Consequences
by Brian Campbell
A Discussion on Immigration and Public Dialogue
Have you noticed how difficult it is to have civil conversations, especially on social media where the tone of a post is often shaped more by the reader’s emotional state than by the writer’s intentions? This misalignment can quickly escalate into conflict, and much of it can be attributed to misinterpretation and defensiveness.
Adding to the problem is the lack of transparency in social and corporate media. These platforms often censor information, with Mark Zuckerberg admitting as much, and the Twitter files exposing similar practices. Social networks like Nextdoor and Ed Hat routinely filter or delete factual posts that don’t align with a specific narrative, even when they include official government sources.
On top of that, corporate media are in the business of drama, not news, and often spread half-truths. Bad news and sensational stories sell better than stories of safety or positivity.
Which brings me to a hot-button issue: illegal immigration. People breaking immigration laws to enter this country.
Why does no one recall, for example, that President Barack Obama deported 5.3 million “illegal immigrants”? The Economist dubbed him “Deporter-in-Chief.” He openly warned undocumented immigrants that they would be held accountable. Bill Clinton deported 12 million illegals and Hillary Clinton supported strict policies, saying that those who break the law should be deported, and that law-abiding illegal immigrants should learn English, pay stiff fines, and back taxes.
Why the outrage only when Trump enforces similar policies? Why do so many Democrats forget or ignore the historical actions of previous administrations?
Deportation, however, isn’t the heart of the matter.
No Consequences for Illegal Activity
The question is: why do we allow illegal immigrants to stay? Why do California and our local government turn a blind eye? One reason could be personal stories like that of Salud Carbajal, who immigrated illegally with his family at age five (first to Arizona and then) to Oxnard where his father worked on a farm. Salud eventually became a U.S. citizen, served in the military, and was elected to public office. While Salud’s success story is admirable, it is not the reason many argue for illegal immigration.
Many supporters of illegal immigration point to the need for migrant labor, particularly in farming, claiming that illegal workers take manual labor and demeaning jobs that Americans won’t do for lower wages than a citizen would demand.
But isn’t this exploitation?
Are we accepting the exploitation of workers paid below market wages for dangerous, grueling work living in fear of the authorities deporting them? Almost a quarter of illegal immigrants work in private households.
The issue isn’t just about farming.
Because of their lower level of education, illegal immigrants are also heavily concentrated in lower-wage, less-skilled jobs such as construction, cleaning, maintenance, food service and preparation, groundskeeping, retail sales, and food processing. It’s crucial to recognize that most illegal immigrants are not filling labor gaps but rather contributing to an underclass that is often mistreated and underpaid.
Public Resources Stretched Thin
There are the misleading claims that undocumented workers contribute to the economy by paying taxes and do not cost taxpayers. The reality is that California bears a huge fiscal burden due to its illegal immigrant population. The annual expenditure of state and local tax dollars to provide health care, education, and assistance to these individuals is $25.3 billion (in 2014). Nationally, the net fiscal cost of illegal immigration has been estimated at $150.7 billion last year. The cost of supporting undocumented immigrants adds to an already strained budget and high taxes, further exacerbating the financial challenges faced by residents.
In Santa Barbara and other places, we see public resources bursting at the seams, with tax dollars funding services for those who broke the law to enter the country. Meanwhile, we struggle to address the needs of homeless citizens – particularly military veterans – who face severe challenges. How do you feel when you see a homeless person standing on the freeway off-ramp disheveled, unbathed, barefoot? Do you think about the billions spent on people who break our immigration laws and how that money could help those Americans get off the streets?
Why is it that we can provide financial aid, healthcare, and housing for illegal immigrants but can’t make a significant dent in homelessness for American citizens?
A Modest Proposal
Rather than engaging in open dialogue, many people resort to name-calling or even dismissal; our own City Council often engages in immature name calling and finger pointing. Our local government should focus on supporting law-abiding citizens, not rewarding illegal behavior. When policies are created that openly ignore the rule of law, we risk sending the message that breaking laws is acceptable.
Moreover, we must ask ourselves: should illegal immigrants be treated differently than anyone else who breaks the law? Should we be offering government help to all those who break laws? Should law breakers’ status as parents or their desire for a better life automatically exempt them from legal consequences? Does that extend to people who steal the property of others?
We would be a lawless and chaotic society if we ignored the rules.
The lack of vetting means we do not know if some illegal immigrants pose a threat to national security or public safety.
Let’s not forget that America is built on immigration, but it’s crucial that we follow rules and processes that ensure our society remains stable and just for all those who emigrate here and to all citizens. To continue being a beacon of hope for immigrants around the world, we need immigration policies that are respected and enforced.
We should ask ourselves how we can have more open, honest, and productive conversations about these issues, without getting bogged down in political games and misinformation.
It's impossible to discuss illegal immigration as a problem with Santa Barbarans who consider themselves liberals, especially the ones who have yard signs about it. Because they aren't experiencing any negative impact from it and it suits their vanity as “good” people to yak on about how anyone who is opposed to it is a Nazi. And they get their houses cleaned for the same price they have paid for years. These people are self centered ostriches who are impossible to have a rational discussion with because they just live in a bubble and want to stay there.
As for Salud. He's been such an ungrateful, divisive do-nothing in Santa Barbara. He's hardly a role model for anything. The way he uses himself as a reason for making this a sanctuary city is disgusting. He just wants people who'll vote for him. He cares nothing about how it's negatively impacted the education and healthcare for others.
My great great grandfather was an immigrant; I have his immigration scroll (not sure what you call it). Prior to being naturalized he worked a year in the U.S., had character witnesses as such, and he swore to declaim loyalty to his birth country and claim loyalty to the United States of America. That’s how you do it.