Perspectives on Illegal Immigration by Representative Chris Herrod

Illegal Immigration is not a victimless crime

Married in the UkraineExperienced the immigration process first hand Four separate 500 mile trips to Moscow for Immigration Interviews

Business Partner – Legal Ethiopian Immigrant

Believe in Immigration and Understand the Sacrifices of Legal Immigrants

Important to Understand the Consequences of Illegal Immigration

Tired of the Majority of Utahns being called Racist for Believing Illegal Immigration is Wrong

America is for Everyone

America, multi-raced and multi-nationed, is by tradition, by geography, by citizenry, by natural sympathy, and by material interest, the great neutral nation of the earth. God so designed it. Drawn from all races, creeds, and nations, our sympathies run to every oppressed people (“Stand Fast by our Constitution” emphasis added).

J. Reuben Clark, a former U.S. ambassador to Mexico, and former U.S. Under Secretary of State

Countries of Origin for Foreign Born Population 1970

Source: http//census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0029/tab03.html

-

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

7,000,000

8,000,000

Series1 1,009,000 833,000 812,000 760,000 748,000 686,000 463,000

Italy Germany Canada Mexico PolandUnited

KingdomSoviet Union

Countries of Origin for Foreign Born Population 2000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau – Profiles of the Foreign Born Population in the United States: 2000 page 12

-

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

7,000,000

8,000,000

Series1 7,841,000 1,391,000 1,222,000 1,007,000 952,000 863,000 765,000

Mexico China Phil India Cuba VietnamEl

Salvador

Illegal AliensCountry of Origin

19%

24% 57%

Mexico

Latin America

Rest of theWorld

Source: Passel, PEW Hispanic Center – Unauthorized Migrants Numbers and Characteristics, June 14th, 2005

Is Assimilation Possible?

Latest advertising campaign by Absolut Vodka for Mexico, created by Teran|TBWA, is causing controversy online.

What is Compassionate?

Mistake to View Illegal Immigration as “The Rule of Law” vs. “Compassion”

Maybe:“The Rule of Law” vs. “Discriminatory Compassion”

“The Rule of Law” vs. “Convenience”

“The Rule of Law” vs. “Perceived Practicality”

But NOT Compassion

The Rule of Law

“The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government. But the constitution which at any time exist till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole people is sacredly obligatory upon all. The very idea of the power and right of the people to establish government presupposes the duty of every individual to obey the established government.”

George Washington - Farewell Address

The Rule of Law

Civil disobedience has become fashionable for a few with strongly held political agendas. Even when causes are meritorious, if civil disobedience were to be practiced by everyone with a cause our democracy would unravel and be destroyed. Civil disobedience is an abuse of political process in a democracy.”

James E. Faust, Religious and Community Leader

Myths about Illegal Immigration

Those opposed to illegal aliens are opposed to legal immigration

Everyone would do the same thing in an illegal immigrant’s place

Immigration Laws are Unjust and Therefore Justify breaking of the Law.

No Justification for Breaking the Law

I feel sorry for persons whose knowledge of the relative actions of Nazi Germany and modern United States of America is so incomplete that they put these two governments in the same category in depriving their citizens of inalienable rights. We should all be able to recognize the difference….

At a clear and extreme level, violations of inalienable rights by government might excuse citizens from performance of some obligations of citizenship……. such exception would have to be far more extreme than anything we have experienced in this country…..

Persons who claim the right to pick and choose which laws of the land they will observe are not far from claiming to choose which laws of God they must observe. I feel sad that persons can be so misled.

Dallin H. Oaks, Former Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice (emphasis added)

Myths

Texas Comptroller Study Illegal Immigrants have a Lower

Crime Rate than the General Population

Misleading Questions

The majority of these people are good hard working people and are an asset to our community.

The Real Questions

Are Illegal Aliens better, harder working, or more of an asset to this country than those waiting in line would be if rightfully given the chance?

Does rewarding or tolerating illegal behavior lead to more or less illegal immigration?

Does rewarding illegal behavior create more or less innocent victims?

Costs of Amnesty and Tolerating Illegal Immigration

Current legislative proposals that would grant amnesty to illegal immigrants and increase future low-skill immigration would represent the largest expansion of the welfare state in 30 years. Such proposals would increase poverty in the U.S. in the short and long term and dramatically increase the burden on U.S. taxpayers.

Amnesty will cost roughly $2.3 trillion.

Heritage Foundation “Importing Poverty: Immigration and Poverty in the United States.”

Persons Living in Households Headed by Persons without a High School Diploma

11.20% 11.40% 17.30%

54.60%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

White Non-HispanicLegal Immigrant

Asian LegalImmigrant

Black LegalImmigrant

Typical illegalimmigrant

Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Survey, March 2005 Data for Calendar year 2004 as quoted by the Heritage Foundation – assumes illegal aliens education similar to legal immigrant ethnic group

Costs Associated with Out of Wedlock Births and Teenage Pregnancy

In general, children born and raised outside marriage are seven times more likely to live in poverty than are children born and raised by married couples. Children born out of wedlock are also more likely to be on welfare, to fail in school, to have emotional problems, to abuse drugs and alcohol, and to become involved in crime.

Heritage Foundation

“In Utah, 45% of unwed mothers who had recently given birth were in poverty, compared to about 12% of married mothers.”

Deseret News Article

Out of Wedlock Birth Rates

Source: Jason Fields, "Children Living Arrangements and and characteristics of : march 2002," in U.>S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports (assumes illegal alien similar to legal immigrant)

11.60% 11.20%42.30%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

AsianImmigrants

White Non-Hispanic

Immigrants

Average IllegalImmigrant

Reality

Understanding that certain immigrants place financial burdens on the United States makes it even more important that we have a balanced and therefore sustainable immigration policy. Personally, I believe in immigration from all regions of the world, even if some immigrants costs us money in the long run, but this does not mean that we should not be extremely thoughtful about our approach. We owe this much to our children.

Conclusion What do I tell my wife tonight? Do you

care less for people from her native country? What do I tell my business partner tomorrow. Is he a fool?

Next time I am overseas what do I say

when asked how does someone come to this country? Do I tell them to follow the law or if they really love their children then break the law?

What do I tell my children? Does perceived “convenience”, “practicality”, or “business interests” take precedent over principle?