Undocumented immigrants give a new meaning to the United State’s slogan, “home of the free.” I mean after all they come here and basically work for nothing.
Next time you bite into a nice juicy strawberry, use a clean bathroom, admire your mowed lawn, think of the immigrant who did that for you.
The next young Spanish-speaking bus boy, that cleans your five-star restaurant table, the cleaning woman that’s scrubbing your toilet, the woman than sewed your favorite shirt, imagine a world without them.
Illegal immigrants make up about five percent of the country’s labor force. Alan Greenspan, former Federal Reserve Chairman even agrees that undocumented workers are important to our economy saying, “Undocumented workers accounted for a sixth of the growth in the nation’s workforce over the first eight years of the decade. Even after the flow of illegal workers has slowed with the recession,” reported Michael Mcauliff of New York Daily News Writer.
Some politicians want a world without them, so this may be a reality coming to a city near you.
These are my modern-day heroes. But to those in the “political world,” they are an economic detriment, taking jobs away from the millions of unemployed in this country.
But that’s funny? The last time I was on Craig’s list or any other job site, I didn’t see any job postings for any field worker willing to work below minimum wage with no benefits. I have not met one American Citizen that would be willing to work sunrise to sunset picking your lettuce or scrubbing the toilet of the rich and famous.
If only the Texas lawmakers would know the lives of these immigrants. If you haven’t already heard, the state of Texas is proposing the House Bill 1202, which would make citizens spend up to two years in prison and pay up to $10,000 in fines if caught hiring illegal immigrants for any type of work.
Associated Press Economics writer, Jeannine Aversa put it so nicely, “If all the illegal workers in this country were booted out tomorrow, economists believe wages would have to rise significantly to get U.S.-born workers to take their jobs.”
According to a poll conducted by AP-lpsos, “about two-thirds of Americans surveyed, said they believed illegal immigrants did the jobs most Americans don’t want,” reported the AP.
Some illegal immigrants pay taxes too. “The Social Security Administration estimates that about three quarters of illegal workers pay taxes that contribute to the overall solvency of Social Security and Medicare,” reported the AP.
To further support my argument the AP also reported that William Ford, an Economist from Middle Tennessee State University, said, “a majority of economists agree that illegal immigrants are a net benefit for the U.S. economy. He said the tax contributions from illegal immigrants, including sales taxes, property taxes and exercise taxes 9such as gas tax) are significant,” reported the AP, via MSNBC.
Lawmakers are targeting the Latino immigrant, because the last time I checked Homeland Security wasn’t going out to deport illegal Canadians or pulling them over suspecting that they may be illegal. But that’s another story, for another op-ed piece.
A lot of people don’t know that many of these immigrants that provide inexpensive labor for this country are actually professionals back home. Many of them leave their lives as a dentist, doctor, real estate agent and come here to flee the dangers and struggling economy of their home towns. Much to the surprise of many, not all who cross the border are smuggling drugs.
They risk their lives to come here and make whatever they can to send back money to their families. At the same time they are the only ones willing to work for such low pay at such great quality. These people are hard workers, willing to put their professional pride aside and help the American people do jobs that, well lets face it, that not even people that are unemployed will do.
Not only is this Texas bill going to actually hurt the economy, but is unfair for the Americans who are struggling financially or even the Americans who don’t even know they are hiring illegal immigrants.
Again in the wise words of Aversa,“They pay payroll taxes, they’re helping bankroll Social Security and Medicare but won’t get to participate in the programs because of their immigrant status. Experts also note that illegal immigrants also spend part of their paychecks in this country- for food, clothes, furniture, living expenses and other things- all of which contribute to economic growth.”
Are we really going to prosecute people for hiring someone to mow their lawn or clean their laundry room? People who although, do not have a “legal” status, are willing to work hard in this country for basically nothing.
As far as I’m concerned, the immigrants in this country are the backbone for our nation.
I understand that we have rules in the United States against illegal aliens for purposes of homeland security. And I respect these laws.
But I still can’t help but wonder why are we to prosecute Americans who can’t afford more expensive labor, and persecute those we are willing to contribute to our country through hard labor?
It doesn’t make sense.
So put the people who hire illegal immigrants in jail. And send the immigrants back home. What will this do?
Well for starters, lets see this large deficit we are facing as a country. Well, it will go up because we are putting more undeserving people in jail, thus spending more money through are prison-system and take up spots and money from people who actually committed crimes that are “jail-worthy.”
And well as far as our produce and clean bathrooms, well those probably will be sparse too, because I think it can be assumed that American citizens will not dare to work the same hours with out benefits as these immigrants do.
I believe Texas lawmakers need to think hard about this. They are shooting their state in the foot. They are aware that their state in particular thrives because of the hard work of the illegal immigrant that has crossed the border.
Now I am not trying to promote people to break the law and violate federal law, through “knowingly” hiring illegal immigrants. All I’m asking is for lawmakers to stop covering their eyes from something everyone already knows. Let’s take a look at the big pink elephant in the room. And that is the fact that the illegal immigrants of this country deserve to work here. They work hard for this country, harder than most Americans I know.
I encourage Texas politicians and those in all states to recognize the unjust nature of the House Bill 1202. Not only will it entrap American citizens who don’t know, but cause a decrease of our modern day heroes. These are the man who pours your coffee and the woman who leaves her children and takes care of your baby, these so called, “illegal aliens.”
But they are my heroes.
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