Dear Editor:
Immigration of undocumented immigrants, especially from Mexico, is a fact of life in the US. These people are only doing what each of us tries to do - provide food, shelter and hope for their children's future. It takes great need and courage to leave one's homeland. Even Steven Camarota, from the Center For Immigration Studies, which has a bias against immigration, in a recent study, puts the cost of illegal immigrationat somewhat over $10 billion per year. This study "concluded that illegal immigrants did not constitute a significant drain on welfare programs". It further concluded: "The primary reason they create a fiscal deficit is their low education levels and resulting low incomes and tax payments, not their heavy use of most social services". The study further reported that "Social Security and Medicare reap a $7 billion annual windfall from payroll taxes paid by undocumented workers". The study does not deal with the cumulative amount of money, earned by these workers, that is put back into the economy to pay rent; buy food and clothing; and other needed services. Neither does it attempt to calculate the economic and social benefit of the labor they perform; mostly in the farm industry, helping to bring billions of dollars of produce to our tables. These are jobs very few American born citizens would accept at any wage. This country is large with much room for growth and much need for the strengthening that comes from this diversification. Let us open our hearts and our minds to find the proper way to deal with that which already exists. Somebody suggested a moratorium on immigration. "Moratorium" and "prohibition" are the same. Remember how successful that was. We need to accept circumstances and find a way to put on it a measure of control and accountability.
Alvin L. Moser, Farmworkers Ministry Volunteer
Crescent City, Florida
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