U.S. Immigration

[rohirrim TR]

I was wondering what the local 'mooters' had to say on this issue. Its a fairly big issue in my area because a huge part of our population are legal and illegal immigrant workers.

Originally Posted by Lotesse

Here's the L.A. protest march - yes, this is downtown L.A., see the Federal building in the background of the picture? These will be primarily immigrants, illegal as well as legal, mostly from Mexico and Central & South America, mad about the tougher anti-immigration legislation.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/l...-home-headlines

Lotesse posted this link and I'll post some other news links if someone wants some more info.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Down with tough anti-immigration laws, I say.

[Nurvingiel]

Very interesting thread! I don't really know anything about US Immigration, but I will be lurking in this thread, absolutely.

[brownjenkins]

I think we should make immigration much easier and just give citizenship to the ones that are already in-country.

[rohirrim TR]

I'm liking McCain's bill because its really the only practical solution, and its basically the solution that I came up with when I had to write an essay on this topic last semester.

I don't usually agree with McCain but his is the best plan out there at this point that I can see.

[rohirrim TR]

Originally Posted by brownjenkins

I think we should make immigration much easier and just give citizenship to the ones that are already in-country.

so you are in favor of total amnesty?

[Rían]

It's certainly a complex issue - I'll join the lurking crowd ...

[brownjenkins]

Originally Posted by rohirrim TR

so you are in favor of total amnesty?

Yes.

The main issues:

1) People come to the US for a better way of life and will continue to no matter what kind of walls and enforcement we put in place. Our resources would be better spent trying to help the countries they are coming from improve their economies so they do not want to leave. The problem is that US corporations like being able to relocate to Mexico and get cheap labor. One way to change this is to force US corporations abroad to respect some of the same labor laws we enforce here in the US, instead of letting them basically do whatever the host country is willing to let them.

2) Since the illegal immigrants in the US are not citizens, they have no rights and employers can and do pay them sub-standard wages. Giving them citizenship would at least force employers to follow US labor laws. Either way, it means more competition for US jobs, but this is a fact we must accept.

3) It will be a painful transition, much like when Germany took down the wall and accepted all the East Germans as citizens, a huge group of people who had a much lower standard of living than those of the West. But, over the long term, it was better for both cultures.

Basically, it is in everyone's interest to eventually have a basic standard of living shared by all the people of the world, and the best way to start is locally and let it expand. The alternative, having poor nation's workers basically subsidize the US standard of living, only leads to more trouble in the future.

BTW ~ I am not saying "corporations are evil". But it is a fact of economics that businesses will always take the route that brings them the most profit. If they can get away with paying a worker $5.00 a day, they will do it. This is why governments and international agreements are necessary balances to the free market.