b'ing in Texas like Tango Blast and its associated groupsandAs the longest economic expansion in AmericanD espite the facts that unauthorized im-(20,000 members), the Texas-Mexican Mafia (4,000history carries on, with a national unemployment ratemigrants commit less crime and work members),LatinKings(1,300members),andMaraaround 3.7%, growing wages and unfilled demand formore than us native born Americans, Salvatrucha a.k.a. MS-13, which was founded by Sal- labor that is actually slowing down many businessesthe violent and cruel industry of hu-vadoran immigrants in Los Angeles and that representsand entire industry segments, millions of unauthorizedman trafficking that often motivates, El Salvadors gang presence in the U.S. (500 membersimmigrants living in Texas are getting up every day,then facilitates, the decision to take in Texas). Not unlike the Sicilian Mafia of the 1920sworking 8-10 hours, taking minimum wage or less ifaperilous,month-longtrekacross through the 1980s, or the Irish mob in Boston, or thetheyre paid in cash under the table, or paying FICAMexico with no guaranteed entry into the U.S, remains Chinese mob in San Francisco, or even Korean gangsfederal income taxes into a non-existent IRS ac- connected to those immigrants long after they establish in Los Angeles, violence carried out by unauthorizedcount that will tender them neither Medicare nor So- new homes here. The jobs they take to pay off smug-Latin immigrant gang members can and will take placecial Security in their golden yearsall under the aus- gling debts are often where they end up long-term, and within our bordersand the easiest and most obviouspices of a black market system of illegal labor that istheneighborhoodswheretheyestablishthemselves, reaction, for some, is to say, Lets just round them allhypocritically indulged by every single employer whofamiliar in language and culture but segregated from up and throw them out! participates, along all colors of the political spectrum. much of society, can act as barriers to the greater op-The CATO Institute conducted a series of academi- Here in South Texaswhere the living heirs to theportunities available to citizens and legal immigrants.callypeer-reviewedstudiesontheeffectsofillegalKing Ranch still speak Spanish as their primary lan- Manyofthoseescapingdrugviolenceintheir immigrationoncrimeinTexas,wherethecriminalguagewe really do not need to be lectured by anyonehome countries find that culture of criminality follow-conviction rate for unauthorized immigrants in 2015residing in a place where it snows in October, on theing them to the U.S., and not always in the form of or-was found to be 899 per 100,000. The rate for legalsubject of Mexican and Central American immigrants.ganized gang activity, but in the street-smart, survive-immigrants was 611, and the criminal conviction rateWe know they work. We know we trust them in ourat-all-cost mentality that may be all some have ever for native-born Americans living in Texas was 1,797homes and with our children, and seldom, if ever, haveknown. The strong cross-pollination between human per 100,000. So much for the notion that illegal im- we met one in a gang or who comes across as a rap- smuggling and drug smuggling enables a cooperative migrantsbringwiththemaplagueofviolenceandist or murderer. In fact, the unemployment rate amongsystem in which one feeds the othermigrants wanting crimein fact, they commit crimes in Texas at half themale illegal immigrants is typically .5% less than thatto get into the U.S., but unable to pay $2,000 or more rate of us native born Texans. No good Coastal Benderof native-born Americans, and the labor participationto a coyote, can settle their debt by smuggling in a few would dare diminish the grief experienced by anyonerate (that we used to hear so much about) for foreignpounds of methamphetamines, cocaine or Chinese Fen-who has suffered tragic loss, but the demonization ofborn, male workers was 77.9% in 2018, compared totanyl. Numerous stories have emerged of migrant chil-an entire class of people living within our borders, re- 67.3% for American-born workers. It should be harderdren being sold in Texas, or used by unrelated adults gardless of immigration status, seems more like an in-tentional political ploy than a legitimate response to ato demonize from afar the same kind of good peopleposing as parents who know that entry as a family unit legitimate emergency. who are part of ones daily life. is far easier than as single adults. In their 2019 sales 30 THE COASTAL BEND MAGAZINEFall 2019 TheCoastalBend.com'