*Two Views: This is one of two commentaries written for the Business Journal regarding the debate over proposals to restrict illegal immigration.
There are about 12 million undocumented immigrants residing in the United States, the majority of them from Latin American countries. So first question that comes to mind is: Why did they come to the United States? Of course, the economic situation in their country is unbearable; they do not have another alternative than to immigrate to the United States.
But the key thing to know is that the United States bears responsibility for this. The difficult economic situation of immigrants is the direct result of the system that is utilized by World Bank and the International Monetary Fund both at the service of United States to force the developing countries to acquire loans from the World Bank. This money should be, but is not, utilized for investments on development projects. Instead, these loans are used to pay back past debts, and in exchange heavy demands are placed on them: devaluation of the national currency and massive dismissal of public institution employees. The direct consequence is that the national economy falters, generating hunger and an exodus of its citizens. The beneficiaries are the great American corporations that contribute the capital to grant those loans. They become richer and the citizens become even poorer. And immigrants come to the United States in search of what was taken away from them.
The immigrants are not kidnappers; they are not criminals. They come because they do not have any other alternative. The immediate solution is temporary employment with a permit for temporary residency, with the possibility of becoming permanent residents under the requirements established by law. At a later date they can even request their U.S. citizenship.
These people are already here. We must do something within the law to help them establish themselves as good citizens. In a weird way the United States is afraid that these 12 million people might acquire their U.S. citizenship, because this will give them the right to vote and to be heard. If this is the case, the law should stipulate a special clause clearly stating that these new citizens would not have the right vote until 10 years after acquiring their citizenship.
Then, in order to avoid future influxes of illegal immigrants, we must establish economic policies that will permit Latin American countries to utilize their own resources toward investment projects. That would require the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund possibly absorbing the outstanding debt that at this moment surpasses $200 billion. This money will go to new investments to generate jobs and new opportunities. That will increase foreign exports from these countries, and equalize the balance of export and imports with the United States.
The free trade agreements such as CAFTA, NAFTA, etc., are good options for a medium-term solution. The best way to avoid the immigration problem is to help countries in development to improve their economy and provide proportional opportunities to their citizens. If that does not happen, illegal immigration will get worse every day; when people are hungry no border wall will stop them. Besides, if we improve the economy of the entire region, the Latin American immigrants here will not be sending the $45 billion that they sent back home in 2005 to help their families. That money would stay here in the United States, and it would help improve our own economy.
*Manolo Cevallos is vice chair of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Hispanic Chambers of Commerce.
