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To: A Navy Vet
I've never bought that reasoning for allowing illegals to stay. Who did these jobs before the flood of immigrants? The answer: teenagers, young adults, homeowners, housewives, African-Americans, young American craftsman (construction), poor white families (agriculture).

It's false to think that the immigrants have come and wrested those jobs away from citizens by working for lower wages. It's a simple supply-and-demand situation: more jobs were available than workers, so the workers came from abroad (mostly Mexico) to fill the jobs. The immigrants did not come and wait for jobs to open up; rather, the existing jobs lured the immigrants.

Aside from cases of political or ethnic persecution, what immigrants go to places where they cannot work?

This is illustrated particularly well by the economic boom of the 1990s, when we came about as close to full employment as is possible. Immigrants, far from denying citizens jobs, performed jobs that citizens did not want or did not have to do.

112 posted on 11/16/2001 1:27:09 PM PST by silmaril
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To: jstrevino
"It's a simple supply-and-demand situation: more jobs were available than workers,..."

Yes, and now the supply of labor has outstripped the demand and it keeps wages low. We can agree to disagree on this point, but in general, I think we're both opposed illegal immigration and close on legal.

123 posted on 11/16/2001 2:35:51 PM PST by A Navy Vet
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