You might have noticed, especially if you live in or around Los Angeles, that illegal immigration has become a little bit of an issue in the national consciousness and by federal lawmakers. I must admit: I have this compulsion for solving problems permanently.

Since I live in Southern California, I reap the benefits of illegal immigration on a daily basis. Although I am by no means affluent, I can pretty much treat myself to a meal at any restaurant, purchase any exotic vegetable or fruit anytime of year, or get help around the house by picking up someone at my local Day Laborer site. How fortunate am I that this is possible? This is the American Dream, isn’t it?

When the controversy to give illegal immigrants driver’s licenses in the State of California during the last months of Gray Davis’s governorship, I was appalled by the mass stupidity of the American public. Of course, I should be used to it, but sometimes it wakes me up from my complacency. I remember arguing to my friends, “What a great idea!" Since the federal government is completely negligent in dealing with illegal immigration (neither keeping them out nor developing efficient means for them to get legal status in a reasonable timeframe), I figured California could deal with its burgeoning debts that result from a population that pays only sales tax. Immigrants with driver’s licenses could actually be tested to drive and be accountable for their driving record. Even better, they could get car insurance! If it all works out, immigrants could apply for decent housing, get health insurance, and live as a productive member of our society contributing to the American Dream.

I couldn’t find one reason to deny illegal immigrants driver’s licenses. Sure, some people came up with some dumb and reactionary reasons, such as raising “security concerns.” I really didn’t understand the arguments, since giving driver’s licenses documents the undocumented. Isn’t it much more dangerous to have terrorists who are undocumented than ones who are documented? How do you track the undocumented? Sounds like squandering resources to me. God help us if we solve the immigration problem; if that happened, could we stop wasting tax money on immigration enforcement? I think smaller government is a great idea, but just for things that don’t work: immigration and drug enforcement, etc.

What would happen if the government would halt illegal immigration and made it a felony to be illegal? Would we pay $10.00 for a strawberry? $15.00 for a head of lettuce? Would a cooked breakfast at a diner cost over $20.00? To me, enforcing immigration laws would bring about the collapse of our society as we know it. Well, only for the poor and working class. Just like gas, electricity, and water price hikes, the price of produce would only hurt the poor, working, and lower middle classes. This is humorously ironic considering that the working class is the prime population that opposes illegal immigration—and probably all immigration.

All of this got me thinking: why the hell does the federal government not deal with immigration? Republican and Democratic administrations have both pretended to care about enforcing immigration reforms, and would sign legislation, but the result has always been a few border crossers get shot and not much else. Enforcement pretty much doesn’t exist. The epiphany hit me: the federal government must not enforce these laws because they know the result of it: economic collapse of the American Dream. How stupid could I be! Or, how stupid could the working class be by putting pressure on their legislators to enforce immigration law? Are they that stupid?

However, I drew in a deep breath and dread overwhelmed my thoughts, “Is this how people felt about the abolition of slavery? That by making slavery illegal that the economy and society would crumble for decades?” I wondered what side of the fence I should be on: the fearers of change or the abolitionists? Am I willing to have a subclass of cheap labor in return for a better life for myself? Worst of all, would doing the right thing have me aligning my support with people who are stupid and racist?

These are the questions I am struggling with. I wonder if Senator Bill Frist (R-Tenn) is struggling with the same issues? I’m trying very hard to not laugh at that last statement, but seriously, is anybody having this discussion? In the end, I figure if they start enforcing immigration reform, republicans would lose power due to being to blame for the looming economic crisis. Unless, as always, this is just another show to uphold slavery.