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November 8, 2005

The Mexican government is actively subverting US immigration law

City Journal, published by the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank where my friend John McWhorter is a fellow. Arts and letters daily featured a recent article on how the problem of New Orleans isn't poverty, it is a culture of violence and corruption. But they had an even better article in this month's issue, about the role of the Mexican government in subverting US immigration law.

The two most important things that the United States can do to increase prosperity, help improve our image around the world, and keep us safe is to legalize drugs and reform our visa and immigration system. High illegal drug prices fund our enemies in Afghanistan, make trouble for our friends in South America, perpetuate international criminal organizations, and squanders billions of dollars and millions of lives in unnecessary law enforcement and incarceration. Immigration restrictions ensures professional smugglers stay in business, who remain ready to bring in terrorists with the throngs of migrants. It also drives significant portions of our economy underground, which suppresses tax revenues, creates an atmosphere of contempt for the law, reduces the liquidity of our labor market, and ultimately encourages jobs to move off-shore because inexpensive workers is not available in the US. Worse, it makes us look as though we've abandoned those cherished words at the feet of lady liberty:

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

What greater slap in the face of a pompous and tyrannical enemy then to welcome those he seeks to crush with torture, cultural and religious supremacist rules, corruption, and the jackboots of his troops and abattoirs of his butchers.

That isn't to say that we should have anyone stroll in. I'd consider that, but I think that that level of permissiveness would encourage a backlash at the earliest problem. It is reasonable to put restrictions, especially on those moving for economic reasons.
I expect most to line up jobs and housing before they arrive, that they be free of a criminal past (at least of things that are criminal here) in their own country, to demonstrate that they are learning English, our history, and values, and that commit to continued study when they arrive. Maybe it isn't prudent to allow them to settle in LA and NY as they might want, and we should find ways to encourage them to settle in the less densely populated areas. But the fundamental idea is that immigration is good, and usually more is better.

That's why the immigration article on Mexico was disturbing. We, in our infinite stupidity, haven't solved the migrant labor problem with Mexico. Nevertheless, we are a free, sovereign, democratic country, as are they, and we deserve to have our laws honored, even if they deserve to be strongly criticized. Let them criticize, but not interfere. But Mexico is doing far, far more than criticize.

1) They've created and distributed a "Guide for the Mexican Migrant" that details in comic form how to sneak into the United States.
2) They've contributed to the legal defenses of illegal immigrants
3) They've a law enforcement team, Grupo Beta, to protect illegals as they sneak into the U.S. from corrupt officials and criminals.
4) They've issued ID's for illegal immigrants and then actively lobbied that they be accepted as valid id's for driving and banking
5) The Mexican government has fought to expand and defend legal privileges (food stamps, medicine, education) for illegal migrants
6) Hilariously, they have far higher standards for immigration into Mexico. A Guatemalan G with the same skills as most Mexican migrants could never get into Mexico legally.

Posted by OneEyedMan at November 8, 2005 11:07 AM

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