Illegal Immigration and Welfare: Ethics

Illegal Immigration and Welfare: Ethics

The American ideal is one predicated on self-determination, "pulling one up by their bootstraps" is the national calling for the United States. The American public, by and large, value the welfare of their fellow citizen; however there are a variety of philosophies expressed as to how best to provide for this welfare. There are those that view it as the responsibility of the family unit and community organizations. Still others render it the duty of the Federal government through a variety of national welfare programs that take taxpayer's dollars and provide assistance to those individuals deemed "needy." In deed the question is not should people be offered assistance the question is how do we pay for it? The purpose of this brief discussion is to discuss the ethics behind providing welfare assistance to illegal immigrants. This essay will touch upon the past programs that have lead to what some individuals describe as an "attitude of acceptance" with illegal immigration. Finally, this essay will conclude with an overall assessment of the ethical considerations entailed within this complex and highly emotional issue.

Discussion

The issue of illegal immigration has dominated the American political landscape for the better part of four decades (Bluhm & Heineman, 2006, p.130). Through the passage of several different acts, the United States Government has attempted to deal with the problem of illegal immigration. (Bluhm & Heineman, 2006, p. 136). Over recent years, the trend in illegal immigration has expanded exponentially and lead to a drain on social services. Many of the boarder towns in Texas and California report over a 100% increase in the number of illegal immigrants both crossing the boarder illegally and taking advantage of social services ("Immigration and Welfare," 2009). The current debate in Washington over the fate of illegal immigration casts the debate in terms of those who seek to help the less fortunate vs. those who would turn a cold shoulder on those who need the most help and those who are in the greatest need; essentially, the debate is framed in terms of those who want to offer assistance as living up to the American creed and those who do not (Beck, 2010, p. 32).

The ethical considerations underlying this debate go deeper than just the issue of whether it is moral and just to offer assistance to those in need. Certainly, the American psyche is most definitely predicated on the quasi-religious connotation that it is permissible to offer assistance to those who are in need. However, that connotation, for some people ceases to function when the discussion turns to those individuals who are crossing the boarder illegally.

The question then becomes, "should bad behavior be rewarded?" Those who cross the boarder illegally are referred to as "criminals," individuals who show utter disregard and contempt for the very fabric of law within American society. But do these individuals necessarily seek to break the law merely to take advantage of the welfare programs? Or is there a greater, more systemic problem? Borrowing from the main tenets of conflict resolution, the "structural assumptions" matrix dictates that larger more systemic problems are the root causes of individuals seeking to avoid conflict. Therefore, it can be asserted that these individuals are seeking to avoid conflict, improve the quality of life for their family and provide opportunities for their children they would normally not have access to within their home country. Consequentially, the ethical debate revolves around the ability to recognize those who are coming to the United States and provide a better life for themselves, their family and importantly their children.