What are your thoughts on illegal immigration?

There are millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States, most of them from Mexico. The majority of them are here to stay. I think that law-abiding illegal immigrants should be put on the path to citizenship so they can stop living in perpetual fear of being deported.

In hindsight it is obvious that the Native Americans should have killed every single settler.

It shouldn’t be so difficult or so expensive to be able to become a citizen.

I’m a proponent of open borders. If you want to come here great. Sign this form and here is your ID. April 15 is tax day. Have a nice stay.

I would like to go live in and work in Australia for a few years. It would be nice if I could do the same there.

Let the countries compete the same way states do in the United States. FREE MARKET FOR ALL. Convince me that I should come to your country and contribute to your Gross Domestic Product.

@ragingloli

What exactly was the Native American’s immigration policy?

@johnpowell

You obviously have a firm grasp of English. If Australia holds to proper US requirements regarding usable English skills to comply with the rules of naturalization then I think you’ll do well.

You have something to contribute, I can understand you when you speak. Awesome.

Companies can move manufacturing from country to country and take advantage of economic disparities.

Why is that good while people moving across borders for work is bad?

^ Like I mentioned above the issue is about international relocating for work legally.

It really depends on whether or not it’s sustainable in the long run if their number keep on increasing. Surely they will raise competition for jobs, tax inefficiency, and other things despite there are moral issues too to consider, which is why the government prevent them from becoming a citizen when their own country is supposed to be the one responsible for its citizen, not transferring the problem to another country.

I personally would like that immigrants be allowed to operate in US, that is why, local citizen should be encouraged to marry/mock-marry immigrants to grant them easy access to green card lol.

I think more opportunities need to be made for immigrants to become citizens.

I think in the US we should have a better process to allow people to have working papers. I can’t speak to immigration in other countries. I know if I was desperate to leave my country in hope another country would let me in, or I could sneak in somehow. I would hate to be in a country illegally. I’d be nervous all the time. I don’t think of illegal immigrants as criminals.

People need to put themselves in the other persons shoes.

The ones wanting a better life and to find work are good people. The ones who are criminals, who are running drugs and in gangs, send them back. Even if they have papers, anything short of citizenship they should be stripped of their papers and jailed or sent back.

No one jump on me please that the majority of immigrants are good people. I know that. My husband and his family are good people, my grandparents and great grandparents were good people, and the many people I know who are immigrants or their parents and grandparents were. Some of them were not legal at first, or for a while, or whatever. But, there are some illegal and legal immigrants who are bad people, and we should focus on the criminals more than the status of their paperwork.

@NerdyKeith Why? Why citizens? Why not just legal?

I would say illegals can apply. But maybe they have to be Army reserves for a year or something if able. To me all are welcome, but if they skirt the legal process, you owe something, maybe back taxes….

Obviously criminal, and psychological evaluations should be done as well on would be citizens. There would need to be more resources allocated than are currently available though.

Well the laws sure as hell don’t seem to be working. This country was built exclusively by immigrants. I don’t believe things should continue as they are but I don’t believe in completely open borders.

@JLeslie I would assume becoming a citizen would be the best means of being a legal resident of the US. But whatever it takes I suppose.

@NerdyKeith Right now you have to become a legal resident to even be able to apply for citizenship, not the other way around. Citizenship is after spending years here with other types of papers.

I think in your country you can vote if you are a permanent resident. Isn’t that right? You can’t here. It’s a little different. Possibly in your country if you are a citizen and live out of the country long enough you lose some voting rights because you’re no longer a resident? How does that work? It varies by country a little.

@MrGrimm888 So, you’re ready right away to put them in our military? Do you feel confident they are reliable and safe? Don’t read into what I ask. The truth is right now you don’t even need to be a citizen to serve, which I never understood. They delayed my husband’s citizenship, because he hadn’t signed up with selective service when he came here as a college student. I was totally baffled. I had no idea the US expects people here on student visas to sign with selective service. That sounds insane to me. Or, even when he was here just on a work visa? Also, insane to me. He has sworn no allegiance at that point. His lawyer should have known, but obviously was incompetent.

@JLeslie. Yes. The standards of the Army are pretty low. So , I don’t see a problem. Many immigrants are some of the only true patriots. If Trump gets into office we’ll be in several dozen armed conflicts, and we’ll need all the troops we can get.

Immigrants who came to New York in the late 1860’s were essentially taken right off the boats and onto trains heading South to fight in the Civil War. (Not saying it’s smart, but it’s been a strategy before.)

I really meant more like reserves, who can help with fires, floods, and other natural disasters.

Just some way to get something from them if they’ve been here illegally. I don’t have a better suggestion.

There is already proof of gangs and gang activity in our military anyway. Most from Central or South America, mostly Latinos. I don’t see a big difference.

@MrGrimm888 When I was asking about the military I was thinking all immigrants, not just Latin Americans. We don’t discriminate like Israel does in our military. We aren’t going to only put the requirement on one group.

It’s not a bad idea actually your idea. I’m not sure if it should be for new citizens or for all immigrants.

I agree new immigrants are often some of the most patriotic people we have in the country.

I think it is a problem that will grow ever more contentious. There are just far too many people in the world living in desperate circumstances. The bulk of the population to the South of us would walk to this country given the opportunity, and the situation in Europe is worse than our own. Those of us with the great good fortune to have been born born here have won a sort of lottery. The rising numbers of people determined to come here guarantee us a future of odious countermeasures. There will be metaphors of Trump’s wall and DNA identification methods for weeding out the undocumented, because even as our own standard of living slides, this country will remain the best place in the hemisphere.

^^That’s the trick. If the other countries were doing better there wouldn’t be a big immigration question. That’s the big underlying elephant in the room in my opinion. Not how great America is, but rather how do we help make the other countries great too.

I say this on a “smaller” level within our borders, that we need to educate all of our children, and give decent wages, for the greater good. It’s not just altruistic, it’s selfish too. If you don’t want slums and violence near your pristine neighborhoods in our country then you have to be for every citizen having some basic rights and privileges. Same goes for our country neighbors.

The discussion should be more about exploitation than about immigration. If US businesses weren’t so willing to exploit undocumented workers, would there be such an influx?

@Yetanotheruser Then you need to be more vigilant about getting the employers who are doing it and fining them or putting them in jail.

Then, if there are fewer jobs available for illegal immigrants they won’t come here as much maybe. Some states crack down on that more than others, even though it’s a federal thing. I’m not sure how all that works.

@Yetanotheruser. The haves will always exploit the have nots….

And yes, even without the ability to work ‘under the table,’ the US would still be a better option (from what I hear,and read) than many Central American ,or South American countries . As far as opportunity. (A Trump presidency would negate that statement )

There’s a reason people are willing to travel thousands of miles through crazy shit, just to get into the US. They just want a better future. That’s what America (statue of liberty quote) is about. The statue of Liberty is meant to be a welcoming sight to immigrants. And at the same time, say come here and make this country and your life better. As many immigrants of course passed by that statue on their departure to the US from their bigger vessels.
It was/is a welcome mat.

I think it’s ironic that one of our most iconic landmarks is in stark contrast to some of our country’s people’s opinions about immigrants.

^ The quote at the Statue Of Liberty describes the spirit of the US.

Current legal immigration policy defines the letter thereof.

If I had a nickel for every person that uses the Statue quote to defend anarchy…

^^How does quoting the Statue of Liberty defend anarchy?

^ You have missed my point.

I realize that. That’s why I’m asking. I want to understand. You can ignore my question, it’s no big deal. I’m tired tonight anyway.

@SecondHandStoke. Yeah, I wondered where I stumbled into defending anarchy…

Not a fan of it. Ultimately I support allowing illegals to become citizens, but illegal immigration is called such for a reason. It also bothers me when people defend immigration making no distinction between illegal and legal.

@DominicY, I too think there needs to be a clearer definition of what ‘illegal immigration’ means, although I’m equally disturbed by those who are critical of immigration without making this distinction. I’d like some clarification of what constitutes an illegal immigrant for the poster. Is this question only interested in the US? People arriving in other countries without papers might be asylum seekers escaping terror, war, famine within their own country or they might be crossing borders to seek better employment opportunities even though they can access or do have work in their own country. Globally immigration is a highly complicated topic and people misuse descriptions such as ‘illegal immigration’. The situation in Europe is entirely different to the situation in the US which is totally different to the situation in Australia or in Turkey or other countries around the world.

@chelle21689, can you clarify what ‘illegal immigration’ means to you.

Going back to the OP:

Should it be legal for someone to just come to The USA undocumented? Why or why not?

When someone resides in the United States without having filled out the requisite immigration paperwork, that person has immigrated to the United States illegally. That person is not an illegal person. The 14th amendment to the US provides all persons with equal protection under the law.

Illegal immigrant means not legal to live in the country. I don’t see how there can be confusion on that?

Some people can legally live here, but not work here.

Some people are here on a tourist visa. A tourist is completely different, they are not immigrants they are tourists.

Since immigration is only illegal when the nation is collapsing, there isn’t much point in discussing it. Traditional standards of excellence are also abandoned in the approach to a collapse. The dominant religion is rejected, and the language might change. These things are not problems, they are symptoms of a problem. Nothing is gained by judging symptoms.

@SmartAZ What are you talking about? Even nations on the way up and doing well have immigration caps, quotas, rules, and/or limits.

The whole world is collapsing.

Except for climate change, our problems are less severe than what we faced in the 1930s and 1940s.

We are bothered by single attacks in France and Germany. At one time, almost the entire continent of Europe and large parts Asia were in the hands of America’s worst enemies in history.

It is a bullshit argument used solely for the purpose of instilling fear into the gullible masses in order to control them. We do not have an immigration problem.

@rojo I agree, except the gullible masses are demanding this bullshit and the officials are correctly representing an electorate gone bonkers. There is little difference between one despot three thousand miles away and three thousand despots one mile away.

I wonder what would happen if we had no immigration restrictions regarding how many people can come in and get working visas and residency? I wonder if many more would come to the US.

I think so.

An awful lot of people live in one state and commute to jobs in another state. There might not even be a sign marking the border. This has enabled prosperity that no other country can match, or did for a while. What would be the effect if you had to stop on the bridge and prove you had permission to enter the state where your job is? What if you had to show a passport just to get home again? The number of Mexicans in the USA has been constant for as long as anybody has bothered to count, except the number has risen since the border was closed. They still come here to pick our crops, but now they can’t go home again.

@SmartAZ Are we only talking about Mexicans and the Mexican border? Like I said, my husband’s cousin’s kids cross the border M-F to go to school. I know workers cross too. Some daily, some temporary visas, some illegal, it varies.

I can tell you one of my Venezuelan friend’s sister could not get a visa to America when she was accepted to a University here, she had to go to another country. She would be here today if not for our immigration policy, and she would have flown here, not driven across a land border.

A lot of people find their way around the laws by getting married or getting into Mexico or Canada and eventually coming in, or coming in on a tourist or student visa or au pair visa, and overstaying.

Illegals are willing to do jobs for shit pay that Americans think they’re too good for.

Yes, Dutchess. That sumerizes the situation. Many bitch about jobs lost to immigrants, but those same people wouldn’t do most of the work these hard working people endure.

Illegal means against the law, and I favor law and order. I see some people are passionate about supporting violation of immigration laws. There is no good reason for such an attitude. If we dig deeply and find the source of this, it is quite appalling. Most people are puppets of the media. They have many absurd beliefs that they do not question. Immigration laws have good reasons for existing. Anyone who is too sympathetic to criminals of any type become criminals themselves. I see some people here casually discuss violating immigration laws. That is appalling indeed. Some people have strong passions in favor of illegals, and that is outrageous.

But you think prostitution should not be illegal. You are quite fluid with your logic aren’t you.

I say enforce the law while it exists, but consider changing some laws. Prostitution and immigration are as different as apples and oranges. I judge by circumstances. Forbidding prostitution is a puritanical law that is unreasonable, but immigration laws are far more reasonable. It is illogical to equate them. I do not see anyone here who can teach me Logic. I studied it in college. Some people hate me and harass me as the liberal media does to the president. I hate Russia who invaded my homeland and made me a refugee. I flag false accusations that I work for Russia. That is libelous and should be penalized. Some people are stalking me and harassing me. I will not tolerate it.

They DID change the law ya ding dong! That’s what DACA is, a very specific exception to the existing law. Not everyone who is here illegally is eligible for DACA.

DACA is unreasonable.

You don’t even know what it is!

I know illegal is violating laws. No illegal immigrants should be here. None should have been allowed to stay for years. Some laws make little sense, but Immigration laws do. You surely lock the doors on your home and do not allow everyone to enter. To be consistent, you nee to remove the walls of your home and stay in the open. Why do some people worry much more about illegal immigrants and Muslims than they do about citizens? They are brainwashed, so they are hysterical and cannot be reasonable and objective. No exceptions should exist to immigration laws.

DACA is not unreasonable. DACA is….......Oh, WTF bother, you lunatic right wing brainwashed zombies cannot or will not understand.

Yes, it is totally unreasonable. The illegals should have been deported years ago. It is foolish for them to remain where they are illegal for a second not to mention years. You are a Lunatic Left brainwashed zombie. I understand much better than you can. Brainwashing has damaged your ability to think. Some Democrats favot illegals over citizens to get their votes, and you aid and abut this crime. Stop bothering me with your Lunatic Left “govno”!

I think the definition in unreasonable is your post, or rather your little insult laden diatribe(s).

@SimpatichnayaZhopa In your own words, explain DACA to me.

@SimpatichnayaZhopa We didn’t deport them, that’s why the kids get to stay and become legal. Put yourself in their shoes. They grew up in America, America is their country.

We spent years looking the other way, letting illegal
employment go on, and not addressing the immigration situation. American business, and even individuals, were happy to have the cheap labor, and the government looked the other way. We allowed people to grow up here, to live here for many many years, we cannot kick them out now, that’s ridiculous.

Imagine you are the kid growing up, and you were brought here illegally. What if you found out tomorrow your parents brought you here as an infant? What do you want the American government to do for you?

No it is only obeying just laws to deport all illegals. There must be no one above the just law. It is better to follow the law late than never. I have had a rough life, so I have no misplaced sympathy for such people who do not belong here. They are no better than anyone else. You have double standards. I have lived legally in several nations, and everyone should. Russia invaded my homeland while I was studying abroad, so I could not return home. I expect any government to eject me if I am not a legal immigrant. Playing victim is such a silly game, and only quite naïve people go along with it. I am not crying over the struggle I have had, and these illegals are no better than I am.