Illegal Immigration

Related Principles

• Treat others as you'd want to be treated
• If providing for one's family isn't an unalienable right, I don't know what is.
• Stop calling for institutional discrimination against people who violated our immigration laws since nobody deserves benefits using money forcibly taken from others. More information.
• Don't use the law as an excuse to not treat people as people. In John 8:2-11 is the account of the women, apparently guilty of adultery, who was brought to Jesus by the Pharisees and Scribes.

Referring to HB070 (Utah):

This legislation violates even the most basic principles of morality.

- Treat others as you'd want to be treated. Many people currently in this country "illegally" are trying to escape violence or poverty. They are trying to get a better life and our current immigration law makes it very difficult to immigrate "legally."

- If providing for one's own family isn't an unalienable right I don't know what is. Laws that make this illegal are themselves illegal.

- Most of the so-called problems of illegal immigration are caused by socialist programs. Socialism is a serious violation of the principles of good government -- focus on eliminating that.

- Other problems of illegal immigration are caused by the laws making it a crime to provide for ones' family. Again, these laws are themselves illegal and must be eliminated.

Typical arguments for stronger enforcement and/or stronger laws against illegal aliens:

• They are the source of a great deal of violent and drug related crime.
  • My rebuttal:
    • Statistics I've read suggest that immigrants whether illegal or not are far less likely to commit a crime than people born in the United States. On explanation is that people who wish to stay in the country for whatever reason want to stay under the radar of the law, which is likely to have them deported.
    • When you make it a crime for illegal aliens to do honorable work, they may feel themselves forced into dishonorable work.

Here's a music video that to me applies very well. Some only see the broken law and not the people.

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Relevant questions and answers:

1. Why do some believe illegal aliens present a problem that needs to be solved?
   1. To avoid being caught or to be able to secure employment, illegal aliens may create or purchase identity papers claiming an identity that belongs to someone else. This can cause problem for the person who's identity is stolen such as a bad credit rating or even legal action.
   2. My understanding is that it's common for illegal aliens to be paid, "under the table" without taxation. This means they receive benefits (e.g., health care, roads, education, ...) that's paid for by someone else. The cost of these benefits can be great, especially if there are language barriers.
   3. People who illegally enter or stay in the country may want to harm or exploit us (e.g., terrorism, smuggling).
   4. Since there are federal laws against illegal aliens being employed, they tend to fake identity information so they can work. This has the potential of creating problems for the person who's identity was stolen.
   5. With laws against employment, illegal aliens may gravitate towards illegal work such as selling drugs and smuggling.
   6. Federal law requires that certain welfare programs be available to people regardless of their immigration status and without federal money to pay for the programs.

• Some strongly object to giving illegal aliens a path to legal residency. Why is that?
  • It's unfair to those trying to get into the country legally.
• Does the Constitution authorize the federal government to regulate immigration?
  • It does allow the federal government to regulate naturalization, but does that necessarily imply immigration?
    • I don't think so since residency is not the same as citizenship.
  • The Constitution does give authority for protecting the country from invasion, but moving to our country is not an invasion. Criminal activity whether done by a foreigner or a citizen should be handled in the same manner.