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  8. Peripheral Artists (5): Mikhail Vrubel
  9. Illegal Update


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« Beloved Museum Shops | Main | Peripheral Artists (5): Mikhail Vrubel »

March 08, 2006

Illegal Update

Michael Blowhard writes:

Dear Blowhards --

The illegal-immigrant population of the U.S. is growing by at least 500,000 per year, according to a new study by the (liberal) Pew Hispanic Center. As recently as 2000, there were only 8.4 million illegals in the country. Today there are almost certainly more than 12 million -- accounting for roughly 1/3 of the foreign-born population in the States. Steve Sailer and some of his correspondents ponder the figures.

Best,

Michael

posted by Michael at March 8, 2006




Comments

One of my favorite stories about immigration (illegal or not) involved life in Washington state. It spoke about what life is like there (and Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, etc.) where all off the jobs that Americans will not do are being done by Americans.

And somehow, some way, they have low crime rates and a civil society. I really wish I could remember where I read that.

p.s. I guess I should mention that the writer was in eastern Washington, not near Seattle.

Posted by: Ian Lewis on March 8, 2006 08:15 AM



What "jobs that Americans will not do"? Who did these jobs before illegal immigration was so tolerated? Are you saying these jobs wouldn't be done without illegal immigration? What evidence is there that Americans won't do any jobs? This is nonsense. Immigrants compete for all jobs with legal residents.

Posted by: Robert Speirs on March 8, 2006 10:34 AM



Oops. Should have read more carefully before I launched photon torpedoes. Your post, Ian, says the opposite of what I thought. And your point is important. It reminds me of a white South African immigrant who came to New Hampshire and, looking at a group of construction workers, commented on how odd it was to see white men doing manual labor.

Posted by: Robert Speirs on March 8, 2006 10:37 AM



Have you heard the latest? (This reads like a joke, but it isn't.)

El Presidente Jorge W. Bush-Gonzales and his ruling junta are now squeezing Senators on behalf of his plan to issue all illegals in the United States a Gold Card that will allow them to stay and work in the United States permanently.

Set the clock forward, folks. It's post-democracy time. The strongly held views of a large majority of Americans count for nothing against the sick alliance of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Liberal Establishment.

Posted by: Rick Darby on March 8, 2006 03:29 PM



And here are some chilling stats, quoted by Robert Samuelson from the same Pew study:

Since 1990, about 90 percent of the increase in people living below the government's poverty lines are Hispanic. That has to be mainly immigrants and their American-born children. The median net worth of Hispanic households is about 9 percent of that of non-Hispanic whites (net worth is what people own minus what they owe), reports the Pew Hispanic Center.

He recommends a border fence, employer sanctions, and an amnesty. The last, he doesn't say how long after enforcement is in place it would come. Still, it stuns me to contemplate how quickly the debate has shifted about immigration over the last few years. This is now the farthest thing from a fringe issue.

Posted by: PatrickH on March 8, 2006 06:50 PM






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