Want to curb illegal immigration? Stop cracking down.
So we've had all this back-and-forth about the effect of immigrants (legal and otherwise) on the economy, dwindling natural resources and societal well-being, as if it were a one-way street. But what about the economy's effect on immigrants? From NPR:
Fewer immigrants living in the United States are sending money back to their home countries. A survey by the Inter-American Development Bank shows remittances by Hispanic immigrants are flat. But the percentage of immigrants sending money home to Latin America is down dramatically in just two years. The report cites the U.S. economic slowdown and a tougher line on illegal immigrants.
Anti-immigration advocates need not gloat: This isn't doing the home front's economy any good. One undocumented construction worker told NPR he's only saving out of fear that he'll be rounded up: "We're not spending money. What we earn, we save, because we may need it."
So, no silver lining for the U.S. — though there is a catch-22: Restriction of immigration may be fueling the drop in remittances, but if that money doesn't keep supporting families abroad, more people may try to cross into the U.S. to find work. Let's hope Tom Tancredo needs some remodeling done.
Mexico is a complex country
we are seeing the last years of inmigration
is gonna stop by itself,Mexico's population is getting older
besides important resoucers as The Economist,Goldman sachs see Mexico as one of the most promising countries in the future,they agre that Mexico will be the 5 economy of the world in 2040 after china,usa,india,japan
see,this is gonna stop soon.
Posted by: sergio cruz | December 16, 2008 at 02:13 PM
I blame the blind eyes of the american people (especially the republicans ) themselves for the overflow of illegal immigration. Back in eighties then President Ronald " Big Man On Campas " Reagan and the republicans pushed amnesty for several million people here Illegaly, most from Mexico just as now, the failure to enforce provisions for this plan ( if there ever were any ) has now left the U.S. with somewhere between 12 and 18 million undocumented illegals. Instead of devoting so much time , resources, and enrgy to trying to destroy the Clinton administration (with the aid of mainstream republican americans ) they should have been paying more attention to this matter as well, but they didn't, and this is the result years latter. Any new plan would amount to total and complete amnesty. You don't need new immigration laws thats what makes it such a volatile issue JUST ENFORCE THE LAWS YOU HAVE , My God Lord people!
Posted by: Mr.J | November 19, 2008 at 08:18 AM
Stupid and a waste of space and my time.
Posted by: Becky Lewis | July 07, 2008 at 12:18 PM
Hey Jonathan: Feel free to leave this country anytime. Your hatred towards Americans is obvious. I don't care what happened in the past. This is the here and now and we will not tolerate being invaded by foreign nationals. I don't care what small benefit illegal immigration may bring to special interest groups. Illegal immigration is bankrupting this nation. If you are here illegally, go home to whatever country you came from and come back legally or not at all. Enough is enough!
Posted by: Stephen | June 01, 2008 at 05:41 PM
Many of the statements posted above are extremely incorrect. Generalizing illegal aliens is as ridiculous as making generalizions about legal residents, ie "ALL legal residents pay taxes", "ALL legal residents desire to learn the English language", "NO legal residents cause crime".
As a sociology major I dropped out of school for 3 years to live among illegal immigrants, where I Iearned a lot about illegal immigration. Here are a few things I noticed:
1. Most illegal immigrants I've met did come come here "running through the desert". They borrowed birth certificates from family members, bought fake documents and flew here, bought fake documents and drove here, or had visas that they overstayed. I have met ONE person who came here by running across.
2. I do not personally know any illegal immigrant who works and does not pay taxes. Everyone I know has a job (restaurants, warehouses, retail, telecommunication, dental offices, cherry-picking.. to name a few) and they all have taxes taken out of their checks. Illegal immigrants are not eligible for tax rebates, refunds, social security, or anything else we legal tax payers are entitled to. On the other hand, growing up in white upper middle class America, I know MANY legal residents/citizens who have worked babysitting, petsitting, housewatching, and working for family members, with not a penny payed towards taxes.
6. The notion that they are all migrant workers who reject assimilation and education. All my illegal immigrant friends speak college-level English and have no intention ever working in a field. I have a friend who is an illegal immigrant who is a business owner and is working on a degree in engineering. I have college friends who are illegal immigrants- not by choice- but because their parents brought them to this country as infants. Of the drop-outs and drug dealers I know, they are about 50/50 legal residents & illegals.
7. Social services. I have a friend whose mother is an illegal immigrant. She has 6 American-born kids from 5 different dads and has been here for about 20 years. Of those 20 years she hasn't worked a day and has comfortably received welfare, food stamps, medi-cal, WIC, donations from foodbanks, housing, and disability payments for her autistic daughter. These services are ADVERTISED in low-income/ predominnantly Hispanic neighborhoods via billboards, mailings, signs, everywhere. One does not even need to leave their house to apply, applications are mailed in SPANISH and assure the applicant that they will not be deported if they apply.
These are just a few facts, I could go on and on forever. I am ANTI-illegal immigration. Allowing people to come in illegally provides us with a class of people unable to move up and always be available for cheap labor. Deporting these 12+ million means deporting AMERICANS who were brought here as infants and have grown up with American values and goals.
I just want people to get over some of these uneducated stereotypes they hold. Unfortunately the people making decisions relating to immigration have NO IDEA what its really like and the only things they know are the stereotypes present in most of these comments.
Posted by: Elissa | May 27, 2008 at 11:21 PM
Undocumented, illegals, document challenged or whatever, are here 'illegally' OK? They all violated Title 8, Section 1325 of OUR Code of Federal Regulations which makes them 'Criminals'. They should 'ALL' be deported; and the organizations who support them (including employers who hire them) should be prosecuted for 'Aiding and Abetting'. Why do illegals turn to laws to be legal when they violated the law when they came in illegal? Go figure! Even when legal, they aren't loyal to our laws, customs, culture and language. DEPORT THEM ALL.
Posted by: Close Our Border | May 25, 2008 at 08:42 AM
these mexicans are so damn anoying they take money from me
Posted by: kade | May 20, 2008 at 05:19 PM
theese illegals are making my life so hard they make me want to puke. these damn mexicans need to stop coming before they take over , i had 12 of them steal 450$ =( that sucked
Posted by: donald | May 20, 2008 at 05:17 PM
For those of you illegal-immigrant-hating-Americans fortunate enough to be born in this country, let me congratulate you on sheer dumb luck. Your ancestors came here when there was no such thing a "illegal immigration” and forcefully took land from the real native Americans, murdering millions in the name of survival, destroying their (Native American) way of lives and reducing them to second and even third class citizens on run-down reservations. The reason: Boo Hoo! But things were so bad in Europe and we were being persecuted. Duh! Why do you think these so called “illegals” are coming over here? For the very same reasons your ancestors gave to justify the genocide.
You claim to uphold the law, but only when it suits you and conveniently forget your bloody past. I’ve got news for you. The people, yes these are fellow human beings who laugh, bleed and cry just like you, you call illegal and claim that they have no right to be here were already on this land mass walking freely north and south of it before the first European settler dropped anchor here. All while forgetting the most important law, “love thy neighbor.”
Let’s face it; the average American isn’t going out there looking to be a dishwasher, landscaper, construction worker, maid or other menial labor-intensive work. No, you were raised to think you were going to grow up to be movie stars, high paid athletes, CEOs and the other glamorous jobs your culture worships. While you were too busy finding people to hate, you forgot that the very entities that sprung from your societies, the Multi-National-Corporations are actually sending your jobs over to the other side of the planet to make more than a buck from you creating the job shortage you so readily blame the “illegals” for causing.
The crime rate, conveniently blamed on “illegals” was already going to skyrocket after your society’s economy purveyed the notion that both parents of a family had to go to work in order to succeed while sacrificing family time in preparing the next generation .
The “illegals” do not willingly leave their homes to go to another country to be hated. They traverse harsh and dangerous treks, live in menial conditions and bear through the resentment and anger of strangers for the sake of feeding their families. To you Americans who claim to feed your families and are suffering from “jobs loss.” Get re-trained. It’s readily available to you. You have systems in place to help you adapt to new conditions if you just put down that can of beer and get your ass of the couch watching TV.
And by the way, your Social Security is being beefed up by money from “illegals” withheld by employers, along with Medicaid and FICA, before they get to spend a dime of it. Yes, ILLEGALS DO PAY THEIR TAXES! They are not eligible for Social Security so to all you Americans collecting a Social Security check from a system that is on the verge of bankruptcy, you’re welcome!
So before you cast that first stone at an illegal immigrant, go up to them welcome them back to this land and thank them for their sacrifices they made so that you may continue your own lifestyles.
Posted by: Jonathan | May 18, 2008 at 02:04 PM
First of all, the immigration debate is a waste of time because liberals and conservatives KNOW they do NOT plan on washing their own cars, cutting their own lawns, picking strawberries, lettuce and potatoes. White Americans only complain about having their tax dollars pay for social services when they see Black people utilizing these services, but with the lazy-assed, stinking Mexican vermin that come across the border, all of a sudden, white people are mum. They have nothing to say when these low-life people get rich off social service benefits. To Whites, as long as Black people do not benefit, they are happy! White people in America are selective when it comes to who they 'hate'! Today it could be 'Blacks' and tomorrow it could be 'Asians'! Maybe not Asians because they want to be 'white' and they kiss white people's asses so they don't mind Asians. This is the ONLY G-8 country that allows illegal immigration! When I lived in Europe, you could NOT gain entry into a country without a passport or military ID! Moreover, you couldn't work without a work visa nor could you rent an apartment. Additonally, the OFFICIAL language was French, if you in France or German or Deutsch if you were in Germany, NOT German AND Spanish! That is total nonsense for the US to do that crap! In Mexico, none of their billboards are in ENGLISH!!!
Posted by: WetbackKiller | May 14, 2008 at 06:23 PM
I wish people would stop using the word "liberal" to define these idiots who DO NOT THINK. I have considered myself a liberal since I was able to reason. When you reason, you can see that an economy cannot not withstand millions of people who've slipped over the border. Every social system in our state is overburdened, and budgets are in major crisis. Funds for the poor have been strained to the Nth degree. These people are not liberals, who espouse crowding our own poor with millions more. They are not the ones suffering. It just makes them feel good to quote the politicians (who want votes and support form corporations). There's no thought to it, except to identify with the vestiges of a movement they don't even understand.I have worked with the disenfranchised, and I know the loss of jobs and funds from the overcrowding.
Amina heard something on NPR, and got all excited about writing an article to show those mean old racists how wrong they are. From the look of the comments I think she needs to rethink her stand, if that's possible.
Posted by: Lynn | May 13, 2008 at 02:23 PM
how can you stop the flood by legalizing it?
Posted by: dharc | May 13, 2008 at 10:18 AM
They don't just send money through wire services, there are (at least to Mexico) mail services that carry items or money directly to Mexico. They have a loop and go about once a month making deliveries both ways.
The remittences Americans KNOW about are only about 1/3 of the true remittences that go to Mexico.
Go to any truly ethnic taco stand and you will see notices for mail carriers and their numbers.
Posted by: Lilathe | May 08, 2008 at 07:08 AM
More anti-logic from the LA Times. Why is it liberals always look at issues through a distorted lens? Stop cracking down on ILLEGAL immigration is going to stop them from over running America? Thats just more liberal insanity. I presume that the author of this editorial would rather let a burst water pipe in her home just keep running instead of fixing the leak with the high hopes that the problem will just go away? I sometimes wish the forefathers of this country could rise from the grave, take a long hard look at what liberals have done to this country, and bring back a common sense, realistic, patriotic approach to fixing this country as they did when they wrote the Constitution.
Posted by: Joseph | May 08, 2008 at 06:45 AM
"immigrants (legal and otherwise) "
Legal, yes; "otherwise", no.
If Amina and the Los Angeles Times ever learn the difference we might have a rational discussion about a very serious problem that is crushing California.
Posted by: Bill | May 07, 2008 at 11:04 PM
Carlos Slim isn't the second richest man, he is the richest.
The author of this article apparently doesn't understand the concept that one does not normally go to a country for economic reasons where there is a sliding economy. Thats the difference between citizens and those that cross borders illegally at times for work, the citizens are more likely to continue to stay through the rough times. At least in countries that encourage they do. That is why businesses that are wise, and governments that are wise, make their citizens a priority in part. Because citizens "owe" more to their country, as well their country "owing" more to them.
Posted by: itsmewin | May 07, 2008 at 06:33 PM
I am sure there must be a least one foreigner here illegally that can do this reporter's job and far more competently and at half her salary. Amina won't complain, she believes Americans should be put ot of work by lawbreakers.
Posted by: Bettybb | May 07, 2008 at 01:43 PM
Amazing!! The journalistic superiority of La Times is shown once again!
Posted by: Ray S | May 07, 2008 at 12:50 PM
I'd like to know who the idiot is who signs your paycheck..
Worst.
Article.
Ever.
Posted by: John | May 07, 2008 at 11:17 AM
Worst.
Article.
Ever.
Posted by: Aaron | May 07, 2008 at 11:14 AM
Amina,
My unemployed husband would love to do some remodeling work but has been undercut by illegals earning wages that ensure them continued poverty and dependence upon social services. Is this the kind of society that you want to promote? You need to think this through a little more before you quote NPR (credibility = 0) and insinuate that we are going to suffer because illegal immigrants won't be around to BUY things. Please. Income tax. That's what they need to be contributing. 1/3 of their salary. Then we'll talk.
Posted by: Valleymom | May 07, 2008 at 09:17 AM
How 'bout they use all that extra $$ to pay for their kids healthcare and education, instead of us middle class americans paying for it.
Posted by: MB | May 07, 2008 at 09:09 AM
The only "remodeling" needed is to finish
The Fence! Then Carlos Slim the 2nd
richest man in the world(Fortune) just
might start helping his Mexican countrymen
instead of ignoring them!
Mexico is the richest country in Latin America!
Posted by: M.A.Andrews | May 07, 2008 at 07:55 AM
I don't care if they are sending money or not!! All illegals must self-deport or be forcibly deported!!
Posted by: Milton Smith | May 07, 2008 at 06:14 AM
This Reporter is possible the STUPIDEST Person Alive !!!
LINKING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION TO RECESSION IS A LIBERAL JOKE WE HAVE A POPULATION OF Population: 301,139,947 WITH AN UNEMPLOYMENT 5.1% THAT'S NEARLY THE WHOLE COUNTRY EMPLOYED THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE ARE THE BACK BONE OF THIS COUNTRY NOT ILLEGAL CRIMINALS THAT RUN ACROSS OUR BORDER
Posted by: Ruben | May 06, 2008 at 11:22 PM