Four Facts for Conservatives about Immigration Policy

[Ed Hudgins]

Four Facts for Conservatives about Immigration Policy

by Edward Hudgins

June 20, 2012 - Last week President Obama announced that his administration will not deport as many as a million illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States as children.

Critics, mainly Republicans and conservatives, argue that Obama doesn’t have the authority to do this and is circumventing the law. Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.) has introduced the “Prohibiting Back-Door Amnesty Act of 2012” to stop Obama’s move.

The president’s actions indeed raise legal questions. But there are four crucial facts that Republicans and conservatives must keep in mind.

First, the reason so many immigrants come to this country illegally, especially from Mexico and Latin America, is that the federal government has failed for decades to provide an easy means for legal entry for those who want to come here to work.

Second, minor children were not responsible for their parents’ choice to bring them here illegally. Do those kids—many now adults with their own children—deserve to be penalized, their families broken up?

Third, the choice of most immigrants to come here illegally was morally right and should be applauded. In most cases, poor Latinos face two choices: 1) Stay in their own countries, wallowing in poverty, watching their families suffer, with little opportunity for prosperous, happy lives; or 2) Seek the best life possible for themselves and their loved ones by entering the United States illegally.

Poverty and lack of education and political connections make it impossible for many to secure legal permission to come to America. It would be morally contemptible self-sacrifice for such individuals to wait passively for years until bureaucracies give them the right pieces of legal paper. Sneaking across the border breaks an American law. But illegals don’t limit the liberty of others when they come here to offer their labor with willing employers.

Fourth, in the same circumstances as most illegals, most Republicans and conservatives would do exactly the same thing! In the spirit of America, they’d say, “To hell with idiot America lawmakers and paper-pushers. I’m coming here to make money!”

Yes, welfare state transfers muddy the issue. Yes, there’s a lot to sort out concerning those who have been here for decades. But Republicans and conservatives should get beyond denouncing “amnesty” and seek ways to welcome those who want to come here and stay in this country that was, after all, founded by immigrants.

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Hudgins is director of advocacy for The Atlas Society.

For further reading:

*Edward Hudgins, “The Golden Door: Immigration, Liberty, and the American Character.” The New Individualist, Summer 2006.

[Guyau]

Bravo! (&)

Some complementary reflections are here, from Dr. Binswanger.

[Brant Gaede]

Bravo! (&)

Some complementary reflections are here, from Dr. Binswanger.

The population density of the United States is somewhat limited by the availability of water in western states (west of the Mississippi) except Washington and Oregon west of the Cascades.

--Brant

[Guyau]

Brant, yes. People are free to move around the country and take up residence in different parts of it. If the price of water or its rationing are significantly higher in some areas than in others, I expect there will be a tendency for agriculture, industry, and labor, to move to those other areas. Then too there will be a tendency for more fresh water to be produced for the areas so short of it.

For the country and its economy overall, I don’t think there is a limit on possible supply of water provided capital is free to flow into making such things as fresh water (and electricity) in pursuit of profits from high demand. Desalination has a bright future, or anyway as bright as the future of rationality in society.

Water for Sale

[BaalChatzaf]

The people who will not be deported are those who came here young, are in no trouble with the law and are going to school.

Since people who come here young are likely to be aculturated to the U.S. and if they are not trouble makers, why kick them out?

Ba'al Chatzaf

[Mark]

Some contrary reflections are here by Fred Reed

and more here by various people.

(During the Vietnam war Fred Reed got shrapnel in his eyes and his vision has deteriorated over the years . Recently he was classified as legally blind. He can still read with extreme magnification. I mention this because for a while now his articles have contained more than the usual number of typographical errors.)

[jts]

Immigration is not a problem. USA, Canada, and Mexico will become a single country, the North American Union. It's a done deal, already signed. What? You never heard of the NAU? They dunnit on the sneak. You didn't get to vote on it. The reason why you didn't get to vote on the NAU decision is the Powers That Be figure it ain't none of your xxxxxxx business.

Border? What border? There ain't no border. It's all one country. They didn't tell you yet. You ain't supposed to know. But it's all over the internet.

[Theodore]

Here is my problem with illegal latino's (not illegal immigrants in general). They move to the US and act like its Mexico. Let me put it in these terms, if a man from a poor white neighborhood moves to a rich white neighborhood and adopted the culture of his new society would his neighbors complain? Yet if he moved into a rich neighborhood and started bringing the white trash with him... well you can see how people might just have a problem with a new neighbor. If you want to move to america become american, otherwise keep the trash at home. The fact that groups like la rasa encourage these people to remain latino does not help the situation. I have always believed that what made america great in the past was the fact that we are made up of immigrants who brought the best with them and for the most part left their trashy ideas in the homeland.

Regardless of weather or not their parents brought them here or not the problem remains they are not american (i dont mean born here i mean culturally). Its the same problem we have with a large number of blacks in this country. Isnt it funny that Chinese immigrants and their children out preform whites yet blacks claim that because of racism they cant go anywhere. No the difference is that the Chinese who move here and their children are no longer Chinese they are american. The exact same problem is found among "Native Americans.". People that move to this country and believe that it is the geographic location which makes it prosperous rather than our way of life really piss me off. No your country is not as good as mine, it sucks. If you think your country is better than mine, take your Sh*t and go back. If your black and you think Africa is so great go there, I will buy you a plain ticket, if your white go back to crumbling Europe, if your Native stay on your reservations and don't pollute my country with your socialist crap. I am keeping my eyes open for the country that is going to step up and be the next Rome, the next France, the next Spain, the next Britannia, the next America, and I plan on moving there, I hope before we collapse, that is if the whole world doesnt fall into a dark age.

[Guyau]

.

Court Strikes Down Much of Arizona Immigration Law

SCOTUS

[caroljane]

I am keeping my eyes open for the country that is going to step up and be the next Rome, the next France, the next Spain, the next Britannia, the next America, and I plan on moving there, I hope before we collapse, that is if the whole world doesnt fall into a dark age.

And when you reach Nueavaspania or Romanitas, after falling to your knees and kissing the ground you will immediately learn Spanish or Latin; you will avoid other English speakers, they will have nothing to teach you nor any aid to give. You will strive from the first day to be a Nuevaspaniard, a Romanitan, and you will give all your talents and energies and loyalties to becoming non-American or ex-American. Of course you will.