As Deportation Pace Rises, Illegal Immigrants Dig In

The day after his wife was deported to their home country, Honduras, Lilo Mancia grieved as though she had died. via The New York Times

[Dissident]

Where's "Mario"?

Quick, I need a crying towel!

"While President Bush and many Democrats have called for a path to legalize some 12 MILLION ILLEGAL immigrants, a significant number of Republicans in Congress REJECT the plan because they view it as AMNESTY for LAWBREAKERS. They advocate a broader campaign of deportations that would EXPEL many ILLEGAL immigrants and, they say, DRIVE millions more to give up and GO HOME.

So far, many of the deportations have caused illegal families to HUNKER DOWN and plot ways to AVOID detection and RESIST deportation, not run voluntarily for the border, immigrant advocates said. In Massachusetts, immigration agents have been challenged by lawyers, labor unions and state officials who question their raid tactics and are fighting trench by legal trench to BLOCK deportations."
__________
It's sort of like moving into an occupied house without the OWNER'S permission, and then crying when he KICKS you out!

BOO HOO!

The towel "Mario",where is the towel?

[John]

I think it would have been less painful if INS had simply deported the husband and child along with the mother.
The US also needs to reconsider our naturalization laws. Why would the government provide citizenship to a child simply because the parents happen to have been (illegally even) on American soil when the child was born. That defies all logic and seems to be an artifact left over from a much earlier period of America's history when the western states were still being pioneered.

[Dissident]

John wrote:

I think it would have been less painful if INS had simply deported the husband and child along with the mother.
The US also needs to reconsider our naturalization laws. Why would the government provide citizenship to a child simply because the parents happen to have been (illegally even) on American soil when the child was born. That defies all logic and seems to be an artifact left over from a much earlier period of America's history when the western states were still being pioneered.

Yeah, I'll admit some of our laws should be revised, BUT those people KNEW it was wrong to hop a fence, to start with!

I'm in favor of finding every illegal, deporting them, and manning our borders with 50 Cal machine guns every fifty feet!

They've been under 500 years od Spanish suppression, and now it's time for them to reclaim their government!

Either that, or we invade Mexico and take it!

No if's, and's, or but's.

Where's "Mario"?

[John]

Dissident wrote:

<quoted text>
Yeah, I'll admit some of our laws should be revised, BUT those people KNEW it was wrong to hop a fence, to start with!
I'm in favor of finding every illegal, deporting them, and manning our borders with 50 Cal machine guns every fifty feet!
They've been under 500 years od Spanish suppression, and now it's time for them to reclaim their government!
Either that, or we invade Mexico and take it!
No if's, and's, or but's.
Where's "Mario"?

I actually don't think we should round up all illegal immigrants and send them packing. Most of them are just regular people in a bind.
However, I do think we should treat them as temporary guests and they should behave in like manner. For example, if someone is a member of a gang or involved in criminal activity (other than just being here), then the "building a better life" concept doesn't apply, and we should deal with them harshly. In fact, we should even consider tatooing their arm as a means of identification in case they attempt to return again. Most of these guys have 10 tatoos already, so what's one more? I'm a reasonable minded person, and if I ever tried to illegally cross the Mexican or Candian border to traffic drugs or guns, I would expect no less for myself.
I'm also not opposed to placing the national guard at the border. In fact, I've heard stories of crossings by armed Mexican groups. In these specific cases, we're not dealing with [immigrants] but with [armed insurgents], and they should be dealt with as such.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,248124,00...
As it stands now, basically anyone who plants their feet on American soil is considered to be an immigrant (legal or illegal). I think that if we can just devise a more functional and explicit definition for immigrant (even one that allows for defacto migrant workers), then our course of action would be more clear.

[Peter]

Guest worker program? They take jobs from Americans, they don't pay taxes, they use our health care system and burden our judicial system and to return the favor they send 50%-80% of the money they earn to Mexico. This reduces the downflow affect of money (learn some economics) and further hurts every legal American and legal immigrant. This garbage excuse about illegals doing work Americans don't want to do is fecal matter plain and simple. We need to throw them out (kids, mothers, fathers, whomever) and line the Mexico border with US military troops.

[John]

Peter wrote:

Guest worker program? They take jobs from Americans, they don't pay taxes, they use our health care system and burden our judicial system and to return the favor they send 50%-80% of the money they earn to Mexico. This reduces the downflow affect of money (learn some economics) and further hurts every legal American and legal immigrant. This garbage excuse about illegals doing work Americans don't want to do is fecal matter plain and simple. We need to throw them out (kids, mothers, fathers, whomever) and line the Mexico border with US military troops.

I don't agree with a guest worker program if all does is codify the legal status of every illegal immigrant currently here and pave the way for more of the same. We must recognize that unregulated immigration is bad for the US and simply nullifying the legal debate will not solve the core problems.
However, I do think that a well regulated migrant worker program could ecnonomically benefit both the US and the migrants. When I say well regulated, I mean:
- A cap is in place and strictly enforced (similar to the H1B visa). Each year, the House Of Representatives will vote to adjust the cap based on current economic conditions and public demand.
- Workers only work contracts provided by government sanctioned companies and the contracts are of fixed duration. Also, the contracting company should cover expenses for housing, healthcare, and transporation to and from Mexico.
- Migrant workers would not be allowed to bring non-working dependents. Not only does this lessen the burden on social services, but keep them rooted to Mexico.
- Legal guidelines and processes should be spelled out in anvance regarding how the status of a worker is impacted by the conviction or charge of a felony.
- State and local government are allowed to opt out of the program. In the event they do choose to opt out, they cannot legally hire migrant workers outside the federally sanctioned program.

[wally]

most of the children born to illegals come her just before they are ready to give birth for that very reason that there child will be a american citizen, and get welfare foodstamps medical care all at the cost to americans people,if they want to be a american citizen then do it the legal way as my wife and i have done pay the lawyers to start your paper work,besides they want i better life than stay in your country and help make it a better place,do not come here exspecting a free ride from our goverment

[mary-Chatsworth]

Our government allows businesses and farmers to bring over legally, 2 million migrant workers a year. We have enough Mexicans, there taking the Americans jobs, they no longer want the jobs we want do.The illegals need to be rounded up and deported back to wherever they came from.They are growing in number everyday and I agree send the children back with the parents if the parents don't want them to go back, adopt them out. There a burden on our government an our resources.

[siren627]

My family was originally immigrant, but went through the legal process of obtaining work visas, etc. My parents and grandparents naturalized a few years after they came here. It's a hard process, but it's unfair to have so many illegal immigrants entering this country immediately reaping the benefits while others who are going through the immigration process legally aren't. Get in line and do it right, is all I have to say.

[wally]

you see at the rallys they want uncontested immigation no if ands or buts about they want it all for free and they want it now,just look at what happen in los angeles yesterday i for one do not agree as me and my wife payed for her citizenship and so should they period no free rides hear

[John]

You can't physically block mice from entering your kitchen. However, you can insure there is no food within easy reach. Once done, the mice will leave and look somewhere else.
If we want to learn how to prevent illegal immigration then look at those cities where it is most prevalent and use them as an example of what not to do.