Illegal immigrants

[xhadow]

politics and economics are destroying this country.

Not to discourage you but they are doing the same thing here... Not to mention the "War in Iraq".

But I get what your saying, Heck I live in El Paso (little Mexico) and I want to get a job back in DC. Good luck in your efforts!!

do you know whats going on in mexico right now? its not the same as here at all

The Mexican mainly want to come here. But it seems like Texas is putting there foot down on illegals. They are talking about cutting off the children of illegal immigrant from welfare and other need based programs. So they are a little pissed about that and the proposed fence.

Every other night it seems like there is a report of some big drug bust at the border.

[Cappster]

I am glad our government is cracking down on illegals. Come here legally or don't come here at all!

[xhadow]

I didn't use to feel like that until I moved here. Now my wife can't find a job because the only people that are hired are illegals because they can and will work for less than minimum wage, and off the books.

I don't have any beef with Mexicans or any other immigrants that come here legally and get the paperwork they need to contribute but I don't think its fair that we currently pay taxes to support people who don't give back. We have enough of those types of people here already.

My neighbors here are from argentina and they are PO'ed at the current state of affairs saying that if they had to wait and get everything they needed just to come to el paso, TX, USA and be told that they can't get a job because they aren't mexican is jacked up.

[Deadskins]

I don't think its fair that we currently pay taxes to support people who don't give back.

Actually, it's the other way around. Most illegals pay payroll taxes, and all of them pay sales taxes, but do not see the benefits of such, as they are illegals.

[xhadow]

I don't think its fair that we currently pay taxes to support people who don't give back.

Actually, it's the other way around. Illegals often pay payroll taxes, and always pay sales taxes, but do not see the benefits of such, as they are illegals.

Not true, at least around here. Alot of illegals get paid using the "white envelope" which employers don't report. This is mainly what makes them illegal. If they have a child born in the US (I'm talking two illegals having a baby) the child gets all the benifits of US citizenship (Food stamps, Medicare, WIC, Housing, Free Lunch).

If they paid payroll taxes then they would be eligible for a EIN (Employee Identification Number) which would give them access to many of these programs, but as it stands now the majority of them come here to work have a kid for the benefits and then send the money back to Mexico. Which is why Western Union is also raising thier price on money transfers to Mexico.

[joebagadonuts]

I didn't use to feel like that until I moved here. Now my wife can't find a job because the only people that are hired are illegals because they can and will work for less than minimum wage, and off the books.

Just curious - what type of work does you wife do?

[fredp45]

Not sure if you young posters will remember, Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys but they were a band back in the 80's, maybe earlier... He wrote funny songs. Here's his website:

http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/index.html

He recently ran for governor of Texas -- he didn't win.

One of his ideas for keeping illegals out (I have to say this is one of the most ingenious things I've ever heard) was to pay the 5 generals who run the Mexican army $5mil a year to ensure Mexican's don't come to America illegally. If we find that they're getting it done, we continue the payoff. What's $25 mil a year? Heck, we pay wayyyyy more than that to ensure illegals don't come across the border.

I think it could work...on the other hand, Texas didn't buy it.

[Irn-Bru]

Not sure if you young posters will remember, Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys but they were a band back in the 80's, maybe earlier... He wrote funny songs. Here's his website:

http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/index.html

He recently ran for governor of Texas -- he didn't win.

One of his ideas for keeping illegals out (I have to say this is one of the most ingenious things I've ever heard) was to pay the 5 generals who run the Mexican army $5mil a year to ensure Mexican's don't come to America illegally. If we find that they're getting it done, we continue the payoff. What's $25 mil a year? Heck, we pay wayyyyy more than that to ensure illegals don't come across the border.

I think it could work...on the other hand, Texas didn't buy it.

And I suppose that we would never ask how they were accomplishing this, either? Or does it not matter since they're Mexicans and we're Americans?


25 million is plenty to pay for some thugs south of the border to mutilate and kill innocent people trying to immigrate. I can't believe that plan was seriously proposed.

[Fios]

Why not just dig a giant moat on the Mexican border and stock it with alligators?

[NC43Hog]

Why not just dig a giant moat on the Mexican border and stock it with alligators?

Or ill-tempered sea bass.

RRRRRRRiiiiiiiiigggggggghhhhhhhhtttttttt!

[joebagadonuts]

Why not just dig a giant moat on the Mexican border and stock it with alligators?

Or commission a few missle-launcher-wielding cups to patrol the border.

[SkinsFreak]

Jon Stuart of "The Daily Show" had the best idea, in my opinion.

First, we need the cheap labor here in this country. Not many Americans will work 12 hours a day in the fields picking vegetables for $1.50 an hour. Therefore, immigrants play an active role in the economy.

It's the overpopulation and the drain on public services or benefits that people are concerned with. Many low-life and capable non-working Americans are also a drain on these services and benefits.

Here's the plan. The US should lighten the laws on immigration, so we can sustain the cheap labor thing, and Mexico should legalize all drugs. Therefore, the hard working folks will come here to this country, to better the economy, and the lazy, undeserving drug abusers will move to Mexico and effectively, offset the number of immigrants.

[DESkins]

Hmm... I'm having a tough time seeing the downside to that one

[nuskins]

Here's the plan. The US should lighten the laws on immigration, so we can sustain the cheap labor thing, and Mexico should legalize all drugs. Therefore, the hard working folks will come here to this country, to better the economy, and the lazy, undeserving drug abusers will move to Mexico and effectively, offset the number of immigrants.

Actually the lazy undeserving drug abusers will go nowhere and have more supply at a cheaper price if Mexico legalized drugs. We'd have even more drug runners attempting to get through the Borders, Mexico would essentially become more of an outlet for drug distributing than it already is.


There are no easy solutions to this problem, only painful realities for both countries to face.

Mexico is on a downard spiral. Isn't NAFTA great!

[frankcal20]

Ok, I live in Los Angeles where there Mexicans are the majority. I don't even begin to know the ratio of Documented and undocumented workers but I have worked with guys who were illegal. Most of them are here to make money and send it back home. There are some people who come here to have a child (while visiting a cousin) and they get all of the benefits of that child being a citizen. Now I feel that this benefit should be cancelled because it does create a drain on our economy. But if I lived in a place like Mexico where making a small fraction of what us Americans make, I sure as hell would be doing everything in my power to get across that border. Not to mention, I don't see any of us not purchasing "American Only" or not hiring these guys when we need to move, or just have some minor/major work to do around the house. We all complain when we see what strain it does on the economy but praise when we get a good deal.

I'm not saying I'm for it but I'll tell you I don't have a problem with it as much as others.

[xhadow]

I didn't use to feel like that until I moved here. Now my wife can't find a job because the only people that are hired are illegals because they can and will work for less than minimum wage, and off the books.

Just curious - what type of work does you wife do?

Shes a CNA

[ATV]

All I have to say is that if you think the hispanic immigrants that are already in this country, and probably most of the ones to come, are going to somehow be shipped away, you're crazy. They're already a large part of our nation's fabric. If you don't like this then I suggest you learn to live with it.

I'm sure there were lots of Natives who were upset when the English colonized their lands. I'm also sure there were lots of English, or people of English decent, upset when these lands were flooded by (just for example) German and then Irish immigrants. So, if you're a full blooded Native American (like the one on the helmet of our favorite team) you run no risk of being hypocritical.

[InsaneBoost]

All I have to say is that if you think the hispanic immigrants that are already in this country, and probably most of the ones to come, are going to somehow be shipped away, you're crazy. They're already a large part of our nation's fabric. If you don't like this then I suggest you learn to live with it.

I'm sure there were lots of Natives who were upset when the English colonized their lands. I'm also sure there were lots of English, or people of English decent, upset when these lands were flooded by (just for example) German and then Irish immigrants. So, if you're a full blooded Native American (like the one on the helmet of our favorite team) you run no risk of being hypocritical.

Only problem with this, is the "Native Americans" were never Native to America. As we all learned back in History class, the first people who came to what is now aday America, came across what was called a Land Bridge, so the first humans to step foot on America, were immigrants themselves.

The way I look at it is, if you speed, you get a ticket, well if your illegal, they need to kick them out.

Will this happen? Of course it wont, but now you see why people before wanted them gone.

Gang's, rape, murder, all types of that stuff, or atleast around here has been commited by Illegal Immigrants.

I understand the paperwork can take a long time, and such, but theres a right way to do things, and a wrong way, and the path they are choosing is wrong.

IMO, the hispanic illegal immigrants know they are wrong.

Why you may ask?

Look at who protest's over these laws.

Its always the hispanic, you never see anyone else doing it, chinese, japanese, german, italian, we all know that hispanics arent the only ones illegal in this country.

[joebagadonuts]

I didn't use to feel like that until I moved here. Now my wife can't find a job because the only people that are hired are illegals because they can and will work for less than minimum wage, and off the books.

Just curious - what type of work does you wife do?

Shes a CNA

Excuse my ignorance: what's a CNA and what do they do?

[SkinsFreak]

Here's the plan. The US should lighten the laws on immigration, so we can sustain the cheap labor thing, and Mexico should legalize all drugs. Therefore, the hard working folks will come here to this country, to better the economy, and the lazy, undeserving drug abusers will move to Mexico and effectively, offset the number of immigrants.

Actually the lazy undeserving drug abusers will go nowhere and have more supply at a cheaper price if Mexico legalized drugs. We'd have even more drug runners attempting to get through the Borders, Mexico would essentially become more of an outlet for drug distributing than it already is.


There are no easy solutions to this problem, only painful realities for both countries to face.

Mexico is on a downard spiral. Isn't NAFTA great!

Probably right. Or... if drugs were legal in Mexico, folks like me would simply buy a vacation home in Cozumel or Cabo San Lucas.

Of coarse this was merely a joke made by Jon Stewart.

[TincoSkin]

I didn't use to feel like that until I moved here. Now my wife can't find a job because the only people that are hired are illegals because they can and will work for less than minimum wage, and off the books.

Just curious - what type of work does you wife do?

Shes a CNA

Excuse my ignorance: what's a CNA and what do they do?

certified nurses assistant i think... draws blood, brings samples to the lab, changes bed pans etc

[TincoSkin]

i was quoted at the start of this thread. so i thought id make a comment about my quote. mexico is on the brink of a democratic cave in. the guy who won the election for president, obredor, may not have, according to some, won the vote. the legislature broke out in a fist fight. the opponent who lost set up a second government and wont recognize the new president as president. the country is in a constitutional crisis. if i were living in mexico city id run to the US too. its the responsibility of the US, in the interest of protecting our boarders from a mass influx of immigrants, to help mexicos economy and help them have a better country so people want to stay there and not come here. it would be cheaper and more effetive to help create a better mexico than to become a xenophobic police state with a huge wall and drones flying over US land.

[ATV]

Only problem with this, is the "Native Americans" were never Native to America. As we all learned back in History class, the first people who came to what is now aday America, came across what was called a Land Bridge, so the first humans to step foot on America, were immigrants themselves.

Well, not really, simply because there was nobody in the New World when they came over. They might have been emmigrants, but they weren't immigrants.

[JansenFan]

Or frickin sharks, with frickin laser beams on their frickin heads.

[Dangerfield]

And I suppose that we would never ask how they were accomplishing this, either? Or does it not matter since they're Mexicans and we're Americans?


25 million is plenty to pay for some thugs south of the border to mutilate and kill innocent people trying to immigrate. I can't believe that plan was seriously proposed.

I KNEW IT! Iron brew....All this time I've been slamming you, (and I always disagree with you), but now you've shown me that you are in fact a 'Thinking Man'....great response....you hit the nail on the head...how dare we start talking death and torture for those that just want a better life? (I'm serious, not being a smartass)

Come on people, these 'illegals' are just trying to provide for their families.....Don't kid yourselves....Just because the system is broken you should not blame not getting a job on these people. Why don't you enter Russia illegally and take their jobs away from their citizens?

I speak Russian btw...if any of you really want to go there let me know.