secondary issue here for me. This is a matter of national defense. If somebody wants to come here from Mexico illegally to support his family, I take major issue with that. Sure it’s unlikely, but not impossible that an ex-felon or even a terrorist could come across the border without the government’s knowledge and without ever being a legal, registered citizen. Does that not concern you? Now, if that same person were to come here legally and have a background check done along with the other prerequisites for citizenship, I would have absolutely no issue. This is not ethnic discrimination. I don’t care if it’s a white guy coming over from Mexico. I don’t care who it is. I don’t want them here until they have become legal residents. And if the immigration quotas are so prohibitive that those people can’t make it here legally, then maybe the other illegals should stop coming here so that the federal government doesn’t need to keep immigrant quotas so low to compensate for the annual influx of illegals.
So before you accuse me of unfairly blurring the debate with xenophobia, take the time to think about which side is looking at this from a standpoint that calls it “ethnic discrimination” and which side is looking at it from a standpoint that calls it “national defense.” THEN you can tell me who’s invoking the ethnic question.
TO BE CLEAR:
I’m not calling you or your blog post anything. I was making a statement that this Arizona law was influenced by too much emotion and too little economic pragmatism.
Right, I got that. And I’m saying that what you interpret as “emotion,” I interpret as “national defense.”
Agree to disagree here — there are few people whose politics I respect more than yours, JC.
Im all for keeping illegals out n going about citizenship the right way but how do you tell a legal MEXICAN from an ILLEGAL MEXICAN???? JUST WONDERING?? My skins brown and matter of fact I’ve actually been called a WETBACK before. Im born n raised here as well as my parents. So is it right to stop ask someone for there birthcertificate just on there looks? I guess its no big deal to carry that around all the time. Just incase!! But lets just turn it around for arguments sake n tell me how would u feel knowing your a citizen n being asked to show me ur papers. If thats fine with u. Well, i guess we should give up a little bit more FREEDOM. REALLY LETS GO ABOUT IT IN A SMARTER WAY.
It’s is completely appalling to me how closed-minded and judgmental you are.
You have NO idea what it is like to be in their situation. If you had to face the problems and hardship that some of these people had to face, and support your family through it all, your children, you probably wouldn’t think twice about immigrating. Even if you had to do it illegally. Yes, they can bring crime and prostitution and everything else you stated. I’ll give you that much. However, ANY person can cause that. It is not solely caused by illegal immigrants. The world is at a time where we need to try and accept each other and get along. We can’t group everyone together by their color of skin, by what they “look like.” How can that be okay in the anyone’s mind?
I really don’t understand. I pay my taxes, too. I work hard, too. I am a full-time student and hold two jobs. Yet, I seem to be able to understand the hard times of others without getting all worried about how, “unfair” I think it is. Come on, is this grade school all over again?
They don’t have it as easy as you seem to think. If you would research a little better, maybe take the time to let go of some of your ignorance, and truly talk to some of these people, ask them what it was like, maybe then you can understand. I apologize if you take any offense from this. It is nothing more than my opinion, just as you had yours.
Sounds like this guy wants to cry :’(