Illegal Immigration Issue Has Similarities to Slavery Issue of The Past

      There is certainly no shortage of issues to debate in this country right now.  However, illegal immigration has certainly become one of the hot topics at the center of many discussions around this country, and both sides of the argument present valid, and passionate opinions and views.  I recently read a blog entitled, “The True Cost of Illegal Immigration for All of Us” where the author Jen Therat asserts, “Immigration reform has been an issue that has been avoided by legislators on the federal level for many years. Possibly driven by worries of offending an ever-growing source of constituents, Congress has avoided making any real progress on immigration reform…”She goes on to point out that many illegal immigrants have an attitude of entitlement, and that our government is more than willing to cater to their needs even if it is a detriment to the U.S. people.”  She makes several very valid points, and this issue certainly has many facets to it.  However, I can’t help but think about the human side of the problem, and why our government is so divided on the issue.  Consequently, I found myself comparing this modern day issue with the time in our history when our founding fathers, and the new settlers of this country, where divided over the issue of slavery.  In many ways, illegal immigration has the potential to become as volatile an issue for many of the same reasons.

    To begin with, we need to address why people want to immigrate in the first place.  Once again, we only have to look back at how this country was founded.  The early settlers came from oversees in an attempt to flee very oppressive governments and monarchies.  Most left behind families, and what ever they had, to take a dangerous journey to a land far a way they knew very little about.  Their strong desire and determination was driven by the innate human desire for freedom, and happiness.  Jen points out in her blog that, “Our country would not be what it is today without the immigrants who have given all of us so much. Throughout our history, we have seen large waves of immigration that have contributed in critical ways to the progress of America. “   The difference between then and now, is we now have immigration procedures, and laws, in order to protect our country and to ensure an orderly and documented process is maintained.   However, as this system developed, the process has become more prohibitive, complicated, and expensive.  As a result, even though people still aspire to move to the U.S., following the legal process is not always an option. Consequently, as human desire has shown historically, people will find a way to achieve liberty even if it means being an illegal immigrant.

     Another important aspect to this issue is the fact that many states, and the businesses operating within them, have encouraged illegal immigration by hiring undocumented workers in order to address the need for workers especially in areas of seasonal, or agricultural work.  Now as this issue has come to the forefront of politics today, I feel that the conflict between the federal and state governments is similar to the time in history when Congress was divided over the issue of slavery. Back then, there were major fundamental differences over the institution because some states economies depended very much on slave labor, whereas, others didn't. In my opinion, illegal immigration has created some of the same issues. There are many states like California, Nevada, and even Texas that also depend a great deal on low-income or seasonal workers.  In addition, there is also a shortage of high-tech workers in fields of math, science, and engineering which is also driving many companies to look outside our borders for qualified workers which is a driving force behind legal immigration today.  Both Bush and Obama have supported improving our education system, and the need to focus on math, science, and engineering in order to address a severe shortage of graduates and potential workers for the high tech industries in this country.

     I don't feel you should enter any country illegally.  In addition, every country has a duty to protect and look out for the best interests of their citizens, and that often requires a country to take a very firm stance on immigration.  However, on the other side of the fence, I certainly feel for the young people Jen refers to in her blog, who were brought here as infants or children, have grown up here and only know the U.S. as their home, and suddenly they are rounded up and returned to a country that is foreign to them. I also wonder as a mother, what lengths I would go to insure my children did not have to grow up not knowing freedom or opportunity, and even worse, living in fear or under the threat of death. The pursuit of those things drove our ancestors here. We are here because of their desire for a better life. Many illegal immigrants, and legal immigrants, are no different. Unfortunately, like slavery, there are many issues at the heart of immigration that drive the divisions between, not only all levels of government, but society as a whole. Consequently, I don't feel legislators are going to be able to come to a consensus any time soon.