is in response to people who say that illegal immigration is a critical part of our economy, that we'd all be worse off without it. The same thing absolutely held true for slavery, at least with respect to those who benefitted from it. Those of us who are affluent benefit from illegal immigration because we are able to get "good work" done for less than we'd have to pay if we had only legal residents and citizens available to do it. That would make our food cost more, our yard work, the cleaning of our houses, restaurant bills, etc.

Do I blame those who hire the illegal immigrants or the illegal immigrants themselves. Of course not. I pretty much expect that most people most of the time in most places will do whatever works best for them economically. If an illegal immigrant does a particular job better and for less pay than a legal citizens would, then that immigrant will be hired. If an employer in the U.S. will pay better than employers in Mexico/Central America, even sans paperwork, then people in Mexico/Central America will come to the U.S. for work.

But that principle also holds true in lots of other areas, that we find unacceptable. Companies will pollute the environment because it's cheaper and easier. Therefore, we enact environmental laws to prevent them from doing so. Property owners will build whatever promises to make the most money, regardless of how offensive it may be to the neighbors. Therefore we enact zoning laws to prevent them from doing so. People will drive too fast for the safety of themselves, and others. Therefore we enact speeding laws to prevent them from doing so. And so on and so forth.

But with respect to illegal immigration, all of the sudden it's not the same thing. It is somehow wrong to enact a law that would prevent people from entering the country without permission, and prevent employers from hiring them. And even if said law has been enacted, it's OK with us if it's violated on a massive scale, because the law was presumably unjust in the first place. I just don't agree. I don't have a problem with laws regulating who can enter and work in the United States, and I don't have a problem with those laws being enforced fairly and equally.