Immigration

I think if we are going to have an honest debate about immigration than both sides have to admit to their overstatements.

First, unskilled illegal immigrants drive down wages for the labor jobs. The unskilled illegal immigrants taxes do not cover the costs of services provided such as education and healthcare. Likewise they are taking jobs that Americans want, for example according to Newsweek illegal immigrants make up, 29% of all roofers and agricultural workers, 25% of all brick masons and construction laborers,20% of all computer hardware engineers, 18% of upholsterers. The point is Americans are already doing these jobs! These are all professions that Americans have always worked in, the difference is Americans don't want to work for peanuts.

But...

We need immigrants to keep our economy growing. The current birthrate demands that we import workers into this country to meet labor demands. Also, it is not good policy to make illegal immigrants felons. If we arrested the 12 million illegals the court costs (translators for all)and incarceration costs would bankrupt the country, not to mention the blow the economy would take from the significant loss of a labor force.

There is also another improtant factor to consider and that is culture and identity. Many fear that Mexican immigrants will not assimilate. I think this is happens because people know that Mexicans have been coming to this country since the US first won it from Mexico in war. It appears as if Mexicans are not upward mobile and prefer to stay segregated off with their own people. This is not so true. Third and second generation descendents of Mexican immigrants (I am a third generation)usually do not speak Spanish and are American. Unlike other immigrant groups, such as the Irish or Italians or whomever, the Mexican immigrants keep coming. This means that Mexicans are always in low employment positions. It makes it appear that Mexicans as a whole have not imroved their lot and that is not true. The descendents of the Mexican immigrants from the 1920 wave of Mexican immigration have assimilated and prospered. That being said it is a different time. My grandparents refused to allow their children to speak Spanish because they were Americans, you don't see that too much anymore.

The bottom line is we must take control over our borders. It is illogical to claim we cannot regulate and control our borders because the country was founded on immigration. But we need to do it in a sensible way that allows for economic growth.