A Civilized Slavery

I'm starting to get the picture that this whole immigration thing is a little subtler than it seems at first. Over and over, people are saying, if la migra wanted to stop unauthorized migrant work, they would go to all the restaurants, agricultural fields, janitorial services, day labor markets, and round them up. I'm continually reminded: companies have no incentive to stop the flow of cheap labor from Mexico - and increasingly, further south - into the united states.

The vigilantes are another anomaly. While there are a few outspoken advocates of private militias at the border, they aren't well organized, and they never show up. This happened to us in Calexico, where we were to confront cazainmigrantes - migrant head hunters. There were two hundred people in town to show their disapproval, and hunt the hunters themselves. But we didn't spot any, there was almost no presence, and the communications of the so-called "Friends of the Border Patrol" were secretive and confusing. In Arizona, there was a lot of bluster, but mostly it was a few dozen unarmed retirees sitting in lawn chairs near the border with binoculars. It makes me think that, whether conspiracy or naivete, there is no organized militia activity on any significant scale. It seems like it's for show - as if a hastily organized deception scheme wanted people to think that the right wing really wants to stop immigration.. this is convenient for the racists, because they need somewhere to focus their fear; and an effective way of focusing progressive\radical energy in a dirction that is completely useless.

No. this administration, wants to keep the cheap labor coming... and they've found an effective, darwinian way to keep the population under control: make them run the gauntlet. Those who succeed are rewarded with a low-paying job with no benefits, and they contribute to our tax base through federal deductions they'll never receive. And this group remains fearful, they don't get organized because they can't risk what they've already given up so much for: the chance at a better life.

How can we have more undocumented migrants coming through the borders, more dying in the desert, more trying and failing, more border patrol, and more money being spent? Coyotes make some money moving people across the border. It appears to be an industry. And in order for an illegal industry to function on a wide scale, you've got a few crooked people on the inside.

Maybe. We'll see what we can find out.