Sunday, May 06, 2007

Can't We All Just Get Along

The immigration debate is one that polarizes people between realizing that America is land of immigrants and those that believe that if as long as they were born here, no one else is allowed to come in. The world is a constantly changing place and if you don't play by the rules of change, you will get hit by the wave while others cruise by on a surfboard.

Plenty of cities have been trying to stem the tide of undocumented immigrants, fighting to keep people from other countries to live the American dream that their own forefathers came here to realize. Building an infrastructure to combat these immigrants from the south has ended up being a costly venture. While in the past 'natives' had simply used racial violence and discriminatory hiring practices, today's minutemen lovers are dealing with high costs that might actually paralyze their municipalities. Isn't it ironic that the people who predict financial doom because of immigration end up bringing fiscal woes to themselves.

From The Associated Press:

More than 90 cities or counties around the country have proposed, passed or rejected laws prohibiting landlords from leasing to illegal immigrants, penalizing businesses that employ undocumented workers or training police to enforce immigration laws.

Approval of these anti-illegal immigration ordinances has generated criticism, demonstrations and lawsuits in Valley Park, Mo.; Riverside, N.J.; Escondido, Calif.; Hazleton, Pa., and the Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch.

Escondido abandoned an ordinance that would punish landlords who rent to illegal immigrants after it discovered the legal bills could top $1 million. By the time the city council agreed in December to settle a lawsuit challenging the ordinance, Escondido had spent $200,000, said spokeswoman Joyce Masterson.


The nationalistic fervor has inevitably brought lawsuits challenging their legality. Local governments work on limited budgets so they are hesitant to spend the cash on keeping up their 'pure' appearances. Small cities like Escondido learned their lesson the hard way, along with a few others that aren't just near the U.S.-Mexico border. So my question is, why can't we all just get along? Why does a nation that has become great due to its immigrants hate the newest bunch. After 200 years, the pattern is starting to get old.