The Logic of Immigration

Immigration reform is an emotionally charged issue and the most contentious part is the decision about what to do with the 12+ million illegal immigrants already here. Should they be allowed to stay?

Sometimes examining the most extreme cases can help shed light on a difficult question, so let’s do that with the “path to citizenship”.

Case #1:

A 26 year old man came here illegally from Nicaragua 8 years ago. He speaks no English, has made no attempt to assimilate and has supported himself by leading a violent street gang that controls the drug trade in a large American city. He is personally responsible for half a dozen vicious murders.

Should he be given a path to citizenship? The obvious answer is no. Everyone would agree we should track him down, slap him in handcuffs and throw him out of the country.

Case#2:

A Mexican couple crosses the border illegally with their 6 month old son. He is put up for adoption and grows up not knowing he is in the country illegally. He speaks only English, graduates from Harvard with honors, then turns down a high paying corporate job to become a Marine Corps officer. While in combat, he is seriously wounded saving the lives of dozens of civilians and is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Should he be given a path to citizenship? Most Americans would insist that he be granted citizenship immediately. We are obviously a far better country having citizens like him.

Most illegal immigrants are neither mass murderers nor national heroes. They fall somewhere on a continuum between the two extremes, but the point is still valid. Some illegal immigrants are nearer the former case, are destructive to our country and should be expelled. Others are closer to the second example and are already valuable members of our American family.

If we accept this simple logic that we as a nation would be better off if some fraction of the illegal immigrant community were granted legal status and acknowledged as the good Americans they are, and some fraction were compelled, as best we can, to leave, then the only remaining question for our policy makers is: By what standards do we decide who should stay and who should go?