Should the U.S. deport illegal immigrants?

Many Americans complain about the fact that illegal immigrants are taking up American jobs. This article is a perfect example of the opposite. There are jobs, but no Americans want to take it. Like it or not, undocumented immigrants are part of the economy.

Many people argue that we should deport illegal immigrants because they are a cost to the state. You see articles like this one http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/02/immigration-costs-fair-amnesty-educations-costs-reform/ that states that illegal immigration is a burden on the country. However, contradictory research shows that illegal workers actually add more to the economy than they consume. a big chunk of the cost of illegal immigration is enforcement to stop it would not be part present with a better immigration policy.

In addition, if the problem is that illegal workers use the welfare system, then the problem is the presence of a welfare system that allows free-riders (not that illegals are free-riders), not the immigrants themselves. As Daniel Griswold mentions in 'Immigration and the Welfare State', "low- skilled immigrants do impose a net cost on government, in particular on the state and local level, but those costs are often exaggerated by critics of immigration and are offset by broader benefits to the overall economy."

As Friedman said “you cannot simultaneously have free immigration and a welfare state”

It is ironic that many of the people that clamor for 'freedom' are also the ones fighting against open border. The free flow of individuals is an essential element of a truly free society.

A major issue with illegals is that of which international interference into the legal affairs of a country. For example, last year we had the case of a Mexican man who was sentenced to death http://articles.cnn.com/2011-07-03/justice/texas.death.row_1_mexican-consulate-death-row-mexican-officials?_s=PM:CRIME. Who has jurisdiction in these situations? Does the law of where the crime is committed take precedence always?

I don't think it's unreasonable for a country to set limits to immigration - there is a reasonable risk of massive immigration happening too quickly to a degree where it would significantly disrupt society.

And holding that belief, I don't see any issue with a country enforcing those laws in a reasonable way, and that may include deportation.

But current immigration policy is way out of step with the reality of the needs and benefits of America. Our limits on highly educated and skilled workers are way too restrictive. And there is no reasonable path for low-skilled, but hard working immigrants, providing them with huge incentives to enter the gray market.

So while I agree with the general principle of enforcing immigration law, doing so without modernizing current immigration policy would likely result in serious problems. There would be worker shortages, driving up wages, increasing demand for these workers, increasing the incentives for these workers to come to America illegally. We'd be right back where we came from I suspect.