The (Mexican) illegal immigration issue

The (Mexican) illegal immigration issue

Aside from international terrorism, this issue strikes me as the number one problem in the US today. Though we have so many nationalities among our immigrants, it is the Mexican immigration issue that stands out the most. I should state at the outset that I am personally touched by this since I have been married to a Mexican immigrant for over 30 years. My wife immigrated to this country legally with her family when she was 15 years old. Being married into a Mexican family has enlarged my insights into the people and their culture. My own opinion is that Mexico has the richest culture in all of Latin America. In addition, as one who speaks Spanish, I am a great fan of Spanish music. I understand full well why poor Mexicans feel the need to come to the US. I would do the same if I were in their shoes. Having said that, I have come to the conclusion that illegal immigration has to be stopped for several reasons.

The source of the problem

First, let’s concede the reason most people come here from Mexico. Economic survival. That is not to say that Mexico is a poor country. This is one of the biggest myths of all. Consider that Mexico has been blessed with so many natural resources, such as gold, silver, copper and especially oil. Add to that the thousands of miles of fantastic beaches on two coastlines and other architectural treasures that attract millions of tourists a year. In reality, Mexico is a rich country inhabited by many poor people. That is because historically and now, the country remains in the hands of a rich oligarchy that controls the political power and the wealth of the nation in its hands while being unwilling to provide decent education and job opportunities for its common citizens. ( It is called corruption, pure and simple, and any thoughtful Mexican will tell you that.) So when the poor of Mexico flee to the US to seek employment, the government is only to happy to see them go. That way, the folks, who in the past, would have posed a danger of starting a revolution are not around to begin with. In addition, the billions of dollars they send home has become one of Mexico’s biggest sources of income.

The present situation

So now, in 2007, the US finds itself with approximately 12 million people in the country illegally. (This number of course includes millions of people from other countries and regions of the world, many of whom came legally and have simply overstayed their visas.) What does this mean for us? On the one hand, many argue that it is good for our economy. Businesses enjoy the fact that they can pay lower wages. The consumer can pay lower prices for many services and commodities. Win-win situation, right? Well not quite. There are other costs that must be considered. In California, where I live, it becomes obvious . For one, school classrooms are overcrowded with children who do not speak English. This causes the quality of education to suffer for all pupils. When I attended school in Los Angeles in the 50s and 60s, we had plenty of Mexican-American kids who lived in our school districts. (People of Mexican origin have always been a part of the California landscape.) The difference was that they were generally either native-born, or legal immigrants and spoke English just fine.

Aside from the schools, anyone living in southern California knows that hospital emergency rooms are overwhelmed with illegal immigrants who have no health insurance. The financial loss incurred has caused many emergency rooms to close.

In terms of crime, most of us concede that the vast majority of those who sneak across our border are otherwise law-abiding people who simply need to find work to support themselves and their families. Yet, if America is the land of opportunity for decent, honest people, it is also the land of opportunity for the criminal element. As a retired DEA Agent, I know that there is a criminal element in all nationalities (certainly including our own) that have come here and inserted themselves into the immigrant community-in most cases preying on the decent immigrants. The drug problem is one of the biggest examples, and drug traffickers are not exclusively Mexican.

Assimilation issue

Another issue that must be considered is that of assimilation. The modern-day multiculturalists may take exception to this, but I still subscribe to the old notion that immigrants should be welcome here-no matter where they come from, as long as they come legally, obey our laws and recognize that immigration and assimilation go together. My own experience with my wife and her family is a good example. My father -in-law came here legally to work some 50 years ago, leaving his family in Mexico until he was settled enough to bring them here. Later, his family, including my wife, came and joined him. They became very assimilated, learned English, got married and had their own children. Today, those children are married and parents as well. The family is now 4th generation Mexican-American, and while Spanish is still spoken, English is now the number one language. In short, this family is totally assimilated into American life, language and culture while maintaining its connection to the Mexican heritage. They are Americans. However, this process took time; it did not occur overnight. The problem is that everyday, thousands more poor people are coming over our border, starting at the bottom since they lack the education and special skills needed to go right to the top in America. I think you grasp the point. Assimilation will never catch up as long as this situation persists. In addition, if this persists, our Hispanic population will always be over-represented at the lower social-economic end of the scale- and Americans will continue (unfairly) to be called racists as a result.

Amnesty and the protest marches

So what do we do now? Obviously, we cannot round up and deport 12 million people. It is physically impossible. Congress today is debating the question of amnesty or “comprehensive immigration reform”- whatever you want to call it. Do we reward the ones who jumped into the front of the line, or do we close the borders and let those who are here continue to live in the shadows? Both sides are putting pressure on Congress. On the one hand, we have seen the recent mass demonstrations in the streets of our major cities demanding amnesty and legalization. In my view, these have been counter-productive and downright offensive to Americans. One cannot go to another country, march down the street with one’s own flag and demand this or that. I would never dream of carrying an American flag in the streets of a foreign city and demand changes by the host country government. I have lived in three foreign countries in my life, and I believe firmly in behaving as a guest in whatever country I happen to be in. What the newscasts who have covered those marches have failed to report is that millions of Americans are phoning, writing, faxing and emailing their elected representatives expressing outrage and demanding that no amnesty be granted and that our borders be effectively closed-not to legal immigrants- but to those who come illegally.

The terrorism factor

Another factor that cannot be ignored is the national security issue, especially in a post-911 world. We know that not only Mexicans and Central Americans are coming across the southern border, but other nationalities as well- Middle Easterners, Pakistanis and others. What is their motive for entering our country clandestinely across the Mexican border? The recent arrest of 6 Muslims in New Jersey is an example. Three of the arrestees are brothers who crossed over with their families at Brownsville, Texas when they were children. (Of course, there was no terrorist intent on their part at that time, but it illustrates that Mexico can be used as a transit-point for anyone.) And let’s not forget our northern border. Canada is a sieve-coming in and going out, full of so-called “political refugees” from suspect countries. It won’t be long before we have to address the man-power issue of the Border Patrol on that border as well.

Conclusion

No matter where one stands on this issue, it is obvious that for the past several decades, our government (on both sides of the aisle) have failed the American people just as the Mexican government has failed its people. It has now reached the point where no easy solution exists, but something has to be done. Severe employer sanctions and tight border security seem to be obvious ideas to be implemented. To me (as a former DEA Agent) border security is desirable if for no other reason than to slow the flow of drugs coming out of Mexico.

For me the bottom line is this: I have no desire to cut off legal immigration- I think immigration is great. However, every nation has the sovereign right-and the duty to control who enters its country. When a country fails to do that, it will cease to be a country.

I welcome your responses.