Panel Discusses Immigration

Panelists at an Institute of Politics forum last night scrutinized United States policy toward illegal immigrants before a crowd of 50.

U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) said immigrants are often scapegoats for politicians when the economy goes bad. California Gov. Pete Wilson, Becerra charged, has exploited the hysteria surrounding illegal immigration.

"He infers that illegal immigrants cost the state jobs and drain the state treasury," Becerra said. "California lost over 800,000 jobs in the past recession. Two hundred thousand were lost in the aerospace industry--hardly a major employer of illegal immigrants."

Becerra also said that illegal immigrants often live in squalid conditions while working below minimum wage. And just like regular citizens, they are assessed payroll and local taxes.

Opponents of immigration often overlook the contributions of immigrants to the economy, he said.

Another panelist urged a distinction between emotion and economics.

"We need to separate the emotions and politics of the debate from the economic reality," said Antonia Hernandez, president and general counsel for the Mexican Defense fund.

"Too often, politics dictate immigration policy," Hernandez said. "In the '80s, we allowed anyone defecting from the Soviet Union in under political asylum while turning away refugees from Nicaragua and El Salvador for being economic refugees."

Peter Brimelow, senior editor of Forbes Magazine and a writer for The New Republic, disputed Hernandez's view that politics drives the immigration debate.

"The debate is not political," Brimelow said. "On the contrary, it is very economic."

Brimelow cited statistics challenging the claim that immigrants contribute significantly to the national economy.

"Studies show that immigrants, relative to the labor force as a whole, only increase the GNP by one percent overall," Brimelow said.

He also said the U.S. is alone in the openness of its immigration laws.

"The right of native-birth citizenship is rare," Brimelow said. "Even Mexico has highly restrictive immigration laws. If you want to become a resident alien in Mexico, you must apply in person in Mexico City."

According to Brimelow, some people want to immigrate to Mexico because, alone among Latin American nations, Mexico has a high standard of living and a expanding economy.

Muzaffar Chishti, director of the Immigration Project for the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, tried to explain cultural resistance to immigration.

"The debate on immigration has always been emotional," Chishti said. "The issues is not whether we are letting in too many people, but are we letting in too many of the wrong people?"

He noted that several violent crimes by foreigners in recent years--including the World Trade Center bombing, an attempted bombing of government buildings in Manhattan and a shooting at Central Intelligence Agency headquarters--have built up public fears about immigrants.

Recent immigrants also retain the image of being dependent on welfare and the state for health care, Chishti said, but the stereotype is unfounded.

"Immigrants crate jobs rather than taking them away," Chishti said. "They create opportunity and stimulate the economy."

"For example, in 1959, there were five Chinese-owned sewing shops in New York," Chishti said. "Now there are more than 500."

Chishti said the majority of immigrants who come to the U.S. are young and willing to work. They add to the local economies and require little health care.

Chishti said that the problem of illegal immigration might appear more serious than it is because immigrants tend to cluster in just ten major cities in six states.