I think having a large population of second-class citizens (who are not represented as they can't vote, are subject to various restrictions, and who have a constant fear of deportation) cannot possibly be healthy for any country.
The main reason though is that those people have less reason to be loyal, patriotic, and so on. As a general rule immigrants tend to be even more loving of their adopted country than their native counterparts (e.g., Irving Berlin), but not if they are denied full participation.
What to do? Have a mass deportation and crack down police-style (it would require a massive invasion of everyone's privacy and probably require a national identity card to be successful)? This would be inhumane, harm the economy in major ways, impractical, and render the country undemocratic and invasive.
The alternative is to develop a process and set of rules whereby the majority of these people can become incorporated and assimilate naturally.
There is a visceral reaction that these people broke the law and that doing what I just suggested would encourage even more illegal immigration. This is true enough, but in government one must be pragmatic and not judgmental like that -- do what is best for the country.
In the end, if the US is to remain the superpower of the earth, something personally I think would be great for the entire planet, considering its history and potential and institutions, it needs to increase its population by quite a bit, and it has the technology and resources to do this. I know there is a lot of poverty in the States, but not compared to elsewhere. Right now low birth rates (which would be much lower if one did not include immigrants in the figures) is causing the US population to age, not a good thing for long term stability of the economy as a whole and for institutions such as Social Security.
The main reason though is that those people have less reason to be loyal, patriotic, and so on. As a general rule immigrants tend to be even more loving of their adopted country than their native counterparts (e.g., Irving Berlin), but not if they are denied full participation.
What to do? Have a mass deportation and crack down police-style (it would require a massive invasion of everyone's privacy and probably require a national identity card to be successful)? This would be inhumane, harm the economy in major ways, impractical, and render the country undemocratic and invasive.
The alternative is to develop a process and set of rules whereby the majority of these people can become incorporated and assimilate naturally.
There is a visceral reaction that these people broke the law and that doing what I just suggested would encourage even more illegal immigration. This is true enough, but in government one must be pragmatic and not judgmental like that -- do what is best for the country.
In the end, if the US is to remain the superpower of the earth, something personally I think would be great for the entire planet, considering its history and potential and institutions, it needs to increase its population by quite a bit, and it has the technology and resources to do this. I know there is a lot of poverty in the States, but not compared to elsewhere. Right now low birth rates (which would be much lower if one did not include immigrants in the figures) is causing the US population to age, not a good thing for long term stability of the economy as a whole and for institutions such as Social Security.
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