Legal immigration is a problem, too
By Frank Morris and Yeh Ling-Ling
Published July 4, 2003, in the Houston Chronicle
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The deaths of 19 illegal Mexican immigrants smuggled in aboard an airtight
tractor-trailer found recently in Texas could have been avoided. It is high time
that American leaders take a hard look at our immigration policies.
Billions of people in the world besides Mexicans wish to migrate to the United
States for economic gain. Realistically, does this country have the infrastructure,
water, energy and farmland to support all of the people wishing to live here?
Clearly, the proposal by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, to grant work permits then
amnesty to illegal Mexican migrants simply will not work. Also, allowing
immigration to be used as a "safety valve" will reduce the pressure on foreign
leaders to improve the lives of their own citizens.
If this country had sent a firm and unequivocal message that illegal aliens could
not work here, would receive no benefits whatsoever and would never be granted
amnesty, how many would risk their lives to cross our borders illegally? How many
would want to stay?
Porous borders also pose a real threat to America's homeland security. Since many
perpetrators of the Sept. 11 attacks were in this country illegally, we should
realize the very high fiscal and human costs of not seriously enforcing our
immigration laws. Recently, Republican Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona warned: "It's hard
to imagine terrorists not trying to come in through this southern border." If the
United States continues to allow 500,000 to 800,000 illegal immigrants and large
quantities of drugs to be smuggled into this country every year, why not terrorists
and biochemical weapons?
In addition, some of those responsible for the Sept. 11 tragedy are naturalized
citizens. The British shoe bomber is not an Arab. Consequently, the average of 1
million legal immigrants admitted every year all require screening. If this country
continues the current rates of legal immigration, how can our overburdened law
enforcement agencies intercept or root out terrorists?
How many more innocent Americans need to die before our leaders implement a
comprehensive plan for effective homeland security?
Our immigration policy does not reflect today's economic realities, either. For
example, in recent years, China's economic growth rates have far exceeded those of
the United States, and many big cities in China are becoming more modern
counterparts.
Why should we continue to admit tens of thousands of Chinese immigrants every year?
How can professional and poor Americans find work if we massively export high-tech
and manufacturing jobs and massively import workers from all over the world?
Immigration advocates claim that immigrants are doing jobs that Americans don't
want. But our native poor still hold low-skilled positions in areas of low levels
of immigration.
A continuing study, by University of California professor of computer science Dr.
Norman Matloff, shows that American computer scientists, 40 or older, are being
displaced by foreign-born workers. Regarding farm labor, American farmers should
continue to mechanize and not rely on a cheap foreign labor force that burdens
American taxpayers.
The open borders lobby argues that population growth is needed to boost the
economy. But the United States was a very prosperous country in the 1960s with 200
million people. Most families then needed only one income to live a middle-class
lifestyle. Now, with 290 million people, this country is the greatest debtor nation
in history. Our federal budget deficit is at a record high. Most families need two
incomes to barely make ends meet. Our schools and labor markets are overflowing.
Our quality of life is steadily deteriorating.
If the U.S. population continues to grow the way it did in the last decade as shown
in the 2000 Census, mathematically, by 2070 the U.S. population will more than
double to 666 million. People with Mexican origins will then be the majority in the
entire United States. In this connection, Excelsior, the national newspaper of
Mexico, wrote: "The American Southwest seems to be slowly returning to the
jurisdiction of Mexico without firing a single shot." Do Texans, whose ancestors
declared independence from Mexico, wish to see the United States become part of
Mexico or another Mexican nation?
Gen. Tommy Franks, commander of American forces in the war in Iraq, stated this
past April that "any nation that wants to control its borders can do so."
Therefore, the United States can and should seriously control its borders and
drastically lower legal immigration as was done around 1924. This would be for the
sake of both American citizens and those of other nations.
Morris is the chairman and Yeh is the executive director of Diversity Alliance for
a Sustainable America in Oakland, California
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