How times have changed. We moved to Bellingham, WA in 1984. During the Clinton administration, ICE agents raided a local manufacturing business and deported about seven workers. Many people were upset and blamed the employers for hiring illegal workers. The argument was that if employers didn’t hire illegal workers, they wouldn’t come here.
I thought of that while reading about the South Korean nationals who were recently arrested for entering the country illegally or overstaying their visas. The new argument is that employers need illegal workers. It is illegal to hire undocumented workers.
I’ve read that Hyundai brought in labor from South Korea because they required special skills that U.S. workers did not possess. That is an example of a worker that visas are made for. Some are saying South Korean workers were doing basic construction like reinforced concrete.
The idea that we needed open borders for labor seemed to start with people picking crops. We were told that no Americans would take the jobs. Now we’re finding that illegal labor may be taking well-paying construction jobs. If the law was upheld, I believe the workers would be deported and the company fined and possibly company officers imprisoned.
What bothers me is that some people only want to enforce laws when they want to. Indeed, I’ve noticed that many of the people who vote for nearly every proposal for a new law are the same people who refuse to enforce the laws already on the books.
They permit excuses for lawlessness. Somehow the laws are unfair. I say enforce the laws and if they are unfair change the laws.
Certainly, our immigration laws should be updated. The original intent seems to be to maintain our European majority. I like to believe that the U.S. is a land of opportunity. I’d like to welcome those who agree with our constitution and way of life. I’m not so welcoming of those who want to come here to bring down the U.S.A.
Equality of opportunity does not equal equality of outcome. We should continue to level the playing field without tipping the game in favor of anyone.