It's common knowledge to any news watcher that between eight to eleven million illegal immigrants are living on US soil. It is one of the largest nationwide controversies, a contention built upon by the unfailing opposition of conservatives and the bleeding hearts of liberals. Problematically, while conservatives wish to re-secure and better our border control AFTER returning those illegals to their own countries, liberals believe in taking lenient guidelines which would (overall) allow most of these illegal aliens US residency. Given the obvious sensitive nature of the topic, it's no surprise that millions upon millions of passionate, emotion-filled US citizens (especially those in the voting demographic) have formed their own strong opinions, which range from extreme refutation to excessive, indiscreet allowances. Believe it or not, though, somewhere in the immodest mess from all of that are laid-down facts which speak for themselves.

First of all, there is one pivotal group of people constantly forgotten (and unacceptably, too) in the delirium of this debate on illegal immigrants: legal immigrants!! Although either little-known or just little-mentioned by liberals, the US lets in more foreigners every year than any other country in the world — FACT. What about them, huh? How about the toils they went through to get here LAWFULLY? You know, like actually learning English during the endless months of waiting to be officiated as rightful residents (to name just one obstacle in the long process!); nonetheless, though the full myriad of requirements for entry into our borders are far too many to cite here, one pivot cannot go without mention: the ultimate required exam, proof an applicant has adequate knowledge about the US government and the mechanics that make it function (a precursor which a substantial number of Americans would fail to succeed).

Indeed, in the fiery debate about illegal immigration, I fear that many of these liberal bleeding hearts forget, seemingly, to regard the noble millions who lawfully emigrate to America and start new and successful, TAX-PAYING lives. So, considering the US, as stated, annually continues welcoming more immigrants than any other country worldwide legally (source: Immigration Policy Center - "How the United States Immigration System Works: A Fact Sheet"), how can the average opponent of illegal immigration be disregarded as merely 'selfish', 'compassionless', or, most derogatorily, a heartless 'nationalist' or 'racist'? (To explain this allegation, I quote an article entitled, "Illegal immigration Statistics – The Numbers Don’t Lie": "[A] study conducted by the Pew Research Institute estimated in 2005 that 56% of illegal immigrants come from Mexico, 22% from all other Latin American countries, which consist mostly from Central America, 13% from Asia, 6% from Europe and Canada while the remaining 3% were from Africa or other parts of the world"; so, because the majority of illegal immigrants come from Latin American countries, particularly Mexico, the door is fallaciously opened to automatic 'racist' labels.) In truth, unless an American is against ALL immigration (legal or illegal), such statements are wholly premature and unprecedented. Such accusers are fruitless and obviously insecure about what they know to be an uninformed perspective. As a matter of fact, one of the key compelling forces in writing this essay is the uniqueness of my own ethnic background as an opponent of illegal immigration: though of unsure European descent on my mother's side (she's adopted), on my father's side I am both Puerto-Rican and Panamanian; and it's not only that either, but the matter of fact that my dad's family emigrated to the United States in the early 1970s' - LEGALLY! That makes it kind of hard to write me off as a 'racist', too, if I choose to express my very particular, simple yet robust philosophy on the topic: If you're illegal, you go back - plain and simple. That's right, no amnesty as a reward for committing the crime of illegal foreign invasion.

So with that said, why exactly do I hold such a rabid "anti" perspective, you ask, especially considering my heritage? Well first off, I'm proud to say that my family enabled legal maneuvers in which to cross US borders, and really did make something of themselves here. Therefore my ethnic genealogy ironically turns me MORE against illegal aliens than not, simply because I know America provides perfectly legal avenues for potential immigrants. Secondarily, though, in a way it can also be said that my viewpoint is at least in part shaped by, yes, sympathy believe it or not. See, an undocumented worker on US soil must seek out some form of 'under-the-table' labor as he or she obviously hasn't OFFICIALLY received the right of normal residents/citizens to work for pay. Therefore, such undocumented aliens are constantly taken advantage of by greedy, lucrative employers who overwork them for wages well below the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour; given, the only logical outcome is that illegal immigrants in the end are doomed to live impoverished lives anyway. With these highly unhelpful factors already weighing against them, in consequence, the age-old saying that poverty breeds crime is beyond proved by illegal immigration.

So make whatever excuses that you wish, but the very damning fact remains that illegal aliens, roughly one in thirty-three people in the entire US population, disproportionately comprise a much larger figure of inmates in the US prison system, a whopping twenty percent to be exact (source: "Immigration and Crime: Assessing a Conflicted Issue")! So then, not only are American citizens forced to accept that eight to eleven million people are illegally living within US borders tax-free, they also must pay for the welfare of this climbing rate of undocumented aliens in prison. Are opponents of illegal immigration still sounding like mindless racists now?! Thereby, I must obstinately challenge my opposing liberal to answer HOW illegally crossing into the US with the intention to (so they say) lead a "better" life makes any sense!

Hint: it doesn't.

In contrast to that very misfortunate scenario, an individual who takes the time to go through the legal process of immigration, once here is afforded the same workers' rights of any other American. Thus, rather than being foredoomed to poverty, the given immigrant is awarded the liberty of equal opportunity in the workforce, wins the chance to actually earn an honest living from EQUAL wages - all in plain sight of the government's oversee, too. Really, how can it dare be suggested that the exampled immigrant, whom acquiesced to the law and paid taxes his entire time in America, should be forced to watch millions of tax-evading illegal immigrants be rewarded amnesty?! Amnesty for, to be specific, the crime of invading our borders, might I add! That is certainly NOT the American way.

In addition, a huge conflict is created when illegal immigrants manage to get unlawfully hired for work (mainly by employers compelled by the opportunity to underpay and overwork, as previously noted): hard-working, tax-paying Americans lose out on thousands, if not millions of job opportunities! The immediate response that overly-sympathetic liberals give to this is the whole 'illegals only take degrading jobs that the American people don't want' argument. In reality, it's quite the contrary, actually. The fact of the matter is no one dreams of spending overly-extensive hours mopping floors or working at a construction sight for a meager wage. But you know what? In desperate times like the present, when the rate of unemployment has now been over eight percent for more than three years, there's no doubt that Americans WILL take the "degrading" jobs that illegal immigrants continue to steal. This IS the United States of America after all, arguably the most industrious country in the world.

However, one exception to the rule does exist, and it goes to show my compassion, too: political amnesty. If someone is in a terrible predicament where their government has placed them in mortal danger, if civil liberties have become almost nonexistent in any given country, it is of course the right thing to offer refuge to these victims. (One perfect example applies to escapees from countries ruled by Communist dictatorships, for instance.) How is this different than having compassion for illegal immigrants who come from disadvantaged situations in, notably, free democracies? Because those who seek political amnesty (legitimately obviously) have no way out; for them it's either escape to free soil or receive governmental castigation in a form that is quite often deadly.

In conclusion, common sense renders a clear picture of why opposition toward illegal immigration is good, and not at all just a racist paradigm of the modern day. Not only is it merely well within precedence to reassert the philosophy that ALL criminals, foreign or not, deserve to be brought to justice. More than anything else, it is to be gravely acknowledged that the safety, welfare, and economic opportunities are compromised for Americans (including legal immigrants) when illegal aliens invade the US. It must be put to an end once and for all, and again, that requires my politically "extreme" philosophy (and I don't care if you want to call me overzealous for it, either): If you're illegal, you go back.

Period.

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