Lauren RabainoYou know what really grinds my gears? Illegal immigration! If “Men In Black” taught us anything, it is this: Illegal immigrants are a danger to our society. I am admittedly one of the many heartless, supposedly “racist” Republican ilk that not only believes illegal immigration is wrong1, but also that it should be stopped at almost any cost. Conservative icon Ronald Reagan couldn’t have summed it up any better when he was asked what he thought about illegal immigration. He said, “It is illegal, isn’t it?” While I admire his witty and concise response, I fault him for later approving amnesty. However, that is another story completely.
If by some fluke I had fiat power, I would build a wall 100 feet tall, lay anti-personnel mines, patrol the skies with armed predator drones, conduct around-the-clock military exercises, deploy fire-breathing alligators and stalk piranha2 with lasers attached to all bordering water sources. In the interest of fairness, this would be applied to both borders; after all, I have to appear to not be heartless or a “racist.”3
Those reading who hate what you just read, STOP NOW and start writing your letter to the editor because now I start using those dangerous facts.
FACTS4
RIGHT NOW in the United States of AMERICA there are.
– more than 21 million illegal immigrants in country
– just more than half a million “other than Mexican” illegals
– more than four million illegals in public schools
– 349,415 incarcerated illegal immigrants
– 661,489 illegal immigrant fugitives
– more than two million “anchor babies” since 2002
And my favorite.
– 10,199,920 skilled jobs taken by illegal immigrants
What does this mean and why is this bad?
According to the U.S. Census department, there are 303,236,922 people in the United States.5 That means that roughly 7 percent of our population is made up of squatters. Why is this bad? We don’t know exactly who they are or where they are; they are generally uninsured, they steal services and they are criminals.
Uninsured immigrants create a social services drain. Their primary option for health services is in emergency rooms. Why? ERs cannot refuse service based on citizenship. I’m not saying that this is a bad thing; quite to the contrary, I don’t want people dying in the streets. However, an estimated $397 BILLION (and rising) has been spent on services to illegal immigrants since calculations began in 1996.4 I hate to sound like a tightwad, but they haven’t paid for those services. Anyone who argues that they pay taxes fails to realize that they do not pay enough taxes. Illegals consume an estimated $33 billion in services at the federal, state and local levels and pay an estimated $12.6 billion in taxes to those same governments annually. This is a $20 billion deficiency. This is unacceptable and must be remedied.
None of this takes into account the social degradation that occurs when a nation does not enforce its laws. Unfortunately, I do not have enough space to fully cover all angles of this issue so I’ll move on.
Why has this happened?
Other nations are irresponsible, corrupt and don’t do much for their citizens. America remains the “shining city upon a hill.” Furthermore, our inept government, republicans and democrats, have let the border remain porous while significantly restricting the flow of legal traffic into this country. This has created a HUGE backlog on the system and in turn encourages people to break the law and come here illegally. Additionally, certain industries have become dependent on low-income labor, which in principle I hate but see the current need for.
What can be done?
By no means do I oppose immigration. It is illegal immigration that I hate and despise. It should be noted that every illegal immigrant is unfairly CUTTING IN LINE in front of the millions of immigrants who are playing by the rules. Do I think those coming to this country are improving their lives through their move? Do I think we possibly need these people in the workforce? Do I think the current legal system of citizenship is a failing albatross? YES, I DO! However, these people need to come here legally. A broad sweeping grant of amnesty is not a Band-Aid solution. The government needs to expedite citizenship, green card and visa applications. Some people spend decades waiting for citizenship. Expediting the process would allow more people to come legally, but only after they fairly waited in line. America, land of opportunity, has been built upon the backs of immigrants. However, for the most part, those immigrants have come peacefully and legally. We have open arms and want to embrace new citizens into our experiment of democracy. However, as a nation, we CANNOT be the welfare state for the world. Please wait in line like millions before you have done . and just be thankful we don’t still require delousing.
1 – By “wrong,” I mean illegal, unlawful, illicit, criminal, dishonest, dishonorable, corrupt, unethical, immoral, bad, wicked, sinful, iniquitous, nefarious, blameworthy and reprehensible.
2 – Normally I prefer sharks, but piranhas are more vicious.
3 – For the record I am not a racist. You are free to ask any of my Latino, Indian, Korean, Persian, African-American, Chinese, Filipino, Samoan or Caucasian friends.
4 – Yes, real sources . Pew Hispanic Center, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Government Accountability Office, Center For Immigration Studies, TIME Magazine and The Boston Globe as compiled by immigrationcounters.com.
5 – As of Oct. 29 at 05:31 GMT
Ian Nachreiner is an agriculture science senior, a member of a member of the Cal Poly College Republicans and a conservative columnist for the Mustang Daily.