Illegals fear enforcement, go figure!

I'm one of those Californians who believe that illegal immigration, primarily from Mexico, into this state is costing us billions and is doing harm to much of our infrastructure (healthcare, education, etc.) that will take years to fix, if it even can be! So I had to laugh (or cry) when I read the local business owners reaction to the Costa Mesa police officers participating (in a form) to help enforce immigration law in their city.

I don't subscribe to the notion that we need illegal cheap labor to sustain our economy and standard of living. There was a time when most fast food, unskilled construction and manual labor jobs were filled by high school and college students. Yes, farm workers have been primarily illegals for a very long time. However, just like the California public school system, this can only be fixed by going thru a painful demolition of the status quo followed by a painful (and expensive) rebuilding. The food industry has always had this inappropriately cheap and illegal labor so the creation and adoption of technology hasn't had a forcing function. The physical tasks done by most farm workers in the field can be automated with ease.

I admit I didn't do a lot of homework on this other than reading this article on the situation in Costa Mesa. Apparently what will happen is that if police have a suspected violent felon in their hands, they check that persons immigration status. Ooooh, so evil! So when the business owners say "fear among the immigrant community is keeping patrons away from businesses that cater to Hispanic customers", I say so what? If you're not an illegal there's nothing to fear. If businesses exist that actually base their survival on selling goods and services to illegals I don't care if they suffer. It's a ridiculous argument to say that to check the immigration status of people who end up with cuffs on is somehow bad, overreaching, inappropriate, or will hurt businesses that cater to them! If the police have a person in cuffs, I say check with the FBI, Homeland Security, the INS, the IRS, with other countries, and if it's a man see if he's a deadbeat dad. I also can't stand how these stories stay away from using the word "illegals" or "illegal immigrant" as if it's offensive to do so. Now, if only we would deport those found to be illegal.

Update (3/25): The protests over the pending immigration bill 4437 took place where you would expect. It's also not surprising that all the news stories are very illegal friendly with no reporter asking why shouldn't the U.S. enforce it's immigration laws? Why must the U.S. be the only country to not enforce laws at its border? If you come here ignoring the various laws that govern living and working here why should we not assume you will ignore other laws? Why is it ok to pick and choose the laws you obey? How many illegals pay taxes? How many illegals drive on a valid license or have insurance? How many illegals are arrested for crimes or are in our jails? How many of those in the protests have spent just one millisecond working to improve legal immigration from other countries to the US? How many who protested and are illegal have attempted to be here legally? If that failed why and what have they done to work toward improving that process? What does it teach about the rule of law, respect for our laws, respect for our system, when we just forgive the breaking of immigration laws? Notice also the fear mongering to suggest that people will just be rounded up by the way they look! Ya, sure just like we only do airport screening of middle eastern looking men.

update (3/26): I'm confused....the LA Times, whose city saw the biggest protest over 4437, uses the headline More Than 500,000 Rally in L.A. for Immigrants' Rights. And their link showing pictures of the protest have captions like "Marchers protest HR 4437, an anti-immigration bill that opponents say will criminalize millions of immigrants and anyone who helps them." Oh, so this bill actually goes after people who immigrated legally? We are going to criminalize legal immigration and go after people who have been here for years legally? Now I see what all the fuss is about...gee, silly me.