Why has our immigration policy and lack of immigration enforcement failed us as a nation? Why has it created excessive hardship for both the immigrants and the natives? Hardship for the immigrants because of the their illegal status, and hardship for the natives because of the drain on our fiscal and law enforcement resources.
Do the immigrants want to be in the US more than the US wants them to be here? Or do we in the US want the immigrants to be here more than they do? Sure it is some of each. But which force predominates?
Immigration traffic is much like the illegal drug trade. There are suppliers/dealers, and there are consumers/users. It is agreed by most that if there were no demand for illegal drugs, the drug traffickers would have no reason to exist and would disappear. However, if there are no suppliers/dealers but a strong demand for illegal drugs exists, a formerly non-existent drug trade would find a way to become a growth industry to fulfill the demand.
Immigration is much the same way. But instead of demanding drugs (in most cases) the US “users” are demanding cheap employees. The illegal immigrants are the equivalent to the “illegal drugs” for the employers. While supply and demand is a synergistic relationship, which end of the supply/demand chain is most influential? I will posit that the demand side is. The demand for cheap employees, just like the demand for drugs, will create the supply. Cheap labor is addictive to businesses which thrive on lowering the costs of providing their goods and services which enables them to achieve their “high”, their profits. Just like the addict, the business community will generally (there are exceptions) do whatever it takes to achieve that high. In the case of the drug addict, it is his drugs. In the case of many employers, it is cheap labor.
This is not really a chicken and egg scenario. Clearly the demand for something strongly influences its supply. If there were a supply without demand, that supply would not be motivated to move out of its warehouse. Mexico is the warehouse for the supply or workers. If there were no demand for those workers in the US, those workers would remain in Mexico.
So who wants who more? It is clear that the US wants the illegal immigrants, and probably more than the US immigrants want to be here. Jobs and money are the ring in their nose that drags them here. Most would probably prefer to remain in Mexico with their families. Most probably have no intention of assimilating in the US as they leave Mexico.
This question of who wants who more sets up a truism of human nature. Whoever wants something more will be willing to give up more. Its like whoever makes the first offer loses. The US has demonstrated that it will do almost anything to enable cheaper labor to be provided to US business. We have demonstrated that by expending our public treasury to pay for services that enable illegal immigrants to live here. The federal government has consciously stymied the enforcement of our immigration laws to enable illegals to provide that cheap labor.
We, as a nation, are giving up more than the immigrants because we want them here more than they want to be here. We don’t demand they speak our language, we don’t demand they assimilate, we don’t demand they pay for their education or health care. We don’t demand they pay taxes. Why? Because we want them here more than they want to be here.
That is an immigration policy guaranteed to fail. That is an immigration policy that gives up our culture to the immigrants. We are being urged to accommodate the Mexican culture.
This is backwards from what benefits this nation.
A successful immigration policy requires the immigrants to want to be here more than we want them. They ought to be the ones speaking English, paying their way, and assimilating. But it is apparent that we want them here more than they want to be here, so we are the ones who are giving in and accommodating – at huge national expense.
Just for laughs, here is Australia’s immigration policy:
Australian Visa Categories
Skilled - Independent
- This visa subclass is the most popular skilled migration category for those looking to emigrate to Australia and is geared to skilled workers who can make an immediate contribution to the Australian economy.
Emigrate to Australia Online Assessment
Skilled - Sponsored
- An Australian skilled immigration category for skilled applicants looking to emigrate to Australia who have close family members living in Australia or who are sponsored by an Australian State or Territory. Australia Visa Assessment
Skilled - Regional Sponsored
- The Skilled - Regional Sponsored visa is for skilled migrants who either have sponsorship from a participating state government or have sponsorship from a relative who lives in a Designated Area of Australia who is willing to sponsor them Emigrate to Australia Online Assessment
Skilled - Regional
- An Australian skilled migration category for skilled migrants looking to emigrate to Australia who have been living in Australia on a Skilled - Regional Sponsored visa and are seeking a permanent visa pathway. Australia Visa Assessment
Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS)
- The Australian Government's RSMS is limited to certain areas of Australia. It allows employers to sponsor skilled migrants for job vacancies. The RSMS visa provides permanent residency. Emigration Assessment
Skills Matching Visa
- The Australian skilled migration visa for those who may or may not meet the Points Test and are seeking to be nominated by an Australian State/Territory or employer. Visa Assessment For Australia
Labour Agreements
- Labour Agreements enable Australian employers to recruit a specified number of workers from overseas in response to identified skills shortages in the Australian labour market. Employees may come to Australia on either a temporary or permanent basis. Online Visa Assessment
Graduate - Skilled
- An Australian skilled immigration category for foreign students who have family in Australia and have recently completed a program of study in Australia. More Information on Graduate - Skilled Visa
The emigrant to Australia really has to want to be there. That is the way Australia benefits by their immigration program. They can demand certain minimum criteria for immigration. The immigrant wants to be in Australia more than Australia wants the immigrant.
Our immigration policy demonstrates that we in the US are a bunch of short-sighted greedy patsies. We need to realize we are getting the short end of the stick with our current policies. We need to adopt policies based on the usefulness of immigrants to our national productivity – one that requires immigrants to want to be here more than we want them, unless they have the education and skill sets and motivation to assimilate in ways that truly benefit our nation.
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