Eberhart: Illegal immigration hurts low-wage minorities

As an African American, I'd find it quite refreshing to hear "leaders" in the minority community and editorial writers acknowledge the damage done by illegal immigration. The Americans first and most affected by the crime of illegal immigration are native-born Hispanics and African Americans.

"I don't believe there are any jobs that Americans won't take, and that includes agricultural jobs," says Carol Swain, professor of law at Vanderbilt University and author of "Debating Immigration." "Illegal immigration hurts low-skilled, low-wage workers of all races, but blacks are harmed the most because they're disproportionately low-skilled."

That's not the concept promoted by the media elite, now in panic mode because President Obama has not pushed for another amnesty for illegal aliens as promised during the campaign. As if with one voice, editorial pages nationwide are promoting the notion that our economy, job market and national morality somehow would be boosted if we legalized the 12 million to 20 million illegal immigrants in this country.

Nonsense.

A new Zogby survey finds that minority voters' views are somewhat different than advertised by the "amnesty now" media crowd. The poll of likely Hispanic, Asian-American and African-American voters finds that overall, each of these groups prefers enforcement of immigration law and wants illegal immigrants to return home.

As Steven Camarota of the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies notes, "These views are in sharp contrast to the leaders of most ethnic advocacy organizations, who argue for increased immigration and legalization of illegal immigrants."

The Zogby poll also exploded many of the myths of monolithic Hispanic views on illegal immigration and enforcement.

Most members of minority groups do not feel that illegal immigration is caused by limits on legal immigration, as many ethnic advocacy groups argue; instead, members feel it's because of a lack of enforcement. Just 20 percent of Hispanics said

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