HispanicVista Columnists

Hispanics and non-Hispanics as a majority agree: Illegal immigration is not good for the US.

By Patrick Osio, Jr./HispanicVista.com

August 22, 2005

 

     The U.S., or any nation, has to be able to control its borders; has to know who enters and can demand that those entering must be by permission. And it follows that if there are illegal entries into a sovereign nations territory, the nation has the right, indeed the obligation, to arrest and deport those entrants, and to seal its borders to prevent reoccurrences. There are those who suggest that the US Hispanic community does not agree. In fact according to a recent Pew Hispanic Center survey report, a significant majority of US Hispanic citizens agree with these principles.

The friction and seeming disparity of opinion attributed to the Hispanic community on these issues have and continue to be the inflammatory and insulting rhetoric and accusations aimed at Mexicans and Central Americans in an effort to force public opinion against, not their acts of illegal entry, but against them as human beings. Describing them among other things as third world scum, terrorists, rapers of our women, and accusations, as Rep. Tom Tancredo leveled, they are here to kill you and me, does not make Mexican/Central American descendants  receptive to an exchange of ideas.

So, the disagreements are not on principle, rather with those who have assumed with the help of news media, leadership positions on would be solutions, and became spokespersons against illegal immigrants and the US Federal government, particularly against President Bush, with accusations of aiding and abetting or otherwise doing nothing to protect our nation from the hordes of barbarians storming our borders.

These groups insist they are not anti-immigration rather anti-illegal immigration; they are not racist rather patriots seeking to protect the nation. But there is a hollowness to their rhetoric in that while being for immigration refuse to discuss immigration reform in which to provide legal access to new immigrants. They instead insist that before any reform can be discussed, all illegal immigrants must be deported and the US-Mexico border completely sealed to prevent any further intrusions. There is an assumption that doing it is as simple as saying it, or so they would have us believe.

However, these individuals and groups make no proposals on exactly how this is to be done, what human resources will be needed; what is the price tag for the undertaking and succeeding in these endeavors; and can the nation afford it?

Fortunately light is shed on the subject by the Center for American Progress recently released, Deporting the Undocumented: A cost Assessment for discussion and analysis of a policy designed to deport all undocumented persons currently around 10-million in the United States, and the cost of reducing the flow (illegal entries) to zero over a five-year period.

The bottom line findings is that the cost of a mass deportation effort to be at least $206-billion over five years ($41.2-billion annually).  The cost analysis assumes that 20% of the undocumented population will self-deport and leave voluntarily due to the government crackdown. If this does not happen, the costs can take a dramatic increase by as much as another $20 to $30 billion. The costs include five factors: 1. Apprehensions, 2. Detention (bed space, meals, guards, and facilities), 3. Legal processing, 4. Transportation, and 5. Reducing to zero the inward flow costs based on increasing border patrol agents.

Today there are close to 11,000 Border Patrol agents and around 2200 interior enforcement agents that are clearly not enough. They are part of the Present $19.3-billion budget for border and transportation security, which covers a wide array of programs including airport, sea port and border security systems, Coast Guard equipment replacement, Air Marshall hiring, training and deployment, and numerous others programs deemed critical to national security. In fact the entire Department of Homeland Security budget this year is $34.2-billion, which includes the $19.3-billion. Far short of the $41.2-billion needed.

Should funds from national security programs be diverted to a deportation and flow stop program? Or what other non-national security critical programs can be curtailed or eliminated to provide the needed funds? Or, should taxes be increased to cover the needed $42.2-billion per year to get the job done?

And the critical question begging debate is are there alternative solutions? And. is one such alternative immigration reform with a dramatic increase on internal inspections to stop hiring practices of undocumented workers? ____________________________________________________________

Patrick Osio, Jr is Editor of HispanicVista.com (www.hispanicvista.com) Contact at Posiojr@hispanic.sdcoxmail.com

 

(The opinions expressed by Patrick Osio, Jr. are solely his and do not necessarily reflect those of HispanicVista.com, editorial board of advisors or its contributing writers.)

Patrick Osio, Jr. has written a short but intensive manual on the Mexican perspective on numerous issues between our two countries. The manual is an in depth primer on the culture and protocol for better understanding Mexicans that in turn allows establishing personal and business relationships, and how to avoid the most common faux pas that can ruin relationships and business deals.

The manual is available through Electronic delivery for $9.95 making it possible to download the manual to save on your hard drive, printing its entirety or particular sections while reaping considerable savings over printed copies.