http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-08-30-voa19.cfm
This new tough stance on illegal immigrants is really going to be tough on our businesses in California; our restaurants (the one's I help manage) have about a 50% mix of illegals with fake SS cards.
I find myself wanting to take up a "tough-guy" stance and saying, "hey, 'illegal-alien' is coined 'illegal' for a reason dammit!" They ILLEGALLY crossed the boarder and obtained ILLEGAL identification cards; not cool!
But on the other side of the coin, I know most of these people and they are hard workers who only want to make a buck. I see several problems:
1) A young girl works for us but was born in Mexico. She was taken to the states at 2 months old and has only ever known what it's like to live in California. Once they start enforcing these imigration laws, shes screwed and won't be able to find work - she'll have to go to Mexico where she doesn't know anyone!
2) Some other ladies who work for us are legal and have children with men who are illegal but support them. They have bought cars and even houses together. Once their husbands must return to Mexico for work, these families will be split and the mothers and children will be forced to collect on Welfare, further hurting our country.
3) Also, I have ladies who work for us who are illegal but have children born in the states who are citizens. How the hell will this immigration enforcement affect these children? I heard recently of factories in Texas that were raided and the illegal workers deported, however women with children born here in America were allowed to stay for "ethical" reasons. Obviously this is a gray area; have a kid and stay in the country...
4) I have a good friend whom I grew up with that was born in Mexico and have lived in this country since 2 years old. He petitions for citizenship every year, but has not been granted citizenship. He has passed all the immigration tests proving he knows about our country, has graduated from our high schools and colleges, is a manager for a popular restaurant chain here in Santa Barbara, has not been convicted of any crimes (in our country or Mexico), and has children born here, but has still have not received his citizenship! Who the hell is getting citizenship? The system is broken!!!
IMO, the only way to do this hard-lined immigration reform correctly is to give everyone here now illegally either citizenship or a work visa, get them all documented now! Once this is done, enact any boarder expanding/security laws and business penalties for hiring illegals once you have given everyone a chance! The fact is our country should have done something about this "problem" decades ago, but failed! Starting up by laying down the hammer after "allowing" this situation to stem for so long is definitely the WRONG way to go about handling this situation!
EDIT: Proofreading!
This new tough stance on illegal immigrants is really going to be tough on our businesses in California; our restaurants (the one's I help manage) have about a 50% mix of illegals with fake SS cards.
I find myself wanting to take up a "tough-guy" stance and saying, "hey, 'illegal-alien' is coined 'illegal' for a reason dammit!" They ILLEGALLY crossed the boarder and obtained ILLEGAL identification cards; not cool!
But on the other side of the coin, I know most of these people and they are hard workers who only want to make a buck. I see several problems:
1) A young girl works for us but was born in Mexico. She was taken to the states at 2 months old and has only ever known what it's like to live in California. Once they start enforcing these imigration laws, shes screwed and won't be able to find work - she'll have to go to Mexico where she doesn't know anyone!
2) Some other ladies who work for us are legal and have children with men who are illegal but support them. They have bought cars and even houses together. Once their husbands must return to Mexico for work, these families will be split and the mothers and children will be forced to collect on Welfare, further hurting our country.
3) Also, I have ladies who work for us who are illegal but have children born in the states who are citizens. How the hell will this immigration enforcement affect these children? I heard recently of factories in Texas that were raided and the illegal workers deported, however women with children born here in America were allowed to stay for "ethical" reasons. Obviously this is a gray area; have a kid and stay in the country...
4) I have a good friend whom I grew up with that was born in Mexico and have lived in this country since 2 years old. He petitions for citizenship every year, but has not been granted citizenship. He has passed all the immigration tests proving he knows about our country, has graduated from our high schools and colleges, is a manager for a popular restaurant chain here in Santa Barbara, has not been convicted of any crimes (in our country or Mexico), and has children born here, but has still have not received his citizenship! Who the hell is getting citizenship? The system is broken!!!
IMO, the only way to do this hard-lined immigration reform correctly is to give everyone here now illegally either citizenship or a work visa, get them all documented now! Once this is done, enact any boarder expanding/security laws and business penalties for hiring illegals once you have given everyone a chance! The fact is our country should have done something about this "problem" decades ago, but failed! Starting up by laying down the hammer after "allowing" this situation to stem for so long is definitely the WRONG way to go about handling this situation!
EDIT: Proofreading!
"The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained liberation from the self." -Albert Einsetin