


Jumping off the fence

At last, self-interest is pushing ambitious politicians towards immigration reform

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Readers' comments



Illegal immigrants are the worst of all criminals they steal the future of citizens in the country they invade.Because they work for so much less than citizens they crowd out the opportunity for the first step on the ladder. They lower wages for everyone even the semi elites. That consideration is being given to amnesty again is an admission of a failed society. Over the years our country has filled it's schools with foreigners who wind up filling formerly well paid jobs through corporate abuse of the h1b visa system. Is it any wonder why US citizens no longer study science and technology in the numbers they did when their fathers have been replaced by 1/2 cost foreigners? We should have outsourced our politicians instead of everything else.



Since persons from hispanic countries have violated US immigration laws en-masse for decades- entering and residing in the country without following due process of law AND while the US has had in place explicitly delineated annual 'immigration quotas' (limits) for these persons' countries of origin- the US should:

1) reduce the annual immigration quotas (numbers of immigrants/persons accepted) from ALL hispanic countries to zero for at least 25-years;

2) Publicly and openly communicate the above to leaders of hispanic countries and their citizenry- from Mexico south to Antarctica- using standard diplomatic protocols as well as mass media advertisements;

3) Proportionally raise the annual immigration quotas (numbers of persons accepted) from non-hispanic countries, IE: European, Asian, African, etc in order to compensate for reductions in numbers of accepted-immigrants from hispanic countries....

And, recognizing the egregious financial, economic and political costs of deporting current illegal hispanic residents, the US should:

4) immediately grant legalized-residency to all hispanic illegal residents/immigrants who are currently residing in the US....

Roderick V. Louis,
Vancouver, BC, Canada



It will be interesting to watch as many stridently defended political positions are summarily abandoned in the scramble to seize the high ground of non-crazy Republicanism.


"Fixing" immigration seems to consist of (1) legalizing the illegal migrants that are here, then (2) continuing to fail to enforce immigration laws, so that (3) the illegal migrants will simply be replaced. Lather, rinse, repeat. Net result - an unending stream of unskilled migrants who think nothing of committing fraud to get what they want.

Never will there be a "lack of exploitation" because everyone's in on the deal - Republicans are happy because Big Ag gets cheap, exploitable labor. Democrats are happy because they can, oh so compassionately, harvest millions of votes.

The rule of law is nowhere to be found. I find that very depressing.

Concordian in reply to Michael Kohler

I'm not antagonistic toward immigrants. I'm antagonist toward people who want to reward illegal migrants for breaking the law in an effort to cheat at elections. To say I'm antagonistic toward immigrants is to distort my position.

mtweng in reply to Michael Kohler

Really. I used to think there was no chance it would happen to me and most of my fellow workers but it did. The large corporation I used to work for has replaced thousands of employees with hib visa holders. If you are not in a job that cannot be outsourced or h1b'ed you may be next.


So Obama couldn't do immigration reform when his party controlled Congress because that would have required "broad bipartisan support"? Lack of broad bipartisan support didn't stop him on healthcare. It seems that he just didn't care and that you are being a typical media apologist for the man.

I, personally , agree with Julian Simon that people are the "ultimate resource."

Darwins Toothpick

Just a minute. Exporting cheap and plentiful shale gas would be a way for the USA to improve its huge debt and trade balance. However this is not compatible with obtaining ever more immigrants. Norway and Brunei, for example, became rich because their populations are so small that they could never use up their energy resources. I am very much aware that when The Economist promotes immigration they mean millions they want to add to the USA each year. I may not be an economic genius but I think I have a point here. Let’s hope the USA will use its new found wealth wisely and not squander it through excess population growth.

Wait... So you read the Economist, but you think it would be a good thing if the US had a resource-extraction economy, instead of one based on entrepreneurial business?

Also, you do realize that there are already over 300 million of us. If you want the US to be a small country, that ship sailed a long, long time ago.


The Republicans will be doing themselves a favor trying to reach the Latino voters. But do not expect quick results. There is a strong perception among Latinos and Black that most Republicans, especially the "Grass Roots", look at L's and B's as people that they despise, deep inside their hearts.

In other words - in general terms - these minorities think today that the only reason why the GOP are now addressing Immigration Reform and showing some good will to make concessions is just because they cannot ignore them and cannot afford to let Immigration Reform for the DEMs only.

Again, it will take time to change such feelings.

mtweng in reply to plutonian

Why do you think the entire south of the US turned Republican? Because the Democrats started supporting civil rights for blacks. Those welfare states dropped their yellow dog democrat ideology in a heartbeat.The republicans became the nazi party of the US. Why do you think they refused to work with a black president? They are all closet racists. They do let a few uncle toms like Colin Powell in the party to keep up appearances but in their actions they reveal their true nature.


Whether or not the cold math of demographics is driving Republican winds, or something more meaningful, such as compassion, or more rational, such as economic benefit, if the end result is a more open immigration policy, the US stands to gain tremendously. The natural advantage of being a magnate for human capital is senselessly being wasted by blind and inept nativist sentiment.

A. Andros

We are not going to expel Illegals. This isn't the Third Reich or Stalin's Russia. There aren't going to be any human cattle drives headed south.

So, what do we do? We can leave these millions of hard-working Illegals in limbo. That way they will undermine wages for native-born American by working off the books, dodge taxes and grow resentful.

We can provide them with a reasonable path to full citizenship. That way they will become "Americans" and be just as responsible as the Italians, Jews, Poles, Germans -- even the Irish -- who came before them.

We should not reward those who broke the law. It is wrong. But, we're going to have to do it -- and it won't be the first time the country did something that was wrong. We're still here.

Won't the Illegals vote Democratic if they become citizens? Hell, yes! Why on earth would they vote Republican? They're illegal -- they're not stupid.

They are just people. Some are jerks. Native-Born American are just people too. And some . . . well, you don't have to be told.

They should not have broken the law. I should not have gone bald. They broke the law. I'm still bald. Things are what they are. Time to move forward.

Concordian in reply to A. Andros


But why? Why do we have to do it?


That's it! That's why all the editorials I read on this topic are so incoherent. Everyone's afraid they might r-i-o-t.

Whites are afraid browns and blacks will riot. Then they can't fight back against thugs of color without looking r-a-c-i-s-t on TV. Which they sort of are, because that's why they moved to the suburbs. And why they need to buy guns. And why they insist you can't "blame the victim" even when poor choices lead to things like crumbling families that hurt black children. For liberals, rule of law takes second place, because appeasement is the order of the day. Appeasement borne of fear. Lower-class conservatives are afraid they'll wind up on the bottom of the social ladder if blacks improve their lives and make no effort to hide their hatred.

Blacks are afraid white cops are going to beat the crap out of them for no reason and throw them into the "just-us" system that imprisions way too many blacks. There also afraid they really are inferior, which fear has been shown to interfere with one's ability to take stanardized tests, which lowers their score on those tests, in a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Browns are afraid they're going to be deported and lose everything they've worked for. At the same time, they're afraid of humiliation and loss of self-esteem because they know deep down that immigrating illegally really is wrong.

Once, about 20 years ago, a church group I was in had a black Espiscopal priest come and talk about race relations. He said that eventually we were all going to have to stand up to our own fears. We're also going to have to treat each other right and squarely face our own faults. We have no choice, he said, because we all have to live with each other and we can't live in fear forever. Turns out he was right.

mtweng in reply to A. Andros

Who came legally and waited in line sometimes for years while the positions they could have had were filled by illegals.
Their is right and wrong and morality. You do not know the difference
when you take the side of criminals over law abiding immigrants you are complicit in their crime.



mtweng in reply to guest-ljwsloi

If there was any justice in the world you would be fired and replaced by an illegal. Amazing how little empathy you have for your fellow citizens and how much for criminals. Is your empathy reserved for just criminals or foreigners?


I have to wonder if the somewhat mythical "immigrant experience" of severed family connections and limited communication leading to assimalation is still meaningful in a world of cheap airfares, low cost phone service and multiple passports. Even more so, I wonder what national interest is served by granting priority to family members, rather than adhering to individual merit based decisions? The idea of the melting pot seems to have fallen out of favor, which I think is unfortunate. Pandemics do not like variety.


"Though the Democrats ran Congress for Mr Obama’s first two years, no broad immigration plan can pass without bipartisan backing."

Well that's certainly a bold assertion. Any proof of this? Or do you simply not want to acknowledge that Obama had enough trouble getting red state Democrats to bend to his wishes on health care, and deemed immigration not worth the fight? The man had a large House majority and 60 votes in the Senate. It just wasn't a priority. Stop making excuses, or if you must, at least make some attempt to argue the case, rather than making bald assertions.

Evil Overlord

America was built on immigrants, and we need to keep encouraging immigration, without inserting barriers like English proficiency (the US has no official language). At the same time, we should not reward those who broke our laws to get here - that will only discourage those who followed the rules.

More immigration. Less illegal immigration.

jouris - old account

A self-interested American immigration policy may not be the ultimate ideal. But the current policy, which runs directly counter to our self-interest, is nuts. The sooner we get to something sensible the better.


The path to U.S. citizenship should be for free for the best in any profession from science to sports to art and well educated professionals, anyone who has committed an act of bravery, anyone who wants to start a business, the best violinist in the world, the very best in any field. No matter their country of origin.

The next tier should be for anyone graduating from an American university with an advanced degree in fields this nation needs to grow and better itself. They should receive a green card upon graduation and full citizenship later if they want it. Same thing for anyone who wants to start a business in the U.S.

For the undocumented already here, who don't qualify under any of the above, why not have a 'race to a green card' like Arne Duncan's 'race to the top?' Why not use the green card as incentive for those already here to do extraordinary things in this country to receive a green card?

Why should U.S. citizenship - or green card status - suffer under the idea that seniority is in the best interest of the country? U.S. Citizenship has to be about the needs of the nation not those of politicians pandering for votes.

Damn Dirty Ape in reply to gogotennis

I would put under your initial list, graduates of foreign universities who meet our needs. In fact, the clause, who meet our needs, should be at the end of every sentence about immigration.
I'm partial to the DREAM act as well. My only hesitation is that it incentivizes people to smuggle their children into the country. I think an easy fix for that is to forever ban the parents from entering the country and to require the children to help deport their parents if they are still breaking the law and residing here illegally. Alien children whose parents had acquired citizenship would not be eligible unless the parents were willing to forfeit their citizenship and abide to the requirement that they never return.

Public Dude

There are broadly two types of illegal immigrants, if one were to call them as such. Those who get educated at American Universities or entrepreneurs who can offer benefits to America with their knowledge, who can be gainfully employed far above the minimum wage or run a business, who can pay taxes, buy homes, raise productive families etc.

Then there are the vast majority who are involved in low-paying jobs that Americans shun. They provide a valuable contribution through low wages that result in low prices at the supermarket and elsewhere for Americans. They pick vegetables and fruits, do yard and house work, build homes etc.

Why are the second category in the US? It's because even the low wages and poor living conditions here are better than they enjoyed back home. Lacking a good education or valuable skills, they do menial jobs.

Think what will happen if both groups were made legal residents. The educated or entrepreneurial group will go on to be productive members of society, contributing their knowledge for America's benefit.

The second group will demand minimum wage or more, social benefits, low income housing and food stamps. Worse, they will refuse to do hard manual labor in the hot sun and claim unemployment benefits. This will create a vacuum again for such workers, which was created in the first place since no legal American wanted to do such hard work. So, the “newly-legals” will become a burden on society, the vacuum will suck in more illegals and the cycle goes on.

If the number of illegals of the second variety has reduced of late, it’s only because the American economy does not need so many of them. Housing bust is a prime example. When the economy recovers, watch for more illegals to enter.

New Conservative in reply to Public Dude


Let me rephrase,

"The second group of illegal immigrants will cease to be serfs, and thus new serfs will have to be found from somewhere."

You really should be questioning why a society needs to have several million people doing back breaking labor for less than minimum wage with no social protections. Not that legalization would threaten to remove the human chum that is fed into that system.


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