Read this article also: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/1107robb07.html

It’s the elephant in the room for the 2004 election cycle.

It’s the elephant in the room every election year. Every day. But neither party has the spine to deal with it.

I agree that neither party has the spine to deal with it; but I like to think it’s because rational people in both parties recognize that it is not as much of a problem as it is made out to be. People always talk about the “costs” of illegal immigrants to U.S. citizens, but this is never balanced by the “benefits” U.S. citizens gain from illegal immigrants. I maintain that a simple cost-benefit analysis (at all levels … economic, political, social, and even national security levels) shows that the U.S. and U.S. citizens benefit on balance from illegal immigrants.

Do more than just maintain it—justify it. Give us some facts, and show how, in light of the fact that immigration violations led directly to 9-11, we’re better off pretending we don’t have borders and we shouldn’t differentiate between people who get here legally (like my wife), and peolpe who don’t.

Frankly, illegal aliens thoroughly annoy me. When my wife and I moved back to the States, we had to go through so much red tape it was ridiculous—and we had already been married for two years—and I had been in the military, for goodness sake. She had worked for the Government of Japan—for about 8 years. And INS just sneered at us and pestered us and threatened us before finally letting us pass. Illegal aliens circumvent all that, they don’t pay taxes, they overburden our systems, and then they demand more services from us—without giving much of anything back.

Prove that that’s all just the negative consequences of an otherwise positive thing, and you’ll win me over.

First, I think your experience with the INS was a travesty. You and your wife should not have had to undergo this kind of treatment and experience. It’s immoral and wrong.

Second, illegal immigrants DO pay taxes. That’s a fairly unassailable position. If they don’t pay state and federal income taxes on a fake SS#, then they certainly pay taxes when they buy their food and clothing from the corner grocery store, not to mention all the other things they consume. Also, how can you say definitively that the “overburdening” of our system, the excessive demanding of social services, etc., are the exclusive “bad behavior” domain of illegal immigrants (i.e. that American citizens don’t do likewise). When you can show me definitive data that proves that the myriad of social, economic, and political problems of the U.S. can be pinpointed exclusively on illegal immigrants, then I’ll feel compelled answer your challenge.

Also, what you went through with the INS was hell; but do you think that illegal immigrants “bypassing” the INS and “legal” channels have it any easier when they immigrate. If potential immigrants could have even the remote possibility of getting to the U.S. via legal means, rest assured they would wait as long as you and your wife did, if not longer, (and endure much worse treatment from INS officials than you endured, btw), to take this less risky and perilous route to the “land of milk and honey.” Yes, your experience with the INS was terrible; but the risks that illegals take (sometimes costing them their lives) is just as terrible.

And if you believe that unfettered market forces following the laws of supply and demand produces maximum economic returns, how can you not accept that illegal immigrants contribute positively to the U.S. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be here - or so says classical economic theory and rational choice models.

The kind of treatment we received is SOP for law-abiding citizens. We know quite a few international couples like ourselves, and nearly all of them have gotten some variation of the garbage we got. INS is a broken agency.

Jimmy, I really don’t get your openness to law-breakers. Illegal aliens are by definition criminals—they got here by breaking our laws. I’m not going to argue with you about it. I just don’t get it—you’re all too happy to yell at Republicans for just about anything, but all too quick to forgive people who don’t respect our national sovereignty or laws. I don’t get it.

Bryan, your experience sounds much like the various human rights organizations around the world. Assail against those who pose a possible problem (the law-abiding), while ignoring the real problem (the dictators). While you and your wife would listen to these INS, do illegal immigrants?

Its a shame, really.

It’s not that I support law-breakers; but rather I don’t support the singling out of the immigrants as the only culpable ones in this problem. There are other lawbreakers in this mix as well, such as those who recruit and hire illegal immigrants (i.e. Wal-mart). And it is only rarely that the outrage over illegal immigration is focused on the U.S. recruiters and employers - who not only benefit from under-the-table dealings in all kinds of illegal ways (i.e. avoiding minimum wage laws, employer payroll tax liabilities, etc.). I bristle at the tendency of some (not you, btw), to tar these workers as criminal law-breakers. They are, by and large, only trying to survive and put food on the table for their families. They’re not trying to hurt anyone.

It would be one thing if these potential migrants could secure entry via legal means, especially when there is a clear demand for their labor; but they can’t. The law is arbitrary, unjust, and ultimately against U.S. economic and security interests.

This legalistic argument aside, I guess my question to you would be the following: do you think the law as it exists is good for the U.S.? Would you advocate for its change to allow for the legalization of these “undocumented” workers?