There seem to be two sides of the immigration debate, and citizens are expected to choose one side or the other. I believe both sides are wrong, and are purposely misleading the public.
Side One: Conservatives, tea partiers, and most Republicans use rhetoric like "illegal aliens", and "illegals" when referring to individuals in this country illegally. They lump everyone, regardless of circumstance, into this group of "illegals". People who overstay visas, and parents coming to work to feed their families are lumped in with the criminal, gang, and drug elements. They seem to focus on enforcement, without any regard to the 4th amendment (which guarantees against unreasonable search and seizure).
Side Two: My fellow liberals often like to refer to illegal immigrants as "undocumented workers". While this seems to be more politically correct than "illegal aliens", I don't think it accurately describes the situation. It sounds very much like someone who just "lost" their immigration papers, rather than someone who overstayed their visa or illegally entered the country.
The truth is, people come to this country illegally for many different reasons. Some people cross the border illegally to make money to send home so their family can survive. Some do it in search of a better life. Others come to join gangs and sell drugs.
There is another group of "illegal immigrants" that also get lumped in with the other groups: People who overstay their visas. These people come into the country legally on a visa, and don't leave after their visa expires. There are many reasons for this. Some people are fleeing oppression, rape, genocide, or murder in their own country. They may be in the process of filing for a green card when their visa expired. They may have had children, gotten married, or just fell in love.
So, is it reasonable or moral to lump all these different circumstances into one group? Is it reasonable to punish these crimes as though all of them had the intentions of the drug / gang / criminal elements? Should a gang banger be put through the same process and punishment as the mother working to support her family? Should the person who overstayed their visa be put through the same process and punishment as the drug dealer?
Illegal immigrants also fall into five categories when it comes to taxes.
Group One: Those who's employers have a "don't ask, don't tell" attitude. They work "under the table", being paid cash. They haven't stolen anyone's ID. Their employer has to pay taxes on that money because the expense is not deductible from the employers taxes. The employer receives a benefit from their labor, and often generates revenue from their labor. The employer has to pay taxes on those funds. The only taxes that are not always fully paid are the FICA tax and medicare, because of taxable income limits for those taxes.
Group Two: Those who make up a social security number, and give that number to their employer. These individuals pay taxes, including fica and medicare, which are taken out of their paychecks. From time to time, they may accidentally make up a social security number that actually belongs to someone. This fact comes to light when the "real" owner of the SSN gets a notice from the IRS saying they didn't claim all their income.
Group Three: Those who knowingly steal or purchase a real SSN and SS card. Again, they pay taxes out of their checks. The difference between groups two and three is the intent. One group knowingly steals an identity, while the other does not.
Group Four: Those who get an EIN (employer identification number) from the IRS, which issues these numbers to businesses for tax reporting. These individuals also pay taxes out of their paychecks.
Group Five: Those who do not "work" perse. They support themselves by engaging in gang / criminal / drug activities. These individuals do not pay taxes either directly or indirectly.
As you can see, not all these groups are the same. Except for groups three and five, there is no intent to harm or defraud another person. In all groups except five, taxes are paid directly from the worker's paycheck, or as part of the employers (usually higher) taxes.
I firmly believe that lumping all these disparate groups into one, and labeling them "illegal aliens" or "undocumented workers" does a disservice to the public, and applies the punishment and social stigma of the criminal / drug / gang elements to otherwise good, hard working people.
If we are going to remain a welcoming, compassionate beacon of freedom in the world, we must insert some truth in the immigration debate. Otherwise, we empower evil and racist elements in our culture. These evil and racist elements are a danger to all liberties and human dignity, not just those of illegal immigrants.
I beg my fellow citizens to call out politicians, news organizations, and talk show hosts when they spread misinformation and demonize illegal immigrants. We must not allow the public discourse to be hijacked by evil, xenophobic, racist elements.
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