We Cannot Deport Illegal Immigrants

The reasons I am concerned about simply rounding up illegal immigrants are several and varied. To me, the rounding up of illegal immigrants would be similar to the rounding up of Japanese citizens in World War 2, with one exception which I'll state at the end. I feel the destructiveness to an already weakened US economy would be unsustainable, that entire communities and neighborhoods would be literally destroyed, that families and churches would be ripped apart, that foreign relations with other countries would be damaged, agriculture in some states would take a massive hit – driving up food (primarily fruit & vegetable) prices throughout the United States , that the prestige of America would be debased and the perception by other nations and peoples – plus many Americans (me included) is that the US talks a good line about human rights but doesn’t really support them, and, most importantly to me, I don’t think a good Christian would do it. The Bible says to accept the alien into your home and welcome him. Jesus says to clothe the naked and feed the hungry, he didn’t say “check their papers.”

I will address these points individually.

1. Communities, neighborhoods, families and churches would be ripped apart producing a traumatic event within the church, neighborhood, community – and especially the family.

"Imagine that one day you received notice that you and your whole family must be ready to move within 48 hours. You could take only the possessions you could carry and no one would tell you when you would be permitted to return home. Sound like a bad dream? This happened to over 100,000 United States citizens and legal residents during World War II.” –Mary Daly

Most ethnic groups tend to gather in clusters. In some cases during World War 2, communities and churches lost over half of their membership due to the internment of the Japanese and many “white” owned businesses were forced to close due to loss of customers.

"Long-term health consequences included psychological anguish as well as increased cardiovascular disease. Survey information found former internees had a 2.1 greater risk of cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular mortality, and premature death than did a non-interned counterpart."
"The Experience of Injustice: Health Consequences of the Japanese American Internment", Gwendolyn M. Jensen

"Recognizing the great injustice that took place, they carry with them the legacy of their parents' internment. Time has not severed the psychological ties to events that preceded them, nor has the fact that their parents will not openly discuss the internment. On the contrary, the vast majority of Sansei (third generation) feel that the incarceration has affected their lives in significant ways..."

- "Legacy of Injustice: Exploring the Cross-Generational Impact of the Japanese American Internment", Donna K. Nagata, 1993.

"Trauma may directly or indirectly affect the children of trauma victims. The multiple pathways of its effects create a variety of consequences. Despite the silence, or perhaps because of it, the Sansei who had a parent interned felt the effects of that experience in numerous ways. They are sad and angry about the injustice and attribute a number of negative consequences in their own lives to their parents' internment. These include feelings of low self-esteem, the pressure to assimilate, an accelerated loss of the Japanese culture and language, and experiencing the unexpressed pain of their parents."

- "Legacy of Injustice: Exploring the Cross-Generational Impact of the Japanese American Internment", Donna K. Nagata, 1993.

2. The economic and agricultural impact to the country would be severe.

“The World War II evacuation of Japanese farmers from the Pacific Coast caused a staggering labor shortage created by the U.S. Government itself, which then wrestled with forced transfer of confiscated farmlands to new “non-Japanese” owners and lessees.”

“Removal of the Japanese would disrupt the California vegetable industry. Japanese truck farmers, he said, produced crops valued at 40 million dollars annually and interned Japanese “stand to lose approximately 100 million dollars in investments” because of confiscation or forced sale by the U.S. Government.” Nobumitsu Takahashi, agricultural coordinator for the Japanese-American Citizens League

It is estimated that at least 8% of all illegals own their own business. Some businesses owned by illegals employ hundreds of people. Nearly 100% of illegals pay taxes. Illegals represent 3.48% of the entire US population and 5% of the US work force. Japanese interned during World War represented just 0.09% of the US population but the economic effects were far-reaching.

The cost of redistributing assets of illegal immigrants in event of forced repatriation - homes, cars, stock, mutual funds, land, farms, boats, small business and big business - has not been estimated.

The repatriation of illegals would not create jobs. Those jobs would be eliminated. Several economists forecast a net 1.1% decline in US economic activity if all illegal immigrants are repatriated.

Between 1996 and 2003, the IRS has received $50 billion in taxes from illegal immigrants.

San Diego county administrators estimate that of all the farms in San Diego county, 98% would be forced to close if illegals were repatriated.
“The avocado trees that blanket the hills of Fallbrook and Valley Center, those all go away without farm workers. So do the oranges here in San Pasqual Valley, the nurseries of San Marcos and Vista, the Carlsbad flower fields,” said Larson.

If we use a conservative figure of $1,000 as the cost to repatriate one illegal immigrant, the total cost to repatriate all illegal immigrants would be $11.5 billion. The economic impact would be several times greater.

A cost benefit analysis of illegal immigrants within the US indicates an almost 4 to 1 benefit in terms of economic impact, i.e. the benefits outweigh expenses by nearly 4 to 1. In agricultural communities this can be as high as 12 to 1.

3. Impact on foreign relations.

The US – Mexico relationship is already complicated. In 2011, Mexico deployed troops along its border to protect immigrants entering the US illegally. That same year, US customs agents and Mexican Federales engaged in a firefight ending in the death of 3 US customs agents. Mexico has stated that the prohibition by the US of allowing Mexican immigrants to enter the US legally or illegally would be detrimental to the US-Mexican relationship. In 2008, a squad of Mexican troops crossed the US border with Arizona escorting a group of illegal immigrants.

“In the 1980s, the US accorded such a high priority to deterring illegal immigration from South and Central America, that it was willing to sacrifice human rights standards, humanitarian values and significant foreign policies and goals to achieve those ends.” Immigration as Foreign Policy, Jorge Dominguez – Harvard University

"The significant role that immigration policy continues to play in U.S. foreign affairs has been lost in current debates about immigration in the U.S. Immigration has always had critical consequences for immigrants’ countries of origin, from money sent to family back home to the brain drain for educated workers. Immigrants and their children have long continued to shape political and cultural developments in their homelands."

"How the U.S. treats those within its borders reverberates internationally, by influencing its global reputation, as well as its international economic relationships. That was true during the days of steamships, letters, and telegraph cables, and it remains true in our world of jets, Skype, and YouTube." -Diedre Moloney, Princeton University

The influence of the US on world affairs is determined by its actions at home as well as abroad. The deportation of millions of illegal immigrants would negatively impact our influence with dozens of nations and could cause many close allies to reconsider their relationship to the US. At best, these allies would impose some degree of cir$#%spection and may be less inclined to accept US pronouncements at face value. Forging new trade agreements, engaging in international groups and strengthening or creating military ties would all prove to be exacerbated by what we do to illegal immigrants within the US.

The one exception? The one major difference between the rounding up of Japanese residents in World War 2 and the rounding up of illegal immigrants now is that the effects of any such round-up would be some 564 times greater.