Several times in history great nations crippled or ended their development by expelling industrious minorities. The United States is doing the same with its immigrants, legal or not. If it’s not been expelling them by the hundreds of thousands a year since the Obama days, and worse now under Trump, it’s been demonizing them as a threat–and not a minor threat–to America’s economy and culture.
But it’s the reverse. They’re among America’s salvations. We have a lesson to learn.
England expelled Jews in 1290 and wasn’t heard of for the rest of the Middle Ages. It made Catholicism illegal and massacred or decimated Ireland of Catholics in the 17th century, only sending their industry to America. Good for us, and me: my second father was Irish. The Iberian peninsula was among the rare centers of culture and coexistence during the middle ages, but Catholic Spain expelled Muslims and Jews around the time of the discoveries of the New World. If American gold staved off decline for a while, Spain was soon a forgotten power. By 1700, it was a footnote to Europe. Louis XIV gave France its greatest century in the 1600s. But in 1685 he revoked the Edict of Nantes, one of the great milestones in the history of tolerance, and declared Protestantism illegal. Massacres followed. Huguenots fled, and French industry began a long decline that would not be reversed until well after the Revolution of 1789.
In every case, wherever fleeing Jews, Muslims, Catholics and Protestants migrated, the economy benefited, in some cases boomed, and in one case, ours, created a superpower. The United States would have been nothing without its millions of immigrants, so many of them illegal then or now, the world’s refuse to this day fissioning into prosperity. Nor is it a mystery why Japan, so proud of its racial purity as to prohibit immigration, has been in an economic coma for two decades.
Now the Trump administration is raiding 7-Elevens, terrorizing immigrants in vast sweeps, including children, pledging to throw out hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans, Haitians and others from countries that don’t fit Donald Trump’s idea of racial purity, and fixating on just building a wall. It doesn’t get more retrograde. Just pointing to one or two cases of an undocumented immigrant committing a nasty crime (the most notorious case of which proved to be less than advertised) doesn’t alter the reality that immigrants, whatever their legality, commit less crimes than Americans and draw on fewer resources, welfare and medical services included, than do natives.
And the old excuse that nobody is attacking legal immigrants, only so-called illegal ones, doesn’t work anymore, because the prejudice has no bounds. The defense of legal immigrants becomes a mask for a denigration of undocumented immigrants that’s no less repulsive than the president’s racism. It is its mirror, laid bare by a prejudice unattached to any evidence that would justify it it.
We keep focusing on legalizing the status of Dreamers, those children of undocumented immigrants who’ve been here their whole lives, as if their aspirations are more valid than the people who brought them here.
Would they be jumping the line? Certainly, and that’s a compelling argument from others who take the legal route, waiting and wrestling with hurdles and luck. But the the line the undocumented took and the lines the more documented ones are taking are like borders on a map. They’re constructs that defy the impulse not only of proximity but of demand: it isn’t only the undocumented who are susceptible to the magnet that leads them here but their American employers at innumerable levels of society who keep the border magnetized because they know–and you should know as well, but you’d rather refuse to know–that we can’t do without them. Our agriculture, our tourism, our child care sectors would collapse without them. In other words, our economy.
So we’d do better to legalize, even naturalize, all 11 or 12 million so-called undocumented immigrants. Ronald Reagan did it with almost 3 million undocumented immigrants in 1986–all who’d entered the United States before 1982. It’s not as if it hurt the country. To the contrary. The 1990s were its best yet, at least by some economic measures. Replicating the Reagan amnesty would be no different than the United States embracing immigrants for two centuries: they made this country then. They’re keeping it vibrant now, and doing so while working in the shadows, underground, on the run. Imagine if they were freed of that anxiety. Imagine the industry gained from their integration, from ending police-state tactics that have turned the immigration service into a gang of goonish brown shirts well deserving of their icy acronym.
Terrorizing and expelling any of them would damage our own economy, which–putting aside inequality that tax laws, not immigrants, have fostered–clearly isn’t suffering now. That wall would only hurt us, and make us look stupid, fearful and most of all, un-American. Of course this country is capable of giving its undocumented a path to legalization. If Reagan did it, his lesser GOP progeny certainly could. We’re America after all, the land where only the impossible is illegal. If not, then let’s stop kidding ourselves and quit calling ourselves great, because we certainly aren’t acting it.
what a moronic idea..there are LEGAl ways to become a legal immigrant and entering the usa illegally is a crime and should be!!
There are two kinds of people in this debate. People who have been personally affected by this issue and people who have not been personally affected. I am from the affected group who had their lives destroyed by illegal aliens. No one will ever be able to tell me that the illegal aliens, (formal legal definition), who broke multiple laws coming here; and being here with or with out their extended families, have a right to be here. I had a right to my life and it was taken from me. I wish I could have that back. but sadly there is no government bailout for me.
There are two types of people in this debate. People who have been personal affected by this issue and people who have not been personally affected by this issue. I am one of the affected people and my life was destroyed by illegal aliens. (legal formal description used in constitution). No one will be able to tell me that illegal aliens have any rights or their extended families to become citizens in this country after their many years of breaking laws entering and continue to live in this country illegally.
I was under the impression the United States welcomes more legal immigrants per year than any other nation in the world, and allows a pathway to citizenship for them. I absolutely love the alarmist nature of this article and the pending collapse of the U.S. if we don’t legalize 11 million illegal aliens; the more Chicken Little screams about the sky falling, the fewer people listen to him.
Wtf?! Legalize them if they go through the process of legalization that we already have in place. It’s there for a reason. Otherwise they can stay on a visa just like everyone else. If not, deportation is a result that’s possible.
I guess terrorizing MS 13 is a bad thing? Get a grip Pierre.
Let’s make sure we keep all criminals and gang members.
Sure. Let’s legalize everyone in the country illegally.
The gang’s presence remained relatively steady on Long Island until around 2014 and 2015, when it started to spike, authorities said. Marino attributed that mostly to an influx of “unaccompanied alien children,” or UACs, into the area — about 10,000 since 2014. UACs are minors who cross into the US alone without parents or guardians.
Instead, the sadistic gang’s main interest is power.
More than 25,000 murders were recorded last year as rival drug gangs increasingly splintered into smaller, more blood-thirsty groups after more than a decade of a military-led campaign to battle the cartels.
Sorry Pierre….Immigrants are welcome, they can get in line and do it legally, just as my grandparents did. As far as the “dreamers”, let em stay. Don’t really care. It is unrealistic to think we are going to toss them out. While the liberals keep calling the other side racist and bigots, and don’t work on getting a message and realistic direction for the country, they insure more losses in in the mid-terms especially if the economy keeps improving. Wasn’t it supposed to be the end of times after the election? What’s up with that?
If “Our agriculture, our tourism, our child care sectors would collapse without them. “, then bring them here legally after filling as many of those jobs with those who are unemployed and capable of working.
Yeah, en masse, without even checking them out. That makes sense. Not.
There is a legal process to enter this country.
Pierre, isn’t it funny how when pushing progressiv ideals the left touts the insignificance of history. But when it fits their narrative, it becomes important.
Oh, and you really should cite what examples you have of Trump being racist. That is a very bad thing to say about someone without solid reasoning. The fact that you don’t like him doesn’t meet the standard. His comments about S-hole countries do not meet thstandard. No one EVER called Trump a racist before he ran for president. The leftys had no other attack, so they went straight to the old standby of calling an opponent a “racist”. Pierre, you disappoint me. You are better than that.
Thank god your not running things.
Not even Canada is willing to do that with their illegal immigrant problem, which by the way was created the same way the US’s most recent surge was. By a Leader who told them the border was open and they were welcome. Now Canada is singing a different tune. I have no problem with immigrants, but What I have a problem with is people who openly and willing violate the LAWS of this country. Mr Tristan perhaps you should go to Mexico and overstay your visa and see what happens. I don’t think you will like the results.
agree, agree with everything here…thank you!
I’m all for legal immigration if they have a trade/skill, disease free, and speak rudimentary English. Much like when Ellis Island was open.
Walls DO work and it has been proven in past history time and time again by many other countries in this world. Disagree – research it and see for yourself. In fact most people today will remember the Berlin Wall and that was WITHIN a country. Build the wall, eliminate chain and lottery migration which makes NO sense whatsoever, implement comprehensive immigration laws and provide a pathway to citizenship for the illegal people already here IF they abide by the laws of this country. Congress needs to get off their fat asses and start doing their jobs by providing common sense legislation without adding all of the PORK that has nothing to do with the BILL at hand whatsoever. They work for us, the American Citizens of this country. If your congressman doesn’t agree, get rid of them and get someone that WILL do their jobs.
Yes we the people that have jobs, trying to make ends meet each month pay for this.
Like I noted, Take care of our homeless, our veterans and the legal families in this country that are without healthcare, without decent housing and without education, do that, then we can worry about Illegal people.
Idiocy we have a system to let immigrants here to become CITIZENS if one comes in against those laws they should NOT be given citizenship. When the break ANOTHER one of our LAWS they should RIGHT then be put on a quick path back HOME.
If they have no serious crimes here or elsewhere, yes streamline the naturalization process for them. Let’s get them all legalized and accounted for as quickly as possible. However, anyone else needs to go through an organized and fair immigration process. No discriminating against “shithole” countries in the fair immigration process. The ones who are already here, yes make them citizens unless a felon or terrorist.
Yes! Do it now! These newfound citizens will do their jobs, send their kids to school, pay their taxes, buy cars, refrigerators and houses and become just like any other citizen. One of them just might become president.
Conservatives spew out the right-wing mantra…they are here illegally! They should go home and wait their turn. That is easy to say and provides an easy response to a complex problem. But it is inhumane and unworkable. The social disruption alone, not to mention the huge cost, is unacceptable to an advanced society.
C’mon, America, be great again. let them live!
I wrote my comment last night after the shock of reading this front page article from our community paper. An editor taking a voice for the community and shoving it in my face. I have to be silent and anonymous and I’m an American citizen by birth. That’s how bad it was. My only relief this morning was to see the other posters have the guts to call this out.
Leave it to immigrant-Americans by naturalization like me to remind Americans by birth like you that free expression, and respect for free expression, does not take its cue from zip codes, but from us–from you, from me, from what we call community in the true rather than the pitch-forked sense of the term, which is to say any community that still values differences of opinion, however those differences may buck the norm, of which we are certainly not short of. I should also note that whether you are a direct descendant of Mayflower sperm-and-eggs or got naturalized this morning, your rights are indistinguishable, though your presumptions clearly seem not to be.
If all else fails, call him a racist. Good argument.
In the name of fairness Pierre, please tell your readers the name you were born with. Before you had it changed. We will all have a much better idea of why you have these views.
Pierre, you’re opinion piece that cites no actual statistics is very hard to read without wondering what you could possibly be thinking. To take the position that illegal immigration is helping this country and not hurting is nonsensical. And even if it were helping, it’s not fair when people have been waiting years to come into this country legally. I’ve got many friends that long to come to this country legally, and yet, they continue to wait. Your method encourages more illegals to come into this country. Doesn’t make any sense. No other country does this. Maybe you had a bad day when you wrote this piece. I know you can’t possibly believe granting citizenship to all illegals and encouraging more to come with open borders is the answer. Come on, you can do better than this.
It is really sad that Flagler Live allows this Tristam cat to have pretty much the say on most of what is printed, simply because he is editor. Mr Tristam constantly has a “slant” on his writing, which assuredly always says toward the his leftist viewpoint. That is not free press, but simply propaganda. This is the problem with the American press, it has been hijacked by INDIVIDUAL ideals, and can hardly EVER be trusted to provide a truthful UNBIASED accounting of things. As far as your immigration stances, I know MANY people who came here LEGALLY, and you insult them with your idiocy.
The responses to your piece is predictable, I’ll focus on the “breaking the law ” aspect of the issue.
We broke the law in order to become americans, sounds familiar?
We broke the law when we appropriated lands on the Native American Nations.
We broke the law when we invaded a foreign country and kept half its territory.
We broke the law when half of us declare war on the federal government.
We broke the law when Japanese Americans were rounded up and sent to concentration camps.
We broke the law when enslave Africans and engaged in human trafficking, oh… wait…sorry, that was written in the Constitution.
Plenty of people called Donald Trump a racist back in the early seventies when he and his father were sued by the federal government because he would not rent apartments in one of his developments to African-Americans.
Is the reason you call for legalizing that you admit they are illegal, not simply undocumented?
just saying, there’s no such thing, whether we’re talking English language, ethics, law or logic, as an “illegal alien,” or an “illegal immigrant,” anymore than there is such a thing as an “illegitimate” child. In that last regard and if we must so stupidly brand the fruit of parental choices, accident (and freedoms), the term “natural” child is more closely accurate (understanding that we all are at a fundamental level just as natural, making the notion of illegitimacy even more absurd). The parallel works with immigrants: “undocumented” is their only crime, if indeed crime it is, and it is so more by definition, accident of history and legal conceits than it is by any definition of rights. Before you get apoplectic I’m not saying that they have a right to enter the country without documents, but that their status as undocumented immigrants has nothing to do with their rights as individuals, rights which even you recognize (or I hope would recognize) apply universally.
The reaction of the local Fox and Fools fan club is the real cost of real fake news. And their racist idiot idol is driving the bus.
Mr. Tristam: As I’m certain you’re aware, any and every reputable source on the future of the world’s economies reflects exactly the same things you have so well stated.
You can parse words but if someone has come to this country and has outstayed a legal visa or has entered the country by “sneaking” in they have broken the law. They are here illegally. All we are asking is for them to come her legally.
I come from rural “Farm Town America” and I can say that without illegals, the entire concept of a “family farm” would become a historical footnote. Many “undocumented” immigrants keep a low profile, stay out of police notice, and work at 1/2 minimum wage (or less). They are a valuable source of labor, doing jobs that “Americans” don’t want, at less than half the cost of those same “Americans.” — yes, overly broad generalizations, but mostly accurate. Are they here illegally? Are they criminals? Yes, but for many of those “criminals,” the only crimes they commit are the result of trying to live in our country.
Let’s “Make America Great Again,” and return to the original immigration laws: you need to live two years in the country, and at least one year in the same state (but let’s do away with the requirement of being a “free white person” — 1790 law).
To just me, reading your same approach then Melania Trump First L. should be booted too for breaking the law arriving on a tourist visa and got paid for working as a model here. Or we have different standards for different cats?
This is as dumb as giving convicted felons the right to vote.
Ray D so are so right! Citizens like you is what makes America #1 not what is in the Oval Office now.
Hey Mark do not blame our immigrants legal or illegal for your “We can’t even take care of our vets and homeless and low income families the ones bordering on poverty and yet people want the US to support millions of illegals” All your described misery is because over 45,000 factories in 20 years have moved overseas guided by greed and to “make more profit using slaves not workers with benefits” also part of it is because dudes like you allow these GOP’s to empty our tax revenue benefiting the 1 percent and the war machine pockets for the excuse to police the world. That is the reason of our demise not the immigrant that come here on their own risking the only thing they have in the southern deserts to work in our fields every back breaking job that no one else cares to do. Racism, ignorance is the political football being used by Trumpsters to distract our reality and the real facts. We sure pay enough taxes for our vets, low income families for health care for all and all our services the problem is the take away our funds for what is not intended. You are barking at the wrong tree.
The Fed, counties and cities take away our taxes to benefit developers and special interest or get graft approving overpriced capital projects, other than giving the services we pay in our taxes, maintain our infrastructure and all our social services for veterans, elderly, children and the poor. Then now blame the illegals and legal immigrants for the fallout. Big GOP Charade.
In one since you are right… our Country is made of Imigrants.
LEGALLY Processed into our Country?
If I am missing something please TELL ME???
Let us keep in mind that the truly legal ones are in the reservation.
Changing the vocabulary, doesn’t change the reality.
They come illegally because if they apply for immigrant visas and are south of the border they are automatically denied and the waiting period for the very few approved is 5 years or more since completing the first forms in the USA embassy or consulate of the country of origin.
An illegitimate child is a child who is born to parents who are not married to each other, or who is born “out of wedlock. Thats a big difference than someone that sneaks over from Mexico by crossing a river, or gets transported in a closed truck or comes across under ground in a tunnel. IF they want to come here, get a work visa or a green card and earn your way legally.
I was taken back by the one comment about what name born with. It just doesn’t matter. My grandfather came from Lithuania. In order to get a job, mining anthracite coal in NE Pennsylvania of all things, he had to change his name from Drogalis to a Scottish name. We all come from everywhere and have to start over when we get here. I sincerely hope no one else has to change a surname to be more American get a job. As I recall Hitler called us a mongrel nation, we should be proud of that. We are a nation of immigrants.
@Sherry you forgot these import items that each passenger regardless of ticket had to answer.
The reality is this country depends on recent immigrants, whatever their status, to pick our crops, clean our hotel rooms, cut our lawns, prepare, serve and clean up our food (fast or otherwise), take care of our parents, and do many other jobs most americans won’t do. When my roof was replaced after Mathew, of the crew that replaced my steep, two story roof, very few spoke english. I asked the roofer what happenend after the inauguration. He told me he had lost an entire crew that went back to their home countries and this happened to other roofing companies that he knew. So, when yo see blue tarps still on homes, this is why. Those roofers worked hard from 7 am until dusk. They came with their families and cleaned up on the weekend. Those children will be the hard working professionals that create progress in the future. Push all the undocumented immigrants out and be prepared to either pay up, do it yourself, or do without.
@nark and hawkeye. . . This “liberal” certainly does believe in FACTS. The FACT is that many of those who immigrated through Ellis Island had NO certifiable documentation to “prove” who they were. Many could not even read or write. So, although they were required to fill out forms. . . there was NO true VETTING to determine if the information put on the forms was accurate at all.
12 MILLION people were processed in a very cursory way, and only 2% were turned back. That’s your so called “legal” immigration for you!
@capt So, I am scratching my head. Your last sentence says ” Hence the need for immigrants to fill the labor jobs”. Do you think forcing the hard working undocumented immigrant individuals and families that are doing these jobs will suddenly solve the social problems of this country?
I am all for deporting individuals who have been CONVICTED OF A VIOLENT CRIME OR A SERIOUS THEFT. If we did that to native born citizens as well, we could really make a dent in crime statistics since undocumented immigrants have a lower crime rate than the general population.
However, if you think that deportation of undocumeted immigrants will miraculously cure the hopelessness, drug addiction, and crime in this country I would like to talk to you about a wonderful condo investment opportunity It will be HUGE! Once you give me a substantial non-refundable deposit I will tell you the details of what I might build someday. PS, please wire the deposit to my Deutchbank account..
No stranger read again. I was answering the comment, The reality is this country depends on recent immigrants”, when US citizen are not wiling to work, the laborers turn to illegals so work. Hence the hiring of so many illegals to complete the job. I was actually reference to another class of people that are not working when they can, but instead turn to crime. .
@ capt Could you be more specific re. “another class of people”? I doubt you will honestly tell us what you mean, but through insinuation one can conclude you are not referring to a “class of people” but people that you are obviously prejudiced against. You have learned well from the master of “dog whistle” terminology.
Getting back to the specifics of our posts, I ask again, will getting the hard working undocumented immigrants deported suddenly make this “class” of yours suddenly change their ways and step up and fill those jobs? I will assume your answer is no. I suspect you believe their behavior is in “those people’s nature”. So, as I said, prepare to pay up, do without, or do it yourself.