Illegal Immigration: Helping America Prosper or Creating Racism?

Illegal Immigration: Helping America Prosper or Creating Racism?

In 1883, Emma Lazarus wrote a poem that has become a fixture in American History. America was once a place that welcomed people from all countries.
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door."
But not in the year 2006. Now, government patrols, high fences, and deportation are all words commonly associated with immigration to America. What does the America of 2006 think about foreign people coming to our country? There are of course those people who are unsure or apathetic, but this is one political issue most people have strong feelings about.
A California college paper published an article in April 2006 about the immigration debate. The author was a man who supported immigration, illegal or otherwise, for eight main reasons. First, he claims that it makes sense economically. He seems to find it acceptable to exploit immigrants and their willingness to work for lower pay than the average American. He writes, "There is a large demand for cheap labor in the U.S., and a fairly inexhaustible supply of it in Mexico." He then uses color as a reason, calling America "a rainbow." He also points out that it is "only fair." He claims it is not our fault that some people are born in underprivileged areas. One of the last reasons the author claims we should be accepting of immigrants is because it is humane. He states conditions are poor in Mexico and attempting to cross to the U.S. is dangerous.
Much of this student's reasoning is irrelevant and juvenile. First of all, why does it matter what race people are? We should not be willing to let anyone into the country in order to create ethnic diversity. Second, it is not right to take advantage of the fact that most immigrants are willing to work for mediocre wages. Also, it is not our fault that they can't manage to follow American laws and figure out a way to come to this country properly. If they would just take the time and effort to do things correctly, they wouldn't put themselves in danger to begin with.
Of course there are just as many people who do not support immigration as those who do. Sometimes these people do not want to speak up, because speaking out against immigration makes them seem racist. People need to understand that there is a difference and differences of opinion need to be voiced.
Although I couldn't find a strong article against immigration, I did find one that talked about the impact of immigrants on different programs in our country and the results of research done by some companies and organizations. An article was written by John Schoen entitled "Are Immigrants Bad for the US?" The only main thing he discusses is a study by the University of Texas. The study looked at the 24 counties along the U.S.-Mexico border and asked: what would these counties look like if they became a 51st state? What they found was that that state would be the 13th largest and have more crime than any other state in the nation. This imaginary state would also have a drained education and healthcare system. Another article, written by Marc Fisher, talks about what one state, Virginia, is doing to help their American citizens. Recently the House of Delegates passed a bill that would ban illegal immigrants from attending the state's colleges and universities. The House also passed a law saying that the state's police would now have the ability to enforce immigration laws and become immigration cops for routine things such as traffic stops.
I think what Virginia is doing is exactly what all the states need to do. If the American government cannot handle this situation in an effective way, then the states need to take charge and protect their people. Permitting cops to enforce immigration laws will definitely help. The more law enforcement people that have authority over illegal immigrants, the better. You can't catch millions of people without more manpower. Also, it is a great idea to ban illegals from attending colleges. College is a benefit for students living in America legally. It is not fair that illegal students can just come in and take other students spots in class. It is the same with jobs. Illegal immigrants should not be able to come here and get jobs, when American citizens need those jobs. I know for a fact that other employees at my recent summer job were not in this country legally. This is a main issue that needs to be controlled. If employers would not hire illegal immigrants then they wouldn't be able to come to this country and earn a living. I have also heard about illegal immigrants making fake social security cards to attain jobs. How can the government not have preventive measures against this?
Don't get me wrong though. There is nothing wrong with immigrants who come here legally. I would encourage people who live in other countries, in substandard conditions, under oppressive governments, or whatever their reason, to immigrate to America. This country has many opportunities for everyone and is very cultural and ethnically diverse. People living in other countries should want to start off their American lives the right way, legally, so they can take advantage of all these opportunities.