3 upvotes, 0 direct replies (showing 0)
The sort of unspoken reality of undocumented migrants is that the US actually needs them. The farming industry, for example, in the US is only cost-effective because of the use of undocumented immigrants. Previously, when the Mexico-US border was VERY porous, Mexican folk would cross the border, work seasonally, and then return to Mexico for the off-season. Once the border started to become firmer (in the 1950s and again in the 1970s), the ability of Mexicans to move back and forth became more restricted. This essentially locked these immigrants in as they had significant economic incentives to stay in the US rather than return to Mexico and feared not being able to return if they left.
The resulting population had children in the US who are US citizens and who are (generally) sympathetic to the plight of other Mexicans who are undocumented. Further, these people can work legally, which makes them less interested in working on farms (the work is hard, and the pay is crap). This means that the farming industry needs more workers; they remain an economic incentive that continues to draw more undocumented migrant workers. These workers become stuck in the same trap and are heavily disincentivized to leave.
That the US has MASSIVE borders means that it is insanely difficult to close the borders completely. This means that it's nearly impossible to stop migrant workers who are willing/able to circumvent legal methods and can make the hike across that terrain. Once inside the US, these migrants avoid being returned to the other side of the border because of the insane costs (personal and financial) that it took to get into the country.
There's nothing here!