I am against illegal immigration as well as fences and walls. Obama's push for a fence made me angry due to the ecological impact, and a wall would be even worse. Neither will help with preventing illegal immigration. They're both infuriating andI know many other Democrats who feel the same way. Enjoy burning up your pointless straw man.
I am, however, in favor of making legal immigration much more open and accessible to the average person, and we should not imprison those applying for asylum as if they were criminals. I would be all for funding more border security it it meant not treating humans as if they are animals and we actually made it possible for people to immigrate here without being extremely wealthy or Powerball-levels of lucky.
I am only a second generation American. My grandfather was lucky enough to come here from Germany between the world wars. He escaped being forced into serving Hitler. My dad says much of what is going on here and now reminds him of what his dad told him about 1930s Germany, especially re Muslims and immigrants. I'm not being hyperbolic, nor is my dad. I am very aware of how luckyI am to be American andI am proud to be one. But we must continue to allow immigrants, especially those from troubled countries and destitute backgrounds, if we want to continue to be a great country of innovation and development.
Your first sentence is the same thing as saying,
"I am against sexual harassment in the workplace. I am also against the Federal Government creating and enforcing rules and guidelines that define a Hostile Work Environment and provide meaningful sanctions for persons who create such an environement." What is the purpose of being "against" something that is wrong if you oppose any sort of meaningful sanction to deter people from wrongdoing. That's the thing about those who disagree with me here; they insist that they believe that illegal immigration is wrong, but they NEVER propose a remedy, and they criticize every proposed remedy. If I actually opposed every single remedy for the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace, you would doubt my assertion that I believed it wrong and wished perpetrators to be sanctioned in a meaningful way, and justifiably so.
At least you're honest about at least some of what you want in terms of immigration. My question is simply this: Why is it in the interest of American citizens that we take in large numbers of unskilled, needy immigrants from foreign lands who, almost certainly, cannot support themselves in America? That's a fair and honest question, and it's the question your position raises.
If your rationale is humanitarian, and'or some sort of belief that the United States must (or, at a minimum, should) have extremely liberal immigration policies to better the lot of "The Global Poor", there is an argument for that. "To whom much is given, much is required" is a Biblical principle, and it ought to be applied to any number of situations. But there is a real society cost to this, and it comes in dollars and cents in no small part. I have no doubt that letting large numbers of unskilled, poor immigrants is in the best interest of the immigrants, but is it in the best interests of American citizens and taxpayers? I understand your well-meaning intentions, and I'm not a party pooper at heart, but there comes a point when folks who advocate large amounts of tax dollars to be spent on unskilled immigrants to salve somebody's conscience ought to be reminded of the principle that some things are not theirs to give away. The American taxpayer ought to be respected in immigration policy and not just have the burden of foreign poor thrust upon them because others think it right.
Can you make the case as to why public resources should be spent to better the lot of persons who bring nothing to this country but their wants and needs and (in some cases) a willingness to work at unskilled jobs? That's a fair question. I'd like to actually hear the answer to it. All people seem to be able to do is call me names. Perhaps you'll break the pattern. I can only hope.
