Numbers
I’ve noticed that as “controlling illegal aliens” became more and more a political issue in the United States, the number of “illegals” kept creeping up. Back when it was only 11 million, I tried tracking down the source for the number, but it was self-referential. The numbers all went back to the same anti-immigration group, and were repeated again and again and again by the press. In other words, they didn’t have a clue, and just took the numbers they were given.
“Illegal aliens” is becoming less a mainstream cause and more a right-wing one, so the numbers get even fuzzier… now said to be 12 to 15 millions. And, when you read the comments section in right-wing websites, it seems there are 12 to 15 million MEXICANS in the United States living illegally, and millions (not thousands) crossing each year. Not likely. These number (from an AFP news story) appear a little more realistic.
A total of 290 Mexicans have died trying to cross the border into the United States in the first half of 2008, according to a lawmaker in Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies.
The number compared to 520 Mexicans who died in the whole of 2007 as they sought to cross the Mexico-US border, said Edmundo Ramirez Martinez, secretary of the committee on population, border and immigration affairs.
“There is an increase in deaths of Mexicans on the northern border,” he said, adding it was a trend over six years.
With about 325,000 people trying to emigrate to US territory each year, “every minute a Mexican abandons his community and every minute a family disintegrates,” he said.
The opposition lawmaker did not say what were the causes of death for the illegal immigrants but human rights groups and media reports say most victims die from heat exposure in desolate desert terrain, drowning and accidents from train-hopping.
Relations between Mexico and the United States have been strained over US treatment of millions of illegal immigrants — including an estimated five million Mexicans — and efforts to build a wall along much of the two countries’ 3,000 kilometer (1,600 mile) border.
To repeat… thats a few hundred thousand people ATTEMPTING (not necessarily succeeding) in crossing the border, and only about five million Mexicans living in the United States, and many of them return home after a few years.
mexfiles.net 
Mexican-American relations would improve if Mexico’s government was actually embarrassed that their own people were leaving their country for a better life in the US. Instead Mexico’s mainstream position appears to be that the US should take in illegal immigrants with open arms, while the rich in Mexico avoid economic freedom for foriegn investment and free English education for poor Mexicans. If they were at all serious about helping the poor and possibly making themselves richer as a nation, they would open up to this idea. Mexico needs to become a bilingual nation more than the US does. English is the world’s default language for trade, technology, diplomacy, and art. Any non English speaking nation is severely harming their potential for development and advancement.
As far as illegal immigration, I have repeatedly made my stance of supporting the increased legalization of guest workers, easier, cheaper, and faster legal immigration which would destroy the government’s fear based monopoly that has resulted in a command economy for cheap labor. This monopoly on limmited, expensive, and long duration legal immigration has resulted in widespread illegal immigration. I don’t blame them, I have tried to legally get Pakistani and Indian friends of mine into the country, it is expensive and very restrictive. Damn near impossible.
Dubai has all kinds of guest workers from nearby poor countries. Those people need the money and don’t mind the lesser conditions. The only thing that I oppose is the Arab racism that does not want to grant them citizenship. This is something that will go away if their home country ever allows for the increase of economic freedom and development.
The North American Union pipedream may be dead and this is unfortunate. I am disturbed by the wide array of so called “libertarians” and “liberals” who now oppose illegal immigration. This is an issue that evoled from the socialists union protectionists who always cried “Buy American” when it came to consumer choice. They opposed NAFTA, and now they have convinced the US right wing to go against illegal immigration. We as libertarians and free market conservatives have lost our reason and rationality when it comes to capitalism and limmited government. We are now faithful idiots who think that Mexicans are the devil. Sad. Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster that Penn Jillette and Teller produce “Bullshit!” on Showtime. His show on illegal immigration reminded me that free markets include immigrants legal or not.