Slavery And Illegal Immigration
Slavery has been around as long as man has been at war with each other. The vanquished were often taken by the victors and enslaved. The early history of the Americas involved enslavement of indigenous peoples, indentured servants, as well as the development of an organized slave trade that fueled the economic engines of labor intensive, highly profitable sugar cane, tobacco and cotton industries, all of which had huge markets in Europe. The use of slavery, simply put, maximized profits and provided an inexhaustible supply of unskilled labor. Slavery today is not much different than it was in the past. Islamic countries still practice slavery overtly while other countries are more covertly involved, supplying illicit human trafficking for the sex trade. No longer do we see the slave ships of the past delivering slaves to our shores, we see illegal immigrants making their way north in caravans through a pipeline controlled by drug cartels. Minor unaccompanied children, families and working age adults are recruited by the cartels and organized into caravans for the trip north. That's where the victimization begins. People who cannot afford the fee are held in economic bondage to the cartel's under the threat of death to themselves, their family and those left behind in their home countries. Even if they do pay up they are continuously extorted afterwards. Minors are raped and abused by predators along the way. The cartels force some into the sex trade and young males are recruited and used for drug smuggling. The carrot on the stick to get these people to make this treacherous journey are the promise of jobs and a better life in America. Poor and inconsistent enforcement of our immigration policies and lack there of encourages these practices. No longer do we have control of our southern border, the cartels do.
Once folks make it through the gauntlet and enter into America they are victimized again by unscrupulous American employers who take advantage of their illegal status and pay them less than market determined wages in order to maximize their profits and undercut competition. A 2014 Pew Research Center report identified the industries that used the highest percentages of illegal immigrants. Agriculture, Construction, Leisure/Hospitality, Private Households and Landscaping are the heaviest users of illegal immigrant labor. Politicians look the other way when powerful constituents make use of this shadow labor force to fill their coffers. One political party seeks to use them as a way to stay in power in perpetuity, not caring about the negative impact they have on our hospitals , school systems and the Federal Government's social entitlement spending. They don't care about the plight of these people they are just a means to their political ends.
Illegal immigration in this country is foremost a moral issue. The systematic exploitation of the poor, defenceless and uneducated, in order to enrich ourselves, keep prices low and politicians elected is an abomination and every bit as evil as the slavery that was in our country for over 200 years. A bloody civil war was fought to end it. It looks like we haven't learned much from the past and will be doomed to repeat it and suffer the consequences. Once again it is up to Christians to raise awareness and end this national sin.
