Living in Texas at this time, it's inevitable.
Illegal immigration: Who are illegal immigrants? Why do they immigrate illegally? What are the issues involved in this? What are some ideas that may help solve it?
I. Push factors
The illegal immigrants we hear about on a fairly regular basis are citizens of Mexico.
Mexico is currently a government facing terrible corruption. According to http://state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2007/100646.htm , the following have occurred: unlawful killings by security forces, kidnappings (even by police), physical abuse, overcrowded and poor prison conditions, arrests/detentions with little to no reason, corruption, ineffecient judicial systems, confessions due to physical abuse used as evidence in trials, criminal intimidation of journalists causing self-censorship, domestic violence against women, violence in general (even murder) against women, trafficking in people (even with official involvement), social and economic discrimination, child labor, AND MORE.
And some people wonder WHY these people are desperate to get out of Mexico. Do you really want to live in a place like that? If I was trapped in a horrible, corrupt land like that I'd want out as soon as possible too, and I doubt I would be able to wait like many thick United States citizens think Mexican citizens should do.
II. Pull factors
CROSSING THE BORDER IS RISKY.
People who have attempted crossing the border have been arrested, killed, their lives completely thrown away. These people who cross the border, they know this. They know the risk they take. So why do they do it? Why can't they just wait? Because they can't. This is often a matter of life and death.
Many families out there are poor, starving, helpless. But as if this Mexican government wasn't bad enough, America doesn't do such a good job either.
By trying to push them away, they only fight back stronger, and we just can't understand that. The way to reduce illegal immigration is to simplify the immigration process. There are lots of parts of the immigration process that are ridiculous, and simply unnecessary. It takes what, five to seven years to become a legal citizen? That is a long period of waiting!
We could at least welcome them in, and give them a time limit to get all the paper work done and everything dealt with, but if they get in trouble with the law or miss the time limit, then they can be deported right back. But just shooting them right down, in many cases even literally? Even from the conservative perspective, that's a bit inhumane.
We refuse to help those who are down at their knees for us and yet, we make the hypocritical move of going off to middle east countries such as IRAQ to help with a silly war and rebuild the country. Why did we do this? OIL. Every pint of blood spilled over there is worth a drop of oil in your car's gas tank. This war has NOTHING TO DO WITH AMERICA.
But does this deal with Mexico have to do with America? Yes. Does it require any sort of warfare? Nope! Heck, if anything, this would be an economic opporunity.
Unlike many "spoiled" Americans, who tend expect a good enough wage so their families can at least afford to buy the new version of iPod every year or so, Mexican citizens are willing to work for less, and work at hard labor jobs that many places are lacking in.
So when they take these jobs that are necessary but no one else wants 'em, houses get built, roads get paved, yadayada, and while they pursue a better life in America, Americans can pursue a better life in America by having the opportunity to take better jobs.
This sort of thing is especially needed in this desperate time of recession.
One issue that is often brought up is that of "OH MY GOD WHAT IF TERRORISTS KILL US ALL!!" but this is being very very paranoid, these people just want to provide for themselves and their families, they wouldn't know how to blow up a city or pilot a plane or anything like that. Guarding the sourthern borders like neo-nazis is not our only security system, and having more open borders doesn't mean we let anyone waltz right in here.
