You might be aware that the so called "mass deportations" have started, and this is sending shockwaves through the US economy already. The truth is that there is no way it doesn't, but that's a conversation people don't want to have.
My time in Arizona
Only those who know me personally probably know that I roamed the desert for about 6 years in my younger days. My dear uncle had gotten a job working for Bellsouth, and called me over to join him on what we believed was a great opportunity.
Living in Arizona changed my mind completely on this whole illegal immigration debate, and not because of a conversation with someone, but because I saw the truth with my own very eyes.
There are places in the US, entire cities I would say, who's economic health is reliant on the financial output of the so called "illegals".
These people who I was told were lazy and entitled, showed me a work ethic like I had never witnessed before.
When the Bellsouth gig was over, which was quite fast, I ended up landing a job in a Mcdonalds, and it was here where I believed I learnt some of the most important lessons of my short life.
The myth of the criminal
It didn't start with Trump describing them as rapists and drug traffickers, no. The idea that "these people" as they call them, are here to ruin America is an old xenophobic trope.
https://x.com/ICEgov/status/1883317983914656217/photo/1
As a matter of fact, it's not backed by any data to begin with, and even thought anyone can bring this up in a debate, the other side is almost never too interested in these facts.
The reliance of anecdotes should be a clear flag announcing who actually has the valid point, but when it comes to these conversations how people feel seems to always hold more weight than facts.
Rethinking immigration
I do have to say, there's this crazy idea that most undocumented people remain so because they prefer it be this way. As if there's an advantage of any sort.
People without a legal status have to take a lot of risks just to live a normal life. If they get caught driving, for example, a mundane activity I would say for most Americans, that same traffic stop could result in their deportation.
The point being that aside from some very rare cases, most undocumented people would love to legalize their status. The fact that there's no path forward for them still, makes absolutely no sense from any analytical angle we would want to elect.
Why is there not a way for good hardworking immigrants, who pay taxes and contribute to the economy, get their papers? I'm talking about a conditional system, one that filters out the bad apples here. Give me the downside to rethinking the way we do immigration.
The logical pretzels
There are some people who are attempting to interject with empathy and reason, being met with rage and disgusting racist accusations.
You just want slaves!!! TYPICAL DEMOCRAT!
As if all of the sudden the people advocating for more raids, for the deportation of millions of people are concerned about the inequities of less fortunate immigrants. An example of arguing from the convenient platform, and not from the one truly held.
That being said, it's not a moral statement, not necessarily, to point out that these raids and the panic that they are causing at the moment will have the opposite effect of the one desired. Yes, life is about to get a lot more expensive.
An incomplete list of the industries that are sure to be affected massively have to include:
- Food production
- Dairy Farming
- Construction
I don't think any of us need a political science degree to imagine the ripples the collapse of these system would make for the American experiment.
But...
This is how democracy works, right? People voted for someone who promised to burn down the entire building, because we need to do something about the mice, and that "solution" resonated with those who rely on the shelter of said building.
What a world we live in....
