Progressives for Immigration Reform

January 7, 2010

by Phil Cafaro

Today the New York Times ran yet another in its endless series of editorials advocating amnesty for illegal immigrants and increased levels of immigration—American workers be damned. You’ve read it before, of course, but the “new” editorial, titled “Immigration’s New Year,” can be accessed at http://community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/opinion/06wed1.html.

In contrast to the Times’ tired rhetoric, the response to the editorial by Carole A Dunn, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi (#35 on the webpage) was honest and to the point. I quote it in full:

Massive immigration to this country was a great boon and added to the richness of our culture. That time is past however. We now have millions of Americans with no jobs and millions more with jobs holding no future. The outsourcing of jobs and the importing of more and more foreign workers has stripped the average American of supporting a family in a decent lifestyle without descending into debt. It has made a college education almost worthless for many.

Now is not the time to talk about what a boon to America millions of immigrants are. We are becoming a nation of peasants; we are becoming more and more like the countries that immigrants flee. What we need to do now is put a moratorium on all legal immigration, curb illegal immigration, stop the use of H1-B, and other work visas, and concentrate on putting Americans back to work in good jobs.

People like Mayor Bloomberg, who live up in the stratosphere, can wax poetic all they want about immigrants, but it will cut no ice with the average American who has been made to feel like an outcast in his/her own land. The upper classes have to learn that they must pay people a living wage, and stop trying to get something for nothing. The rich in this country run the government and enjoy the lowest tax rates in the world. If they want slave labor too, let them move to the third world.

Thanks to Carole Dunn! You made my day. With your help, we will force this Administration and Congress to pay attention to the interests of American workers—or pay the penalty in November.