Reply #1: The Bottom Line On "Illegal Immigration" [View All]

I agree that there is a lot of racism, xenophobia and general fear mongering on the right with regard to undocumented workers.

With that said, I HATE when someone says "they'll do the jobs Americans won't do". It's the most dishonest statement you could make on the issue.

We have Americans willing to unclog our toilets, mop our floors and flip burgers in hole-in-the-wall fast food joints, and you're telling me they're too good to pick fruit, do construction or clean up a hotel room?

The statement should be "undocumented workers are willing to do the jobs Americans won't and *shouldn't* do without decent wages, benefits and safe working conditions".

The bottom line is that the double whammy of insourcing and outsourcing creates de facto maximum wage laws (actual maximum wage laws were common in England in the 1700's, something the founding fathers were strongly opposed to), i.e. it drives down wages (and benefits and job security) at both ends of the pay spectrum.

If we pay people well AND have an actual shortage of jobs, why don't we simply allow more hard working people in legally?

We need stop attacking the supply and attack the demand on this issue. Building a wall and talk of deportation is ridiculous and unnecessary.

Go after the employers who hire undocumented workers (demand) and the supply will take care of itself. Just like it did prior to the Reagan administration when there were less than 2 million "illegal immigrants" in the US compared to over 12 million (at least) today.

PS---It's not just republicans to blame here. Clinton's disastrous trade policy (NAFTA, GATT, etc.) have contributed plenty to this issue.