Illegal immigration is a hotly contested issue that ignites a variety of opinions, however due to worries about the economy, Iraq, and other problems facing America, it was largely ignored during the campaign. As we were thinking about possible topics for the blog, we came across a YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdwD1x8MZ6c) and a corresponding article (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2008/07/16/cstillwell.DTL) about illegal immigration. The article and video focused on the establishment of San Francisco as a sanctuary city, in which illegal aliens are welcomed into the city. San Francisco launched an $83,000 outreach campaign directed at undocumented workers involving public service announcements, and education in schools, clinics, and police departments. The mayor and other public officials feel that the federal government is too strict in its enforcement of immigration laws. San Francisco will not direct funds to the enforcement of federal immigration laws and does not allow city employees, including police officers, to inquire about immigration status. The city refuses to turn over illegal immigrants to the federal government for deportation.
While it may seem like San Francisco’s compassionate policy towards illegal immigrants promotes acceptance, it can also have many negative consequences on the community. The city has experienced an increase in gang violence and violent crimes. The influx of illegal immigrants is causing an overload on the public services of the city and surrounding areas. The school systems, clinics, and other government agencies are forced to support more people without an increase in funding from tax dollars.
Is this policy really worth the side effects that come along with the benefits of promoting acceptance and compassion? Should San Francisco have the right to disregard federal law and create their own policies, regardless of the effects that their decisions will have on the surrounding community? Is it unfair to the legal immigrants and taxpayers that are supporting this illegal activity?
6 comments:
I feel like illegal immigration is something that we are not going to be able to stop completely no matter how hard we try. Should we continue to try to keep out illegal immigrants? Absolutely! However, I feel that if someone is desparate enough to sneak into the US and they set up a life here, we should allow them to stay through programs which would eventually make them citizens through learning English, establishing themselves as important community members, etc. In addition, research has shown that teens don't want to do the "dirty jobs" anymore. We need people to fill those positions. I don't know about you, but I would prefer if there were someone cleaning the restrooms at McDonald's. Poor illegal immigrants, looking for work could easily fill these positions.
Illegal immigration is a refugee issue. People fleeing poverty in their homelands should be welcomed and accommodated, so long as they abide by the rules all other citizens must.
San Francisco has the right motives here, but it cannot be the only city that offers itself as a sanctuary, as one city cannot take up such a large burden.
Laura, I have to disagree with your comment "if someone is desperate enough...we should allow them to stay..." But the difference for me goes deeper than just one portion of immigration policy. Our diverging views on this issue seem to stem from a fundamental philosophical/moral difference.
First of all, does it really make sense to set up all sorts of partial border security systems only to say, "Well, if you make it by the customs guys and the border guards, welcome!" What kind of a system is that? It's a system that does not make sense. Our entire border security/immigration policy in the U.S. is one big mess. If you actually stop to think about it, it's ridiculous that someone is declared "illegal" just because they don't have the right slip of paper. Can you really make someone illegal? That term is dehumanizing and allows us to speak of immigrants to this country as numbers or even things. We fail to realize that immigrants are people first and foremost, the vast majority of whom are simply seeking a better life. I am in favor of a much more liberal and welcoming immigration policy than our current one because that is the only humanitarian, reasonable, and practical way to go about it. We need to drastically increase the number of available visas. We need to expedite the citizenship process. The goal is to "legalize" (aka "get the right slip of paper to") immigrants alredy here and make it easier for others to come over. You can attack me all you want on this point, but I refuse to say "keep THEM out" when our country has so much to offer.
Moreover, when discussing modern immigration everybody misses the obvious point and it really agitates me. Why do people immigrate? Because they are looking to escape some situation in their home country and to find a better situation abroad. The root of the immigration "problem" is the ugly poverty and oppression that exist in Mexico and all across Latin America. If we work on solving the poverty and oppressive governments and social systems in Latin America, then you have a REAL solution to immigration.
In regards to this particular post, though, I do think San Francisco went too far. They are not being reasonable about the situation. You can't just fling open your city doors to anyone and fling money all over hoping to solve immigration. If San Fran wants to help, they need to crack down on crime and simultaneously work towards immigrants' assimilation. When we work to educate immigrants and assimilate them into our American culture everything works out better for everyone in the end. I agree in general with the author's conclusion in the linked article, but I nevertheless think that our immigration system is dire need of a major overhaul and reform in order to know who's coming into the country, what they are doing, and to get them settled here not as "illegal" people, but as U.S. citizens.
What if immigrants, legal or illegal, don't want to assimilate? I've just read at least a dozen of your essays decrying the hectic pace, materialism, and lack of cultural identity in American society - you really want to impose all that crap on some poor kid from Oaxaca? Maybe "we" (whatever exactly that means) should try assimilating ourselves to "their" culture(s). The demographic trends make it clear that this will be a very brown country by the time you hit middle age; if you want to be able to talk to your neighbor, it might be time to learn Spanish.
I would agree with Ryan in that San Fransisco is going to far by disobaying the federal government. San Fransisco is still a part of the US and therefore needs to play by the rules that the federal government is giving.
I have no problem with people that want to come to live in the US; but if you want to live here then you need to follow the laws and pay taxes like the rest of us. Illegal Immigration costs the US a ton while the illegal immigrants gove little back in the way of taxes. If they want to stay and be here thats fine but we need to make them citizens so that they are playing by the same rules as everyone.
Dr. Sitter (yes you have succeeded in arousing my ire), there is a good deal of "crap" in our culture, but being a melting pot does not mean that everyone should stay isolated in his or her ethnic community. This country is most peaceful, most harmonized, and productive when everyone learns about everyone else's culture. The end product should be an American culture influenced by individual ethnic traditions, but there needs to be at least a general assimilation of immigrants into the culture already established here. That means education, learning English, and integrating immigrants into American traditions or society.
And Tyler, I'm sorry to harsh, but please, do inform yourself before commenting instead of just relying on tired old talking points. "Illegal" immigrants pay literally BILLIONS of dollars in taxes and in fact draw from the system less than what they pay in. Take some time to at least do a cursory Google search and take a look at the articles and stats. Illegal immigrants do pay taxes and do contribute to this country. Of course, your original point is perfectly valid- we need to legalize immigrants already here so that there is a level playing field. But make no mistake: that field would be leveled IN FAVOR of immigrants, not just citizens already here. To claim that illegal immigrants enjoy some sort of enormous advantage because they lack proper documentation is ridiculous.
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