Illegal Immigration

[FoxyBunny]

Logrus, I couldn't agree more. There are predators in this country, who thrive on these desperate people who want to come to America. The harshest of punishments should be reserved for them....the citizens of the US who take blood money from immigrants, sell them into slavery, endanger and abuse them, and then who profit from their suffering.

While my sympathies lie with those who come seeking a better life for themselves and their families, I have not one ounce of sympathy for those who have every opportunity in the world already and must derive their income from the desperate.

[Nesterus]

Though sometimes those "coyotes" as they are called are often hired by the families of the immigrants that are already here to bring back other members of their families still "trapped" in mexico

[FoxyBunny]

Though sometimes those "coyotes" as they are called are often hired by the families of the immigrants that are already here to bring back other members of their families still "trapped" in mexico

Sure they are. How else are you supposed to get them over here? It's the only option for many because we have absolutely ensured that they dare not go to the INS office and say "Look, I have a job and an apartment now, and my wife and children need to come join me. What form do I fill out?"

[AllDayXL]

Just what jobs are we taking from u I am a legal citizen although my parents werent they did factory jobs that honestly i dont think anyone that is legal would ever do. Not to mention they always paid there Taxes although since they were illegal they didnt get anything back. I am proud my parents risked so much to come here and gave me and my siblings a better life. Also SunTzu ur family were immigrants at one time as well unless ur native american u are also an immigrant.

Its not about them taking the jobs...its about them not following the right procedure...i respect your parents for doing what they did...but for those illegals that cross and arent trying to do anymore then collect benefits in states that are liberal with aide its frustrating...

For instance i pay for daycare for my child 220 a week. There are daycare's set up in Minnesota that are "migrant" daycare's provided by the state/feds funding. They give FREE daycare to legal AND illegal immigrant workers children..Just one example of a messed up system. Who wouldnt want to come to the US when they can get benefits like this...and this is what is part of the problem too many handouts (not just with illegal immigrants) and too few putting in.

The Difference between my family immigrating from Norway and Germany in the early 1800s and Families illegally crossing in 2010 is that the government now pays for many of the basic support systems...my ancestors had to rely on there backs to make it...and many of todays immigrants are good people who do the same...but when you have even a small portion that cross and abuse the system it creates a cycle that is hard to counter and sends this country into even more debt. Elusive there isnt much difference between your familys paths in this country but there are those others that abuse it...we need immigration limits and rules more then ever because we are a welfare state and this doesn't even address the security concerns.

[Elusive_Death]

Yep, this is exactly what I am talking about. Your parents, illegal though they were, were a credit to the country and I think we are better off for having your family here. These are the sort of immigrants the country is founded upon and we need to make it easier for them to be here. I have no doubts your parents couldn't go through the legal immigration process because it is expensive, complicated, time-consuming, and in many cases impossible. Why on earth do we make it so hard for honest, hard-working people to come here?

I still think the answer comes in making it easier for people like that to be here, and making it harder for those who are not a benefit to society to be here. Widen that gap between those who belong here and those who need to just leave.

thank you Foxy. America is a well oiled machine the oil being illegal immigrants which are cheap labor and work jobs no one would ever want to work. If u think about it America runs like a business if everyone were legal those jobs would have to pay more to the people which would hinder production as they would have to fire tons of people to be able to pay the new salaries. Thats why i dont see immigration change anytime soon, its just not profitable for Americas factories. Cheap Labor equals more employees equals higher production. In the end the only language that matters is MONEY.

[Elusive_Death]

Side note my mother came here when she was 16 she gave birth to me when she was 17. From the day my mom came to America she has worked a full time job. NEVER applied for welfare Most latinos NEVER apply for welfare because they are affraid to be put in the system and be discovered to be illegal thats a fact. So for people to say that illegal immigrants take advantage of the system is kind of stupid.
At the toughest times my mother faced concerning money she never once thought of welfare instead she got another job. My mother is a huge inspiration, as I dont know what i would do alone in a foreign country NO family just u and ur kids.

[AllDayXL]

Side note my mother came here when she was 16 she gave birth to me when she was 17. From the day my mom came to America she has worked a full time job. NEVER applied for welfare Most latinos NEVER apply for welfare because they are affraid to be put in the system and be discovered to be illegal thats a fact. So for people to say that illegal immigrants take advantage of the system is kind of stupid.
At the toughest times my mother faced concerning money she never once thought of welfare instead she got another job. My mother is a huge inspiration, as I dont know what i would do alone in a foreign country NO family just u and ur kids.

Notice i didnt say your family...but there are different forms of welfare...i define welfare as any assistance provided by the government...i agree there are alot of latinos that live with that fear but also in certain states they purposely cant ask if they are legal/illegal when signing up for certain benefits, like the daycare one i mentioned. The state your in may have stricter laws...which dont allow illegal immigrants to apply in a safe manner...Your mother sounds like a very strong woman you should be proud of her...

[SunTzu123]

Just what jobs are we taking from u I am a legal citizen although my parents werent they did factory jobs that honestly i dont think anyone that is legal would ever do. Not to mention they always paid there Taxes although since they were illegal they didnt get anything back. I am proud my parents risked so much to come here and gave me and my siblings a better life. Also SunTzu ur family were immigrants at one time as well unless ur native american u are also an immigrant.

um i wasnt saying i believe in that quote but if you listen to alot of propaganda that is what they are saying about illegal immigration. I am a first generation immigrant. What needs to be done is reform to have people come to this country easier legally. If illegal immigrants who want to better themselves come here then so can the people who wish to do america harm

[Professor X]

um i wasnt saying i believe in that quote but if you listen to alot of propaganda that is what they are saying about illegal immigration. I am a first generation immigrant. What needs to be done is reform to have people come to this country easier legally. If illegal immigrants who want to better themselves come here then so can the people who wish to do america harm

The problem with most countries (excluding the UK), is that their immigration caps and laws are too stringent and therefor people are left with the choice of coming to the US illegally.

[Rodri]

The New Colossus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame.
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"


Every developed economy in the world is experiencing an increase in this illegal immigration (as it is called). In some cases it is simply refugees trying to find a safe haven and some freedom but in a large number of cases it is about quality of life.

Governments of developed countries all over the world are struggling to cope with this trend and as we now live in a world of International Trade it is almost impossible to police. The worst thing is that the legitimate refugees (as opposed to economic refugees) are being branded as illegal immigrants as well, which flies in the face of the U.N. convention on refugees.

There are potential problems with uncontrolled movements of people that governments have to try to address, such as the spread of human disease, unwanted political elements (terrorists?), introduction of unwanted plant and animal species and the risk of the introduction of pests and diseases in plants and animals that could result in economic or environmental disasters. There are also the public opinion polls to be dealt with, so politicians will posture and expostulate about how they are "getting tough on these illegals". The truth is that it is almost impossible to police the movements of people these days. I live on an island and even here there is a perception that we are being over-run by illegal immigrants. I say perception because I still believe that the reality is that the numbers are far less than most people think.

Here in Australia we have found a group to target our distaste upon in the form of so called 'boat people'. The truth is that most of the economic refugees are flying in with a tourist visa and simply never leave but our government focuses on those who arrive in a small boat because the media can get dramatic pictures of these arrivals compared to pictures of an airport arrival area. So these 'boat people', who just happen to be mostly legitimate refugees who are usually too poor to be able to afford a ticket on an aeroplane, who have fled their home-land in fear for their lives and the lives of their families, who may have spent years in refugee camps in ridiculously awful conditions and who may even have been forced to flee because of conflict caused directly or indirectly by our own governments, are now being treated as criminals. To be honest, I hang my head in shame of what my government (of all political persuasions) has done/is doing to these poor people. I used to think Australians were a people of generous spirit who would try to do their best to help others who are in great need. That seems to have changed.

I don't know what can be done. After all, we sell the "Western World" as a desirable place to be with our obvious displays of wealth and a perception of unrivaled freedom. If I lived in a cardboard box with no luxuries, I might think about getting out of there and making a better life elsewhere, especially if my own government/ruling class was known for treating it's poorest citizens and minority groups with contempt. It used to be that these poor people had little or no perception of a better life and suffered their lot in life, thinking there was no hope of anything better. But we live in the information age now and even the poorest person is able to learn much of the world and to see that there should be more for them, if they can find a place where they can work hard and earn enough to feed and house their families. If only there was a way to share the wealth we have with the whole world, without that wealth ending up in the hands of a few while the majority goes without. If we could do that then there wouldn't be much reason for anyone to leave their own country and risk their life to try and seek a better life elsewhere. I am not rich but I live in a country where my standard of living is still much higher than many other countries. I have never felt the urge to leave everything I know and travel abroad to a place where I might not even know the language just to seek out a better life, leaving my family and everything and everyone I know behind.


Sorry, that's it. I don't have any solutions to offer. I just know how I feel.