Thread: Changing the immigration debate - M. Sanchez

CHANGING THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE

MARCELA SANCHEZ THE WASHINGTON POST

August 9, 2008

A new effort to clear this country of illegal immigrants comes courtesy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which this week began asking more than 450,000 people who are in violation of deportation orders to come forward, get their personal affairs in order and volunteer to return to their home countries.

Coincidentally, a new report by a think tank that advocates for restricting immigration into the United States shows that hundreds of thousands of people here illegally already have been self-deporting because of increased immigration enforcement efforts. From August of last year until May, according to calculations by the Center for Immigration Studies, the illegal immigrant population declined by about 11 percent, from 12.5 million to 11.2 million. At that pace, the CIS argues, the current number could be cut in half in five years.

But don't hold your breath – immigration and demographic experts are not buying into such a scenario. They agree that there has been some increase in the number of undocumented people leaving the country, but they don't believe you can say with any certainty what those numbers are.

CIS' figures are based on an extrapolation of U.S. Census data that does not specify legal status. Critics contend this is not enough for a sound scientific measure. Wayne Cornelius, director of the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies at the University of California San Diego, described the CIS metric as so “grossly impreciseâ€

I'd like to know since when did immigration become a HISPANIC issue? Believe it or not, there ARE other people in this world that would like to emigrate here, so why are all these "advocates" insisting on making it all about hispanics?

This spring, however, Borjas revised his previous research to conclude that the effect on the average wages of U.S. workers from all immigration, documented and undocumented, was exactly zero percent. An immigration policy that continues to obsess over an impact that may be close to zero is one that has lost perspective.

Really? The please explain why the salaries at meat packing plants have DROPPED since the influx of illegal aliens? My cousin used to earn $22 an hour 15 years ago. The salary now is about half or less that now and guess who's NOT getting the jobs there?

Illegal aliens do NOT assimilate in this country. They come, they take what they can get from us and then they take it all back home. They do not belong here and must be driven out. There are no two ways about it.

What a biased load of crap, Ms. Marcela. If no one can be sure that more and more-people are self-deporting, or give any finite number to those have left, how can the following be cited as true?

From August of last year until May, according to calculations by the Center for Immigration Studies, the illegal immigrant population declined by about 11 percent, from 12.5 million to 11.2 million. At that pace, the CIS argues, the current number could be cut in half in five years.

The whole problem of" out-of-control" ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION is stemming from the fact that Corporations ARE the ones hiring the ILLEGAL POPULATION And for A VERY GOOD REASON...MORE MONEY in THEIR POCKETS!!!

[quote]At a Capitol Hill event to launch the report, Rep. Charles A. Gonzalez, D-Texas, regretted how immigration advocates “lost our wayâ€

I'm betting that the number of illegals, in our United States, is more like 30 to 35 million, and quite possibly 40 million, or more.

Illegals have been invading our country, almost unabated, for the last 22 years.

It was once said that 90% of them made it on the first try, and all eventually made it. Now, Border Patrol agents still say that they only apprehend approximately 25%.

Comparing that infomation to the actual apprehensions:

-----SOUTHWEST BORDER PATROL APPREHENSIONS-----
----2000-------2001-------2002-------2003-------2004--------2005-------2006-------2007------2008
1,643,679-1,235,718--929,809--905,065-1,139,282-1,189,108-1,071,972--858,638--578,774

one can easily conclude, that for the last 10 years, up to 3 million illegals a year, have been invading our country, across our porous Southwest border.

Although most illegals are Latinos, we can't overlook the numbers oif Asians, Africans, and Europeans, that have entered our country illegally, and we can't discount the number who successfully entered across our Norther border.

need hip boots to wade into this crapo

Anything by way of an estimate higher than 20 million defies basic common sense. It implies that America does not have any legal immigrants. The major immigration organizations CIS FAIR and NumbersUSA also refute the higher claims.

I wrote to George Borjas concerning his supposed "revision" because I smelled a rat, here is what he wrote back:

"You're not the first person to inquire about this. This is the text of an email that I sent her;

Dear Ms. Sanchez,

A friend sent me your column, where you say:

"This spring, however, Borjas revised his previous research to conclude that the effect on the average wages of U.S. workers from all immigration, documented and undocumented, was exactly zero percent."

You either are completely unaware of the subtleties of economic theory, or you are just a complete liar. There's no such revision coming out from me this spring or last spring or the spring before last. Perhaps you are confused about the difference between the short run and long run impacts of immigration-a difference I have stressed in my work for some years. If so, I suggest you read--and try to understand--some of the technical academic articles before you decide to ramble upon topics you know little about.

It's when I read made-up stuff like this that I regret that the death of the dead-tree media is not happening fast enough.

Thank you,

George Borjas"


Well W, do you want to take the Post to task on her complete fabrication?

Originally Posted by Richard

Anything by way of an estimate higher than 20 million defies basic common sense. It implies that America does not have any legal immigrants. The major immigration organizations CIS FAIR and NumbersUSA also refute the higher claims.

Well if you include anchor babies and past illegal aliens who received amnesty you get over 30 million. Maybe it's not the status these higher numbers refer to but all the people here due to illegal immigration.

The effect of illegal immigration falls disproportionately on the young and the poor. Sure the wealthier might benefit from having more labor regardless of it's effect on other Americans but few should hold the young and poor of legal non anchor baby American citizens in such contempt as to use their family's tax dollars to subsidize growth in the families of those who violate our citizens rights by ignoring American immigration law.