It is a question we all should be asking about unlawful immigration to the United States, especially in the next few weeks as the number of people entering the United States illegally at the southern border will increase from the alarming rate of about 2 million per year to the truly dangerous tempo of 3 million per year.
Anything that suppresses the wages of the working class — and make no mistake, that is exactly what illegal immigration does — works to increase the net worth of those higher on the economic ladder. With respect to Democrats, that story is about to unfold in the House, as what should be a simple vote to strengthen law enforcement’s authority with respect to immigration will become a partisan parting of the Red Sea — with those who want to prevent criminality on one side and those who believe they might benefit from it on the other.
We should consider taxing remittances — the cash legal and illegal immigrants send home. These are not small amounts of cash that flow out of the country. Mexico receives about $60 billion a year from people in the United States. That represents almost 4% of Mexico’s gross domestic product. Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador account for $30 billion or so. It will no doubt surprise and amaze you to learn that a lot of the cash winds up in the hands of the cartels.
Mandatory E-Verify is a good first step. More importantly, we need to get serious about putting those Americans who are complicit in violating immigration law in jail. Small businesses, medium-sized businesses, and big businesses all need to be put under a microscope by federal law enforcement.