Response to Maura Hagen's Viewpoint Article

In addition to my viewpoint article this morning concerning illegal immigration, Maura Hagen, a staunch liberal according to her Facebook profile, wrote an editorial entitled ‘Economic, Cultural Gains Lost in Debate’ giving her opinions on the issue …

“Immigrants contribute a great deal to our culture and economy. They not only do the work many citizens refuse to do, but they create businesses and pay taxes as well”

Who didn’t see this coming? I’m sorry; let me rephrase that – what conservative didn’t see this coming? The clichéd liberal argument for the allowance of illegal immigration – they do the jobs Americans don’t want to do. Wrong! They do the jobs Americans don’t want to do … for the current wage rate! This is why I despise A Day Without a Mexican so much. The film is such tripe. Sure, if all Latinos vacated the country there would undoubtedly be a slight disruption. I doubt however that this nation’s economy would stop on a dime simply because some rich white guy can’t have his lawn cut this morning or have his children watched after. To say these illegals contribute significantly to this country’s economy is a load of crock. As soon as they are done paying their bills and taxes (which they do to make them seem suspicious), the rest of their money goes straight back to Mexico. Why do you think the Mexican government is so supportive of illegal immigration for Mexican citizens into the United States? Because they benefit tremendously from it.

“Social assistance organizations and programs exist because many of these people are exploited and oppressed because of their immigrant status”

If that were true (I won’t go into a discussion as to whether it is or isn’t), why has illegal immigration to this country ballooned from three million in 1986 to twelve million in 2006 to, according to studies, thirty million by 2015? If these people were ‘oppressed’, why has word not traveled back to Mexico along with their funds? Maybe it has more to do with the fact that they are ‘undocumented workers’ rather then them simply being ‘immigrants’.

“Let's not forget that the great majority of us are the recent descendents of immigrants. Immigration has not only contributed to, but defined, this nation... for the good and bad. We cannot separate immigration from America. It is imbedded in our culture and way of life”

But, Maura, let us not further forget the significant difference between European immigrants, both in our past and today, and illegal immigrants from Mexico. The European immigrants who shaped this country’s destiny were of the legal variety. These men and women worked their butts off so that their children could live and prosper in a country where they could do whatever they dreamed of accomplishing in life. Illegal immigrants not only cheat the system but they cheat immigrants who wish to come to this country legally (stealing jobs from them, not US-borne citizens) and the tax-payers of this nation. No one is asking in this debate to separate immigration from our history. What is being asked rather is that illegal immigration be seen for what it really is, a threat to this country’s security in this time of war with Islamic fascism and a slap in the face to the rule of law. If these illegals have no respect for immigration policies, what makes you so sure they will respect our other laws?

“Not only is such legislation anti-American because of its cultural significance, but its disregard for the rights guaranteed to all people under the constitution is even more anti-American. Legislation that makes undocumented citizens criminals (including children) will give more power to their exploiters and will only encourage more abuses against their humanity”

Notice how she never once refers to them as they are – illegal immigrants. ‘Undocumented citizens’ or ‘undocumented workers’ are the new catchphrases of the left. They are merely facades for illegal aliens. ‘Undocumented citizens’? Should that not be considered an oxymoron? If they were actual citizens of the United States (which they aren’t when they cross the US-Mexican border illegally), wouldn’t they be documented? Additionally, notice how she slipped in ‘children’ in there, hoping I suspect for emotional factor. I stressed this in my viewpoint article – illegal immigration as it stands now is a clear violation of the law but is not a crime because there is nothing on the books to enforce it. What is the point of having the law if it has no teeth? Why have borders at all? Why not let anyone who wants to come to this country, whether it is for good or ill, do so? I think even strong amnesty proponents on the left would agree that is ridiculous.