Letter: Illegal migration hurts U.S. on many levels

Sunday, Dec. 31, 2006 | 7:03 a.m.

On Wednesday an article in the Las Vegas Sun indicated that a Texas study reveals illegal immigrants contributed $420 million more than they cost in government services. Great! Nevada needs to get on the bandwagon - the more illegals we can convince to migrate here the better off we will all be financially? Hogwash.

The outcome of nearly all government funded studies is predetermined by those paying for these studies. Those who produce these studies aren't stupid and they know how to keep the financial winds blowing in their direction.

If America needs these many millions of low-skilled, poorly educated workers, then so be it. But they should be employed legally and only on a temporary basis. They must be vetted, documented, sponsored and all of their costs completely paid by their sponsor.

These costs include transportation into and out of the country, full medical and public education. In addition, any of their children born here would not automatically become U.S. citizens.

I believe that because we employ these poorly educated and marginally skilled illegal workers now, it elevates our own slightly better-educated and marginally skilled workers to positions of employment they don't deserve.

Some American workers need a dose of reality, and importing workers to do the jobs that they should be doing doesn't help. It's all part of the dumbing down of the American population.

Richard Rychtarik, Las Vegas