Those cute and cuddly little humans just lucked out: Washington State was prepared to slash the Apple Health for Kids program, a part of the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) but the federal government intervened and has promised to fund it for the next 4 years. But why would the state even consider cutting a medical program for low-income children? I thought politicians loved babies, they sure love those kiss-baby-on-forehead photo ops, especially if the child is from an ethnic minority. This program was on the chopping block because it funds medical coverage for undocumented children, and in a time of finger-pointing, scape-goating economic woes, those damn illegal aliens are clearly the ones to blame for everything.
Most of the state programs that provide services to undocumented persons are cut, and with $4.6 billion state deficit, it is rightly so. At the risk of becoming a pariah, this must be said: In times of economic recessions, we cannot continue to use state funds to help undocumented people.
But Sam, aren't you Mexican? Didn't your parents come here illegally?
Why yes, yes I am and yes they did. Lemme explain.
While a large majority of Americans claim that undocumented people are largely responsible for the economic hardships and a financial burden in our country, I strongly refute this. There is no proof of this, it is simply an ignorant claim to place blame on a powerless and voiceless portion of our population. I do, however, believe that providing certain services to undocumeneted persons is an incentive to come into this country illegaly.
Let's explore a hypothetical, but all too common situation. Undocumented women know that if they get pregnant in this country, medical services will be paid for. Their child will be a US citizen, making them eligible for state benefits; food stamps, Medicaid, social security, low income housing, etc. As long as the mother can find a legal resident to legally claim these benefits on behalf of the child, she is set for the next 18 years. What need does she have to become a legal resident if she has all her basic needs covered? None, there is no reason or incentive for her to pursue legal residency, especially since the process is costly and time-consuming. And if she is unmarried, unemployed and has more children, all the better for her. Do I think that we should cut maternal services for undocumented persons? ABSOLUTELY NOT. From a public health perspective, providing maternal services is an essential right for all people, regardless of legal status. Afterall, that unborn child is an American and you know how much we love our unborn children.
So how do we "fix" this hypothetical situation? If neither parent is a legal resident, we could say the child doesn't qualify to be a US citizen, and thereby eliminating any state funding for the child. But that would require changing the citizenship laws and is probably unconstitutional. Or we could deport the pregnant woman upon diagnosing her, but pregnancy is not a criminal offense (although in some cases it should be.) Maybe we could offer the woman money in exchange for aborting the child, thereby eliminating a long-term expense, but this is immoral, unethical and just plain wrong. Just how do we fix this?
We can't fix this, it must be prevented. Illegal immigration must be prevented, it is the most compassionate and humane way to address this issue. Building a 9-foot wall along the borders will be costly and ineffective and beefing up border patrol is futile. Let's look at why people come here in the first place: Work. Because they find work easily, employers will turn a blind eye to false documentation in order to hire cheap labor, so we are actually ATTRACTING illegal immigration by providing them with work. We are all too willing to criminalize illegal immigrants but can't criminalize employers who hire them? Don't blame the people, blame the system.
Some will say that I am being selfish, that since I am a product of illegal immigration I should allow others the same opportunity I had. Yes, I am being selfish and that's all there is to it.
Go ahead, be angry. I'm angry too. I'm angry that so many of my family members who immigrated here illegally from Mexico had the opportunity to become legal residents but chose not to during the Amnesty of 1986. I'm angry that my family members who have lived here for 30 years still can't read or write English. But most of all, I'm angry that my family has not taken advantage of all the opportunites available for us, their children who were born here, to succeed and thrive in this counry. Speaking from personal experience, half of my cousins have not graduated from high school, many are involved in gangs and drugs and many rely on state-sponsored programs like unemployment, TANF and food stamps for permanent support, instead of short term support as is intended. Please don't generalize or stereotype, poverty and crime is not unique to me or to my family or to Mexicans or to Latinos: It is a consequence of the immigrant experience, a social phenomenon whereby the diaspora finds their own way to survive in a new environment.
(I should mention that I also have very successful cousins who are serving in the Armed Forces, working in law enforcement and health care, paying their way through college and starting their own families.)
Apple Health for Kids, and any health program for undocumented persons, is a service and incentive for undocumented people to come and stay in our country. But because I believe health care is a right for all persons, I firmly support any primary care program that will increase access to all people, especially the most vulnerable. Access to primary care supports the foundation of our society: our ability to work, reproduce, learn, nourish, coexist and thrive depends on our good health. Our country needs healthy, productive citizens and non-citizens alike in order to function and while the problems of illegal immigration cannot be solved as easily as I have stated, access to health care assures that we are all physically and mentally able to do our part.
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