hokiewolf said:
I'm pretty interested in the immigration topic, Specifically:
Immigration to cheapen labor for business
The Republican Party is starting to reshape into:
Strong immigration law. Stop the illegal passing into the country
I'd like to understand your first point better, because I've been reading Alex Nowrasteh's book on immigration policy and other then meat packing plants, agricultural labor, and janitorial services, immigration doesn't really depress wages for natural born Americans. There is an argument however to be made that there is a slightly more significant depression of wages in other work categories when you compare between older immigrant populations vs new immigrants.
To your second point, what additional law would you pass that would strengthen immigration? I honestly believe we have way too many immigrations laws that have artificially depressed the amount of available avenues of legal immigration into this country which has inflated the amount of illegal immigration. To me, current US policy on immigration (and by current I mean the last 15-20 years) is attempting to regulate a black market (illegal immigration) which is basically impossible.
In my opinion, I think that we need more avenues of legal immigration then less. I have come to the belief that I do not have any issue what so ever for anyone who wants to improve their livelihood by coming to this country legally should be afforded that opportunity.
I do not know the book you are referencing; however, think about it this way. Another post talked about the labor market getting cheaper, in the construction industry years ago. The American work force was eradicated from the industry within a few trades (Painting, Drywall, Framing, possibly foundation work as well); yet, when you look at trades HVAC, Plumbing, etc, they have stayed mostly within the historic American workforce (Basically, non-hispanic immigrants).
When looking at the people who are aligning, more closely, with stopping illegal immigration, well, they happen to be hispanics (whether legal or illegal). Why? They don't the want same thing to happen to them!
Do you blame them?
As far as the actions I would do:
- Finish the wall
- Ramp up on Border Patrol
- Take away the incentive - restate the 14th Amendment with its original intent
- Leverage neighboring country's by threatening sanctions, Tariffs, or whatever in order to get them to help solve the problem
That sounds like exactly what Trump was doing and look at the mess Biden has us in...
- Legal Immigration - We have to have a solution that simplifies the process to become a citizen. Within that process, we should create controls on who and how many people we allow into the country
- This one may piss off my conservative brethren... Once the above is done, I would ask for all illegals to step in line to the new process and become a citizen. We are not kicking them out!!!
- That number of existing illegals will count against the "How Many" we allow in to the country.