The Hiller Instinct: Hiller Instinct: Illegal immigrants

Begin with the signs that foretell the future of politics: "Today we march, tomorrow we vote." If politicians can do anything, it's count votes, because their jobs depend on it. And they can all count to 11 million, the estimated number of illegal immigrants here, most of them from Mexico and Latin America.

Give that group citizenship and the right to vote that comes with it, and, instantly, Hispanics have enormous political clout.

And they already have enough to make sure this issue doesn't die: New Mexico has an Hispanic governor, Bill Richardson, and Hispanics are the swing voters in California, Florida, Arizona, and Nevada.

While this may be "our" image of immigration, the federal government has always been responsible for enforcing quotas and deporting aliens.

Ironically, by not enforcing those laws now, it's "our" federal government that's let millions of illegal immigrants stay here.

Whatever you think about illegal immigrants, don't blame them for working: someone had to give them jobs.

Illegal immigration is part of an economic cycle of their poverty and our greed. U.S. businesses keep them here with low wages... which means higher profits and an opportunity to hire more workers... which brings in more illegals.

Finally, some reality. "We" are not sending "them" back: we can't. No wall will be high enough, or long enough. And even if we spent the millions, or billions, it would cost to stop immigration from Mexico... then we'd have to seal the Canadian border... and our coast lines. Forget containment.

People come to America because they want to improve their lives, and their familes.

No other nation provides as much opportunity.

So if you really want something to worry about, forget the immigrants who are already here, and start thinking about the millions more who want to be.

I’m Andy Hiller, that’s my Instinct.

(Copyright (c) 2006 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)