Obama Administration Enacting DREAM Act, Essentially

(Yes, I know this is a link to a liberal web site, but it's an AP story.)

Obama Administration To Stop Deporting Younger Undocumented Immigrants And Grant Work Permits

One of the few things I liked about Bush was his support for the DREAM Act, a bipartisan effort to, basically, allow amnesty to illegal immigrants who have benefited our society in some way. It appears that Obama has put this idea into effect.

Yes, it's an election year and almost certainly designed to appeal to the Latino voting bloc, even though Obama is significantly ahead with those voters already (Although, honestly, absolutely anything done in an election year will be seen as pandering to a voting bloc.). Quite frankly, I don't give a shit. Like Obama's support of gay marriage, it's the right thing to do and should be the advance effort to provide the easier access to guest worker visas that Bush was even proposing in his second term.

Having personally gone through the visa process with my wife, it's a maze of paperwork, hidden fees and roadblocks everywhere. I had to pay $300 just to get an interview and that was after application fees, medical exams, etc., etc., all for a 3 month visa. Then, we had to start the green card application. It's an onerous and expensive process that excludes the type of people who compose most of our illegal immigrants.

Now, I'm not for wholesale opening of the borders and amnesty for all illegal immigrants, but I always thought it was nonsensical to make it so difficult for the U.S. to, basically, exclude low skilled workers, whom are critically needed for our economy to function. Hell, we need them, so why not legitimize their employment and tax their wages instead of just [itch bay]ing about them freeloading on our system? Plus, I've always found it fairly hypocritical that people like those from my family could simply show up from Germany in the 1870s at Castle Garden and gain entry after a few basic tests, while policy suddenly changes when it's more than just Western and Northern Europeans showing up at the borders.

Anyway, I see this as a positive step towards a more sensible immigration policy.

 

Seems very reasonable

 

Just less jobs for US citizens, no big deal.

 

"Plus, I've always found it fairly hypocritical that people like those from my family could simply show up from Germany in the 1870s at Castle Garden and gain entry after a few basic tests, while policy suddenly changes when it's more than just Western and Northern Europeans showing up at the borders."

we let the chinese and japanese in just fine back when we NEEDED THE LABOR. it's not about skin color. it's about the crime they bring, the drain on our resources (billions a year on schools, hospitals, welfare and food stamps for their kids, etc), and the lack of jobs for them. go to any home depot in california and tell me that supply isn't many multiples of demand. and what do people do when they get desperate and have no work? they do what they have to do to survive.

 

We had a federal restriction specifically against Asians.

 

Thought you believed in capitalism

 

yes. when the economy began to turn and the gold rush ended and there weren't jobs. there was anti sentiment for virtually every european group at one point as well. Try getting a work visa currently as an uneducated white irishman. don't tell me it's a race issue.

 

Still don't see much change overall. Lots of laws still won't be enforced and a lot will be continued to be paid under the table in cash. Still not addressing the bigger issue of the drug cartels which for some reason we continue to stick our head in the sand about.

I don't have a problem with it really, but there should still be some type of fine IMO.

 

You sure about that? The "Yellow Peril"?

Chinese Exclusion Act

You can throw in the 1924 immigration act which banned immigration from East Asia altogether.

And they were denied citizenship status until well into the 20th century.

 

it's 100% capitalistic to prevent an unbalanced labor market.

 

once again. we let them in when we needed the labor. anti irish sentiment was rather prevalant for years as well. where's the race issue there?

 

Invisible hand will sort it out, right?

 

So, laws specifically excluding races from entering the country aren't enough proof for you?

 

Apparently if anyone else was ever excluded for any other reason, race can't be an issue.

 

Please direct me to the "Irish Exclusion Act" and the denial of citizenship to Irish immigrants. I won't even bother to explain the differing concepts of race in the 1800s in regards to whites and Irish.

I normally like you droski, but I've never seen someone typically sensible so in denial of the obvious historical concepts of racism. You deny it at every turn.

 

not understing your point.

 

are we seriously talking about laws from 100 years ago to indicate that today's anti immigrant language is about race?

 

I see a hypocrisy in allowing markets to regulate themselves unless it is a labor market

 

I don't have a problem with this per se but it's the Reagan mistake all over again. We're providing amnesty before locking down the border. Guess we'll be doing the exact same damn thing in another 30 years.

 

no race can be a factor. particurally 100 years ago. the driving factor was the lack of jobs and the crime that followed thousands of uneducated people who couldn't find work. are you arguing it's a coincidence they freely allowed said immigration when we needed the labor?

so we now need an exclusion act to have someone be discriminated against? really? i guess black people weren't discriminated against 100 years ago too.