Illegal Immigrants: The U.S. Must Act

Do we want to shut down every restaurant, lawn service, cleaning service, home improvement business, and construction company in a lot of states? We don't need that kind of economically disastrous and inhumane enforcement policy. We need a guest worker program, so that the hard-working immigrants who are already here can stay here legally.

Maybe we can create a yellow card instead of the green card for those people. They could work hard to get promoted to green-card status and one day achieve the American dream.

I was just quoted $165 to have my car detailed by a legal. The illegal (I suspect) who shows up at our office charges $65. All the idiots who hate illegals better be prepared to see their cost of living absolutely go through the roof. A solution that no one seems to embrace is to change laws so that children of non-citizens, born in the United States, are not granted citizenship, but remain citizens of the parents' country. This would reduce the incentive to immigrate, and might slow the influx and allow us to arrive at a legal worker program that works.

I lean more toward the pro side of this debate, but I think the con side arguments should be taken into consideration and that safeguards should be placed. We have guest worker programs in existence. Debt is what is killing us. Buy now, pay later. The bill is due. Illegals don't have debt, not yet. Wait until they do, and then what? We are so short-sighted, and we lack basic sense. We have to at least sometimes go against our intuition and act on reason, sound logic. We need to work together, because as the Japanese say, "None of us is as smart as all of us."

Disagree, the learning curve will be steep and quick. Implement stronger enforcement.

There is a specific process that people must go through whether they're from Mexico, China, India, etc. If people go through the appropriate steps, then fine, welcome to America. Why are we so concerned if Company A saves on labor costs, for example, on a landscaping company? If you want to hire immigrants, that's fine. But hey, they need to be here legally-- period.

I'm against the illegal action of both illegal immigrants and the businesses who hire them. If we need more worker visas, then that's what the government needs to do. Offering citizenship or protection to millions of illegals who don't want to be Americans hurts everyone, especially those still waiting for their chance at the American dream.

If you don't have enforceable borders, you don't have a country. Pretty simple. Forget about terrorists and terrorism. Immigration has to be orderly and of benefit the society as a whole. Letting in millions of unskilled workers so you can get your car waxed cheaply now is going to negatively and severely affect your retirement and your children's lives in the future. A country needs immigration to bolster its standard of living--not denigrate it.

We are not the only country with a need for low-cost labor. Japan/Taiwan/Hong Kong have foreign worker programs. Filipino maids and nannies are prevalent there. They get paid less than half local minimum wages, but paid better than wages in their home countries. Contracts are always for less than three years before the foreign worker must go back to their home country. Every foreign worker must be accounted for by the employer. If we have this program in the U.S. who'd want to hire an illegal?

No one is asking how much this costs the American taxpayer. Americans need to get their heads out of the sand. How much more can the American taxpayer stand before our government bankrupts us all? While illegals now have the jobs that the unskilled Americans used to, the American taxpayer carries the burden of both the illegals and the unskilled Americans in support of food, housing, and health care. We pay all the way around. It is time to change America.

For taxpayers, it's not fair to see illegal immigrants not pay taxes. My family struggles every day to make ends meet, but then again I know immigrants personally who pay taxes and file returns. How messed up is that? The government did this, and now it needs to fix it. As long as immigrants were producing and working for low wages, everybody was fine. Now that they want to be citizens, we have a problem. The government needs to come up with a solution to benefit everyone.

In South Florida, some 30,000 condo units were built, mostly on the sunburned backs of illegals over the last few years. They were built by the rich, for the rich. For condos that sell for more than a million a piece, ironworkers (mostly Mexican) were paid $14/hr, drywall finishers (Chilean): $10/hr, carpenters (from Honduras, Nicaragua): $13/hr. They worked hard, sometimes weeks on end, with no medical, and in some cases no overtime pay. They even died (stucco - Guatemala 2006)and now the work dries up - those entitled to the so-called American dream insist they leave, their sweat and blood worth nothing. Now the condos stand high and shining as symbols of how great America is. This is repeated across the great nation in your backyards, fast food places, your meat factories. Hard work, blood and sweat, no reward, no apology, repatriation. Didn't Abe outlaw something similar a while back?

Those who worry about getting their car detailed cheaply should consider the following: How much taxes does an illegal pay to support hospitals, roads, schools, airports, etc. and our national security? Illegals aren't making less than their American counterparts when you subtract the following: federal tax, state tax, medicare, social security, liability ins., workers' compensation insurance--all of which most illegals simply aren't paying. I once was solicited to get my roof replaced by a group of Hispanics, out of which only one person spoke English. When I asked about liability insurance and workers comp., they hung up. Ever think of washing your own car? That's what truly made America great. We used to pride ourselves on doing things on our own, now too many Americans are too lazy to cut their own grass.

Gary said: "All the idiots who hate illegals better be prepared to see their cost of living absolutely go through the roof."

Does that mean Republicans are illegals, too?

I am a product of US legal immigration, who came to this country over 20 years ago. The Immigration Act of 1986 granted amnesty for over 3 million illegals in this country over 20 years ago. This country simply can't keep giving amnesty to the millions of illegal immigrants coming into this country on a daily basis. Sure the illegal immigrants pay taxes, but the benefit they get from social services, health care, and education far outweighs what they pay in taxes. Look at what illegal immigration has done to the public education and health care systems in California! The public schools are so jam packed with thousands of children from illegal aliens that the quality of education has dropped significantly. Heck... ever wonder why a lot of Americans have fallen behind other western countries when in comes to education?!

The people who want to save money on low-cost manual jobs need to consider the following:

1. Health care costs for illegals.
2. High school education costs for illegals.
3. The impact of uneducated and unmotivated illegals on American kids.
4. Crimes committed by illegals.
5. Gangs composed mainly of illegals.
5. The social unrest that ultimately results from the massive number of illegals.

Of course, there are many more hidden costs cf illegals that are not being considered (or are refused to be considered) by many people in this debate. Who pays for these?

Mandatory prison sentences for business owners employing illegals after a certain date. Use Erwin Rommel's handbook for border security. Begin mass deportation. Use the National Guard as a National Guard (imagine that!). Allow states and municipalities to pass laws that will in effect demagnetize themselves.

I have no issue with legal immigration, and would even support some type of guest-worker program, if designed properly. BUT, it is very idiotic to base this discussion on what will happen to service costs if illegal immigration is curbed. The reason why illegal immigrants provide lower cost services isn't because they are willing to do work that no one else will do. It is because they don't have to pay taxes. Gary -- if a non-taxpaying person or group competed with you, would you be in favor of that? This isn't about hating illegals, it's about enforcing laws and actually reducing societal costs. We have to prosecute businesses that support or hire illegal immigrants because it is illegal, and costs a lot more than the $100 to have a car detailed.

The absence of a widespread guest worker program is economically stupid and morally cruel.

We have immigration laws on the books that only need enforcement.

For too long this problem has been winked at; in the meantime, illegal immigrants break our laws, add strain to U.S. taxpayers, and require long and elaborate educational modifications.

If we need farm hands to bring in crops, these people should be screened in Mexico and brought in legally on temporary visas.

It's not about cheaper prices, it's about our way of life. Money isn't the end all!

The US Govt has given up on enforcing laws, at all levels. In fact they are trying to benefit from this phenomenon. IRS is facilitating the illegals to pay income taxes, using ITIN # instead of SSN. IRS Commissioner confirmed this in his statement to the Senate Ways and Means committee. Read all about it :

http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=view&id=5171

Except for some vocal opponents, many US citizens do not object to the presence of illegals. Many common people are utilizing the illegals for all kinds of work, rent their properties and sell stuff to them.

Both major parties are not acting on this issue, since they still do not feel the pressure from the people.

Otherwise, who can explain the growing number of illegals, estimated at 12 million now. If the (law-breaking) American citizens are not employing them, then who is ?

Have you noticed that there are some jobs that even the illegals won't do? When's the last time you saw immigrants picking apples or tomatoes? They'd rather take the high-paying manufacturing and construction jobs than push a broom. Heck, I would too given what janitorial services and farm labor go for these days. If the immigrants won't pick apples and do the jobs we don't want to do then why should they come in and take the good jobs? We have native born people who need jobs, too. As far as charging $65.00 to get a car detailed, I know an unemployed man who'll do it for $50 and he's not illegal.

I applied for a job and got an interview. The job was blue collar. I asked how many people applied. I was told there were 45 resumes (faxed). There might be amnesty for Mexicans in Mexico. The U.S. refused to let Iraqi translators who risked their lives by serving the U.S. military in, so why reward migrants for using forged identity cards and denying U.S. sovereign borders? There ought to be a way to prevent identity theft. If they grant green cards to anyone who can get here by plane, car, or foot, how quickly will the hospitals have people in waiting rooms dying while waiting for service?

I'm 15. I have plenty of friends who are illegal, because their parents are illegal. And I wish for them to stay because they can damn well understand the country's problems just like I can. Bush is a jerk, and the war is pathetically retarded. But that's besides the point. These teens' parents, the illegal ones, are all working at McDonald's (I hate that place) or they have a yard work company or maybe the dad is a gas-station employee. The point is that these people fill a role in our economy. Without the poor, the rich have nowhere to stand. End of story.

I wonder why it is that we had a more prosperous, more secure, and happier country before we decided that globalizing our workforce and economy was such a great idea? Could it be that the U.S. is a big enough market that it is more suited to meeting its own needs with its own people?

For many years, we sent our jobs overseas; then we had people come here and take the few jobs we had left. Now you hear that these are jobs Americans won't do. Then you hear that 300,000 of such low-income new jobs were created. Well, where I come from, people live on those low-income jobs--sometimes two or three of them at minimum wage just to make ends meet. And some non-citizen is making $22 per hour.

I can't believe how dumb people can be. Almost everyone here thinks illegal immigrants join gangs, that illegal immigrants do this and do that. They are generalizing. I know about illegal immigrants who pay their taxes. I know of illegal immigrants who break their backs to do something for the "Americans." Have we all forgotten that everyone in the USA is an immigrant? Only Native Americans are true citizens of this country. Whites, African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, etc., are all immigrants. Making all illegal aliens disappear is not the answer; the answer is to find a solution for the struggling countries that make these hard-working people come. And as for the people who have been saying it's not true that these aliens do work that Americans don't do: Don't even go there. I've seen some lazy Americans not doing anything. I'm not generalizing about anyone, but treat others as you would like o be treated by them.

It seems like pros talk about cheaper labor for American consumers, and cons don't feel safe with the border so porous.

Maybe the solution is to swap out Americans who are disenchanted with people who still view America as a great opportunity...or at least a one-year exchange program. Then, perhaps we would focus more on the positives than the negatives.

As a legal Cuban immigrant to the United States, I am extremely thankful for being here. This topic is always in dispute. Here in the U.S., we all have the right to our own opinion, and even if I don't agree with you, that doesn't mean that I don't have an open mind. Immigrants have to go through many dangerous challenges to get here, regardless of whether they are Jamaican, Cuban, Mexican, ect. Why can't we treat all immigrants equally? If they come here struggling (con una mano a lante y la otra atras) with nothing but the dream of becoming someone, why not give them the chance? On the other hand, if you're an immigrant doing illegal things here, get out. Those are the ones who don't deserve our help. This is the United States, a free country we call home. It's unfair for all of these hard-working people to get treated like this. It's inhumane. World peace. Thanks.

Send them all home, and do your own damn work. By the way, send Bush with them.

Illegal immigration must be stopped. It's not fair to the hard working legal immigrants. The USA is made up of immigrants. No one can deny that, but do it legally and pay your taxes like everyone else. I don't believe for a minute that the cost of living would go through the roof. I am Native American, and it just gets my goat every time I hear people complaining about immigrants. You are all immigrants. Who are you to tell someone else he or she can't have the same benefits that you and your parents have enjoyed all these years? At the same time, do it right and become a legal immigrant so you can benefit from this free country. Get rid of all the illegals and give our jobs back to those who work for and deserve them. I think you would see our poverty levels decrease with the decline of illegal aliens.

Illegal immigration is a totally ridiculous argument. I'm a high school student, and even I know that they violate the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. The immigrant wave overcrowded our schools. They take away from everything that we Americans do and will work for. America needs to stop being so damn afraid of the outcome (good or bad) and send all of the lawbreakers home. They claim to want to be Americans, so they need to step up and do it the American way.

I am located in Honduras. I am against any people who travel to the USA illegally and work illegally. I spent most of my life in the U.S., and I remember the first thing that my father told me--that once you are there, you report to emigration to apply for your resident status. Now I am here, paying for my mistakes. I regret everything I have done. I still love and respect the American people, because for all the time I was there, I always treated people with respect and love and never had a problem with any police. It has been now seven years. I miss my mama, my friends from school, my job, my entire life. Thank you, America. I still think of you as my home. God bless America and the American people.

I regret my mistakes, and hope I can be forgiven and allowed to come back home.

Best Regards,
Cesar Cerrato
God Bless You.

One of the bigger things that kills me about this whole immigration movement is the argument that Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, etc. were somehow "stolen" from Mexico by the big, bad, evil USA. Oh, because, that's right, Mexico was such a peace-loving utopia with the most magnanimous leaders this world has ever seen until the U.S. provoked it into finally taking up arms (and, they would have us believe, they did so grudgingly). Give me a break. Ever heard of the Constitution of 1824? Where was your peace-loving Utopia when Santa Anna decided to wipe his ass with that Constitution? If any nation was ever a war-mongering, land-grabbing nation it was Mexico, and Spain before it. We stole the southwestern states? Go cry me a river. Apparently history began when Mexico lost its land. Bull.

I would gladly pay more for any product that had a sticker saying, "Our employees are legal." If I knew e-verify was used.

If Mexico's wealthy and elite were not so selfish, greedy, indifferent, dishonest, and socially backward (aka corrupt), perhaps they could actually develop, establish, and carry out some real democratic principals within the government they control. The nation's aggregate wealth is controlled by a very small percentage of the population (still, the general problem throughout all of Central and South America). The driver to illegal aliens entering the U.S. is the economic condition inside Mexico.

The Mexican government is simply not doing enough to combat illegal immigration from Mexico to the U.S. Could this have anything to do with the vast remittances that are sent back to Mexico annually? These remittances are the equivalent of free money injected into the Mexican economy. The government has expended zero resources to generate such a windfall into the country. Nice $18 billion ring on the central bank's cash register annually. That $18 billion should be circulating in the U.S. economy, and accounted for in the U.S. GDP.

It's amazing just how weak U.S. politicians are on this critical issue of confronting the Mexican government's resistance to curbing illegal labor migration into the territory of the U.S.

Does anyone recall the New York Times article that explained how the Mexican government advised its citizens with a 32-page how-to guide, describing in comic book fashion how to enter the U.S. and their "rights" as an illegal alien once in the U.S.?

For starters, maybe the U.S. government should bill back to the Mexican government expenses incurred by U.S. taxpayers for health care, education, and any criminal activities caused by Mexicans entering the U.S. illegally.

I have no sympathy and only contempt for Maureen Torrey. She is part of the problem of our country's going into the toilet because of these illegals. She is concerned about herself and her business (profit). Look at the big picture; illegals are draining the infrastructure of our nation. Sanctuary cities now are complaining their economies are dying. Crime and disease are rampant. Illegals not inoculated are giving rise to new diseases. Federal and state governments should be fired and charged with crimes. America is not America any longer.--Fed up in Ct.

We are all immigrants to this country. Unless you are a Native American, your family came here from another country. So why should we now stop these people from coming here when they are doing the same thing our ancestors did, trying to provide a better life for their families? Yes, there should be laws governing immigration, but if it wasn't so hard to come here, there wouldn't be illegal immigrants. For the ones here illegally, why not let them become citizens as long as they have had no problems with the law?

I lived overseas for 27 years as a private businessman starting a company there. (My wife and I are both native-born American citizens.) I was not aware of all the immigration laws there. I gave a person from outside that country a reference for him to be able to go to his homeland and see his mother. Then Immigration knocked on my door since they had no proper papers for me in their country. I quickly complied with their immigration laws and annually had to pay a fee and appear personally to keep my immigration status. There was no question of automatic rights for me. Nor would the company I labored for be responsible for my status.

I learned their language enough to have my own two-minute TV program for the last seven years there. My kids benefited from my learning that language. All government forms were in the native language.

All the regulation was done by the government. I know of at least five former workers of mine who came to the USA illegally. Why? Because of opportunity and historically for the last 25 to 30 years, there was no guest worker program and the government did nothing to those entering illegally. The rules and regulations need to be fixed. The illegal entry has to be stopped by the government. The government has to step up and find a legalizing solution to most of the illegal residents here now. Weed out the bad and send them out. Cut off all automatic citizenship rights for USA-born illegal children until the parents are legal. That includes schooling and health-care guarantees. Force the issue.

There are many-times more good illegal aliens than bad. Those good ones should be able to have a resolution to their situation. And after a period of years, they accumulate rights to government. services. They should have access to Social Security and other government programs to which they contribute and have it be retroactive to their initial contribution period.

If they are employed and contributing to the tax system at their level, schools for the kids could be available. But social welfare sustenance programs for the (American) poor do not give the kids access to the schools and services provided by law-abiding tax-paying citizens and legal residents.

A good legal record is imperative. And the reins should be short to qualify for that. Since they are not legally here yet, they do not have the rights of a citizen until they prove themselves as being a positive entity in the society. That includes citizenship for progeny until the parents are citizens, not residents. If there is no citizenship for the parents, the kids have to go through some immigration process to qualify.

Had I committed any serious infractions overseas, I would have been locked up and the key thrown away there. Or immediately deported. And it would not have been pleasant or PC. Had I flown the American flag and flouted my status, I'd have been a target for bad things and resentment.

There is no other country with lines at their embassies all over the world seeking entry to that country. Only the USA. It is the best there is to offer. We have to restrict the opportunity to those who will be a positive entity, whether rich or poor. Both should be welcomed--with strings attached.

We're the only country in the world that has such a severe immigration problem. Also our disease rate is increasing more than any other because so many illegals have diseases and pass them on to more people than we can account for. Before we know it, we'll have an epidemic. We're just real lucky we haven't had a serious outbreak that killed thousands.

Also illegals add to the security risk we have; something better be done soon before we have another 9-11 or worse.

Taxpayers are paying untold dollars to interpreters and extra education programs for non-English speakers. Does anyone here think any other country would do this for any U.S. citizen? Not!

I don't have the answer to the problem, but in the short term it's still cheaper to find and send as many illegals as possible and send them home. Perhaps we should use the army reserve to patrol the borders even more than we do now.

I don't hate immigrants, I just think we have to make sure that the number we allow to immigrate here is sustainable in our economy and they go through all the proper steps to get here legally--that means we're sure they have a reasonable chance to support themselves instead of the taxpayer's putting out more and more money.

I know lots of people here think we aren't helping poor nations enough, but honestly no other country in the world gives more than we do, and we just can't afford to pay more and more taxes. We will be taxed into a Third World country. I hope our politicians see it before it's too late.

I hope you people out there arguing about illegal immigrants never have to go through what they do. They come here for a better life like your ancestors did, risk their lives for a better life, do jobs that you won't do, work with fake IDs, and pay payroll taxes like you, but they will never be able to receive any benefit. They pay taxes every time they buy something, food, clothes, etc. Not all illegal immigrants go around and harm America. Most of them work hard and help this country more than you think.

I like this Web site.

Ames,
Well said. I have said this myself for decades.

I should think the legal immigrants would be up in arms about the illegals issue.

I also think that since the earlier immigrants (go back to 1620, for example) didn't get to come here with the promise of getting a bunch of freebies, neither should those who manage their way in and benefit from a nation that's already productive and prosperous.

In California, we bid on a computer system that was costly; it was to filter out those who were attempting to collect money when they weren't entitled. It's a high-cost condition when such instrumentation has to be implemented to try to conserve the welfare money for those who truly are eligible and deserve it, when millions are figuring out ways to get this supplement without ever having paid into it.

It reminds me of the poker game called Up and Down the River. Everyone has to pay for a card; then more cards are dealt, and the dealer gets to remove money when specific cards are turned over. Yes, it's a fun, simple-minded game, but when our country is being cannibalized by such tactics, it has to stop.

I like the idea of a working card, keeping it simple to get. At least we can set up the conditions such that we can monitor the number of working visas being issued. We need the names in the system; we don't have to frighten them with being returned to their homelands, but they also have to come into compliance with the terms by which we'd issue such a working opportunity.

We all know that people from other countries have come here to earn bigger dollars and send the money back home, and the money they send puts money into that country's economy because that's where purchases are made.

Given the disparity of import/export, this simply adds to that dilemma.

Up until the 1900s, most who came to this country had to start out by committing to add to the well-being of the economy; they provided their services and skills, but it was what helped build up our nation.

Current immigrants often come in to serve the rich, because the rich are just basically too lazy to serve themselves. As to skyrocketing costs when someone can't get a car detailed for 50% less, then do it yourself. Our lazy ways are the doorways for those who will do something we think we are too good to do.

I think I could write a great deal more, but suffice it to say those who will post (or already have) will certainly touch those topics and examples, so I'll leave it them. Thank you for the chance to post.

It is funny how all of you are crying about this immigration thing, while we have more than 300,000 illegal American immigrants in Iraq, terrorizing people in the name of peace and friendship.

It's the same thing this country has done to all in the name of greed. Now we are paying for the failed policies in Mexico and Central America, and I say let in all who want to come, and let all who don't like it go back to their ancestral homes. Most of the people crying are a whole bunch of spoiled brats that have no real sense of life. I'm an American Indian, and my people have been screwed since the beginning of American time. I am also a doctor, and I prefer to treat Hispanics than the obnoxious Americans.

The illegal are citizens who give jobs to those who lack the necessary documentation for work. The legal status of the latter should be another topic.

Yes, it's true that some immigrants don't pay their taxes. But they don't have to, they can't, and how will they? They can't even get IDs.

I bet that if the U.S. government was more giving to the immigrants (ID's, work permits, all of that), there would be more control over them.

Not all people are here to progress; some want to feed off of the government The women have five kids here and go on welfare. Ha. Even some lazy Americans do that.

Others come here with dreams of buying a home and brand new car, and having the freedom of traveling.
By having more control over the immigrants, the government could throw the ones who aren't doing good for this country or themselves out, and give the ones who are already here and doing well an opportunity to live their dream.

It's better than just kicking everyone out, no? I think so.