Visa overstays get amnesty... They break the law, and then get to stay...

[2ndMessiah 184]

Instead of bickering like children or US politicians how about "We the People" or at least those of us here in this thread on VJ, start to come up with some rational ideas on the subject of immigration.

Stop the name calling and use the 7 or so pounds of fat in our heads to come up with some new ideas.

I hear "We need to secure the Border". What does that actually mean to us? Which border are we talking about? From what I have read and seen here and other places, most people mean the Mexican border.

Next maybe some real suggestions on how to handle the 1000's of children here already. How we handle their needs until a resolution becomes apparent.

All I see on these threads is name calling and party lines. I do enjoy a childish argument as the rest of you lot, but come America lets show the world we can take care of business and that we are not bottom feeding,gun totting slack jawed yokels who have not managed to get past the third grade.

Edited July 29, 2014 by 2ndMessiah

[decocker 7,198]

All I see on these threads is name calling and party lines. I do enjoy a childish argument as the rest of you lot, but come America lets show the world we can take care of business and that we are not bottom feeding,gun totting slack jawed yokels who have not managed to get past the third grade.

tell it to congress.

[SaharaSunset 165]

Instead of bickering like children or US politicians how about "We the People" or at least those of us here in this thread on VJ, start to come up with some rational ideas on the subject of immigration.

Stop the name calling and use the 7 or so pounds of fat in our heads to come up with some new ideas.

I hear "We need to secure the Border". What does that actually mean to us? Which border are we talking about? From what I have read and seen here and other places, most people mean the Mexican border.

Next maybe some real suggestions on how to handle the 1000's of children here already. How we handle their needs until a resolution becomes apparent.

All I see on these threads is name calling and party lines. I do enjoy a childish argument as the rest of you lot, but come America lets show the world we can take care of business and that we are not bottom feeding,gun totting slack jawed yokels who have not managed to get past the third grade.

The "thousands of children" that are here already are not poor little lone orphans in need of love. They are being picked up by other illegal or legal family members. I'm sure there are exceptions - but the the facts are the vast majority have illegal family already here....and they can come pick them up...and that was the plan all along. So what do we "do with them?" We kindly return them to the governments of their own home countries to take care of. Its not that complicated. Then maybe their government can decide what to "do with them." I do believe that some are refugees, but refugees can come through legally.

The only way I see to "secure the border" is a government crackdown on businesses that are hiring illegal immigrants. (and yes I REFUSE to use the new "undocumented" bs!) And not putting off deportations. SEND THEM HOME! Its not complicated. The Pres just ask for billions to house and feed this most recent boom of people....how about billions to actually send them home.

Every parent, teacher, and adult in the united states knows that unless you actually follow your own rules and follow through on the consequences, you completely lose control. I'm a teacher, and I can tell you - its HARD to follow through on my policies. Last year I got relaxed on following through on my "no cell phone" policy. But mid-year the problem was out of control. And no amount of threatening changed that. In previous years where I have followed through, it hasn't been much of an issue at all.

Rather than "fixing" immigration by declaring amnesty for all illegal immigrants...how about we streamline the deportation system. And spare us the sob story about "it breaks up families"....how - because illegal parents knew that giving birth in the US would give citizenship to their kids, so they worked the system and now are mad they are being taken from their families? Take them with you. Maybe the new streamline provides a trip home for the whole famdamly. Then they all get to stay together.

In short - my solution is crackdown on business who hire illegals. Streamline deportation...make it virtually immediate.

And if they give amnesty to all these law breaking illegals....then I want ALL my fee(and lawyer) money refunded for going about immigration legally...plus interest. I want reparation for wages lost while we waited legally for work authorization. And I want serious money for pain and suffering while my husband was kept away from me. How about the Pres. ask for a few billion for that!

[Karee 4,190]

Serious question: How many of the folks that immigrate via "lawful" family/marriage channels do so fraudulently? I can tell you that the number cannot be insignificant. I personally know dozens of stories of how people used the same lawful paths that members on this board are using to bring people here. Only, those aren't actually bona fide couples. Some regions of the world have more of those frauds, others have less. That's the reality of it all and that's why people have a hard time bringing their loved ones here on a K1, CR1, K3, whatever from certain parts of the world. I was just as pizzed off about it when I tried to get my wife here more than a decade ago and many times after while going through the process of her eventually becoming a US citizen. It's painful and it sucks. But the fact of the matter is that a percentage of engagements and marriages - a percentage that varies greatly by region or country of origin - are a total scam. That's a fact. And that is what drives the processes and the varying scrutiny around the acquisition of these visas.

And all that talk about bringing one's spouse here as an illegal migrant and have him or her benefit from all the supposedly posh benefits and the supposedly ease of the process that that segment of migrants supposedly enjoys is just the hurt of the wait talking. Nobody seriously believes that it would be easier that way. How do I know? Because none of those proclaiming that it would be easier, cheaper, better, faster, whathaveyou are actually ever going down that path. They wouldn't in a million years. And there's a reason beyond that being illegal why they don't. And that reason is that deep inside they all know that that path ain't easier, cheaper, better, faster or whathaveyou. That path is the suck that none of those that truly love their fiance(e) or spouse would ever even consider putting them through.

Now y'all continue with y'alls rants.

There's a finite number of USCIS resources. As you've pointed out above, the legal way sucks. Adding all of these people to the mix jumping the line while people that are going about the process in the legal way wait and wait, is wrong. Plain and simple. Sure there are some marriages that are fraudulent, but the vast majority are not. ALL of these people coming across the border illegally are breaking the law. 100%. I can't believe that it takes 6 months for an I-130 approval because USCIS is trying to scrutinize applications for fraud. However, I can believe that it takes 6 months for an I-130 approval because USCIS is backed up with DACA based 2 year EAD applications.

I hope that Janelle didn't take my post seriously about having her husband take a swim. It was meant sarcastically. Sorry you didn't get the joke.

[Karee 4,190]

The "thousands of children" that are here already are not poor little lone orphans in need of love. They are being picked up by other illegal or legal family members. I'm sure there are exceptions - but the the facts are the vast majority have illegal family already here....and they can come pick them up...and that was the plan all along. So what do we "do with them?" We kindly return them to the governments of their own home countries to take care of. Its not that complicated. Then maybe their government can decide what to "do with them." I do believe that some are refugees, but refugees can come through legally.

The only way I see to "secure the border" is a government crackdown on businesses that are hiring illegal immigrants. (and yes I REFUSE to use the new "undocumented" bs!) And not putting off deportations. SEND THEM HOME! Its not complicated. The Pres just ask for billions to house and feed this most recent boom of people....how about billions to actually send them home.

Every parent, teacher, and adult in the united states knows that unless you actually follow your own rules and follow through on the consequences, you completely lose control. I'm a teacher, and I can tell you - its HARD to follow through on my policies. Last year I got relaxed on following through on my "no cell phone" policy. But mid-year the problem was out of control. And no amount of threatening changed that. In previous years where I have followed through, it hasn't been much of an issue at all.

Rather than "fixing" immigration by declaring amnesty for all illegal immigrants...how about we streamline the deportation system. And spare us the sob story about "it breaks up families"....how - because illegal parents knew that giving birth in the US would give citizenship to their kids, so they worked the system and now are mad they are being taken from their families? Take them with you. Maybe the new streamline provides a trip home for the whole famdamly. Then they all get to stay together.

In short - my solution is crackdown on business who hire illegals. Streamline deportation...make it virtually immediate.

And if they give amnesty to all these law breaking illegals....then I want ALL my fee(and lawyer) money refunded for going about immigration legally...plus interest. I want reparation for wages lost while we waited legally for work authorization. And I want serious money for pain and suffering while my husband was kept away from me. How about the Pres. ask for a few billion for that!

While I applaud your proposals, it will never happen while Obama is in the white house. And quite frankly it wouldn't happen if a republican was in the white house either. Both sides have a vested interest in keeping a steady flow of illegal immigrants coming across the border. However, Obama is taking it to whole new level with this latest proposal. It will guarantee that they keep coming in vastly greater numbers. It's one thing to keep the status quo, it's an entirely different thing to encourage these folks to break immigration law, and that's EXACTLY what Obama is doing.

tell it to congress.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

No, it's not.

I am not asking anything to do with immigration reform, law, policy, what have you. I am asking what the OP proposed to do about the 11 million people already here. What caused this situation is not what I am talking about. Because no matter the reason, the situation already exists and making it harder for people to enter the country illegally does absolutely nothing to solve that situation.

You are Korrect. However first you got to stop the flow. After that if they have been here more than ( pick a reasonable number years) and have established life, create some kind of guest worker status that never leads to citizenship for like 4 generations.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

The "thousands of children" that are here already are not poor little lone orphans in need of love. They are being picked up by other illegal or legal family members. I'm sure there are exceptions - but the the facts are the vast majority have illegal family already here....and they can come pick them up...and that was the plan all along. So what do we "do with them?" We kindly return them to the governments of their own home countries to take care of. Its not that complicated. Then maybe their government can decide what to "do with them." I do believe that some are refugees, but refugees can come through legally.

The only way I see to "secure the border" is a government crackdown on businesses that are hiring illegal immigrants. (and yes I REFUSE to use the new "undocumented" bs!) And not putting off deportations. SEND THEM HOME! Its not complicated. The Pres just ask for billions to house and feed this most recent boom of people....how about billions to actually send them home.

Every parent, teacher, and adult in the united states knows that unless you actually follow your own rules and follow through on the consequences, you completely lose control. I'm a teacher, and I can tell you - its HARD to follow through on my policies. Last year I got relaxed on following through on my "no cell phone" policy. But mid-year the problem was out of control. And no amount of threatening changed that. In previous years where I have followed through, it hasn't been much of an issue at all.

Rather than "fixing" immigration by declaring amnesty for all illegal immigrants...how about we streamline the deportation system. And spare us the sob story about "it breaks up families"....how - because illegal parents knew that giving birth in the US would give citizenship to their kids, so they worked the system and now are mad they are being taken from their families? Take them with you. Maybe the new streamline provides a trip home for the whole famdamly. Then they all get to stay together.

In short - my solution is crackdown on business who hire illegals. Streamline deportation...make it virtually immediate.

And if they give amnesty to all these law breaking illegals....then I want ALL my fee(and lawyer) money refunded for going about immigration legally...plus interest. I want reparation for wages lost while we waited legally for work authorization. And I want serious money for pain and suffering while my husband was kept away from me. How about the Pres. ask for a few billion for that!

And yes that answer is so obvious it's painful. So ask yourself. why is my right wing conservative values Republican congressman writing a letter to the President instead of introducing that Legislation The answer is sooooooo Obvious

[SaharaSunset 165]

And yes that answer is so obvious it's painful. So ask yourself. why is my right wing conservative values Republican congressman writing a letter to the President instead of introducing that Legislation The answer is sooooooo Obvious

So obvious and so frustrating I want to scream!

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

There's a finite number of USCIS resources. As you've pointed out above, the legal way sucks. Adding all of these people to the mix jumping the line while people that are going about the process in the legal way wait and wait, is wrong. Plain and simple. Sure there are some marriages that are fraudulent, but the vast majority are not. ALL of these people coming across the border illegally are breaking the law. 100%. I can't believe that it takes 6 months for an I-130 approval because USCIS is trying to scrutinize applications for fraud. However, I can believe that it takes 6 months for an I-130 approval because USCIS is backed up with DACA based 2 year EAD applications.

I hope that Janelle didn't take my post seriously about having her husband take a swim. It was meant sarcastically. Sorry you didn't get the joke.

Six months for an I-130? That's what the issue is? When I went through the process myself or when my wife did back when, 6 months would have been a walk in the park. That would have been an unbelievable sensation. Processing time for an I-130 was measured less in months than in years back then. Which, by the way, is how the K3 visa came about which I happened to pursue to get my wife here in less than 2+ years time. That 2+ years being what it would easily have taken had we gone for a CR1/IR1. In fact, there hardly was any CR1 visa because most couple necessarily were married 2+ years by the time the immigrant visa was approved. Our I-130 was approved just about 2 years after I filed - about a month too soon so we had the pleasure of having to go through the removal of conditions as well. THAT was a burden. Based on my experience, 6 months is more than acceptable.

Bottom line, if you believe for a second that USCIS would retain the amount of resources it has in this climate were it not for the additional workload, then you clearly haven't been paying attention. And if you believe that the backlogs are due to DACA, then I'd like for you to explain to me what supposedly preferential treatment of what illegal immigrant population caused the far bigger backlogs for lawful immigrant applications in the mid to late 1990's and in the early 2000's. Let's hear it.

[Karee 4,190]

Six months for an I-130? That's what the issue is? When I went through the process myself or when my wife did back when, 6 months would have been a walk in the park. That would have been an unbelievable sensation. Processing time for an I-130 was measured less in months than in years back then. Which, by the way, is how the K3 visa came about which I happened to pursue to get my wife here in less than 2+ years time. That 2+ years being what it would easily have taken had we gone for a CR1/IR1. In fact, there hardly was any CR1 visa because most couple necessarily were married 2+ years by the time the immigrant visa was approved. Our I-130 was approved just about 2 years after I filed - about a month too soon so we had the pleasure of having to go through the removal of conditions as well. THAT was a burden. Based on my experience, 6 months is more than acceptable.

Bottom line, if you believe for a second that USCIS would retain the amount of resources it has in this climate were it not for the additional workload, then you clearly haven't been paying attention. And if you believe that the backlogs are due to DACA, then I'd like for you to explain to me what supposedly preferential treatment of what illegal immigrant population caused the far bigger backlogs for lawful immigrant applications in the mid to late 1990's and in the early 2000's. Let's hear it.

You know as well as I do that the reason for the backlog back then had nothing to with USCIS. It had to do with NVC. NVC was taking years to complete cases for immigrant visas, while just stamping the K-3 and forwarding it on to the consulate. Seems you've been away from the process for awhile and forgot how it works.

Below is a screen shot of IR-1/CR-1 stats from January 1, 2004 to January 1, 2006. As you can clearly see the backlog was NVC NOT USCIS.

Edited July 30, 2014 by Karee

[Janelle2002 3,865]

This is outstanding for asking the wrong question.

The question is what to do for LEGAL immigrants to make it easier for THEM instead of making it so damned difficult. The reason why people just march across the border is because legal immigration is so damned expensive and difficult.

Why make us pay and not them? Eliminate our fees or else start charging people money for admission. Why do we need fingerprints every six months? How about just once? Stop rejecting us if the petitioner smoked pot once in their lifetime or any number of other provisions you put upon us but not upon them.

Making legal immigration easier and illegal immigration harder will end up producing way more legal immigration than illegal. The government is doing it exactly backwards: making illegal immigration vastly easier than legal. So therefore you get huge waves of illegal immigration.

Those 11 million illegals - what to do with them? Well how about asking what causes them in the first place instead of acting as if they are some big mystery unrelated to our policies.

Could not agree with you more.

The freaking back ground checks. The last 5 known addresses and work places, the last country you lived in, police reports from countries you have lived in for over 6 months, and for what? So other people can walk in for free?

Why don't we just open the boarders and eliminate the application process then. I know why not!! Because people like us who actually put money in the government's pocket and go through he!! and hot water to do this right. I bet Washington is laughing at us.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

There are two distinct streams of criticism of the current situation on display here:

1) The current system is flawed and needs to be fixed (insert posited (in)complete solution, with political tinge); and

2) WHY ARE THEY GETTING THEIRS WHEN I HAD TO WAITTTTTTT

Illegal and legal immigration are apples and oranges. Anyone who says he or she should have had their beloved just traipse across the border is wishing that that loved one should live a life in the shadows, without the privileges and protections of legal residency. Just so you could have them here months sooner. Really? Is it worth that much to you to have their physical presence sooner that you would jeopardize their status, and subject them to a ban?

Questions.

[Karee 4,190]

There are two distinct streams of criticism of the current situation on display here:

1) The current system is flawed and needs to be fixed (insert posited (in)complete solution, with political tinge); and

2) WHY ARE THEY GETTING THEIRS WHEN I HAD TO WAITTTTTTT

Illegal and legal immigration are apples and oranges. Anyone who says he or she should have had their beloved just traipse across the border is wishing that that loved one should live a life in the shadows, without the privileges and protections of legal residency. Just so you could have them here months sooner. Really? Is it worth that much to you to have their physical presence sooner that you would jeopardize their status, and subject them to a ban?

Questions.

I can't speak for anyone else, but one of my beefs is that they should fix an obviously broken LEGAL immigration system before addressing the ILLEGAL immigrant problem. I think it's a slap in the face to people that follow the rules, to allow people that don't to just walk on in. I agree that illegal immigration and legal immigration are apples and oranges, but the current administration seems to be taking steps that make no distinction between the two.

Now you can make light of that if you want to, but I've seen cases of children being born while waiting for visas, petitioners and beneficiaries dying etc. etc. while waiting the year to be re-united with each other. Keep in mind that in a lot of these cases those families were separated the entire time due to the foreign national not being able to obtain a tourist visa, or the USC not being able to afford expensive plane tickets to far off countries. A lot of folks don't have the benefit of the VWP or simply driving across the bridge from Detroit to Windsor to see their loved ones.

I suppose I could take the attitude of some here and say screw em because my wife's a citizen now, so what do I care?

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

There are two distinct streams of criticism of the current situation on display here:

1) The current system is flawed and needs to be fixed (insert posited (in)complete solution, with political tinge); and

2) WHY ARE THEY GETTING THEIRS WHEN I HAD TO WAITTTTTTT

Illegal and legal immigration are apples and oranges. Anyone who says he or she should have had their beloved just traipse across the border is wishing that that loved one should live a life in the shadows, without the privileges and protections of legal residency. Just so you could have them here months sooner. Really? Is it worth that much to you to have their physical presence sooner that you would jeopardize their status, and subject them to a ban?

Questions.

I think many times a 6 month-1 year wait is a good thing

[GurkenSalat 48]

Ok, I didn't wade through all the drama, so forgive me if this has been said.

What you actually need to do is get pregnant, then sneak your spouse/fiancee across the border and THEN you might get amnesty. Fancy that!

What do you call a case of people breaking a broken law? The problem (or at least part of it) stems from the fact that all children born in the US are automatically US citizens, just for being born on US soil. I propose amending that to "born on US soil AND AT LEAST one parent is LEGAL"... LPR or citizen, I'd say. That might curb it for the future, but what do we do with all the ones already here? I don't know, I'm not opening THAT can of worms!