Few issues in recent years have posed a more difficult, politically-sensitive question for policymakers than the issue of illegal immigration. Politicians have avoided addressing the issue, and as a result, 10 to 20 million illegal immigrants, overwhelmingly Mexican, now reside in the United States. Neither political party — Democrat or Republican — has the will or desire, mostly as a result of shrewd political calculation, to combat the growing illegal immigration crisis made possible by our vast, unguarded border with Mexico. While political calculation prevents policymakers from acting, the Mexican government actively encourages and enables this invasion of our nation.
Most illegal immigrants, at least 70 percent, are Mexicans. The overwhelming majority of illegals are simply seeking economic opportunity and a chance to bask in the American dream. No one can blame illegals for this; in fact, most Americans, and rightly so, sympathize with the plight of illegal immigrants from Mexico and the rest of Central America. We already accept more legal immigrants as permanent residents than the rest of the world combined, and we can and should accept more immigrants legally.
Illegal immigrants certainly take many jobs in low-skilled fields such as agriculture, construction and service industries. Advocates of illegal immigration argue that these invaders do jobs Americans won't do, which is seriously debatable considering the jobs in question would pay more if cheap illegal immigrant labor wasn't flooding the market and depressing wages. This cheap labor also dissuades companies from mechanizing low-skill jobs. Despite popular misconception, the large majority of illegals aren't agricultural laborers — jobs typically depicted as those Americans won't do. Plus, there are plenty of hopefuls patiently waiting in line, and in the process demonstrating their respect for our laws, that would be willing to take those jobs.
Illegal immigrants also provide our nation with a host of problems. Namely, they provide very little tax revenue but severely tax our nation's health care, education and social service systems. California, for example, has an illegal immigrant population of at least three million and exemplifies the growing immigration problem throughout the nation. In total, illegals cost taxpayers $9 billion per year in that state. More than $7 billion per year is spent trying to educate illegal immigrants, most of who do not speak English. The remainder is spent on health care and incarceration of illegals, who account for 20 percent of California's prison population. Many drug traffickers and gang members arrested in California are also illegal immigrants.
Even more ominous than the fact that illegal immigration is creating an ethnically distinct lower class in America is the tendency of many illegals, particularly Mexicans, to resist assimilating and respecting our culture, not to mention disrespecting our laws. The masses of immigrants that flocked to America's shores from Europe in the 19th and early 20th centuries came legally and contributed positive aspects of their native culture, but still assimilated — learning our language, customs, history and embracing all that citizenship entails. As an example of the problem, last year illegal immigrants at a California high school lowered the flags, flew the Mexican flag atop the pole, flew the U.S. flag upside down underneath it, and removed the California flag that had been on the pole altogether. Many choose to speak Spanish, unconcerned about learning English, and continue their native customs while rejecting American ones. There is no incentive for them to assimilate to or respect our culture because we allow them to reap the benefits of America without becoming Americans.
On the national level, where meaningful immigration reform will come from, nothing has been done by Republicans or Democrats. President Bush and Republicans are to some degree beholden to supporters who want to exploit the cheaper labor illegal immigration provides. At the same time, most Republicans are concerned about offending the Hispanic population, likely to be a quarter of the population by 2050.
