One is complaining about rich people moving in and increasing property values.
And the other is complaining about illegal aliens breaking the law by being here illegally, while either committing fraud by using someone's SSN or avoiding paying tax entirely, often unable to speak English, increasing competition for unskilled labor (construction, landscaping, cooks, dishwashers, etc.), putting downward pressure on wages of the working class.
One is lamenting supply and demand, and the is other upset about blatant illegality that has gone on for decades.
Friendly reminder: the US does not have a national or official language.[1] They only harm themselves by not knowing English and usually they try very hard to learn so as to not be at a disadvantage.
> while either committing fraud by using someone's SSN or avoiding paying tax entirely
If they use someone else's SSN, the payroll taxes are still being paid, so the taxpayer isn't losing out. In fact, it's free money for the SSA because they'll never have to pay out benefits to most of these people later. (Would you take the risk of claiming Social Security if you were here illegally?)
If they get paid cash under the table, there are two parties acting illegally - the employer is also to blame (and possibly, laundering money, which is an additional crime). I don't see much vitriol directed against employers though. I hear "Build the wall" but never "Shut them down" (for employers who illegally employ undocumented workers).
> Friendly reminder: the US does not have a national or official language.[1]
English is the de facto language of the US. All government business is done in English. Of course you know this, but are merely stating this as some kind of "gotcha". There is no reason for the US to take anyone who doesn't speak English in this day and age, not with a massive backlog of educated, English-speaking, law-abiding people waiting in the queue.
> They only harm themselves by not knowing English and usually they try very hard to learn so as to not be at a disadvantage.
If only they put as much effort into following the laws of this country.
> If they use someone else's SSN, the payroll taxes are still being paid, so the taxpayer isn't losing out. In fact, it's free money for the SSA because they'll never have to pay out benefits to most of these people later. (Would you take the risk of claiming Social Security if you were here illegally?)
They are criminals committing fraud. It's not a victimless crime. What do you think happens to the people who have their SSNs used?
> If they get paid cash under the table, there are two parties acting illegally - the employer is also to blame (and possibly, laundering money, which is an additional crime). I don't see much vitriol directed against employers though.
Then you may hear it right now, businesses that knowingly employ illegal aliens should be prosecuted for breaking the law.
> I hear "Build the wall" but never "Shut them down" (for employers who illegally employ undocumented workers).
Unfortunately in our current two-party system, the options are "Build the wall" or "Give them all free health care, and a path to citizenship".
Here in California, basically every government document have a Spanish counterpart and there's always Spanish speaking translators available. I can see how many Spanish speaking people can live in the US and never have to know an ounce of English.
> Of course you know this, but are merely stating this as some kind of "gotcha".
It wasn't meant as a gotcha, just a reminder that lack of English isn't quite the black mark you were making it out to be.
> not with a massive backlog of educated, English-speaking, law-abiding people waiting in the queue.
I don't see much support for reducing the backlog either.
> What do you think happens to the people who have their SSNs used?
I actually don't know. Can you tell me more please? It can't be identity fraud to open lines of credit. As you said, the migrants who use the SSNs are uneducated, relatively unsophisticated people who have very little knowledge of English.
> Then you may hear it right now, businesses that knowingly employ illegal aliens should be prosecuted for breaking the law.
It's admirable you say that, but it happens relatively rarely. Making an example (e.g RICO-ing assets) out of a few big fish, and performing consistent enforcement thereafter would provide a strong deterrent to hiring migrants illegally, and a strong disincentive to migrate illegally. It should also cost the government less money; fewer investigations to pursue, fewer government agents and less bureaucracy required. Ask yourself why this doesn't happen, why it's not part of any campaign platform, and who benefits.
> Unfortunately in our current two-party system, the options are "Build the wall" or "Give them all free health care, and a path to citizenship".
"Give them all free health care" (not actually free free, since migrants are also taxpayers) is internally consistent with "Health care is a human right". It may understandably be unpalatable to many, but at least it's honest. "a path to citizenship" appears to have widespread bipartisan support among voters, at least according to some polls I saw long ago, but maybe I'm wrong about that.
The problem is "Build the wall", isn't just less effective than "Punish the employers" at reducing illegal migration to help domestic workers, it's also inconsistent with smaller government. Policies such as the war on drugs, foreign interventions, weakening unions, opposing strong health and safety laws, or denying climate change (we're going to start hearing about climate refugees in North America in the next decade or two) also undermine domestic workers, increase illegal migration, and/or increase the size of the government. It's dishonest.
And the other is complaining about illegal aliens breaking the law by being here illegally, while either committing fraud by using someone's SSN or avoiding paying tax entirely, often unable to speak English, increasing competition for unskilled labor (construction, landscaping, cooks, dishwashers, etc.), putting downward pressure on wages of the working class.
One is lamenting supply and demand, and the is other upset about blatant illegality that has gone on for decades.