The illegal immigration issue is mostly a hypocritical mirage.
We certainly need to control our borders to guard against smuggling and terrorism. However, the overwhelming majority of the problem is with people coming to America to work.
To solve that problem we would need to shift the risk-reward calculation for hiring illegal immigrants. If existing laws were strictly and vigorously enforced and strengthened where necessary, the risks would outweigh the potential benefits.
Despite all the angst over the issue, that has not happened due to a lack of political will to go after the employers beyond the minority on the truly exploitive end of the spectrum.
The truth is that not enough citizens want to do many of those jobs, at least at current wage levels, and we don’t want to pay more for the goods and services they contribute to.
A common-sense, compassionate plan toward citizenship, and in some cases at least work permits for those already here, coupled with future vigorous enforcement, would solve the majority of the problem.
However, that will not happen until the hypocrisy over the nature and pay scale for the jobs many illegal immigrants hold is overcome.
GARY PALMER
Chichester