A Few More Words about Immigration

I just have a few more words about our immigration policy, directed to some of the parties involved:

To the editors of the Wall Street Journal -

1. Cheap labor is not the only consideration in forming immigration policy.
2. The "Jobs Americans Won't Do" line is translated by a lot of folks as "Jobs done for below market pay by folks who can't complain".
3. People who don't favor open borders (most of us) aren't going to buy the idea of amnesty, then enforcement. Tried it in 1986 and got no enforcement and 11 million more illegal immigrants. Try enforcement first, then make the case for more immigration (of the legal variety).
   
4. No guest workers. Look where the guest worker policies in Europe (especially France) got them.
   

To President Bush -

1. Vincente Fox does not make US immigration policy.
2. There are not enough votes on Wall Street to justify the open borders policy you (and they) want. Listen to your party.
   

To the rest of the US Government -

1. Our current immigration system is broken. It's confusing, contradictory, and capricious.
2. Fix it. It's your job. Try to create a new set of rules that are consistent, understandable, and enforceable. You can't please everyone, so don't try. Just remember that citizens should have some claim to your attention over illegal immigrants.
   
3. Build the damn wall, if that's what it takes.
   

To the illegal immigrant demonstrators -

1. You are not citizens, you do not have a right to be here.
   
2. If you insist on demonstrating in order to gain rights that you don't have, the cause is not helped by waving Mexican flags. If you don't want to be citizens, why the hell are you here? You just convinced a lot of people that you're only here for money, and that pisses them off.
   
3. If you love Mexico (or wherever) so much, why are you demonstrating here instead of working to make things better back home?

To the enforcement-only folks -

1. There are 11 million people within our borders who are here illegally.
2. It is not likely to be practical (or desireable) to deport them all.
3. Consider settling for proper border enforcement, along with deporting the criminal element among the illegals. The rest probably will need to be given a choice about whether to become citizens or go home.