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The Fourteenth Amendment. I like to call it a good deed gone terribly wrong. This was one of the amendments enacted after the Civil War and was originally intended to provide more rights to African Americans. Unfortunately, over time, its interpretation has granted a number of rights to people living in the United States - including automatic U.S. citizenship to children born to illegal immigrants.The Associated press recently published an article titled, "Illegal immigrants having more kids in U.S. - They're nearly twice as likely to live in poverty, study says." You can read the entire article [HERE].
The study, released Tuesday by the Pew Hispanic Center, speaks to the struggles of Illegal immigrants' children born in the U.S. The 14th Amendment gives those children U.S. citizenship, yet - as the study concluded - "they struggle in poverty and uncertainty along with parents who fear deportation, toil largely in low-wage jobs and face layoffs in an ailing economy."
Call me
Just a few of the study's findings:
- About 59 percent of illegal immigrants, or 7 million, came from Mexico. Other regions included Asia (11 percent), Central America (11 percent), South America (7 percent), the Caribbean (4 percent) and the Middle East (2 percent).
- Gee. No surprise there. Those with the easiest path here make up the majority of the problem.
- One-third of the children of illegal immigrants live in poverty, nearly double the rate for children of U.S.-born parents.
- Maybe if their parents came here legally they could secured higher paying jobs?
- Illegal immigrants' share of low-wage jobs has grown in recent years, from 10 percent of construction jobs in 2003 to 17 percent in 2008. They also make up 25 percent of workers in farming and 19 percent in building maintenance.
- Until we hold employers accountable - hitting them with hefty fines - and get past the entitlement issues of our own population, these numbers will likely continue to rise
- The 2007 median household income of illegal immigrants was $36,000, compared with $50,000 for U.S.-born residents.
- $36,000 per year FAR exceeds the poverty levels in Mexico where almost 40% of the population makes less that $2,000 (no, that is not a typo) per year. I'm having a difficult time finding any sympathy here ...
- About 47 percent of illegal immigrant households have children, compared with 21 percent for U.S.-born residents and 35 percent for legal immigrants.
- Of course there may be many factors contributing to this statistic, but one has to wonder if coming to the U.S. - illegally - to have children who then automatically become citizens isn't rewarding bad behavior. Hello?
President Obama claims he'll address the issue of immigration reform later this year, including a proposal to give illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. I'm not a fan of amnesty programs (we've seen the result of those in the past), but I am well aware that a deportation program just won't happen.
Does it bother me that immigration reform will likely reward those who are here illegally? Bother would be an understatement. What I don't understand is how a path to legal citizenship addresses what I see as two glaring deficiencies in our immigration policy - unsecured borders and a system that rewards the children of those entering the country illegally.
What do you think? Is it time for another Constitutional amendment?
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24 comments:
I know lots of aliens and a few illegals, because our business is in construction. Most of them make around the $36,000/yr mark and NONE of them are complaining. I think that's just the author of the article/study looking for us to pity them. Honestly, they are thrilled with their wages. That's why they're here.
I have a hard time being critical, because frankly, I'd do the same thing. If I could make 18 times my wages in Mexico or Canada and my family needed the money...I'd go in a heartbeat.
Something does need to be done, but trust me when I say it would cripple our country's construction industry if we didn't have them. Cripple it.
And no, they aren't taking any jobs from Americans. I know, because NO Americans call me for jobs anymore. Only Mexicans.
RLL hit the nail on the head in a way.
While we do need secure borders and a well regulated entry process resulting for an immigration path for aliens, the problem and the answer lies more with the Nation of Mexico.
We can and should build more effective borders but without helping Mexico to become a viable place to live, people will continue to immigrate here both legally and illegally.
Like she said, if I could find a better place for my child and family, I would seek it out. That fact is no different than groups of people migrating to wear they can hunt food in prehistoric times.
I don't see working with and aiding the Mexican government as a "here we go again, bailing others out" thing. I see it as smart Foreign Policy and a National Security issue that can make our country safer.
Cheers!!
I agree with RLL--what needs to be done needs to be done with thought as to all of the ramifications of the action.
As long as I have been in the workforce there have been illegals working in it.
In fact this situation has ALWAYS existed in this country as we are in large part a nation of immigrants and hoards came here without documentation.
And just to play devil's advocate please explain to me how an illegal worker --who works and pays taxes--is more detrimental to this country than a legal citizen who never works, whose family has never worked and who will have a bunch of kids who will never work.
You can't have REAL immigration reform unless you do something about the steady flow of immigrants into the country AND the companies that hire the illegals and even bring them here. As usual the problem we run into is each side wants to deal with ONLY one of these things.
The Dems ONLY want to deal with the companies that are bringing illegals in and the Repubs ONLY want to build a fence and round up the illegals who are here and ship them back. Of course, neither of these plans are realistic and neither deal with the actual problem. That's why both sides take these positions. So they'll deadlock and nothing will get done. Which is what both sides really want. They want things to stay the way they are.
I go back and forth on the idea of birthright citizenship. It was the right thing to do at the time. But, I do agree that it is probably time amend the constitution and do away with this idea. The US is one of the few countries that actually has this birthright citizenship thing. But, I don't know that I trust our government to do this without throwing a lot of really, really bad things in there. And constitutional amendments take a long time to pass, so while we can set that as something to work towards, we also have to deal with current realities.
As for the idea of rounding up illegals and sending them back, like I said, it just isn't realistic. And I don't know that it's particularly humane or decent either. And, while a path to citizenship may be rewarding illegal or bad behavior, it's also punishing people for the failures of our government, which isn't exactly fair either.
But, amnesty without any other REAL changes? That's just stupid.
Oh, and while I'm on a roll here. Don't we all remember back in the early 80's all the way through NAFTA how allowing US companies to move production to Mexico was going to raise Mexico's standard of living and help ease the immigration problem? How'd that work for us?
RLL, I'd like to think that I would try to do better for my family legally. Maybe I wouldn't - maybe the process for doing so would be overwhelming and cost prohibitive. Maybe I'd take the path of least resistance and hope for the best. I really don't know. I do agree that the idea of deporting illegal immigrants is just plain silly and not something that would benefit anyone.
Matt-Man, who defines viable though? We cannot "save" every nation whose economy is less than ours. Hell! We can't even get a firm grasp on our own economy. Although I see your point, I have to wonder where we draw the line, and if we ever will.
Turnbaby, and please don't misunderstand - I am all in favor of LEGAL immigration. I actually addressed your "illegal immigrants work and pay taxes" position in [THIS POST]. Although paying some taxes (sales tax, for example) is unavoidable, paying taxes on an "unmatched" SSN does nothing more that put money ($500 billion since 1983) into a general account at the U.S. Treasury that is used as discretionary spending.
I think we should control our borders better duh I know we all know this but why the hell can't we do it. People aren't small things you can put in your pocket and smuggle in so...
For those that are here it is a huge task but they must be considered on an individule basis as to whether or not we allow them to stay. Some of these folks work damn hard and commit no offense other than their attempt to better their lives.
Wondering just how hard is it to get in to our country legally? Shoot shouldn't be too hard huh if we let you stay here when you are here illegally.
In 1955 Eisenhauer rounded up all of em that he could find and shipped em back. It worked throughout his administration.
You're right, every time we do an amnesty it rewards criminals.
The obscenely high crime rates of illegal aliens is another reason we should secure our borders and ship back anyone here illegally.
I know of one guy who is illegal and he tried to jump through the hoops to become legal with my help. He would LOVE to be here legally and pay our taxes with some hope of getting some of it back someday. Now, he just pays them.
The cost? $10,000 to a lawyer.
I know it's out of my reach and it's astronomically out of his.
If we can take the illegals and give them a road to citizenship, that would result in taxes being paid and some of the problem goes away.
If you build this 'road', you then have to change the laws and any company hiring illegals should be heavily fined. Any illegals, who have not taken the opportunity to become citizens are deported without any hearings.
You could also then change the 14th Amendment and remove the 'born here a citizen here' stipulation.
BUT, you need to do it all...
Really? $36,000 a year? I have close friend that don't make that much money, and my company is the highest paying company in our county. That really pisses me off.
For fear of saying something that will really piss people off, that's all I'm saying about this.
No one on either side of the government is really serious about taking care of this issue.
To lose illegal immigrants is to lose a HUGE cheap labor pool.
No one wants to do that.
Jay, I think that is a great deal of my frustration - the idea that one component of a process can be addressed. Illegal immigration is multi-faceted and until we address all of it, it won't get any better long-term.
Lu, but does the end justify the means. Do we give those who are working hard - who have established lives here - a "break" even though the way they got here was illegal. And who gets to make the call as to who is "deserving" of that break and who isn't?
Hammer, but it's not 1955 and this country would NEVER allow such "inhumane" practices 50 years later.
Good Morning Dana,
For starters amend the fourteenth amendment and read:
Section 1. All persons born to legal citizens of or naturalized in the United States,...
Then we start denying services until naturalized or deported.
Should they all have to leave, no. Should they all have to go through the process of becoming naturalized, Yes. Passing a background check should be paramount to starting the naturalization process.
A few comments above mention illegals paying taxes, without a Social Security number you can't pay Federal taxes.
Those that hire illegals should be penalized for breaking the law, if you take away an illegals ability to get a job or be subsidized, the incentive to be here would be greatly reduced.
SGT Rafael Peralta was an illegal immigrant who later joined the US Marine Corps. In Fallujah, Iraq in 2004 he threw his body over a live grenade, saving the lives of several other US Marines and dying in the process. Blown to fuckin' pieces is more like it.
I bet that his fellow Marines, and others, were very glad that man illegally entered the US.
Thinking of him, I have no problem with a path to citizenship, maybe even with amnesty. People are leaving terrible living conditions- who can blame them? And the cost of legal immigration is atrocious.
Don't even get me started on SGT Peralta being denied the Medal of Honor solely because of how he entered the country. Valor is valor.
Dana, you brought a lot of valid issues to this post. Illegal immigration is killing the taxpayers in the lower border states and western states. We may need a new amendment to fix the 14th amendment.
So Jay, NAFTA isn't working! I didn't see that coming!
Don't hold your breath thinking congress will fix these issues soon. Our country will continue to reward bad behavior and punish people who are trying to do the right thing. Why you may ask? Because we let our government punish us for acting right.
RLL, that might be a good post for me - to see just what it takes to come here legally!
Bond, it isn't an easy fix, which is why I become so frustrated when politicians want to make it sound like it is.
Bina, starting salary for a teacher here in Illinois is about $10K under that AND I didn't even make $36K last year!
ASM, not just that, but then we'd have to give them "rights" and the cheap labor pool would vanish!
Karl, we've got to start somewhere and although amending amendments isn't an easy process, that would at least stop the profuse bleeding. As far as the SSN goes, I did a post a while back on "no-match" SSN's - valid SSN's that illegals acquire (for a price) and use to report earnings. The problem? When the "no-match" status is found by the Federal government, those taxes go into a discretionary fund instead of where they belong.
Hubman, there has been talk about military duty being one of the paths to citizenship. I do have to wonder how an illegal immigrant got into the U.S. Army. Last I checked - with just a few exceptions (Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands) citizenship was required.
Doomed, and punish us they do, while continuing to support and reward those who don't "do"!
I believe in the melting pot and think that sometimes "undocumented/illegal" is just another way of saying "feared being dead before all the paperwork went through."
I definitely believe that people should only be allowed to stay if they contribute in some way. Sure, Pablo next door may be working 16 hours a day, 7 days a week and then sending all the money back down south, but as long as he isn't committing crimes and is employed doing something useful, I see no need to hunt him down like an animal and deport him. I also think there must be some give-and-take for illegals and their families to reap all the benefits of the school and healthcare systems.
And anyone who destroys or demeans life while here illegally should certainly be deported.
However, another issue I feel quite strongly about is the current entrepreneurial prison system. In many cases, people who are marked for deportation are incarcerated without giving adequate notification to families or attorneys -- often shipping truckloads of prisoners at nighttime to far-flung parts of the country because that's where the accommodations are. Before an attorney can even reach a prisoner they've been assigned, the prisoner has been moved again and the whole process has to start over. The abuses are mind-boggling, and too often, non-illegals get caught up in the web because of their surnames or accents. I want our justice system to be fair. It's the only thing that differentiates us from places like Pakistan, and the whole Abu Ghraib/Guantanamo saga has had the benefit of shedding light on some unsavory law-enforcement practices here at home.
Volly (stepping off soapbox...)
Actually, citizenship is only required to be an officer. Foreign nationals can enlist in the US military. I once worked with a Lithuanian who went to be sworn in as a US Citizen in his Army uniform. I also knew an Israeli citizen who was a US soldier.
Volly, I'm a huge supporter of the melting pot - it is the foundation of this country. My concern is amnesty. We tried that once before and now we find ourselves back in the same mess. I will admit to not being familiar with the deportation process and its relative "fairness".
Hubman, from the Army.com website:
Persons who were born in the 50 United States including the commonwealths, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia, are eligible for enlistment. Persons born abroad on a military installation, or born abroad of U.S. parents who were citizens at the time are also eligible for enlistment. Persons considered to be aliens who have been lawfully and permanently admitted to the United States and requested permanent residence may enlist BUT not for any Military Occupational Specialty requiring a security clearance. These applicants will incur a Military Service Obligation (MSO), and they should apply for citizenship within four years after enlistment. Those who do not apply for citizenship by the end of their MSO will not be eligible for extension or reenlistment and will be discharged upon completion of their MSO. Aliens who have been admitted on a temporary basis are not eligible for enlistment. Nationals of the United States, such as the American Samoa, are eligible for enlistment. I read that as no, you don't have to be a U.S. citizen, but you *must* be here legally.
The main problem (as I see it) is that it's another price to pay for our "supply and demand" lifestyle.
As long as we have needy folks swarming into our country, willing to work for MUCH less than the "regular" workforce, and even willing to co-habitate with others in order to make ends meet.. Yeah, we'll still have the problem.
Why?
Because we'll have business owners and companies that will work every angle they can to cut their own costs and overhead expenses.
Not to disparage RLL or any other business owner who hires and pays illegal workers, but the facts are still facts. Hiring labor that isn't someone registered with the unions or is trying to keep off the books for fear of deportation is a veritable gold mine. The cut in the cost of labor is immense. Materials will cost the same, but wages can sometimes be cut by as much as HALF, if not more!
Being someone who has dealt with both sides on this, I can appreciate each person's perspective. As a head foreman at an avacado plantation in California, "migrant workers" were a godsend, since the labor was dirt cheap, and they worked nearly around the clock for their wages.
As a network administrator now, I can see just how much they save my company in warehousing labor costs.
Yet these same folks are also the ones that are driving up the medical insurance rates, since the good samaritan laws allow them treatment at medical facilities, but the cost still has to be carried by someone..
Rising costs in food and shelter are another.
Overpopulation in areas is becoming more commonplace.
Yet I really have to wonder what we should do about this. I mean, we've got a motto scrawled on the base of one of our most famous landmarks that reads:
"Give me your poor, your hungry, your tired, and downtrodden."
To me, that means this country should be accepting of ALL people. If they are willing to contribute, I'm willing to accept them.
If they're going to be like miss octuplet mom, and mooch off the state, I say deport their lazy asses, and get us someone who will appreciate this country for the safe haven it truly is.
I think I'm done ranting now...
I'm not really sure on my opinion of this.
What I DO know is that I have a freaking college degree and don't make close to the median income for illegal immigrants :(
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