We can no longer avoid it, we have avoided the problem for as long as we could and when we couldn’t avoid it any longer we were told that, indeed, somewhere between 12 and 20 million people had somehow snuck into this country unnoticed.  After reading the last two sections of this article, I am assuming that one would understand that Mexico has many problems to overcome.  Mexico is struggling with internal and external corruption as well as a devastating war against the Mexican drug cartels that are overrunning the Mexican government and the country in general. Mexico is a serious problem for the Americas.  It could be turning into the Afghanistan/Pakistan of the Western hemisphere.  At the very least, it will make the Columbia Drug Cartel wars of the eighties look not all that bad.  Maybe because it was not so close to American borders.  The important thing to realize about the illegal immigration that is coming across the Mexican border is that they are not all Mexicans.  The Issue of illegal immigration is destined to be a major controversy in the 2008 election campaign as Americans are fueled by the economy, gas prices and and an all out invasion coming over our Southern border.  One of the most common misconceptions is that Mexico is a poor nation. Mexico has a lot of poverty, yes, but it's not "poor." In terms of the potential to obliterate much of that poverty, Mexico has one of the greatest capacities in all of the Americas to do just that. It is rich in natural resources and, should it decide to tap those resources, could eradicate much of its own destitution.   When Mexico is complaining about U.S. being too tough on immigration it is almost funny to me.  Then I realized what Mexico has to gain from this exchange.  They are sending their unemployed to America.  Once in America, the illegal aliens then send money back to the Mexican economy.  So wonder a few years back the Mexican government was giving survival guides and maps on the best way to invade the United States.  Mexico's economy is reaping the benefit of over 20 billion U.S. dollars into their economy.  In addition, Illegal immigrants are costing the United States over 24 billion dollars a year in taxpayers money (National Review 12.13.93) That is a net cost of 44 billion dollars that will not benefit our economy in any way.  In no way can anyone ever say that illegal immigration benefits American taxpayers. 

First, I think it is important to understand that we are not anti-immigration nor racist or any other adjective that is being thrown out there that is describing anyone that is tired of foreign countries having more influence in America than the taxpayers. Immigration is what built America.  Immigration when conducted by the law of a sovereign nation can be good. It is a controlled way of introducing labor at a fair wage. We need immigration to fill voids in our work place, but not when we have a shrinking middle class in times of foreclosures and job cuts of good paying jobs that go over seas as a result of the new global economy.  Illegal immigration is crime. Hiring illegal undocumented workers is a crime.  Everyone needs to enter the United States the same way.  If we have voids then complain about that not that we are taking your $6 hour laborer away that you fired an American for because he was making $12.  Sure, I understand that your competition started the trend and you had to do it to stay in business. It does not make it right.  Report it, do not let go of a painter, dry waller, landscaper, manufacturer, or whomever go because your competition is breaking the law so that for the short term they can cheat the system and reap in a higher profit margin.  It is causing the rest of us a lot of pain including the lives of many illegal immigrants that die in the process as the road to America is a deadly one when it comes through Mexico.

American Politicians are growing very fearful it appears of the growing Hispanic vote in our country.   They are also feeling the pressure from manufacturing, mega farms, construction companies and others to lay off illegal immigration.  It is time for rest the rest of America to stand up and discount the lies that pro illegal groups are pushing forward in their agendas.  America has survived without this influx of illegals a lot longer than it has had them here.  It is greed.  American companies have thoroughly enjoyed charging higher and higher prices for goods despite this lower paid labor force.  America will not crumble if we removed the majority of illegals. At least actively remove the ones that are criminals from Mexico rather than placing blooming costs of incarceration, health care, and welfare on American taxpayers. The industries that are putting pressure on our politicians  are not concerned with the cost in tax dollars to the rest of us.  They are truly only thinking about themselves.   I think this game needs to come to an end.  Companies need to employ Americans first at a decent wage.  It is not just a global economy for Americans losing their jobs in other markets.  America's middle class is being swept away in this new global market and illegal immigrants are taking jobs that America needs.  The money earned needs to be re circulated in our economy, not Mexico's or Guatemala's because they can't stop their own corruption.  Everything that surrounds illegal immigration is hurting our economy, straining our  resources to benefit a few, and a waste of tax payer dollars.  It has been over 7 years since September 11, 2001 and our Politicians have not secured our borders.  It is putting America at risk for a small number of people that benefit from the illegal activity. 

As stated above, the road to America from Mexico is a deadly one. 

Mexico is a source, transit, and destination country for persons trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. The majority of victims trafficked into the country come from Central America, destined for Mexico or the United States. A lesser number of victims come from South America, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and Asia. A significant number of Mexican women, girls, and boys are trafficked internally for sexual exploitation, often lured from poor rural regions to urban, border, and tourist areas through false offers of employment; many are beaten, threatened, and forced into prostitution. Sex tourism, including child sex tourism, appears to be growing, especially in tourist areas such as Acapulco and Cancun, and border towns like Tijuana; foreign pedophiles arrive most often from Western Europe and the United States. Organized criminal networks traffic women and girls from Mexico into the United States for commercial sexual exploitation. In a new trend, the trafficking of U.S.-resident children into Mexico for commercial sexual exploitation was reported during the last year. Trafficking in Mexico is frequently conflated with alien smuggling, although the same criminal networks are often involved. - U.S. State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report, June, 2007.

Illegal immigration is the bait many times for individuals including women and children that dream of reaching America. They are told that they will be given a job, safe passage,  and other forms of enticements.  The sad truth is that the women and children are raped and placed into sexual slavery in route to America.  Illegal immigration is not worth the price that people pay.  Sometimes the cost of this mistake is their life.

Below are few stories of the horrible practice of human trafficking caused by illegal immigration

See Also  Columbia: Narco- State or Allie? 

Illegal Immigration  A huge selection of articles dealing with illegal immigration into the United States from Mexico

Illegal Immigration from Mexico to the United States Due to the close proximity of Mexico to the U.S. and the noticeable difference in quality of life, it is no wonder why for many generations Mexicans have illegally crossed the border.

Human Trafficking & Modern-day Slavery - Mexico  Mexico is a source, transit, and destination country for persons trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor. The majority of victims trafficked into the country come from Central America, destined for Mexico

Human Trafficking and Transnational Organized Crime  Rosa was 13 and waiting tables in a restaurant in a small village near Vera Cruz, Mexico, when she was approached by an acquaintance who told her, "You know you can make 10 times more money in the U.S. doing this. I know someone who can find you a job in Texas. You can send money home to your family; you can have your own life. You can’t lose."