The Cookie Can Go Back Where it Came From

The Cookie Can Go Back Where it Came From

Andy Boden

Undergraduate/Political Science

While by the Service Center in Davies the other day I noticed that the College Republicans had a table set up with a sign that read “Eat a Cookie (On Immigration), Feed Your Mind.” It was a novel idea they had – appeal to the basic need of hunger, a need particularly valued by college students, and inform the public at the same time. I wasn’t much in the mood for a cookie at the time, but was rather curious to know what they had to say.

I grabbed a slip of paper off one of the cellophane-wrapped cookies. The slip stated,

“The current version of the Senate Stimulus bill (The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) contains $104 billion in construction spending…Government estimates suggest this spending should create about two million new construction jobs. Consistent with other research, the Center of Immigration Studies has previously estimated that 15 percent of construction workers are illegal immigrants. This means that about 300,000 of the construction jobs created by the Senate stimulus could go to illegal aliens (15 percent of 2 million).”

The statement on this slip really got me to think.

Now, I’m not going to knock the CR’s for bringing attention to an issue that they strongly believe in, nor am I going to dispute the facts on the little slip of paper. Instead, I will attempt to start a dialogue by asking this group, “What’s the point?” Granted, the statement on that little slip of paper wasn’t the only piece of information that they were trying to bring awareness to, but with this particular piece of information, were they trying to speak out against illegal immigrants or the stimulus package?

My guess would be the stimulus package because it was passed by both houses of Congress, whose majorities both consist of Democrats, and the president, who’s also a member of their rival party. By mentioning the federal government, the Senate in particular as the responsible party, and by using a sensitive issue such as illegal immigration for leverage, my guess is that the CR’s were trying to elicit ill sentiments for Democrats amongst the public. However, if they were actually speaking out against illegal immigration, then one must ask the question of where the problem actually lies.

The CR’s are obviously upset that some of the $104 billion of our tax dollars could go to illegal immigrants. Then again, it’s also possible that the money won’t go to illegal immigrants. This is where the answer to the question comes in. The problem isn’t that Congress has passed a bill worth an astronomical amount of money with the potential of some of it going to illegal immigrants. Instead, it lies with those hiring the workers. For example, it’s a common stereotype that illegal immigrants in the U.S. work in restaurant kitchens, and let’s say that there’s some truth to that stereotype (which there is). To say that Congress shouldn’t pass a bill just because there’s a potential that illegal immigrants could get construction jobs would be the same as saying that someone shouldn’t open up a restaurant just because there’s a chance that illegal immigrants could end up working in the kitchens.

Ultimately, the employers are the ones who are responsible for making sure potential workers have the correct documentation in order to work, whether the money that they would be making comes from the company or from the taxpayer. In fact, this is probably the best way to cut down on illegal immigration. Take a look at the alternatives:

·     More Border Security: This seems like the most practical way to cut down on illegal immigration, but keeping every single potential illegal immigrant out of the country is just like hunting down every single terrorist – it’s too unrealistic.

·     Deportation: This also seems like a practical method of cracking down on illegal immigration. However, these people are human beings and if we deport all illegal immigrants, there is a potential of breaking up families. Also, our economy would take a major hit if all the illegal immigrants were to just be gone all of a sudden.

·     Granting Citizenship: Many people who are illegally in this country have been living and working here for a long time and have proven that they can be an asset to this country. However, if we grant too many illegal immigrants citizenship, then we’d be sending the wrong message and appear that we don’t take our laws seriously.

The main reason why people come to this country is for economic opportunity. If employers take the steps to make sure that the people they hire are legally living in this country,  illegal immigrants won’t have the economic opportunities they would hope to have, and therefore will have no reason to come here. The best way to handle the issue of illegal immigration is to have comprehensive reforms that include several of these alternatives. As for the stimulus package, the problem lies with those hiring illegal immigrants, not with who creates the jobs.

Besides, regardless of whether or not the hired construction workers are legal or not, the tax money we’re paying still supports a good cause with hopes that we can revamp our economy. Hopefully it will happen, but it’s too early to tell. So keep your fingers crossed that it will happen, that the employers will hire workers responsibly, and that we’ll all have another opportunity to get free cookies.