What happened to Immigration?

The issue of immigration was one that was largely ignored during the Presidential race only months ago. This is probably because of McCain's stance on the issue, which was highly unpopular with his party. It is strange because only last year immigration had become a very hot-button issue, to which it seemed there was no solution. My question is: Where has this issue gone? Illegal immigrants are surely still coming onto America by the thousands, and yet the issue is being ignored. My prediction is that with the ever-worsening economy being the way it is, soon immigration will once again be at the forefront of debate.

Right now the concern for many in America is fixing the economy, but soon people will look for scapegoats as they always do. I have a sneaking suspicion that 2009's most popular scapegoat will be the many illegal immigrants that live in our country. Consider the circumstances. As I pointed out in my last post, unemployment is rising. When the newly unemployed go to look for new jobs, they will be very difficult to find, especially in this terrible economic environment, and so they will probably blame those that are easiest upon which to place blame: illegal immigrants. The result will be for many politicians to call for the removal of millions of contributing members of society, and many variations of the South Park style complaint, "They took errr jobbs!". Unfortunately, all of this criticism will be unfairly placed on the illegal Mexican and Latin American immigrants; not on (and I hate to say this) white, skilled, legal immigrants who actually do take jobs.

Now, I am not calling for the removal of the white immigrants as well, I think all immigrants should be given the chance to make a new life for themselves in our country. What is the American dream, if not that? Mexican and Latin Americans are not coming into America and taking up the skilled positions that regular citizens flock to anyways. They are coming in for a change of lifestyle and the chance to provide a better future for their children. Who can blame them for that? The same concept applies to immigrants of all other origins. They are simply trying to create a better life for themselves and their families. Many citizens resent this influx of cheap labor because they feel as if their jobs will soon be replaced by an illegal immigrant who will work twice as many hours for half the pay. These fears are unwarranted. Only in the smallest number of cases does that actually happen. To those who fear immigration I must ask, where did your family come from and what were the conditions for them when they arrived? Most all American families have a similar history of coming to the United States to find a better life. And those same families were resented in the same way by the Americans that were already here. It is a vicious and never-ending cycle. So how do we solve this problem?

We really can't. The only way to lessen the complaints of those who fear immigration is to take away their only ammunition. We must make it so that it is easier to come into this country legally. Instead of putting up a large fence across the southern border (which begs the question of why there isn't then one on the northern border), we need to make it easier for people to become fully-functioning members of society.

In the coming months there will probably be much more discussion on this topic, and I'll try and speak more to what I would do when that arises. Until then I will leave you with a mostly forgotten quote that rings true even more so today than it did when it was first inscribed:

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:

I lift my lamp beside the golden door."