The Subject of Immigration

[BayCityProgressive]

Hello everyone. I have been watching the debate on immigration and I cannot seem to agree with liberals on this issue and I consider myself to be center-left. I don't agree with opening up our borders and granting amnesty to everyone who comes here. Our social services medicare/social security are already so strained with the people who are here already. Also, we have a lack of affordable housing and schools. Many of these people cannot speak english. Also, these people are coming here because they are poor, so they will be willing to work for less, wont this drive wages for all workers down? I just think this is a completely horrible idea. Can someone tell me why they support full amnesty for illegal immigrants?

[PsN2Wind]

1. Be prepared

to be called a xenophobe and-or racist. Some of the posters to the
DU feel anyone wanting to limit the influx of immigrants legal or illegal are doing so out of hatred for the Hispanics rather than concern for their fellow citizens. They aren't concerned with the downward pressure on wages. They have no concern that amnesty hasn't worked in the past and will probably lead to more illegal immigration since it will be felt that amnesty will be done again in a few years so they better get here soon. Those of us in the border areas pay a tremendous amount of the cost of this problem and this will just increase those costs. The family reunification we hear about will mean building more schools and hiring more bi-lingual teachers in school systems already stressed. As I've said before much of the cost to educate, medicate and incarcerate this illegals falls upon us here.
Someone or more will be here soon to say "they only take the jobs that citizens won't do". Ignoring the fact they aren't just picking lettuce but working in construction, packing houses, etc.

[dlb800]

7. Immigration....

I am not against immigration.. but I am against ILLEGAL
immigration.

We are letting people come here, taking jobs away, working for
less, not paying
 their fair share of taxes (if any at all), and basically
getting away with it.

And now, they are going to get driver's licenses?

Look... I don't care if someone applies and is allowed to come
to the US.  That is
 fine... I don't care if they are from ANY country... but
letting them come here and
 get welfare?  Of course it is probably better than their own
country.

I know.. Neal Boortz is a bad name here, but he is right. 
Letting them vote,
 giving them drivers' licenses.. .what next?  I went to a
McDonalds the other
 day, and the woman didn't understand "Could you please
add some more ice?".

There is a town 20 miles away that is broke because of all the
Mexicans
 (I Know it's politically incorrect, but it's true) living
there, and going to
 school, and getting free health services, for what?

How many of them have auto insurance?  I am not saying all
Hispanics are bad,
 or that they shouldn't be here, but they should be paying
taxes, and having
 auto insurance, and so on.  They are here, getting a free
ride, on the backs of
 those who do the right thing.

 - dlb

[Jim Sagle]

2. Some liberals really DO hate America.

[DuctapeFatwa]

3. Because I think sending all the white people back to Europe would be cruel

Only one country in Europe speaks English, and even they speak it differently.

If you sent them back to other countries in Europe they would have to learn a new language AND learn to drive again.

Plus,sudden exposure to such a wide variety of cheese would confuse them.

It's just a bad idea. Just let them stay. Marry their kids, within a generation or two you'll forget all about their illegal alien origins.

[BayCityProgressive]

4. well

it isn't a matter of cultural differences or racism to me. I am not a xenophobe. I am worried that as South/Latin America continues to spiral downwards we will get more and more undocumented people here which will cost us more money and jobs that we just don't have and I think this would create racism among the white population here. I just don't see why we can't follow the legal rules for immigrants. I can see letting a legal immigrants older parents or children come here if they need care or letting kids who can pay come here for college ect. This illegal immigration influx worries me though and I think both sides are purely pandering to this group of people. I do not disagree with immigration reform, I just think this particular idea is very bad.Not only are we outsourcing our jobs and wages to other nations now we will have a race for the bottom right here at home.

[DuctapeFatwa]

5. and I am saying that the time to be concerned about illegal immigration

in the Americas was the day that Monteczuma failed to send enough soldiers to the beach.

Monteczuma was emotionally disturbed. Yet another illustration of the importance of an efficient mental health care delivery system.

[terryg11]

6. LOL!!!

very good.

I have no problem with immigration but I do have a problem with the way Bush wants to do it. He isnt releasing too many specifics but we do know that as soon as a "mail order" worker loses his job is shipped back form whence they came. What we don't know for sure but can make pretty good guesses is: will they be paid less than citizen workers? Will they be given any benefits? What will their affect have on organized labor? when will the vote take place on this? Will they be consdered second class citizens?

This is a total gift to big (especially manufacturing) business and an attempt at a political boon for himslf

[DuctapeFatwa]

9. It could be a boon to corporations, if enough people are stupid enough

to go for it.

However, the likelihood that people who have been living and working in the US for 5, 10, 20 years are going to go put their fingerprints on file with the bush regime in exchange for 3 years of a card to go in and out, a big maybe, and a large likelihood of being sent off to the crusade, is small.

People without papers are better off as they are. And so are the corporations, for that matter.

bush's immigration fart has more to do with domestic psyops than it does with anything else. It is not even window dressing. It is a statement of intent to dress a window.

[evil_orange_cat]

8. I'm for closing borders... strict patrols... but open ports of entry

I think our immigration policy needs huge reform. We need to effectively close the large land borders on the North and South and give the Border Patrol the manpower and resources to stop illegal entry. Having said that, we need to also fund and set up legal ports of entry that can handle the volume of would be immigrants. We need to give the INS the funding and resources to keep track of immigrants and give people the opprotunity to become US citizens.

America's greatest strength is its diversity. There are millions across the world yearning to come to this country to be free and build wealth. We need policies that will keep the country secure from illegal entry, but also keep the flow of willing and legal immigrants steady and expedient.

Don't confuse my desire for "closed borders" with xenophobia or anti-immigration. I simply want the flow of immigration to be channeled so that immigrants can have the opprotunity to come here, and that we can effectively screen, keep track of, and catalogue all who come to our great country.

America is a free society. Our institutions should have policies that cater to those eager to join our country, while protecting us from those who wish to hurt us.

[DrWeird]

10. What's wrong with not speaking english?

Several of our founding fathers wanted the official US language to be latin, french, or spanish. Since our brave troops fought and died for our freedom against our english oppressors.


¿Por qué odia usted América?

[FreakinDJ]

11. I am not against immigration

Heck my wife is an immigrant.

But we did it legally. We signed a contract with the US government not to draw any government assistance.

This plan Bush has laid out is only a means of a cheap labor pool for WalMart, and countless others who do not want to pay workers a livable wage. Sooner or later John E. Taxpayer is going to foot the bill for this once again.
The question is not should they allow any one who wants to break the law (come here illegally) and then give them not only a get out of jail card but a free pass for welfare and Medicaid. We need them to close the loop holes that allows companies like WalMart to exploit the system and be subsidized by the unknowing tax payer

[CHIMO]

12. Agree

But you have to remember that it is now a global economy.

Wages will be driven down to the other free enterprise competors.

Left of center? Looks prety to the right if you are living in some other places.