Thousands Protest Immigration Bills

[Aymerlu 3]

I totally agree....these illegals should not be given special treatment just because they might come from an impoverished background. Sorry...this immigration process hasn't left me with much sympathy for those who try to do things the illegal way.

You go girl!

[mercuryroad 0]

I'm a little surprised at the lack of compassion here. I'm in favor of doing things by the book, but how many of us have been in such dire circumstances that we could even understand what these people go through?

The people that come here illegally are probably not affluent in their country. Perhaps we should do more work to make these countries more economically viable so people won't have to leave. Poverty is the issue.

[Fischkoepfin 1]

I'm a little surprised at the lack of compassion here. I'm in favor of doing things by the book, but how many of us have been in such dire circumstances that we could even understand what these people go through?

The people that come here illegally are probably not affluent in their country. Perhaps we should do more work to make these countries more economically viable so people won't have to leave. Poverty is the issue.

I totally agree, and who knows, maybe they wouldn't even come as illegals if there were a legal way to come here and work. But given the current restrictions on visas for people from the less developed world, it takes years and a lot of money to get through the process - if one is accepted at all. And most people can't wait years too have enough money to put some food on the table.

The high number of illegals btw has nothing to do with backlogs at USCIS. Immigration Enforcement, who is supposed to take care of illegals and other immigration violations, has nothing to do with USCIS except that they are both in DHS. The problem is solely the complicated legal apparatus that is a result of 50+ years of misguided amendment of to a wrongly conceived immigration code. That and a total lack of funding.

As someone said earlier, noone gives a hoot about reforming the system because noone knows how bad it is unless they've been through it. And most people who do know how bad it is think it has something to do with illegals, which means they overlook the real causes: an endless line of politicians unwilling to conceive of a different system with sufficient funds to run it.

I honestly don't agree with illegal immigration but I find it pointless to use illegals as a cause of every social ill in this country. Even if there are as many as 20,000,000 illegals, there's no way in he11 that they are responsible for the lack of wellbeing of the remaining 250,000,000.

[minha_raposa 0]

I'm a little surprised at the lack of compassion here. I'm in favor of doing things by the book, but how many of us have been in such dire circumstances that we could even understand what these people go through?

The people that come here illegally are probably not affluent in their country. Perhaps we should do more work to make these countries more economically viable so people won't have to leave. Poverty is the issue.

Its not about compassion. Its about thousands of people crossing into USA every dam day with the intent and purpose of violating the law of the USA. Its about people taking advantage of the generosity, compassion and sentiment of Americans.

Contrary to popular belief, the USA is not responsible for fixing and solving all of the worlds problems. WE have enough problems here that need to be addressed first and foremost.... yet we are more concerned with "taking care" of those from other places first? Now THAT is utterly fukcing ridiculous!

You wanna come here? DO it legal...follow the law, and you will be welcome here. DO it illegal....I loose all compassion for your criminal azz until you do it the legal way.

Laws are laws for a reason. There is NO justification for breaking the law.

[Satisfaction 1]

Someone talked about Chinese immigrants before. I don't wish to offend you in any way but I think you are not quite following the current events, as I know quite a "few" Chinese here in NYC who are not documented...

About the current legislation. The Specter bipartisan is not an amesty.

"Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) had vowed to write a bipartisan proposal that would bridge conservative demands for much tougher border enforcement with calls from both parties for a guest-worker program to meet the demand for unskilled labor and to address the 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States (...) On the issue of the 12 million undocumented immigrants already here, Chairman Specter signaled support for a bipartisan approach based on the McCain-Kennedy bill, on the following condition: that undocumented immigrants who come forward for earned legalization receive their green cards only after those waiting in line outside the country. " (http://www.immigrationforum.org/)

On the other hand, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.)'s new proposal would tighten control of the nation's borders without creating the guest-worker program the president wants. I don't believe that such legislation, by increasing penalties, building more detention centers and erecting walls along our border with Mexico, will deter migrants who are desperate to survive and support their families from seeking jobs in the United States. It will only drive them further into the shadows, encourage the creation of more elaborate smuggling networks and cause hardship and suffering. Enforcement-only proposals, such as this one, will not solve the problem.

The US needs an intelligent and realistic approach to controlling immigration, which is not punitive only or controlled by bigots. Personally, I support a comprehensive reform so that legal status and legal channels for migration replace illegal status and illegal immigration. Creating legal structures for migration protects not only those who migrate but the nation, by giving the government the ability to better identify who is in the country as well as to control who enters it.

[Canuck4USA 0]

I think solving the illegal worker problem is very simple..Instead of focusing on the illegal immigrant...stiff fines and jail term should be imposed upon any employer or person caught employing or harboring such a person...and then that the illegal worker is deported immediately.

As long as there will be greedy American citizens looking to increase their bottom line by hiring cheap labor, there will always be illegals coming here to take advantage of it. Punish the employers who say they are just helping illegals when the truth of the matter is that they are looking to increase their profit margin through low wage help. If I knew of an employer participating in such activity..I'd report them immediately. Some jail time and a hefty fine might smarten them up a bit.

Edited March 26, 2006 by Canuck4USA

[KarenCee 3]

That might work...but then, I'm sure employers who want to use such cheap labour would eventually start banding together to help each other out in this respect...since using cheap labour would line their pockets. The old case of "I'll help you (i.e. cover for you) if you help me (i.e. cover for me). Just MHO....

[rbhigday 0]

Even if you fined companies for hiring illegal workers. If they pay the worker 5 dollars an hour to build a wall and the union guy gets 50 dollars an hour that a 1800 saving that they get for one week.

Unless the fine are 5 times the average salary per day of the american worker doing the same thing, for each day the person worked. Then you may have a reductions but proving it and enforcing it would be an impossiblity.

The fines are so low that it still profitable to the bottom line to hire illegal workers add to the fact that most work seems to be outsourced whenever possible make it even less likly this process will ever stop

Edited March 26, 2006 by rbhigday

[chocolaterie 0]

Someone talked about Chinese immigrants before. I don't wish to offend you in any way but I think you are not quite following the current events, as I know quite a "few" Chinese here in NYC who are not documented...

About the current legislation. The Specter bipartisan is not an amesty.

"Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) had vowed to write a bipartisan proposal that would bridge conservative demands for much tougher border enforcement with calls from both parties for a guest-worker program to meet the demand for unskilled labor and to address the 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States (...) On the issue of the 12 million undocumented immigrants already here, Chairman Specter signaled support for a bipartisan approach based on the McCain-Kennedy bill, on the following condition: that undocumented immigrants who come forward for earned legalization receive their green cards only after those waiting in line outside the country. " (http://www.immigrationforum.org/)

On the other hand, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.)'s new proposal would tighten control of the nation's borders without creating the guest-worker program the president wants. I don't believe that such legislation, by increasing penalties, building more detention centers and erecting walls along our border with Mexico, will deter migrants who are desperate to survive and support their families from seeking jobs in the United States. It will only drive them further into the shadows, encourage the creation of more elaborate smuggling networks and cause hardship and suffering. Enforcement-only proposals, such as this one, will not solve the problem.

The US needs an intelligent and realistic approach to controlling immigration, which is not punitive only or controlled by bigots. Personally, I support a comprehensive reform so that legal status and legal channels for migration replace illegal status and illegal immigration. Creating legal structures for migration protects not only those who migrate but the nation, by giving the government the ability to better identify who is in the country as well as to control who enters it.

It is no surprise that many Chinese people have arrived on a boat illegally to gain residency in another country by claiming refugee status. I do not support this. In my post my parents did it LEGALLY. This meant my father was waiting years for the paperwork to clear before he could come to Canada. So my point was that if my parents could do it legally so should others.

[Mirorgate 0]

I'm a little surprised at the lack of compassion here. I'm in favor of doing things by the book, but how many of us have been in such dire circumstances that we could even understand what these people go through?

The people that come here illegally are probably not affluent in their country. Perhaps we should do more work to make these countries more economically viable so people won't have to leave. Poverty is the issue.

Merc, I don't think its actually so much a lack of compassion, as it is frustration.

Most of the illegals crossing ito the US now haven't a HS diploma, and yes, are probably coming from poverty as well. But when get here they need an education.. and most state laws states that all residents (non-defined as US citizen) HAS to get an education... so they goto school here... at the working mans expense since the parents aren't working with documented papers and ID. (NOTE: State sales-tax is different from school tax, property tax, federal wage income tax that pays for a lot of things we have here. Not all, but much). There is more to this though... but since that wasn't your statement either.

What can we do to make their country more economically viable? Whyask that? Unless you view it as our purpose? I am not sure on that. I am sure though that if we stopped wasting money on stupid ####### ideas in places that really won't improve no matter how muhc money you throw at the problem... maybe then set up programs "show them how to fish" instead of just "giving them a fish" as the saying goes.

Wish I had more of an answer for you bud.. but I don't. Sorry about that.

[Sinergy 3]

As I saw on the news this morning and agree 100%, "it is a complete slap in the face for the people doing immigration LEGALLY", and i couldnt have said it better myself !

[Satisfaction 1]

I don't know about giving fines to employers. You would probably have to close down all small businesses in New York City .... We all know where illegals work and I'm pretty sure the law enforcement agencies do too. Rounding up illegals and giving fines won't happen here.

[JayJay 4]

Here's what I have to say on this matter:

"Money money money money money money" and "It's not fair, it's not fair not ffaaaaiiir" are quotes I hear so often. *sighs*

I don't give a flying "f" about money - it's the evil of the world. Do I care about country borders - of course, but the irony is this: illegal immigrants make up a very important part of the American Economy - yeah - that's your economy, folk. Whoever here has bent over, picking cotton or grapes by hand in southern California, please raise their hands now. I'm talking all year 'round. I'm talking every day, for about 18 hours a day, following the fields, for approximately ooooh....a whole 50 cents an hour, if that?

How many of you want to do those jobs, ey? Do you think our failing economy would be stronger, if we took away these people, made them legal or just simply "sent them back to where they came from" - hang on though - then, employers would have to pay them minimum wage, and if they do that, what kind of knock-on effect do you think it would have on this honest, pure and uncorruptable American economy?

Truth is, Bush knows this anyway. It's fairly obvious that no American citizen would bend over in a field all day long, devoid of rights, being paid next to nothing and insulted, treated like animals in their time off because they're illegal.

I want to hear from some illegal aliens who've seen their families torn apart in war, their fathers slaughtered on their doorsteps, their babies shot to pieces by the machine guns of the militia. I want to hear what they've been through. I don't care if they are illegal or not - for the reasons stated above, and also because they are human beings - and most of them have been through unimaginable evils in their lives, evils the average person honestly could never think of imagining.

You know what the real ironic thing is? American Indians have seen the land they reside on - the land they believe CANNOT be owned, taken over by Western immigrants who shoved them into contained areas like reservations, made their land ownable, the stripped them of it...then went ahead and started a Hollywood Western film industry about killing native people. Then I suppose eventually just polluted the land they'd lived on for thousands of years SO much that it may now be irretrievably damaged. Amazing: the history of this land tells us the Native people in the Americas did not believe that the Earth could be owned. Now, immigrants are telling them they are wrong.

I may sound bitter, but I'll tell you what - I'm all about the Earth here - I care about our planet, our cultural heritage and PEOPLE in general and I am more interested (and always have been) in helping and hearing stories from those who've seen their mother's throat cut in front of them, and ancient peoples who know about the world we live on, than people who are concerned with country borders and politics, both of which in my opinion, are man-made and fictional. For some people, life really is about survival, and there's not much time to go out and earn your keep when Fidel Castro, Saddam or any other dictator (and there are plenty, especially in Africa nowadays) is knocking on your door, threatening to come in and murder your entire family.

All you peeps who'd say "Never mind guys, lets concentrate on earning $20,000 in the next few years to pay for the immigration costs and bribes we'll need to get to America...it'll only take us a decade or so on the wages we make (plus you'll have to sell your kidney, Frank). If we get executed and dumped in the meantime, at least on our headstones, if we get any, it'll say 'Here lie the Family who tried to do it the Legal Way'."

In about 80 years, our grand children will no longer be able to breathe outside. Mother nature will kick our a$$es, and we'll all wish we'd been nicer to our fellow man, then. This is my stongly opinionated two cents - please, don't take it the wrong way!

Edited March 26, 2006 by JayJay

[Fuzzness 2]

JayJay, I agree with you.... however... someone who comes to america to escape their warn torn country and to escape from the atrocities committed there are not illegal aliens... they are refugees. that's different.

[KarenCee 3]

If America wants to make things "easier" for the illegals, then this friggin' process that all of us have to go through to be with our beloveds should be made easier as well.