Immigration Raid
The town I work in, Waterloo, is the stage right now for the biggest immigration raid in the history of Iowa, as apparently immigrants working in Postville, approximately 80 miles north of Waterloo, are being detained under suspicions of identity theft and being here illegally. Undoubtedly, this raid will be cheered by many in this state who are anxious for us to "get tough" on immigration.
How sad. There is nothing to be cheering on here. Families are getting broken up. Young children will be left without parents to love and support them. Men and women who are here because they found an opportunity in this state to provide a living for themselves and their families, people who are here to make a better life for themselves and their loved ones, are now seeing their lives shattered for having the audacity to follow their dreams. Anyone who thinks this is worth cheering for is a sick son of a bitch.
Are there legitimate law breakers within the group being detained at the Cattle Congress? I'm sure there are. Just as there are law breakers amongst any other ethnic group in the state. Undoubtedly though, for many of these people, their "crime" is trying to make a better life for their loved ones. Whether the Tom Tancredos of the world want to admit it or not, there is a economic need for immigrants. So why not create some sort of mechanism for them to come here and work, being able to provide financial stability for their families while at the same time providing much-needed labor to certain segments of our economy that sees needed jobs go unfulfilled. It's a win-win for everyone involved.
I've received chain-letter e-mails from well-intentioned people about the drain illegal immigrants have on our public resources, particularly Social Security. It would be foolish to argue the system is perfect. There are definitely complexities in the system that need reform. That said, a study shows that immigrants provide a net benefit of $20 billion to the public coffers. Translation: they pay more into the system than they take. If people are so concerned about the money we dole out in tax dollars, they should read economist Lant Prichett's book "Let Their People Come." A study cited in this book shows that by increasing legal immigration by a mere 3%, the citizens of poor countries would gain $300 billion annually, which completely dwarfs the amount of money well-to-do countries send in foreign aid, thus would conceivably allow the money set aside for foreign aid to go to something else.
Another big argument anti-immigration people use is the supposed downward effect immigrants have on wages. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research shows immigrants actually have a positive impact on wages. But the forces that shout about downward wages don't really give a damn about that. Congressman Bruce Braley is interested in seeing charges brought against the Swift Company, revealing himself as a politician eager to get his greedy hands on money he didn't earn. THAT is the true motive behind the Bruce Braleys and Tom Tancredos of the world.
The innocent children seeing their lives turned upside down deserve everyone's thoughts and prayers, as they now find themselves ensnared in a web that was not of their doing whatsoever.
How sad. There is nothing to be cheering on here. Families are getting broken up. Young children will be left without parents to love and support them. Men and women who are here because they found an opportunity in this state to provide a living for themselves and their families, people who are here to make a better life for themselves and their loved ones, are now seeing their lives shattered for having the audacity to follow their dreams. Anyone who thinks this is worth cheering for is a sick son of a bitch.
Are there legitimate law breakers within the group being detained at the Cattle Congress? I'm sure there are. Just as there are law breakers amongst any other ethnic group in the state. Undoubtedly though, for many of these people, their "crime" is trying to make a better life for their loved ones. Whether the Tom Tancredos of the world want to admit it or not, there is a economic need for immigrants. So why not create some sort of mechanism for them to come here and work, being able to provide financial stability for their families while at the same time providing much-needed labor to certain segments of our economy that sees needed jobs go unfulfilled. It's a win-win for everyone involved.
I've received chain-letter e-mails from well-intentioned people about the drain illegal immigrants have on our public resources, particularly Social Security. It would be foolish to argue the system is perfect. There are definitely complexities in the system that need reform. That said, a study shows that immigrants provide a net benefit of $20 billion to the public coffers. Translation: they pay more into the system than they take. If people are so concerned about the money we dole out in tax dollars, they should read economist Lant Prichett's book "Let Their People Come." A study cited in this book shows that by increasing legal immigration by a mere 3%, the citizens of poor countries would gain $300 billion annually, which completely dwarfs the amount of money well-to-do countries send in foreign aid, thus would conceivably allow the money set aside for foreign aid to go to something else.
Another big argument anti-immigration people use is the supposed downward effect immigrants have on wages. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research shows immigrants actually have a positive impact on wages. But the forces that shout about downward wages don't really give a damn about that. Congressman Bruce Braley is interested in seeing charges brought against the Swift Company, revealing himself as a politician eager to get his greedy hands on money he didn't earn. THAT is the true motive behind the Bruce Braleys and Tom Tancredos of the world.
The innocent children seeing their lives turned upside down deserve everyone's thoughts and prayers, as they now find themselves ensnared in a web that was not of their doing whatsoever.
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