Enforcement of Immigration Laws Benefits the Economy

[Jeanfromfillmore]

continued:

The second bonus would address the increasing concentration of income in this country. Greatly expanding our quotas for the highly skilled would lower wage premiums of skilled over lesser skilled. Skill shortages in America exist because we are shielding our skilled labor force from world competition. Quotas have been substituted for the wage pricing mechanism. In the process, we have created a privileged elite whose incomes are being supported at noncompetitively high levels by immigration quotas on skilled professionals. Eliminating such restrictions would reduce at least some of our income inequality.

As you read the preceding paragraph, I want you to stop and think about what he is really saying. It would certainly appear that his point is that by not bringing in more foreign workers, skilled workers are able to earn more money than unskilled workers.

What is wrong with that? Should a person who lacks an education and a trade earn the same money as someone who has a specific skill or education? He talks about a “privileged elite whose incomes are being supported at noncompetitively high levels by immigration quotas on skilled professionals.” He ends that paragraph by saying, “Eliminating such restrictions would reduce at least some of our income inequality.”

To what “income inequality” is Mr. Greenspan referring?

I can assure you that Mr. Greenspan was not discussing the CEOs of corporations who now earn as much as 400 times as much as those who are employed by their companies. He certainly did not discuss the so-called “Golden Parachutes.”

Mr. Greenspan concealed his insidious perspectives in language that obfuscated his beliefs. His goal is clear: if the United States would open up its borders to an unlimited flow of aliens, both legal and illegal, labor costs could be driven down and profits for corporations would be driven up.

It would almost appear that Mr. Greenspan believes that anyone who is not a CEO or high-ranking member of management should be earning little more than minimum wage, including those Americans who are highly skilled and even possess college degrees.
Traditionally, the middle class was comprised of those people who made economic progress by acquiring skills and education. This is what the “American Dream” was all about.

I return to my original premise and ask: how serious is the President about creating new jobs for Americans?

There’s an old expression: "A penny saved is a penny earned." You could change that saying to read, "A job freed up from a foreign worker is as good as a created job for a United States citizen."

If our government were to go back to the traditional concept of preventing foreign workers from taking the jobs Americans sorely want to have, our nation would be able to put more Americans back to work.

There would be an additional benefit to be gained by hiring American citizens and lawful immigrants to consider: The goal of foreign workers is to send as much money that they earn back to their families in their home countries. Each year, tens of billions of dollars are wired or otherwise transmitted from the United States to the countries from whence the foreign workers (legal and illegal) came. I have seen estimates that claim that more than $100 billion is sent out of our country by foreign workers. This is money that is not spent or invested in the United States, which would in turn create more jobs. When money leaves our economy, additional jobs are also removed from our nation's economy.

It is nothing short of common sense to understand that freeing up jobs through the effective enforcement of the immigration laws is anything but "anti-American," as some politicians have alleged.

It is time that Secretary of Homeland Security require that ICE agents not only seek to penalize the unscrupulous employers who intentionally hire illegal aliens but that the illegal aliens that are located during the course of these investigations be arrested and removed from the United States.

Let me also make something else as clear as I know how: The enforcement of the immigration laws is not about racism. Illegal aliens come from virtually every country on this planet. Illegal aliens are of every ethnicity and religion. Americans and lawful immigrants, who are losing their jobs and are unemployed or underemployed, are also of every ethnicity imaginable. This is not about race – this is about law. As an INS special agent I was concerned with just two categories of people – individuals who were citizens of the United States and individuals who were aliens.

The enforcement of the immigration laws is not about race or religion or ethnicity – it is purely about the law.

Family Security Matters Contributing Editor Mike Cutler is a Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies and a recognized authority who addresses the implications of immigration on national security and criminal justice.

[Jeanfromfillmore]

These are the comments to the article.
Our Government, past & present, Republican & Democrat, have allowed the invasion of 20 to 30 million criminals and uneducated peons which is the largest invasion of any Nation, at any time, by any means & in direct violation of Article IV Section IV of our Constitution.
This refusal to abide by our Constitution or enforce our Immigration Laws should be classified as Treason of the most foul kind, & as grounds for impeachment & trials for Treason!
Not only have they allowed the invasion, they force American tax payers to pay Billions on Billions of dollars to provide Welfare, Prison cells, Educate the invaders numerous children, and free medical care, at the same time the invading horde break numerous laws and massive document fraud, & are destroying our schools, hospitals, communities, culture and standard of living while Robbing, Raping, Killing & Assaulting American Citizens at an rate the terrorist can only dream about.
Recent statements in Mexico from both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary something needs to be done. "Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers, and civilians," Hillary whined.
But no mention, whines, concern or care that their refusal to stop the Massive Invasion of Illegal Aliens pouring across our borders or enforce our immigration laws that causes an estimated 25 Americans deaths per day and 10,s of thousands victims of Assault, Robberies, Rapes, Identify thief, and other assorted crimes committed by the invading horde of Illegal Aliens from Mexico on American citizens each year!
It is a telling indictment & shows their Empathy & Compassion of our Politicians & their priorities are not for the American citizens when they express more concern over Mexicans deaths mostly connected to the Drug trade, than the murders, havoc & crimes of Illegal Aliens against American Citizens!
The Democrats view the invading horde of Criminals and Uneducated third world rejects as Undocumented Welfare Democrats & the Republicans as Undocumented Slave labor for their Pay Masters in the Chamber of Commerce & Businesses!
Most of our Politicians in Wash. DC are wading knee deep in innocent American blood and suffering because they put Self Interest ahead of the interest of American Citizens & the future of this Nation!
The Citizens of this Nation have not sacrificed with blood, sweat & tears for over 200 years & obeyed the Laws of the land, paid the taxes, and fought the wars & built this Nation to see Corrupt politicians turn this Nation into the United States of Mexico without a shot being fired, to serve their demented, nefarious goals!
posted by : Black Saint
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 10:39 AM

This is an excellent article except for the mistaken description that the Cohen & Grigsby seminar of 17 June 2007 was "covertly taped" -- it was taped as a marketing
tool by the very law firm that conducted the seminar and was publicly posted
on the Internet as announced to attendees at the seminar. I personally have heard the announcement by the emcee during the seminar that the video would be available on the Internet later that day.
posted by : Ray
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 12:29 AM

What is also outrageous is that guest workers who violate the terms of their visas are routinely granted "forgiveness" of these violations.

For example, an H1B visa worker who loses his job is required by the terms of the program to leave the country once they are no longer employed. The H1B holder remains in the country, often for many months or a year or more, to find a new job. Once he has possession of the approval notice for the petition to the USCIS for the new job, it is as simple as exiting and reentering the country on an existing visa with new documents.

This is also true for spouses on dependent visas; they flit back and forth between working and not working often claiming maternity leaves that far exceed those granted to working US citizens. In addition, they import parents into the US on visitor B2 visas (which do not permit any work) to babysit thus depriving a legitimate US worker a position.

It should be policy that any violation of the terms of a visa results in the revocation of that visa and a prohibition of future participation in that program.

When will the government get serious about foreign nationals disobeying our laws?
posted by : Cee
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 01:00 PM

You want to deport all the illegal immigrants but you don't think about the real economical consequences that will follow! I'm not an economist, but understanding basic economical principles is enough to see what would happen when all of these 'criminals', as YOU call them, would leave this country!
I really would like to see how many americans would go out on the field and pick all the fruit and vegetables that we buy in our supermarkets? How many americans would want to work in the restaurants bussing tables, washing dishes? How many are dreaming of working in food processing plants (slaughter houses etc.)? How many would jump in the landscaping truck? And I can keep counting the jobs that there would be only few american citizens that would be excited about all of these jobs! Do you really think that any of the college student's would would take up any of these professions after just finishing their studies where they spent all that money and time?
There are very very few americans who would do these jobs for the same compensation! OK, let's assume it happens 'your way' and all the immigrants get deported. To attract the american citizens to these low wage jobs the employees would have to simply raise the wages to even get the attention! Higher labor expenses would simply be transferred to YOU anti- immigrant in the form of higher prices for the produce in the supermarkets, restaurants, housing prices simply put it - all across our economy the prices of products and services would increase! Who are you going to blame then? I'm sure you wouldn't take the blame on your self!

Also think about how much it would cost to deport all of the estimated 12 million immigrants? Who is going to pay for that? Us, the tax payer! To enforce the hiring of immigrants we have to create a effective system for employers to verify everyone the hire! Who is going to pay for that? Who is going to pay for the border security so that all of the deported immigrants who are trying to get back in are stopped?
We should make the immigrants to pay for all of these expenses! Think about it, if we charge $5000 for every immigrant who wants to stay and gain the legal status (not citizenship)! 12mil x 5000=60billion! All this money can be used to cover the expenses that otherwise would come out of our pockets!
If these immigrants can pay thousands of dollars to get over the border to U.S than they can pay the $5000 fine to stay.
If now most of the immigrants are not paying taxes then by giving them status they would be required to pay which would increase the governments tax revenue. The immigrants would feel a lot safer here and would start spending more money here locally instead of sending it all back home to a foreign country. Even now they are not sending home all of the money they earn here, they still have to pay rent, they still have to eat, they still have day to day expenses and all that money goes back into our economy. They don't even earn that much with a minimal wages. So how much money do they really can send 'home'?
You are complaining how jobs are lost every day and you blame immigrants! Majority jobs that are lost are from big corporations and big business, do you really think that this college educated workforce would like to get a job on the field to pick vegetables! I don't see that happening!
This country has an immigration problem and it's our own fault. Now we have to find the right way to solve it so it doesn't happen again like a never ending circle! We have to secure the borders and create a system that monitors the immigration status of every worker hired! And deport only the real criminals with a criminal record.
But deporting every illegal is just absurd and economically it would mean like shooting in your own foot!
posted by : Mike
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 02:37 PM