I am watching the illegal immigration debate on CNN. This is what happens when your country has no coherent, comprehensive policy on immigration. People start taking matters into their own hands. The Mexicans have been doing that for decades, making better lives for themselves by crossing the border. In turn, corporate America has been helping itself to cheap, easily exploitable labor. Labor without a union, workers forced to work seven days a week for little pay and no benefits.
They are fleeing Mexico (and other countries) because of the deplorable conditions there. There is political unrest, unemployment and inflation. I would not sit and watch my kids grow up in a place where there was no future. I would take a chance at a better life.
The fact is...America needs these immigrants as much as they need a chance at a better future. Surely we can find a way for this to work without deporting everyone. Do you have any idea what kind of manpower that would take? We could use our national guard troops, but OOOOPS...they are all in Iraq.
On the other side of the debate, the human rights people are howling at a $5,000 fine. If immigrants can afford the coyotes who bring them over the border, then they can afford a $5,000 fine. It's only fair, plus they would be getting in line way ahead of other people. It bites, but would they rather go back to Mexico? Probably not.
There has to be compromise on both sides.
