Illegals Speak about Minuteman Project

The title link is to a story covering what some illegal Mexican immigrants have to say about the Minuteman Project.

"I think they should leave that [border watching] work to authorities," said Gonzalez, who said he was contemplating crossing the border illegally.

Duh! Of course you think this! You know our authorities wouldn’t normally do a damn thing to stop you because our politicians won't let them do their jobs effectively! Our "authorities" are understaffed, underfunded and are forbidden to use some of the most effective methods to find and deport illegal aliens for fear it might anger the Hispanic vote (which for the record only made up 8% of the total votes cast in the 2004 Presidential election).

"In Mexico, I make 50 pesos (less than $4), but over there [U.S.] I can make $50 or $100 a day," said a man named Hector, who declined to give his last name. "That's the difference."

Of course you make more working in a free, capitalist country that has bothered to create an infrastructure, civil rights and prosperity! Why don't you do what we did a couple hundred years ago, band together with your countrymen, disobey your gun control laws and throw out your corrupt joke of a government and fix your country so that you can make that kind of money at home?

"If there was a legal way for me to go work for six months and then come back, I would use it," he said while in the lobby of a hotel in Agua Prieta, surrounded by another 15 people who said they too are hoping to cross the border illegally.

Everyone with two feet and any desire to better themselves would do the same thing! If Bush betrays America with his "guest worker" program, people will come as fast as they can. The problem is, a "guest worker" program will destroy our country. "Guest workers" will work for low wages and suppress wages for all low income workers. Illegal workers will also continue to come and work for employers that don't want to pay minimum wage to “guest workers”, as a few dollars an hour is still better than what they can make in Mexico. The end result will be even more impoverished people coming to this country, both as "guest workers" and as illegals. Whatever money is earned here will promptly be exported to Mexico to boost the Mexican economy rather than be used to buy goods and services in this country. While they are here, "guest workers" and illegals will use public healthcare services that they can't pay for, put their children in public schools that they do not financially support, drive on our roads in uninsured vehicles and our taxes and insurance premiums will increase to cover these burdens.

Another man, who declined to be identified, said no matter how many Minuteman volunteers watch the border or how many Border Patrol agents are stationed there, illegal immigrants will find a way to get through.

Yep. You will get continue to find a way to get through... until the risks and costs of violating our laws exceed the benefits of doing so. I bet if the crime of illegally entering this country was punished by six months in a prison camp helping to build an adobe wall along the border they would be less likely to come. That six months prison sentence would be unpleasant, and it would deny them earnings from illegal jobs in this country while they are locked up. Likewise, if we properly punished employers who hired such people, the jobs would dry up and there would be less incentive for them to come. If we deny tax based services to illegal aliens, they would find working in this country much less appealing. Right now, if we bother to catch an illegal alien, we simply give them a summons telling them to show up in court on a certain date to be tried for their crime. Of course they don’t show up, and instead go on about their illegal business in our country. Since both major political parties see these illegals as a source of cheap labor and future voters, this situation is unlikely to change until the people throw everyone out of office that does not actively try to solve this problem.

Immigration reform is one issue where I differ somewhat from the Libertarian Party stance. While the Party believes in not giving free services and support to immigrants, they oppose fortifying the borders and tightly controlling immigration. I see controlling who comes into our country analogous to me deciding who gets to enter my home. By restricting access, we make it harder for criminals, terrorists, smugglers, diseases and drugs to enter our country. Right now, so many thousands of people illegally enter our country every day that we can’t tell who is coming to work and who is coming to wreak havoc.