Immigration – Having It Both Ways

A Desert Independent Flashback


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By Dr. HOWARD MARKLE
The Desert Independent

August 13, 2010

This article was originally published March 22, 2004, but is still relevant today.

BLYTHE, Calif – Immigrant labor, both unskilled and professional, continues to flood into the United States. On one end of the spectrum are those who attempt to sneak across the border into Texas, Arizona, California, and Florida just to highlight a few states. Some come from Canada while others simply gain access by coming ashore in shipping containers and other flotation devices. Some of this tide of humanity is interdicted by the Coast Guard, Border Patrol, and various other officers of Homeland Security. In addition bounty hunters are out in force looking for illegals missed by the Border Patrol.

Professionals such as those found in the medical field can make more money here than in their home countries. This is nothing new. Many of my compatriots at Penn State, back in the 60's and 70's, were here complements of both sending and receiving countries; they were expected to return home following their education here but many remained in the US as a consequence of greater opportunity, more money and greater freedoms. Then and now it was and is known as the "brain drain.â€