Illegal Immigrant Rights?

A bit of my thoughts on a local news article I read that bleeds into a bigger issue somewhat.


The "Day Without An Immigrant" began on Monday morning May 2nd 2006 in Gilroy with over 600 people marching through the city streets to gather at Gilroy's City Hall. At the end of the demonstration dozens drove to larger protests in San Jose. This was not the first march of its kind concerning "immigrant rights". The first was held in April and was organized in protest of a proposed bill that would have made it a felony to be an illegal immigrant and to help an illegal immigrant. Soon after the demonstration the bill was revised and did not include language making illegal immigrants felons. The point of the May 2nd demonstration was to show the law makers in Washington the economic power of the illegal immigrant work force and those who support them, corporations notwithstanding.

The Gilroy Dispatch reported an unofficial list of local businesses affected by the boycott, most of them "Hispanic-owned" and frequented in large part by the very people boycotting them. The Dispatch also cited "preliminary reports from The California Association of Employers that indicated only 97 percent of businesses in a statewide survey reported they do not believe the boycotts put a financial strain on their business." Although, nationwide the demonstration/boycott did shut down some big name corporate factories. The impact may have been softened, however, by a number of workers calling in to request the day off before the march, allowing employers to find cover for the marching workers.

"We're trying to help the 11 million that have no rights" and "we need to defend the human rights of everyone", the protesters reportedly said. No one offered any specific example of the human rights being withheld or who is doing the withholding. One Gavilan College student who made signs for the protest but did not attend, opting instead to participate in school that day said "America is the greatest country in the world because of immigrants. As long as there is poverty around the world, people are going to come. As long as there is a dream--people will run, jump, swim here. That's why this country is great--because people die trying to come here." While I agree with the sentiment that America is a great country due, in part, to immigration, I cannot say the same for the last part of the comment. People die trying to cross into Mexico from the South but that's not because the country is great, it is because Mexico can shoot border violators on sight. Maybe the quote should instead be "That is why this country is great because people aren't killed for trying to come here."

While the protests are largely in support of amnesty for illegal immigrants both the news media, and the demonstrators fail to distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants; Even a number of members of the California State Senate seemingly endorse the breaking of our immigration laws. Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, is the chief author of Senate Concurrent Resolution 113. The resolution compared the illegal immigrants plight to that of the African-American Community during the Jim Crow days. Given that illegal immigrants are not American citizens and there is no organized oppression of immigrant workers, legal or otherwise, it is hard--if not impossible--to see the connection.

I do not agree with making all illegal immigrants felons along with any person who would help them. In fact I would accept granting citizenship to illegals currently in the U.S. who meet the current requirements and who pay any pertinent fines and fees that go along with it. I do, however, support the upholding of laws passed in the 80's concerning employment of illegal immigrants. Laws which have been ignored by corporations in favor of cheap labor and politicians across party lines in favor of those who lobby for the corporations. The laws and systems in place are no more complicated than those of any other country. Disregarding the system of laws put in place, such as financial and health requirements--which have not dampered America's position as a magnet for immigration--threatens to weaken that magnetic force that draws more immigrants to this country than to any other in the world.