Immigration

Hot topic these days. My friend from college just asked me what I thought about illegal immigration, since I live in California and that state seems to be more impacted than upstate New York, where my friend lives. I struggled to answer. That is just it. I have no answer -- no solution. I do have some basic beliefs that include:

1. Belief in human dignity for all people created in God's image.
2. Curiosity about the value of political boundaries, and the concept of "illegal" in this context.
   
3. Acceptance that resources to care for all people are limited under the current structures (health care, education, housing, etc.)
4. People who truely behave badly, such as truely guilty felons, need to return to their country of origin.
5. Myths surrounding immigrants carry too much power and inaccurate information.
6. Inconsistencies in who is welcome, who is not, and who we choose to go "help" in the world.
7. Anytime a people group is targeted as a problem, that is a dangerous sign.
8. What about welfare abuse by American citizens?

So, as often happens, the more I think about some issues, the more questions I have.