Congress may be divided on Immigration, but Americans are not

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

... the nation is far less divided on immigration, legal or illegal, than the current debate suggests. In the last six months, virtually every major media outlet has surveyed public attitudes on the issue, and the results have been remarkably consistent. Americans continue to take pride in the United States' heritage as a nation of immigrants. Many are uneasy about the current influx of foreigners. But an overwhelming majority -- between two-thirds and three-quarters in every major poll -- would like to see Congress address the problem with a combination of tougher enforcement and earned citizenship for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already living and working here. A strange-bedfellow coalition -- of business associations, labor unions, and the Catholic Church, among others -- has endorsed this position. In Washington, the consensus behind it is even more striking, with supporters spanning the spectrum from conservative President George W. Bush to left-leaning Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), from mavericks like Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) to party regulars like Senator Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and all but a handful of congressional Democrats. But even this broad agreement may not produce a solution this fall.

Congress' failure to act is largely a product of political circumstances. The high-stakes midterm elections in November put an unusual premium on the opinions of the 20-25 percent of voters who depart from the emerging national consensus. Mostly male, white, and lacking college degrees, these naysayers believe immigrants are bad for the economy; they want to build a wall along the southern border and adamantly oppose allowing illegal immigrants to become citizens. Only about half are Republicans, and they account for no more than a quarter of the GOP.

[...]

... the naysayers have become the tail wagging the dog of the immigration debate, and they may succeed in blocking a solution this year.

Still, such circumstances will not last forever. The political stars will realign, perhaps sooner than anyone expects, and when they do, Congress will return to the task it has been wrestling with: how to translate the emerging consensus into legislation to repair the nation's broken immigration system.

http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20061101faes...html?mode=print

Edited October 23, 2006 by Gupt

[PlatyPius 5]

Hmmm.... I'm male, white (well, kind of a peachy-pink, really), and 3 semesters short of a degree. I think ILLEGAL immigration needs to be halted. I think that those who are here should be offered citizenship, AS LONG AS they are taxed at a higher rate for the first 5 years to make up for all of the services they've used without paying for them via taxes. We also have to get back that money that they've been sending to their home countries somehow.... So, 5 years of higher taxes sounds good.

[GaryC 7]

I am white, not very young any more and have a 2 year degree. I want all illegal immigration stopped. If it means building a wall, so be it. And I don't want any of the ones that came here illegally to be rewarded with citizenship. They should all go home. Then and only then start a guest worker program.

[Traviesa 0]

Hmmm.... I'm male, white (well, kind of a peachy-pink, really), and 3 semesters short of a degree. I think ILLEGAL immigration needs to be halted. I think that those who are here should be offered citizenship, AS LONG AS they are taxed at a higher rate for the first 5 years to make up for all of the services they've used without paying for them via taxes. We also have to get back that money that they've been sending to their home countries somehow.... So, 5 years of higher taxes sounds good.

What if they haven't used any services, or sent money home? Should the taxes still be higher, no matter what? Also, what if they had been paying income taxes already, but hadn't claimed their refunds? Do those still get higher tax rates?

Edited October 23, 2006 by Heina

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

What if they haven't used any services...

If they walked on a public sidewalk, they used taxpayer money.

Also, what if they had been paying income taxes already, but hadn't claimed their refunds? Do those still get higher tax rates?

Good question

[PlatyPius 5]

If they have been "paying" income taxes already, they have been attributing them to someone else. Therefore, the person who has the social security number they've "acquired" will eventually be investigated for undeclared income by the IRS. Screw the illegals who have been "paying taxes".

[Traviesa 0]

If they have been "paying" income taxes already, they have been attributing them to someone else. Therefore, the person who has the social security number they've "acquired" will eventually be investigated for undeclared income by the IRS. Screw the illegals who have been "paying taxes".

What about the ones who have been paying with the ITIN in their own name? Or with a SSN that doesn't belong to anyone at all (a no-match)? Also, I doubt the person would be investigated. You don't HAVE to file for a refund...

Edited October 23, 2006 by Heina

[Bootylicious!! 2]

If they have been "paying" income taxes already, they have been attributing them to someone else. Therefore, the person who has the social security number they've "acquired" will eventually be investigated for undeclared income by the IRS. Screw the illegals who have been "paying taxes".

Not true. My husband paid taxes the entire time he was here illegally and he did so with an ITIN number. He paid in social security and whatever else we pay when we have stuff deducted from our check. All of which he will never see and no one else will either.

[Ban Hammer 13,636]

If they have been "paying" income taxes already, they have been attributing them to someone else. Therefore, the person who has the social security number they've "acquired" will eventually be investigated for undeclared income by the IRS. Screw the illegals who have been "paying taxes".

Not true. My husband paid taxes the entire time he was here illegally and he did so with an ITIN number. He paid in social security and whatever else we pay when we have stuff deducted from our check. All of which he will never see and no one else will either.

[Bootylicious!! 2]

If they have been "paying" income taxes already, they have been attributing them to someone else. Therefore, the person who has the social security number they've "acquired" will eventually be investigated for undeclared income by the IRS. Screw the illegals who have been "paying taxes".

Not true. My husband paid taxes the entire time he was here illegally and he did so with an ITIN number. He paid in social security and whatever else we pay when we have stuff deducted from our check. All of which he will never see and no one else will either.

Charles, your an #######! That's the nicest thing I can say about you right now. I truly hope after all you and Nessa have been through that things go well for you. Karma's a ######!

[heishe 2]

I'm white, female, and in about a month I'll have my master's degree - and I love illegal aliens! I would like to see illegals displace all the uneducated white males from the workforce and I think we spend far too much on enforcement and not enough on social services for illegal aliens.

edit: lol charles, that was great.

editedit: please note my above statement regarding illegal immigrats is not a true representation of my feelings on the matter

Edited October 23, 2006 by heishe

[Traviesa 0]

Ok I want to do it too-

I'm white, female, with a Bachelor's Degree, and I love a previously-illegal alien. However, I do not support people coming to the country illegally, even if they walk entirely upright while here, they have still committed a crime (I grasped that reality). I also think the punishment should fit the crime, and I think 10 years is a really long time. However, I think the Waiver system is a good system for those who might have specific ties to this country, and I don't necessarily think that it should be made easier, but at the same time I wouldn't complain if we could pay $2,000 instead of filing it. As for a solution to the problem, I would probably be really upset if they fast-tracked all the illegals currently here to citizenship and did nothing for the ones who were caught, at the same time I think a wall is not the answer and that it's a shameful waste of time and money.

[mawilson 2,133]

What about the ones who have been paying with the ITIN in their own name?

Yeah really, like anyone would do that.

[Traviesa 0]

What about the ones who have been paying with the ITIN in their own name?

Yeah really, like anyone would do that.

There's already been an example on this thread of someone who did that.

[mawilson 2,133]

What about the ones who have been paying with the ITIN in their own name?

Yeah really, like anyone would do that.

There's already been an example on this thread of someone who did that.

Is that someone an illegal Mexican immigrant, or an "overstayer" who had a valid visa

at some point?

If a person already had a valid SSN or ITIN, it's possible they would continue using it

after their visa expired.