Thread: Pro- and anti-immigration advocates invoke the economy

Pro- and anti-immigration advocates invoke the economy

Pro-immigration groups say comprehensive reform would allow immigrants to bolster the nation's economic well-being. Opponents say legalization would further crowd an already dwindling job market.
By Anna Gorman
8:45 PM PST, January 8, 2009

Religious and labor leaders called upon Congress and President-elect Obama to pass a comprehensive immigration package this year and said that the U.S. economy could not be restored without legalizing the nation's undocumented immigrants.

"Immigration reform is a necessity in order to fix the American economy," John Wilhelm, president of Unite Here's hospitality-industry division, said Thursday during a national teleconference call on immigration reform. The New York-based group represents more than 450,000 workers around the U.S.

Wilhelm said immigration legislation would help the recovery by eliminating exploitation, increasing wages and tax compliance and placing all workers on a level playing field.

Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony, who has been an outspoken proponent of legalization, said immigration is a humanitarian and moral issue but also an economic issue.

"Immigrants must be brought out of the shadows so they can fully contribute to our nation's future economic and social well-being," he said.

The participants in Thursday's call said they believed that the topic would be debated in Congress this fall and that legislation could come up for a vote in early 2010. They cited Obama's campaign pledge to address immigration reform and said that members of Congress and of Obama's transition team have indicated that it is a priority. They acknowledged, however, that no specific commitment had been made or timetable set.

But anti-illegal immigration advocates urged the U.S. government this week to curtail legal immigration in response to the economic crisis.

"With the federal government reporting continuing giant losses of jobs, it is time to slow the massive importation of workers," Roy Beck, executive director of NumbersUSA, wrote in a letter this week to Obama. "How can it make any sense for the American people's own government to be approving more competitors for a dwindling number of jobs?"

Since immigration reform failed in 2007, the U.S. government has focused resources on rooting out unauthorized workers at businesses, shoring up the border with Mexico and arresting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes or ignored deportation orders.

Immigrant rights advocates say they are not opposed to enforcement but that the current tactics are inhumane and ineffective.

"The sense of urgency in the community has never been stronger," said Janet Murguia, president and chief executive of the National Council of La Raza. "Families are being torn apart, people are afraid of going to the police when they are preyed upon."

Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice, said he recognized that economic recovery is the most important priority for the country, the Congress and the new administration.

But he said immigration should follow soon after.

"The voters have set the stage and it is now up to the Congress and the president to deliver, and we are optimistic they will do so," he said.

anna.gorman@latimes.com


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... 5463.story

people are afraid of going to the police when they are preyed upon.

Am I the only one who is sick and tired of this LAME EXCUSE for not enforcing immigration law?

Do you sometimes feel like your in the twlight zone?i

"Immigration reform is a necessity in order to fix the American economy," John Wilhelm, president of Unite Here's hospitality-industry...more than 450,000 workers around the U.S. ...
immigration legislation would help the recovery by eliminating exploitation, increasing wages and tax compliance and placing all workers on a level playing field.

Yea, and this guy should know that they will cut staff, when you force them to pay more. So, how's that going to help the jobless rate or the economy?

Duh! This guy is promoting an increase in workers as the number of jobs decrease and unemployment rises. Supply and demand will tell you that wages will not increase because of a gult of warm bodies willing to take any job to feed their family and get by.

Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony

This guy really knows nothing about the economy, unemployment, making ends meet, raising children, paying a mortage or medical bills, living hand to mouth..., since he lives all expense paid off the church.

Taking illegal aliens out of the work force is the best thing to do for Americans and American workers.

A low wage is better than no wage. An American working is better than illegal working an American's job.

Dixie

"Pro-immigration groups say comprehensive reform would allow immigrants to bolster the nation's economic well-being."


This will survive as one of the most incredibly STUPID statements of the 21st century.

May I create additional statments using that logic--

The additional burden on the health system will add to doctors' skills and Americans will be healthier.

The additional burden of non-English speaking students in elhi will hone our teachers' skills and enrich the knowledge of our natural citizen students.

The lowering of the average wages for middle class Americans will make the cost of goods cheaper for those who have jobs.

I AM BLOODY TIRED OF STUPID ARGUMENTS BY PRO-ILLEGAL SUPPORTERS !!!

Oh yeah, and if you deport them when they report crimes they will not report and will "STAY IN THE SHADOWS". The shadow I want them in is under a tree in their home country.

Getting more and more angry every day reading this stuoidity.

I think in this time of massive job loss that Americans who are not as involved in fighting illegal immigration as are, will know instinctively the ridiculousness of the pro-illegal alien crowd's spin that legalizing millions of largely low-skilled, impoverished illegal aliens will be somehow good for our economy (not to mention for the 10+ million Americans out of work). We have to keep hammering this point home.

And did you notice the typical, biased coverage of this topic from the LA Times: quotes from 3 pro-illegal alien advocates, and 1 from an anti-illegal immigration, pro-American worker advocate.

Originally Posted by Populist

And did you notice the typical, biased coverage of this topic from the LA Times: quotes from 3 pro-illegal alien advocates, and 1 from an anti-illegal immigration, pro-American worker advocate.

I counted 4 to 1 biased source ration in this propaganda. And Mr. Beck's quote is strategically placed in the worst location in the article.

Here is my email to the reporter. I plan to bust her out on the radio for this in about forty minutes.

Email to reporter
http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-830623.html#830623

W

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

I counted 4 to 1 biased source ration in this propaganda. And Mr. Beck's quote is strategically placed in the worst location in the article.
W

Yup, you're correct. There's so many pro-amnesty persons in the above piece (Wilhelm, Mahony, Murgia & Sharry), I missed one.