They don't discuss it because there is not easy solution. No matter what you do, someone gets hurt. There are at least 5 main approaches, and no matter which you pick, the other 4/5 will vote against you so you don't get in office. So they all just avoid the issue.
And the problem is bad:
Mexico is run by drug lords. They run the government and steal profits from companies. Some also build shopping centers, but don't contribute enough to help Mexico grow. If you legalize mexican immigration as fast as they want, the whole country would move up here over night. Imagine the problems with that.
Invading Mexico to fight the drug lords would be almost as costly as occupying Iraq, except we would not have Iran helping the insurgents. So it is doable, but very expensive. Not an option most people would vote for.
If you leave the status quo, law abiding companies must compete with those who hire illegals. Those who hire illegals make big profits to bribe politicians with. At the status quo, illegals still make it across, but many die, and many are taken advantage of, and many can't get jobs so they turn to crime instead.
If you close the border, it costs money. Many marijuana smokers would vote against such politicians. You would force Mexico to fix itself, if it could, at the cost of many poor people over there. And the meth heads over here would protest in the street. Many democrats would raise hell about conditions in mexico, and the unfairness of hurting the family members of those who already have citizenship here.
Many of the mexicans who come here are willing to work. They want to work hard. But their illegal bosses don't contribute any money to the medical system. That is why the hospitals are going bankrupt. But in order to pay taxes, they must reveal that they are here, and risk deportation.
Bush's guest worker program sounds good: don't give citizenship and voting rights to millions of people from another country. Instead, let them come and work and pay taxes as non-citizens. Only problem: many will come. If you set standards, there will be people trying to get around it unless you seal the borders, and you are basically going back to one of the previous options.
Finally, legal citizens are willing to do work normally given to illegals. They've don't it for decades, and been paid well. High school students need jobs too. Non-english speakers don't give as good of customer service. If you let mexicans come here, they take our jobs.
If you let our factors go there, in the event that we do stabilize mexico, then our jobs leave. If you don't let our factories go there, mexico will take decades to climb out of poverty.
Suggestions?
And the problem is bad:
Mexico is run by drug lords. They run the government and steal profits from companies. Some also build shopping centers, but don't contribute enough to help Mexico grow. If you legalize mexican immigration as fast as they want, the whole country would move up here over night. Imagine the problems with that.
Invading Mexico to fight the drug lords would be almost as costly as occupying Iraq, except we would not have Iran helping the insurgents. So it is doable, but very expensive. Not an option most people would vote for.
If you leave the status quo, law abiding companies must compete with those who hire illegals. Those who hire illegals make big profits to bribe politicians with. At the status quo, illegals still make it across, but many die, and many are taken advantage of, and many can't get jobs so they turn to crime instead.
If you close the border, it costs money. Many marijuana smokers would vote against such politicians. You would force Mexico to fix itself, if it could, at the cost of many poor people over there. And the meth heads over here would protest in the street. Many democrats would raise hell about conditions in mexico, and the unfairness of hurting the family members of those who already have citizenship here.
Many of the mexicans who come here are willing to work. They want to work hard. But their illegal bosses don't contribute any money to the medical system. That is why the hospitals are going bankrupt. But in order to pay taxes, they must reveal that they are here, and risk deportation.
Bush's guest worker program sounds good: don't give citizenship and voting rights to millions of people from another country. Instead, let them come and work and pay taxes as non-citizens. Only problem: many will come. If you set standards, there will be people trying to get around it unless you seal the borders, and you are basically going back to one of the previous options.
Finally, legal citizens are willing to do work normally given to illegals. They've don't it for decades, and been paid well. High school students need jobs too. Non-english speakers don't give as good of customer service. If you let mexicans come here, they take our jobs.
If you let our factors go there, in the event that we do stabilize mexico, then our jobs leave. If you don't let our factories go there, mexico will take decades to climb out of poverty.
Suggestions?
