![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Immigration, legal and illegal
Apr. 13th, 2006 05:00 pmSo, the Senate is trying to work out a bill on immigration, although it looks as though they won't pass the House bill which made illegal immigration a felony. CNN has been showing a lot of programs on illegal immigration lately. I have some fairly complex feelings on the matter, and I've talked about them on my message board. I'll start off by saying I wholeheartedly support LEGAL immigration. I think immigration is what makes this wonderful country relevant, that we have always encouraged people who seek a better life to come here, to the point that our Statue of Liberty explicitly welcomes them. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free... I played Emma Lazarus in Lady of Copper and always loved those words. I even think we should pass legislation that makes it much easier to become a citizen; if we can liberalize the laws, more people can come.
However. Legal immigration is just that--legal--and I have a real problem with illegal immigration, with people who ignore our laws time and again, and who cynically exploit our constitution to have their children born here in order to make it harder for them to be deported. I get extremely impatient with those who claim "they're just doing work Americans won't do." I say bullshit. I've worked plenty of crappy jobs, for little money, because that was what was available. I work at a dinner theater during changeover, and got paid less than minimum wage, in cash. I scraped gum off the bottoms of the tables for that money. I've stood in the cold in front of Grand Central Station, handing out magazines. If a person needs to make rent, you'd be surprised at what they'll do. Don't tell me what jobs Americans won't do; that's insulting to hard-working Americans. (And not to mention--the illegals in this article apparently don't want to work even some jobs that are OVER minimum wage--in the one hand, by refusing the work, they may help drive up the wages. On the other, I don't EVER want to hear about how American won't work for XYZ money, when even some illegals won't!)
Oh, and I should make it clear I'm talking about economic immigration, not political refugees. I think political refugees should be treated differently--fleeing from a dictator who wants to exterminate you because of your color or creed is very different from fleeing poverty.
( Entitlement, Racism, Etc. )
However. Legal immigration is just that--legal--and I have a real problem with illegal immigration, with people who ignore our laws time and again, and who cynically exploit our constitution to have their children born here in order to make it harder for them to be deported. I get extremely impatient with those who claim "they're just doing work Americans won't do." I say bullshit. I've worked plenty of crappy jobs, for little money, because that was what was available. I work at a dinner theater during changeover, and got paid less than minimum wage, in cash. I scraped gum off the bottoms of the tables for that money. I've stood in the cold in front of Grand Central Station, handing out magazines. If a person needs to make rent, you'd be surprised at what they'll do. Don't tell me what jobs Americans won't do; that's insulting to hard-working Americans. (And not to mention--the illegals in this article apparently don't want to work even some jobs that are OVER minimum wage--in the one hand, by refusing the work, they may help drive up the wages. On the other, I don't EVER want to hear about how American won't work for XYZ money, when even some illegals won't!)
Oh, and I should make it clear I'm talking about economic immigration, not political refugees. I think political refugees should be treated differently--fleeing from a dictator who wants to exterminate you because of your color or creed is very different from fleeing poverty.
( Entitlement, Racism, Etc. )
