Arizona Passes Law to Req Enforcement of Another Law

[Curtis Pride]

Here's a solution. Stop all the government give-aways to everyone and then nobody would care if people were "Illegal" or not because if they wanted to survive, they'd have to actually work.

And since immigrants are one of the hardest working cohorts, that's really not an issue anyway. People aren't moving to America to sit on their ass and collect welfare.

[Metroid]

I don't care if it cost 5K per person, they had 10 years to save up and get at least their daughter legal.

True, but that's not her fault. The big problem with denying education is we're going to be creating ghettos for at least another generation. But I can't say that I would want federal money going to illegal immigrants. There just isn't a positive ending to the whole mess.

No it's not her fault, which is why I said in my initial post that I had a tiny bit of sympathy for her. There is absolutely a positive ending though. Like I said earlier: apply for citizenship, get a job, go to a community college, and transfer to the school of your choice later. I'm not saying it will be easy, but life isn't easy. Just because she isn't having college handed to her right now doesn't mean her story is over.

People aren't moving to America to sit on their ass and collect welfare.

You'd better believe there's a portion of people end up doing just that. But you're right, the vast majority just want to work and earn a living.

[AussieDodger]

When the parents would of looked at becoming citizens (if they did at all), I doubt they would have thought about this occurring. All they would have seen is the price tag and jury duty and voting . Not every immigrant has a huge boner for their new country like they do in the movies

[jfg]

There is absolutely a positive ending though. Like I said earlier: apply for citizenship, get a job, go to a community college, and transfer to the school of your choice later. I'm not saying it will be easy, but life isn't easy. Just because she isn't having college handed to her right now doesn't mean her story is over.

I meant in general for illegal immigration.

[The Artful Dodger]

I think it's simple to say, well, ten years is good enough time to work your way to citizenship or they should have known about it. Like I said, at the end of the day, the parents could have been scared of being deported and/or they didn't know the resources were available to apply. The last bit is probably the most important. For whatever reason, they might not have had the resources (i.e. education, people) to even be aware of the path to either permanent residence or citizenship. Earning a living in the here and now could have taken the utmost importance over mulling about the future. As for the daughter, I didn't read the whole article, but she must have felt afraid to say something with regards to her residence status and seek advice on how best to continue her education, to which I don't blame her for.

With regards to the illegal immigration as an issue, I don't blame illegals for crossing the border. Granted, I should be less sympathetic about illegals, especially when my parents earned citizenship the proper way, and not through some loopholes or immigration lawyers and what have you. Rather, I blame the government for not being too strict about its immigration policy and not being aggressive in pushing for policy reform in the past 20-some odd years prior to about five years ago, when it became a serious hot button issue. At the end of the day, immigration policy should be stricter, but also realistic about the situation at hand as well.

[knapplc]

After ten years you'd think she'd be grandfathered in. That's a long time to be in a country and not have some kind of citizenship rights.

[fdny92]

People aren't moving to America to sit on their ass and collect welfare.

Are you joking or serious with this one?

[Curtis Pride]

People aren't moving to America to sit on their ass and collect welfare.

Are you joking or serious with this one?

Are you implying that they do, because I'd love to see your estimation as to what % of immigrants coming to this country collect welfare.

I'm assuming that you absolutely believe this is a prevalent problem. Immigrants coming to America to cheat the system and just get free welfare. Because the anti-immigrant crowd (which is a nice mix of both democrats and republicans wavering between xenophobia, nationalism, and just pure ignorance) has been hammering home this blatant lie for decades.

But I can save you some googling time, because the answer is 0%

You see, because "illegal" immigrants can't get welfare. Ever. And they can't even get social security unless they've paid into the system for at least 10 years.

Even "legal" immigrants have to be in the country for 5 years before they can collect welfare.

In spite of the misdirected "immigrants are stealing OUR jobs" or "immigrants are a drain on the system" myths completely perpetrated by willful ignorance, immigrants are awesome.

They are a huge economic boon to this country. They create entire industries of jobs that would otherwise not be performed (like cheap landscaping and food service jobs) thus growing the economy. They also spend money, which creates jobs, revenue, and taxable income.

On large, Immigrants, both those who go through the tedious, but proper channels, and those who don't are absolutely net positive economically to this country.

[Art Vandelay]

I agree with your larger point, but there is no way you don't think there is a single illegal immigrant anywhere using someone else's social security number to qualify for government programs.

[knapplc]

I agree with your larger point, but there is no way you don't think there is a single illegal immigrant anywhere using someone else's social security number to qualify for government programs.

I have first-hand knowledge of this.


However, Curtis' larger point is very true - the "vast majority" (I have no idea on percentages) of people who emigrate here, legally or illegally, just want to work and make a better life. I very much wish they would come legally, but once here, by and large they are a benefit to the country.