It’s taken a while for American Panthers to think through its position on this complex matter. We would especially like to hear your opinions. Please write or Email.

Unlike some of the other issues, we are dealing here more with missing information than miss-information. For one thing, we have heard the advocates for the status quo claiming that some of the illegal workers pay taxes. The missing information is: What percent? Holding which jobs? Numbers like 40% are tossed around without statistical backup. Apparently some employers are paying payroll taxes, and even withholding income taxes for illegal workers who, in-turn, are not benefiting from these payments. Given the low wages, these amounts may be small. Even the supporters of illegal immigration are not claiming that most of the immigrants pay taxes. Obviously, most do not. It is certainly to the benefit of their employers to pay them in cash and avoid expenses and complications.

Our main objection to illegal workers working jobs in America is that it takes jobs away from Americans. The illegal workers send the money to their home country, while Americans would spend their money here, helping our economy.

Then there’s the argument, so eloquently put forth by President Vincente Fox of Mexico, that the immigrants do the jobs that even “Blacks won’t do.” Aside from its obvious racism, the argument wrongly assumes that poor Americans would not take those jobs. There are plenty of job seekers in America. The real unemployment number is another piece of missing information, as the official number, now 4.7%, does not include all of America’s unemployed. It is immoral for our government to protect the jobs of illegal workers and do nothing for the American citizens who should have those jobs. Consider that some of the unemployed Americans may be on public assistance. When that is the case, our government is indirectly paying the salaries of the illegal workers.

Also missing is information about how much the illegal workers are actually paid. Numbers like the Federal minimum wage ($5.15/hour), or $4.00/hour, or $2.00/hour are tossed about. The truth is that we really don’t know.

We must also ask why should certain selected businesses be allowed to pay less for their labor than other businesses? It is certainly an unfair advantage and distorts the level playing field of honest capitalism. If Americans truly will not work at these jobs for the same salary, then the company managers should be obliged to raise their wages until their jobs do attract Americans workers.

For the most part, Americans are willing to take these jobs. Six out of ten maids and agricultural workers are American citizens. Some service jobs, like restaurant work, involve tips and afford a decent living. And, of course, no businesses in the United States should be allowed to pay less than the minimum wage. In part, it’s politics as usual. Businesses that hire cheap labor support the politicians that help them to do it.

The very existence of people working at low wages under poor conditions presents a competition for legitimate American workers, and lowers the wages and conditions that they can earn in the competitive open market. Helping poor illegal immigrants hurts poor Americans.

What if the prices of grapes and tomatoes go up if American’s picked them? If that happens, we must accept the fact that workers must be paid a living wage. Anything less is slavery. We hear people shouting that Wal-Mart pays slave labor in China, but we don’t hear much about Wal-Mart’s prices going up if they must pay more for that labor. If the jobs taken by illegal workers in this country were done by American citizens they would spend their money in America, pay taxes to America, and possibly be off public assistance in America. While we are not fundamentally against outsourcing, why outsource when we don’t have to? Likewise, we should not endanger our national security by outsourcing energy, or the management of our ports, from unstable areas in the world.

We have heard it said that America should be charitable to the underprivileged in Mexico who are only trying to achieve a decent lifestyle for themselves and their families. True, but there is rampant poverty throughout the world, and we cannot help everybody. It is the job of the United Nations to set up worldwide aid programs and the United States should cooperate, encourage and pay its proportionate share of these programs. However, we should not try to unilaterally save the world from poverty before we do whatever we can to help Americans out of poverty. Our government owes that to its taxpayers first.

Even more than the United Nations, it is the duty of the Mexican government to help the Mexicans. Mexico is predominately a country of the very poor and the very rich, and Vincente Fox wants to keep it that way. He is not a friend of equal opportunity, and he actually encourages his citizens to cross the border to gain employment in America. Mexico has natural resources, and could spread the wealth instead of concentrating it, if Fox wanted to. He is a parasite, not a friend.

Here’s a point that absolutely nobody wants to talk about. A lot of marijuana and cocaine are grown in Mexico and sold in the United States. At the same time, thousands of undocumented and unmonitored Mexicans come across the border every day. It seems probable that some of these people will be carrying drugs. This would explain why some are willing to work for such low wages. They can afford to work for $2.00 an hour if they can stuff $2000 worth of cocaine in their pockets with each trip. While this is only speculation, nobody knows, or admits to knowing, if it is really happening. The incentive for businesses to welcome, and hire illegal workers is money. Illegal workers are not unionized, there is no requirement that they be provided health insurance, they do not have the right to sue if they are injured, they can be fired for any reason, and they have to accept whatever working conditions are offered to them. If they bring in drugs, their employers can get a piece of that action also.

The debate is often obfuscated by lumping different kinds of immigrants together. Those that come across the boarder weekly or monthly to do farming jobs should be the first to be barred. These people have not created families in the United States and are most likely to be carrying drugs. Sealing the borders to stop them is free if you consider that, in this post-9/11 world, the borders should be sealed anyway. Anything can come across our unprotected borders, and it is shocking that the Bush Administration does not seem to be concerned about it. We have 700 military bases outside of the United States, most of which are not needed. Why don’t we just put about 200 of them along the U.S.-Mexico border? Gaps can be covered by patrols, walls, electronic detectors, helicopters or whatever is most effective and least expensive. At the same time, the troops based in southern California can be equipped with whatever emergency supplies, training, or authority may be necessary in case there is a major earthquake in the area. Along with that, lets start arresting the owners of the farms that hire the illegal workers in the first place. With employers unable to hire them, and sealed boarders, the illegal workers will stop crossing the border (those carrying drugs will be harder to stop) and the farmers will begin to hire American citizens to harvest the crops.

Some say that the longer-term illegal workers are hard-working family people, would make good citizens, and are vital to our economy. Nevertheless, it seems clear that jobs in America should be filled by taxpaying American citizens whenever possible. Selectively granting citizenship to these illegal workers is a good compromise, but it would be difficult to decide on the criteria for that selection.

We should, however, seal our boarders to stop the flow and avoid a new buildup of any illegal residents.

If we wanted the longer-term illegal workers to leave, we should first enforce the laws against the businesses that hire them. It also seems wrong to give illegal aliens social services that belong to taxpaying American citizens. This includes driver’s licenses, schooling, non-emergency healthcare and so on. Money for education must be spent educating taxpaying American citizens. Money for healthcare should be spent treating Americans.

Deciding on which illegal workers can stay, and which should not, is a difficult question and the answer must be based on very detailed considerations. However, general guidelines can be easily developed if there was the political will to do so. Those that are allowed to stay should be given citizenship with minimal requirements. The transition should be as easy and smooth as possible for the immigrants, their immediate families and the companies that they work for. The “guest worker” concept is a bad idea. It benefits businesses that want to pay less for labor, and the Republicans who do not want those workers to vote. At the same time it takes jobs from American citizens and creates a competitive cheap labor pool that lowers the wages of those who are most in need.

Immigration and citizenship laws should be unambiguous and enforced. Those illegal workers who are allowed to stay should have been gainfully employed for a number of years. It would also be an important consideration if they have children who are American citizens.

The political debate has a lot to do with whether the new citizens would be Democrats, or Republicans. Both parties would like not to offend the Hispanic voters. All this makes it very hard to create a compromise.

It is disappointing that Ted Kennedy would create a photo opportunity with John McCain by making a joint proposal on immigration. The partnership, albeit temporary, legitimizes McCain, who is an extreme conservative. Shortly after his photo opportunity with Kennedy, McCain arranged photo-ops with Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell. That says all that needs to be said about John McCain.

The recent nationwide demonstrations in favor of keeping the illegal aliens were impressive. Aside from their size, they popped up like mushrooms in 100 cities throughout the country with pre-printed signs and arranged speakers. This is not characteristic of a poor group unable to speak English. It smacks of big money and professional organization.

The use of illegal workers is pervasive and crosses many industry lines including health care, child care, dining and construction. While illegal immigrants may be very good at their jobs, poor Americans should be given the first opportunity to work.

Legally imported labor is also a serious problem for the American economy. Skilled workers, on temporary work visas, are taking the jobs of higher paid Americans, especially in the area of information technology. Americans earning on the order of $60,000 and more are being replaced by foreign temps earning less than half that amount. While lower labor costs in the United States make it easier for American companies to compete overseas, jobs done in America should, whenever possible, be done by Americans. The temporary work visa program should be discouraged and there should be a major government sponsored education program in this country to train more Americans to qualify for these quality jobs. There is no excuse for a lack of skills among American workers.

All this does not mean that American Panthers favors protectionism, but a little, in selected situations, wouldn’t hurt.

LHS