Illegal Immigration

Illegal Immigration: Let’s be Fair and Balanced

By Alfredo Ortiz.

Yes, illegal immigration is an issue that needs to be addressed, but it is a national issue that needs to be dealt with the cooperation of all our local governments, not in antagonism of their desire to protect its citizens.

As the immigration debate rages on, strategists for both sides see this as an opportunity to create a wedge issue that will separate their respective parties’ ideologies, especially as the 2010 midterm elections roll around in a few months. The Republicans see this as an opportunity to throw political red meat to a base that strongly favors anti-illegal immigration efforts and the Democrats see this as an opportunity to shore up sinking numbers with Hispanic voters, painting the Republicans as anti-Hispanic. Caught in the middle are the nearly 11 million illegal immigrants that found their way here to the U.S. and created lives for themselves here, and in most cases are leading productive lives that have led to an estimated annual spending power of over $300 billion. But the U.S. is not alone in this debate, as Spain, and England and other countries face similar anti-illegal immigrant sentiment. The economic boom of the past decade (up until 2008) that spread across the globe, allowed for those in power, both in business and government, to look the other way at an issue that needed to be addressed and a comprehensive immigration solution put forth. But when things are good, why deal with such a politically explosive issue? Unaddressed during the Bush administration and now during the Obama administration, the issue has now reached critical levels, and the economic crisis we face, magnifies the situation. But the debate is no longer level headed (if it ever was) and it has become so polarized, that neither side is presenting arguments that make sense.

Several nights ago, on the O’Riley Factor, Bill O’Riley hosted Univision anchor Jorge Ramos and posed a very simple question to him: if you were Governor of Arizona, what would you do to protect your citizens and what would you do with the nearly 1,100 violent criminals that are housed in the Maricopa County jail and here illegally? It was frustrating to watch, but Ramos consistently skirted the question and tried desperately to stay on his talking points. This was disastrous for him and for what he was trying to do which was to separate the issue of illegal immigration from the real issue that needs to be addressed which is the rise in violent crimes as it pertains to drug and human trafficking, especially along our borders. Frankly, the question should have been a softball for Ramos, as the answer was easy. The violent criminals are terrorizing our communities (both Hispanic and non-Hispanic, legal or illegal), and should be treated as terrorists. They should be strapped with GPS ankle bracelets and then deported immediately. They would be registered and tracked by Department of Homeland Security and if they are caught here back in the U.S, they would be declared enemy combatants, tracked down, and jailed for life. This would send an immediate message to those who live outside of our borders that think that lawlessness goes unchecked and has no consequences in our country. If the ACLU comes screaming, well, these are not citizens, and thus have no rights that should be afforded to them under American laws. Now, while I can not fault Arizona for passing a law that tries to protect its citizens from these kind of violent criminals, it is the wrong kind of law and takes away the focus on what really is a growing and widespread issue in our country, that being the increased demand for illegal narcotic and human trafficking. If there weren’t demand here, there would be an immediate decrease in the amount of violent criminal activity that takes place on our southern borders. We must address this, but no one is really talking about it, at least publicly. We must.

Yes, illegal immigration is an issue that needs to be addressed, but it is a national issue that needs to be dealt with the cooperation of all our local governments, not in antagonism of their desire to protect its citizens. It affects localities most, so they must play an active role in the discussion. And truthfully, the Mexico government needs to work more closely with the U.S. to counter the rise in violence but also puts forth government policies that can lead to stronger growth within their borders and encourages more of its citizens to stay in its home country. Yes, these illegal immigrants are brazen individuals, and we are disgusted with how little the U.S. government is doing to address this issue. But with all the rhetoric that is out there, I wonder if there is any room for compassion or empathy in this national conversation? After all, one must ask, if you were in their shoes, and you supported a family, or even yourself, how far or what would you do to provide for your family? Many argue that illegal immigrants negatively impact the communities they live in, but how much of that is political rhetoric and how much of it is truth? I have researched intensely this issue, and the data is all over the board. As I stated in my opening remarks, we turned a blind eye to this issue during the last decade of economic boom because illegal immigrants provided a labor force that allowed for the boom, especially the housing boom, to explode the way it did. Now, that we are in a recession and jobs are in limited supply, we want that labor supply to go back home as we argue they are taking away jobs that Americans would stand in line for and fill. I ask though…really? Given that many of these jobs are doing some of the most undesirable jobs our country has to offer, I wonder how many American citizens will really line up to clean toilets, dig ditches, put up drywall, and cut grass. And of those Americans who do, what will happen when times get better? I guess we can expect union labor to fill these jobs?

On top of all this discussion, we have vitriolic and unnecessary “conversations” related to “anchor baby” legislation that is working its way through Congress that takes away an underlying fundamental principle protected by the Constitution, granting citizenship to those borne within our borders. I think those that argue that people come here illegally just to have babies make an argument without merit. I think people come here to find a better way of life, and through the natural course of life, happen to have children here. Yes, there may be some that do come here to take advantage of our system, but tell me that we don’t have many of our own citizens that take advantage of the system as well. These children that were born here and have lived here for years, know nothing other than the way of life in the U.S., and it just seems inhumane to ship them back to a country filled with poverty as they are here as no fault of their own. Yes, blame the parents for having come here illegally, but don’t blame their children. We all have some blame in this and so we need to be balanced and compassionate while we strive to better protect our citizens from the threat of violent crimes that, in some cases, are unfortunately tied to this illegal activity.

Alfredo Ortiz is a political strategist based in Georgia and one of the leading conservative experts in Hispanic strategy and marketing here in the U.S. He has been featured in several publications locally and nationally and has been a speaker at universities and conferences throughout the U.S. He is currently with the Boston Consulting Group in the Washington, D.C. office. His opinions are of a personal nature and in no way reflect those of the firm.