I've covered illegal immigration and immigrants on this blog in the past. Here are some posts I've written:
Everybody is making a big deal out of the immigration issue. Just chill, everybody. Congress can pass whatever law they want, let's see them enforce it. This is something that lawmakers don't seem to understand. They need OUR participation when they pass laws. Let's say they make it a felony to help illegal immigrants. Some people will be happy, others won't. As a human being, you know that it's right to help somebody in need. So, many of us would be felons. I'd like to see what Congress does when half the country is behind bars and not paying taxes. If the will of the people is not with Congress, they might as well not pass any law because we won't abide by it.
If they pass a law requiring all illegals to exit the country, I'd like to see them make it happen. I hear that there are estimates of 12 million illegals in the country. If it costs $40/mojado to send home, which it won't, that would be $480 billion. It would cost more than that because you have to find the illegals, transport them, house them, feed them, and ship them home. So no matter how zealous some people may be to toss out illegals, it's not going to happen.
What about punishing employers for hiring illegals? There is this useful tool called cash. Unless we go to an all plastic economy, cash makes non-legit transactions possible. It's good enough for drug dealers. As long as they spend what they earn and don't buy big items without verifiable income, they're set. Cash leaves no paper trail, unless you're stupid. With illegal immigrants, no records mean no employee was ever there. There are plenty of cash businesses out there.
About the best idea is the guest worker program. I'll go along with George Bush and say that it's not an amnesty program (wink, wink). Mojados would not only help us maintain our growing economy, but they would be cash cows for many professionals. The people complaining about illegals are people without enough gumption to learn something and improve their lives (prove me wrong). You don't see lawyers, doctors, CPAs, scientists, programmers, computer techs, or other skilled people complaining that illegals are taking their jobs. So, suffice it to say, professional jobs are safe. In addition, attorneys stand to make a crapload of money in processing 12 million applications for citizenship. The government will suddenly have 12 million new people paying taxes (the IRS will find them faster than the Border Patrol). Not only that, those who have enough desire will educate themselves and earn much better livings than they would have as illegals. They will start businesses and hire CPAs. They will afford health insurance and seek healthcare. They will buy computers and hire techs to fix them. So many more things would be possible for the illegals and many benefits would come to the rest of us, financially. Most importantly, they would help push back our looming retirement timebomb in a few short years when baby-boomers retire.
In all, I think the guest worker program is what will prevail. It's our best alternative, even if we don't call it amnesty. Everybody who is freaking out is just being stupid. With elections coming up, Congress is just posturing themselves to make it look like they are doing something. Congressmen in districts strongly against illegals get to vote for some draconian measure. Those against get to point to a voting record that shows them as compassionate. America, and you protesting Mexicans out there, you're being spun. This is just like the bill last year that would have withdrawn troops from Iraq immediately. It's meant to put our Reps on the record about this issue. It helps both Democrats and Republicans, which is why neither party is calling it a political stunt. Suckers.
In practical terms, in business terms, and in selfish, self-preservation terms, the guest worker program is the only viable option. Of course, since George W. Bush is championing it, I expect Democrats are naturally against it. So, nothing will happen, it seems.
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