Walter In Denver

Not just spend more money. Send troops and build more prisons and train more cops is, it seems of late, Amrica's solution to the problems it faces. I still remember that grand speech With almost socialistic or shall we say New Deal overtones he staged in New Orleans. Look at what's happening down there!

Solutions to (illegal) immigration seem to have more holes than solutions to any other issue. So, it's easy to point out faults in the solutions of others. What I have failed to see is a real solution put out by the people who point fingers. What is the solution? The general consensus I get from the Libertarians (at least on this site) is that we should welcome the illegal immigrants as much as we do the legal ones. I'm not afraid of the culture changing in America. In fact, I welcome change and I enjoy other cultures, but Europe, mostly France, is a good example of what lax immigration policies can do. The immigrants don't take on the values of the region and therefore don't attach themselves to the country. This actually removes money from the country and is not beneficial. Is this what you're supporting?

what do you think of his proposals

Bush to Send 6,000 National Guardsmen to Southern U.S. Border

"The immigrants don't take on the values of the region and therefore don't attach themselves to the country. This actually removes money from the country and is not beneficial. Is this what you're supporting?"

Probably not, since if you look at any of the actual relevant statistics, illegal immigrants assimilate to American culture in overwhelming percentages, the same percentages as every immigrant group before them, over three generations. This is a crucial difference between much of Europe and America.

What is the solution? The general consensus I get from the Libertarians (at least on this site) is that we should welcome the illegal immigrants as much as we do the legal ones. I'm not afraid of the culture changing in America. In fact, I welcome change and I enjoy other cultures, but Europe, mostly France, is a good example of what lax immigration policies can do.

I would rather that all immigrants came here legally.

I'm not a utopianist, and, as is the case in many political issues, there is no perfect solution here. Immigration is a good thing, at least in abstract. Income tansfers via taxation are a bad things. As much as those two ideas are related I'd like them to not be, meaning I'd rather not see people come here to take advantage of social services.

I'm fairly confident in asserting that most modern immigrants come here for employment and business opportunities, just as in earlier immigration waves, and that is an unqualified positive for for the nation. Bring 'em on.

Gary, I discovered the statistic that 2/3 of all second generation mexican immigrants don't speak Spanish soon after I made my comment, so I apologize for speaking too soon. That is an encouraging thing that immmigrants are assimilating, but I don't know that those are illegal immigrants or legal ones which is really the debate here.

Walter, I'm still not sure what you're advocating. I think we all want immigrants that come here to do so legally, but does that mean that we expand what legal means or does it mean that we keep illegal immigrants from coming in? Either way a more specific answer must be reached

The status quo has some merit, as people come to work and as illegals are ineligible for many public services. That is, however grossly unfair. I could never really advocate such.

The abilities to move about and associate with whomever you wish are basic human rights, so I would rather see open immigration. In a perfect world that would be coupled with a revocation of government entitlement programs, for immigrants as well as long time residents. As I stated above, I'm not a utopianist, so I'll be happy with either of those advances even in the absence of the other.

The solution I like is Wide Gates, High Walls. Charge everybody $3,000 to come here (most pay that much anyway) and use the money to do a medical exam and background check to keep out the terrorists and those with contagious disease. Use the rest of the money to build a serious wall. This self financing plan will yield $3 Billion per year from 1 million immigrants (less than 0.3 percent of current population).

More facts on assimilation here.

"I would rather that all immigrants came here legally."

Sure, who wouldn't? And clearly the easiest way to accomplish that is to make it far easier for them to come here legally.

As it stands, only a very small number of Mexicans can come here legally. If we give them more of a chance to do that, then presumably fewer will come here illegally, risking dying, as hundreds do so die every year.

Our school needs to get some information about what you really think of Bush's Imigration Speech

more specific about the Temporary Worker Program