A series of cases have been brought to court recently where illegal immigrants sue abusive employers. The typical reaction on the street: illegal have no right to complain, they should just be deported. Oh, how wrong this attitude is.
First, it is in the self-interest of the local (legal) labor force to see these cases go to court. If employers can continue to abuse illegals workers without impunity, they will prefer hiring illegals over legals. This reduces the demand for legal workers, and thus the number of employed legal residents and/or their wages.
Second, I hold little esteem for any policy that discriminates against the unlucky. The illegal immigrants in question were unlucky in that they were born in the wrong country. Being harassed by the lucky ones is not what I envision as a realization of human society, and specifically human right. It is not a question of an Economist having a heart, think about it an insurance against being born in the wrong place. Illegals should be helped, not discriminated against.
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