La Opinion: Immigration Problem Centers on Welfare State

Washington politicians are debating immigration reform once again. Justifiably, Republicans want border control. Understandably, Democrats want a pathway to citizenship. While Democrats recognize the plight of young illegals brought to this country against their will, Republicans recognize that without the rule of law, the well-being of all Americans, and even illegal immigrants, means nothing.

Immigration was not a problem a century ago. What has changed since then?
Political pundits have submitted that a majority of recent arrivals, either legal or illegal, come from Mexico or Latin America. While the ocean provided a psychological divide for the assimilation of European immigrants, the proximity of Mexico and Latin America to the United States has delayed the assimilation of Hispanic immigrants. If people research this country’s immigration patterns, they will find that immigrants to the United States have been coming from all over the world for decades, even Mexico and Canada.

The immigration problem has nothing to do with the immigrants themselves. The immigration problem has nothing to do with the lack of skills, or the greater abundance of skills, which immigrants bring to this country. The immigration problem has nothing to do with the fear of terrorism, although mistakes in immigration processing allowed nineteen high-jackers from Arab countries to attack the World Trade Center.  Despite the lack of inoculation for man third-world immigrants, health issues are not stalling immigration reform, either.

The contention has everything to do with the welfare state, which did not exist a century ago. As long as the United States provides federal aid and public services (like education), regardless of citizenship, then law-abiding, taxpaying citizens will understandably and justifiably resist immigration reform.

Get rid of the welfare state, open the borders with steady law enforcement protection. Streamline naturalization, and economic forces will balance out immigration patterns. Problem solved.