Illegal Immigration

1. Should every person who is currently and illegally located in this country be both actively sought, and forcibly deported, once found - regardless of their country of origin? Follow-up question: Support your reasoning.

2. Are illegal aliens from any particular country any more / less deserving of remaining, or of being allowed a path of amnesty toward naturalization, than those from other countries? Why or why not - and which countries would you specifically dis/allow amnesty and naturalization?

3. If you could set a strategy for dealing with illegal immigrants to this country - be it immediate deportation, of amnesty and naturalization, or somewhere in between, what would it be, encompass or entail, and why?

4. Which class / segment of current American society most greatly benefits from the presence of illegal immigrants, if any? Similarly, which class / segment is most greatly harmed by their presence here, if any?

Take a shot at any or all that may strike you as being worthy of a reasoned response.

 

There is no easy solution. Those doing it the right way should have first priority.

All others should be granted some sort of reprieve but with a laundry list (a lot of years) to gain full citizenship and access to entitlements.

 

Fair enough.

But isn't any rule of amnesty only rewarding the lawlessness which they themselves created?

Not jabbing at you - but just making a point to say that I fail to understand the argument that i should be forced to share my home with someone who broke into it, and remained there long enough to have become accustomed / dependent upon my home and furnishings as to now raise the argument that removing them is somehow inhumane or in violation of some fictitious and ill- gotten "right" to remain.

 

You make a solid point here, but what if some who broke in are actively working to support the household in some way - to do their part, so to speak? Would that perhaps spare these folks from immediate deportation and give them a 'first in line' opportunity (per OE) to earn citizenship? This is not even close to an easy topic, imo. I do believe, however, that not all illegals should be grouped; blanket deportation feels 'icky' to me for some reason. I know these people are illegal, but some are contributing a lot more than others. Also, I believe I read something recently where US economists were in general agreement that immigrants (legal or not) benefit the economy. Why not break illegals into categories - those who contribute and those who do not? That does not guarantee citizenship for those that contribute, but perhaps they get to avoid immediate deportation and receive some sort of priority in earning citizenship.

 

Every thing is about compromise, is a reprieve fair, heck no.

It is a starting point to at least find out who these folks are.

The hoops should be the size of the grand canyon and we need to find a practical solution for violent offenders.

Shipping them away to come back is just down right silly.

 

Over haul welfare, drug laws, our tax system and social security, and then make coming to country easier. I lived with a Jamaican during college, and even though our country paid for his undergrad and MBA, they were going to ship him back to Jamaica. He found some fat girl to marry to get around it. Why invest in people and then send off that resource? He now runs his own business in New York.

 

Id be tickled pink to find out who these folks are and from where

 

I side with Lady Liberty (and apparently OE) on the immigration issue. Glad that my people were able to come over pre-immigration laws and get in on the ground floor. The lawlessness that you speak of bothers me only a little. If you were living on 5 dollars a day, 50 miles from the US border,with no access to antibiotics and a sick kid, I wouldn't have much respect for you if you didn't try to swim the Rio Grande. I have a lot of respect for the Hispanic community. Most of them are hardworking folks who are trying to provide a substantially better life for their (often large) families. In the future, I believe we should have a tall fence and a wide gate --an extremely wide gate. Basically, any law abiding citizen who wants to attempt to participate in the American dream should be allowed in, both freely and with open arms. Those with nefarious intentions who do not want to go through the proper channels should be repelled. But the current situation, the unknown millions of illegals, stems from bad policy. Libertarian ideology calls for the free flow of humans across borders. They're right. We should realize the error of our ways and grant amnesty to the law-abiding majority.

 

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses, yearning to breath free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

--Emma Lazarus (inscribed on the SoL)

 

So, they should stay if they help straighten up the place and aren't being too loud after 10pm?

I get the point, GCB....but I think that your line of thought would go out the window if you actually came home to find an invader sitting on your couch. There would be zero "ick" factor in having them forcibly removed, IMO.

What's the difference?

 

To be clear, I also have a lot of respect for the Hispanic and Latino communities. My difficulties arise when I also consider my immeasurably higher respect for the laws of this nation, based on the will of our citizenry, particularly the very immigration laws which you mention.

In the scenario that you mention - $5 a day, living near the border, etc. - why do you think that they come here? Is it because we have such vast resources, and they have so few? Well, if that's the case, then aren't we just luckier to have been born 5 miles on this side of the border? Surely that's not our fault, is it?

Why are we responsible for serving as a solution for the deplorable conditions of their country?

 

What is the better solution?

I kid, but making central america the 51st state is not the practical solution. Politically and publically, cleaning house and deportation is not viable.

Ill concede keeping them here but the process for staying and citizenship should be a long hard process.

Our country has a rich history of taking the best minds and working class from other countries.

The first step in all of this is identification.

 

I'm pretty much with oe on this. I respect our laws. However, I'm in the camp that it's not the right thing to deport illegals that may have been brought here as children who are now adults. This is the only country those have known, and there's just something unAmerican about that to me. That's not only me.

You guys probably never expected me to say this, but I'm with Ronnie on this one.

The idea of someone sitting in my private home doesn't equate to me. I'd want legal immigrants or even citizens who had not been invited to my house removed. That's a public vs private issue to me.

It's a difficult issue for which I'm pretty sure there's no perfect solution.

 

Already far more illegals than the work available. Already way too many illegals that plop out a kid here and immediately go on welfare and food stamps. If you want to deport everyone and work out a work program that leads to citizenship fine. Pure amnesty is insanity.

 

Different situation in the 80s under Reagan. First there weren't millions of unemployed illegals then (came for jobs, if they didn't find them they went home), second culturally those illegals wouldn't dare take a dime of public assistance put of pride. Things have changed drastically. Amnesty would literally bankrupt California. We need to start going after employers that hire illegals and start a work program.

 

Death penalty for parking violations!
Because Steve Martin said so.

 

Exactly, restrict access to entitlements.

 

I've got no issues with that.

 

Quit giving out free shit and the problem will take care of itself.

 

I'm not exactly sure the unrest that would come from the elimination of "free shit" across the board would be desirable, but there has to be a limit somewhere.