Interesting how no one pays any attention to the benefits of illegal immigration. I am not going to rehash what already has been debated ad nauseum in other threads, but the problem is not immigration or illegal immigration, but rather the existence (and extent) of misguided public benefit programs and the lack of adequate border security (against security threats, not migrant workers).
No offense to anyone here, but I believe that this is a false issue driven almost entirely by xenophobia. The vast majority of illegal immigrants are hard-working, good people who we need to do work that most Americans are too lazy (or at least unwilling) to do. To the extent they are not paying taxes, it is because the system deters them from integrating into society. Our country gets softer every day, and I'm tired of people blaming their own personal failures and frustrations on immigrants.
The legal vs. illegal distinction is a red herring -- it is just about impossible to immigrate here legally from Mexico, for example. So maybe we should just tear down the Statue of Liberty since so many people don't seem to believe in what it stands for.
BTW, I know I am speaking for many others who have PM'd me on this topic but who are afraid to offend anyone here by calling a spade a spade. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I know there are people against illegal immigration who are not xenophobes, but frankly I think those people are the exception, not the rule.
So apologies to anyone offended by what I've said here, but that's what I really think.
