Illegal Immigrants
May 24, 2007
Richard O. Harris

I most likely will come under fire with some of the views I am about to express. Yet, I feel compelled to express them anyway since I do not see certain aspects of this debate being expressed. Let me state very clearly, I in no way condone the pardoning or general amnesty of ANY illegal immigrant – regardless of the circumstances.

With that said, I must admit I view the current proposed legislation as just another farce in a long line of jocular legal mumbo jumbo. As a country with over 400,000 illegal immigrants, it is obvious we cannot enforce our current immigration laws. Therefore, attempting to enforce an even more convoluted system of laws seems arbitrary and destined to fail.

It also seems sad to me that President Reagan managed to negotiate with most of Europe to tear down the Berlin Wall, yet President Bush cannot negotiate with one country to prevent building a fence. Of course, I readily admit I do not know all the details and will be the first to claim Reagan was a better leader for our nation. I will also admit circumstances change over time and with varying situations.

Still, lost in all of this dialogue over illegal immigrants is one of the main ingredients fostering their move to this country. Basic economics tells me there cannot be a supply without a demand. So what is being done to curb the demand for illegal immigrants?

As any traffic cop can tell you, and has told me on occasion, ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking the law (that is how I got my last speeding ticket). So, those employing illegal immigrants are committing the larger crime in my opinion. I’m sure it saves them a lot of money over time so fines are most likely calculated into the cost of doing business, if caught and if not caught just increase the profit margin.

After all, it is probably much cheaper than paying a U.S. citizen at least minimum wage, abiding by OSHA and other regulatory guidelines, and possibly even having to pay Social Security and other taxes. Using workers who do not have to be treated as U. S. citizens most likely increases the profit margin tremendously even if caught and fined. It would be interesting to see the results of a study on this issue.

It seems odd to me that we hear nothing from either the news media or our elected representatives about the demand part of this eco-system. Would it be reasonable to ask those who employ illegal immigrants to operate for two years and then shut down for a year before applying to operate again? Or could it be these employers are major contributors to the campaign funds of those elected representatives?

As a point of fact, I do not know the answers to these questions either. I simply felt the need to pose them as a counterpoint to what I consider to be “flag waving” doubletalk by both parties. If anyone does know the answer please let me know by clicking on comment, typing in the box, choosing anonymous, and click on publish your comment.