Another view of immigration

[takoma]

I'm not sure this belongs in Politics rather than Religion, but since the immigration thread has wandered off-topic, I'll put it here. Pope Francis made a powerful statement about treatment of immigrants as a moral issue: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/08/pope-francis-immigration_n_3560803.html. It was not aimed at the US, but it resonates with me, for one.

[Anonymous]

I think we need compassion for everyone. Of course, immigrants are included in that. We also need compassion for those people who have been waiting for years to immigrate legally.

[takoma]

Anonymous wrote:I think we need compassion for everyone. Of course, immigrants are included in that. We also need compassion for those people who have been waiting for years to immigrate legally.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think we need compassion for everyone. Of course, immigrants are included in that. We also need compassion for those people who have been waiting for years to immigrate legally.

is there anyone working to reduce the barriers to immigration?

[Anonymous]

Common sense:
The daisy chain immigration must stop. Allow parents and children--but, in turn, those will not be allowed to bring in others.

[Anonymous]

More common sense: amnesty, but no citizenship for those who immigrated illegally over the age of 18. Children brought in would be allowed citizenship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think we need compassion for everyone. Of course, immigrants are included in that. We also need compassion for those people who have been waiting for years to immigrate legally.

People waiting to immigrate legally, and people immigrating illegally are two totally different issues.

For most people who immigrate illegally, there is no pathway for them to legally enter. People paint a picture as though somehow they should have been patient and waited their turn, but in reality that's like me waiting to become Queen of England (FYI, this is not Kate Middleton posting). It's not going to happen.

In addition, people who immigrate illegally and people who immigrate legally aren't competing with each other for jobs, or for immigration slots. It's not like the government says "we'll let X00,000 people in this year, oops, undocumented immigrants took up Y00,000 so there's less slots for legal people" or employers offering H1B visas are giving them to undocumented workers instead.

So, yes, I have compassion for people who have been waiting to immigrate legally, as well as people living in poor situations in other countries who don't see immigration as an option, and people in other unfortunate situations such as people who have cancer, or orphans, or the unemployed in this country. Having compassion for those people has nothing to do with what I think should be done for people who are here illegally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More common sense: amnesty, but no citizenship for those who immigrated illegally over the age of 18. Children brought in would be allowed citizenship.

or create a guest worker program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More common sense: amnesty, but no citizenship for those who immigrated illegally over the age of 18. Children brought in would be allowed citizenship.

or create a guest worker program.

+100.
Many would go back to live in their homeland if they knew they could come back as workers are needed.Since they haven't been able to come and go for work, they stayed and often had 2nd families here.

[Anonymous]

Reagan amnesty should be the end of amnesty. Now 11 million, how many in 2038, the whole of Mexico and El Salvador? Crossong illegally will never end until there are nojobs. Plenty of US citizens would love jobs at decent. Livable wages or additional education so citizens work eliminating the need for guest worker program. If Pope Francis is so concerned, let him open the gates of the Vatican.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think we need compassion for everyone.

Where's the compassion for those who follow the legal channels to enter? What a slap in the face to them.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps someone could answer a basic question for me:

Why should we legalize millions of people who entered the country illegally? What does legalizing them tell the millions who would like to emigrate to the US and are doing it the right way by applying for legal immigration?

[Anonymous]

I know many legal immigrants. Not one of them favors amnesty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know many legal immigrants. Not one of them favors amnesty.

I am one of those legal immigrants and I am totally opposed to any form of amnesty ....... and I am a liberal on most issues.

It took me almost seven years to enter this country legally in the 70s' and it would be a slap in the face of the millions who have come here legally for these illegals to be legitimized just because there are millions here.

This whole thing stinks to high heaven and it is nothing more than an effort by both parties .... and especially the Democrats ..... to consolidate their support among Hispanics. If all that was involved was to legitimize them they could do that without allowing a path to citizenship for people who entered the country illegally but they will not do that because they want their votes in the future.

I don't believe this border security b-s passed by the Senate for one minute. Just as they passed a bill authorizing billions to be spent on border security they can pass another bill down the line to reduce it and in the meantime the process of legitimizing illegals would be irreversible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know many legal immigrants. Not one of them favors amnesty.

yes the recent immigrants are always opposed to the next wave of immigrants. This is nothing new. But we have real issues to fix. Assuaging someone angry about line butting ranks really low.