In the ongoing confusion of whether or not we should like ‘the illegals’ or not, several themes keep popping up. One theme is how fat, lazy and unhealthy Mexicans are. The other theme centers on the perpetual debate of “Are the Illegals an Economically Sound Investment?” The debate sounds something like this:

Speaker One: The illegals drain our economy and suck up all our resources!

Speaker Two: Undocumented workers pay millions of dollars into the system but rarely get much of anything out of it.

Here’s nice summery of such a discussion all done up neatly in letter format.

My question: Since this debate pretty much reduces undocumented workers to the equivalent of the beat up car out front that is next in line to be towed away (should you let it be towed or pay the fines to keep it?), I really have to wonder what the purpose of the debate is and why immigration rights advocates keep engaging in it.

Is there a different way to consider the benefits of immigration?
What do you think?