Sunday, October 01, 2006

Immigration links of interest: A Bender's trifecta

Dan Kowalski's Bender's Immigration Bulletin is a great source for information about US immigration policy, and I wanted to point readers to three different items I saw this week from that source:
  • New Rules for Texas IDs. See Texas' new drivers license and ID card regs (pdf), which take effect Oct. 6. I haven't had a chance to look through these yet, but wanted to get the link out there for those who're interested.
  • The Economics of Illegal Immigration: Also via Bender's, see this report (pdf) from the Richmond Federal Reserve bank on the subject. The document, in broad stroke if not in every detail, reflects my own economic views on the subject, particularly this notion:
"The North American Free Trade Agreement chiefly covers trade of goods. But there are plenty of economists who contend that the same free trade principles behind that 1993 act ought to apply with immigrant labor because of the benefits to both parties."
  • States Rights and Immigration. Finally, Dan points to this article by Mae M. Ngai from the Boston Review providing a brief history of US immigration law. One fact-bite I didn't know: states individually set their own immigration policy before the Civil War. As I've recounted before, the first federal law restricting immigration to the United States was passed in 1875. Funny how you don't hear the state's rights crowd crowing against new federal legislation for a border wall.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

If I recall you in the past had said that there have never been laws against immigration to which I had said there were. Seems you now agree. As for states right people not having anything to say it's because they like the majority of people want and are for a border wall.

Anonymous said...

And there are no economic benefits for Americans, only American company greed and immigrants themselves.

Gritsforbreakfast said...

Go check our conversation, you're misrepresenting it - As I recall, I was responding to your incorrect statements that we've "always" restricted Mexican immigration. I argued that the founding fathers didn't restrict immigration at all, that the first laws doing so weren't till 1875 (the above link is to a Grits post) and that Mexican immigration wasn't numerically restricted until the 1960s, all of which are true.

In any event, the border wall is a big joke, a meaningless symbol - first things first, if you don't get control of corruption among border law enforcement, all of this is a big waste of time. For the reasons outlined by the federal reserve, it is, anyway. It's easy to say there are "no economic benefits" to immigration without backing it up - I think there are many, plus the federal reserve crunched the numbers and they dispute your claim. Best,

Anonymous said...

I'll agree with the corruption, or more accurately mismanagement. My wife kids and I were on on road just west of Carlsbad new Mex. We were stopped by a pop up border patrol check. Two Mexicans checked us to see if we were American. Mexicans in charge of illegal Mexican immigration. Yeah, that will work. And you wonder where the corruption comes from.

You might be interested in what I just posted at Ivorydome concerning the meth post also.

Anonymous said...

I don't know why you bother answering Celtic, Scott, or that task force troll, for that matter. Why waste your time casting pearls among swine?

And CelticTexan, if they were "border patrol," the two "Mexicans" who checked your papers were American citizens just like you. To imply their ethnicity makes them unable to uphold the law is pure racism.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous you are so Clintonesque in your demands for censorship. Such typical liberal behavior. As far as Scot and this site I regularly advertise it on my site and oter conservative sites I write at as the most fair and open and tolerant of conservative thought that I have seen. He does a fine and fair job here, and does not need help from those who wish to stifle speech.

In other words, your a Dumass socialist/communist and you should move to red china or cuba or some other socialist utopian paradise.

Anonymous said...

Wow, Celtic, you behave even worse here.
Everyone censors me!!!!!
I hate mexicans and blacks, but that doesn't mean I'm racist!!!!!