Thread: Immigration reform: Not with a bang

October 27, 2007
Immigration reform: Not with a bang
Thomas Lifson

Open borders advocates and immigration amnesty enthusiasts long have argued that draconian raids and inhumane mass deportations are the only alternative, should America take seriously national sovereignty and the rule of law. The straw man vision of convoys of thousands of busses being necessary to convey illegal immigrants out of the country, along with the expectation that restaurants, construction, agriculture being crippled owing to the rule of law has convinced many to oppose actual enforcement of existing laws.

Such a vision betrays a mind accustomed to thinking that nothing ever happens unless some government official takes action and requires it to happen. The old command and control mentality at work. There is accumulating anecdotal evidence that, owing to better law enforcement and a downturn in the construction industry, large numbers of illegals are self-deporting.

On October 19, Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit noted:

You don't seem to see as many Mexicans around Knoxville as a few months ago, and I noticed that the landscaping outfit that does the common areas in my neighborhood -- whose workers were all Mexican as recently as this summer -- became kind of scarce for a few weeks and is now back with workers who are all quite obviously non-Mexican. Could this be related to the jailing of a local businessman for immigration violations? http://knoxnews.com/news/2007/aug/28/re ... jail-time/ Probably. It suggests that even modest enforcement efforts might have a real impact.

Elisabeth Malkin of the International Herald Tribune writes an article headlined, "Mexicans miss money from relatives up north."

For years, millions of Mexican migrants working in the United States have sent money back home to villages like this one, money that allows families to pay medical bills and school fees, build houses and buy clothes or, if they save enough, maybe start a tiny business.

But after years of strong increases, the amount of migrant money flowing to Mexico has stagnated. From 2000 to 2006, remittances grew to nearly $24 billion a year from $6.6 billion, rising more than 20 percent some years. In 2007, the increase so far has been less than 2 percent.

Migrants and migration experts say a flagging American economy and an enforcement campaign against illegal workers in the United States have persuaded some migrants not to try to cross the border illegally to look for work. Others have decided to return to Mexico. And many of those who are staying in the United States are sending less money home.

In the rest of the world, remittances are rising, up as much as 10 percent a year, according to Donald Terry of the Inter-American Development Bank. Last year, migrant workers worldwide sent more than $300 billion to developing countries - almost twice the amount of foreign direct investment.

But in Mexico, families are feeling squeezed.

Sound inhumane? Dig a little deeper into the article, and the victim-centered prose that charafcterizes a New York Times-owned publication begins to be supplanted by some data that confirms the power of ordinary people reacting to incentives:

Some of the men are back and need cash for seeds and fertilizer to plow long-neglected fields. At the microcredit association operated by a local nonprofit group, the BajÃ*o Women's Network, loans for agriculture, which barely existed last year, now account for 11 percent of all borrowing.
Imagine! Able and hard-working Mexicans, unable to violate our borders with impunity, are instead reinvigorating the moribund local economy. To be sure, the corruption and heavy hand of government in Mexico may well stifle these efforts, but if easy escape to the El Norte is no longer an alternative, perhaps there might be more interest in reforming Mexico, a country many have remarked is blessed with abundant natural resources, two long and beautiful coastlines, and a hard-working populace.

There is no reason beyond bad governance why Mexico must be poor. American open borders offer a safety valve relieving pressure for reform in Mexico!

Meanwhile, the grape harvest here in California is in, and there were no reports of fruit rotting on the vines for lack of picking crews. Similarly, I have spotted no fast food restaurants closed for lack of help, and no construction sites closed down for lack of labor.

Simple measures, like getting serious of about enforcement at the border combined with employer sanctions, provide the signals individuals need in order to make their plans. As one Mexican interviewed by Ms. Malkin put it:

"It's really tough to go back," he said. "Now they lock you up. Before, they grabbed you and sent you back. The laws were never this tough."
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/200 ... ith_a.html

I had to go back and read this several times until I was sure that I understood U.S. District Judge Tom Varlan actually ruled to uphold the law.

First of all he deserves a parade down mainstreet and hopefully this is like a long journey that begins with but a single step.

I've saw a lot of vacant rent houses today.

Dixie

There's definitely an improvement.

Just the little bit they've done has helped.

It happened in the nick of time too, because just about the time they started to crack down......Georgia was literally over-run with illegal aliens.

It's better now, but God forbid it they start sending mixed signals again, we're going to go right back to where we were......even worse.... because people in other countries will then not even take the threats of enforcement by the U.S. government seriously.

Then we would really be in big trouble, even worse than before.

I hope and pray that the Bush Administration realizes this and thoroughly understands this and the importance of not back peddling.

Originally Posted by zeezil

Open borders advocates and immigration amnesty enthusiasts long have argued that draconian raids and inhumane mass deportations are the only alternative, should America take seriously national sovereignty and the rule of law. The straw man vision of convoys of thousands of busses being necessary to convey illegal immigrants out of the country

Since when is a thousand bus convoy inhumane? It's not like during the Great Depression when illegal aliens were herded into cattle cars and deported!

Enforce the law -- attrition through enforcement. Even Fred Thompson seems to be getting on board with this common sense approach.

We are NOT fooled by the cheap false choice that the OBL keeps spouting: "since we can't deport 12-20 million, we have to give them amnesty." Nope, don't have to.

___________


Call the Senate: NO AgJOBS Amnesty !

Originally Posted by Bowman

Originally Posted by zeezil

Open borders advocates and immigration amnesty enthusiasts long have argued that draconian raids and inhumane mass deportations are the only alternative, should America take seriously national sovereignty and the rule of law. The straw man vision of convoys of thousands of busses being necessary to convey illegal immigrants out of the country

Since when is a thousand bus convoy inhumane? It's not like during the Great Depression when illegal aliens were herded into cattle cars and deported!

Exactly right! And, you can bet they would get vaccinations and other medical help, a free mean for whole fam damily before they go back. There's nothing inhumane about it. Besides, isn't crossing the desert w/ only water and a small amount of food more inhumane?
Just another crappy attempt by the OBL crowd to pull our heart strings.

Originally Posted by Dixie

I've saw a lot of vacant rent houses today.

Dixie

Dixie: i've seen a slight down turn in hosing too. Perhaps a good sign given the Irving CAP. We need to try and petition other local cities to join Irving.