The Burden of Illegals?

The New York Times reports on surprising news that illegal immigrants working in the United States are filing federal and state income tax returns in record numbers. One of the reasons for the increase in filings is that some of the immigration reform proposals include a linkage between paying taxes and a pathway to citizenship.

Many illegal immigrants showing up at tax preparation offices around the country say they hope that filing a return will create a paper trail that could lead to citizenship one day.

This should be seen as great news for everyone concerned about illegal immigration in the United States. Paying taxes and sharing the burden of funding government services is a clear demonstration that the illegals have a desire to become members of the larger community. In addition, this development should torpedo the notion that illegals are little more than parasites that have attached themselves to the United States in order to feed at the trough of government social services.

The single best way to defeat the threat of the Other is to transform the Other into one of Us. The payment of taxes is an important element of shared civic responsibilty. The vast majority of illegal immigrants have demonstrated a desire to work and a desire to better themselves and their families. These are some of the values that form the foundation of the American middle class. We could do far worse than attempt export these middle class values to Mexico and Central America.