“When that old chariot comes, I’m going to leave you…I’m bound for the Promised Land.”

— (Coded Hymn, Maryland, 1850s)



“Underground America” began long before the issues surrounding illegal immigration surfaced as a dominant issue of the 21st century. The term is best illustrated by the movement involving the operations of clandestine escape networks that began in the 1500s, and was later connected with organized abolitionist activity in the 1800s.

Neither an “underground” nor a “railroad,” the informal system emerged as a loosely constructed network of escape routes that originated in the South, intertwined throughout the North, and eventually ended in Canada.

A runaway slave, like an illegal worker from Mexico and other parts of Central America, moved in secrecy and darkness along designated routes across the Ohio River by “Following the North Star.” This was the code word for those seeking freedom from oppression and jobs to improve their economic plight.

Today, the nation faces what I would like to call “an exodus-by-demand” where immigrants enter the country illegally in search of a better life. Unlike African slaves, many of the illegal immigrants living in America have established “corridors” where relatives have preceded them.

There are “clusters” in communities on the edge of thriving metropolitan areas and in small towns where jobs paying minimum wages can be found. They find refuge in churches, because of their religious faith and profound confidence in congregations that will provide support and a measure of solace. Like the slaves in America that preceded them, they, too, long for freedom from oppression, fear, and poverty.

Among the definitive studies that have been conducted on the plight of immigrant workers is “Underground America,” edited by Peter Orner. Estimates indicate that the number of undocumented workers in the United States range from 12 to 15 million.

“But the America that illegal immigrants come to know is quite different from the places where you find ordinary citizens. It’s a nation where an undocumented worker gets paid less than minimum wage to do common labor under the threat of deportation…”

A recent congressional study released in 2007 backs up the view that undocumented immigrants tend to sap more tax dollars than they provide, especially in health care, education and law enforcement. Another interesting finding suggests that in 1990 - at the beginning of the last decade of the 20th century, 90 percent of undocumented immigrants were found primarily in six states: California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Texas. In 2004, undocumented immigrants had increased tenfold in other states, most notably Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee, according to statistics from the Pew Hispanic Center. Among the 12 million undocumented immigrants nationwide, 60 percent are uninsured and 50 percent of the children are uninsured. They are more likely to access emergency rooms and urgent care facilities because most do not have health care. Arizona — the home state of Senator John McCain — and other border states paid nearly $190 million in health care costs. Without question, these statistics present a gloom assessment of “illegal workers” in America.

The $64,000 question is: How will we solve the problem? Do we have a moral obligation to reach out and touch those who clean the hotel rooms, serve food at fast food restaurants, and cut/manicure the lawns of the wealthy and not-so wealthy? What about the skilled workers among them? Are they contributing to unemployment among American citizens or are they fueling the economy?

These questions are discussed on a regular basis, particularly by guests on the Lou Dobbs Show on CNN.

U.S. Sen. John McCain believes America’s immigration system is broken. He suggests that he is committed to a two-step process to reform: Securing our borders first and developing comprehensive immigration initiatives.

Rudy Giuliani, touted as a possible running mate for McCain sued federal court to overturn legislation that would have stopped some of the incentives for illegal aliens to come to New York.

McCain co-sponsored an amnesty proposal with Sen. Ted Kennedy. Mitt Romney, another possible running mate with McCain, allowed sanctuary cities to flourish within Massachusetts during his tenure as governor and employed a landscaping company that used illegal alien labor.

Sen. Barack Obama favors the McCain/Kennedy Amnesty Plan. He also voted in favor of increasing chain-migration, calling it “amily reunification plans.” He favors provisions for keeping families together — a practice central to maintaining strong ties and relationships. Congressman Ron Paul introduced legislation to end the practice of granting birthright citizenship for children of illegal aliens.

As the nation considers its next president, it must also consider how to promote domestic tranquility among documented vs. undocumented workers if it is to secure the blessings of liberty and justice for all. This is the dilemma we face as we debate the plight of “Underground America.”



Naomi W. Ledé is a retired Senior Research Scientist, Distinguished Professor, and former University Administrator. She serves as Chair of the Board of the Samuel Walker Houston Museum and Cultural Center, Huntsville.