March 3, 2023 6:30 am

Malign Neglect of the Border Led to America’s Child Helots

Lawlessness spreads. Allowing illegal child migrants leads inevitably to ignoring child-labor laws.

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Anderson, a six-year-old unaccompanied minor from El Salvador, stands in line with other asylum-seeking children as they identify themselves to a U.S. Border Patrol agent after crossing the Rio Grande River into the U.S. from Mexico in La Joya, Texas, May 14, 2021.

Adrees Latif/Reuters

How many times do we have to say it? There is no such thing as benign neglect of the U.S. borde r.

America tolerates this chaos because it brings disproportionate benefits to the upwardly mobile class of Americans who employ illegal labor directly as gardeners, landscapers, housekeepers, and nannies. Or indirectly, in cash-driven businesses such as same-day delivery, car washes, and restaurants. Illegal immigration makes the life of double-income families feel more affluent.