Re:Obama has bigger challenges

After reading a classmate's blog about the promises Obama has made to allow some 12 million illegal immigrants to become citizens, I am struck by a couple of things. First is that the author seems to think that most illegal immigrants are on welfare and do not have jobs. I bet that this is a false assumption. Most illegal immigrants are working longer hours, for less money then anyone else in this country. This cheaper labor benefits the most affluent people and businesses the most, but also affects everyday people as well. According to NPR 5 percent of the labor pool in the US is already made up by illegal workers. Second is that it is not the fault of the workers that employers hire them and then do not provide the same services that they would to a documented worker. The businesses do this on purpose, they save money by not having to pay a living wage, or provide health insurance. They are getting the benefits of the labor without the additional costs. It is those businesses that should be held accountable for the extra medicaid money that is spent caring of illegal immigrants and their children. If Obama did allow these working, contributing members of our society to finally become fully accepted and acknowledged we would as a whole be much better off.