Is illegal immigration a real problem?

Its been going on since the border was established between the U.S.A. and Mexico. Its been going on since the Mayflower. And nothing negative has happend. The U.S.A. is a mayor power made up by immigrants (legal and illegal). So do not be so narrow minded and think that all the evils in the U.S.A is due to illegal immigrants. Next time you see one (which for you would be anyone that looks hispanic) thank him for making this country strong.

Is illegal immigration a real problem?
So much fear in the air. . .this works good for our great leaders who wish to control the weak minded cowards . .



I thought this country was the land of the brave. . .Seems to me all the brave have been sent to fight in Iraq as all I hear in the states is a bunch of punks who shiver whenever their leaders (of FOX) tells them to. Good Lord I thought I would never see the day so many cowards would be shaking in their panties over nothing at all.



You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Reminds me of Chicken Little. . "The illegals are coming", "The illegals are coming" Helllooooooo. . .SFW!. .they been here since before we were born!!!



Fred the dog: You quote the DOJ "Statistics" used by "immigration Experts" and fail to provide the specific "Statistics" or names of the so called "experts" Know what that tells me. . B.S. . .NADA!



You also state the the illegal population in America is 1 % of our population. . .HELLOOOO. . . I guess that blows the 11-12 Million figure right out the freaking redneck trailer window. Hmmmm. . .let me see. . .300,000,000 x 0.01 = 3,000,000



NOT 11-12 or even 30 Million. . OMG. . what a revelation!. . I feel so much safer now. . I can't wait to tell my friends!!!
Reply:This issue is an affective diversion from way more important matters. The news manipulates and quite effectively.



It is a problem, but only for population purposes. If you were born poor and hungry, wouldn't you be running across the border like everyone else?
Reply:You know, illegal immigration is a real problem and it does not necessarily have to do with Mexico citizens.



There are people who are attempting to enter the U.S. from other countries abroad and are completing the necessary paperwork. However, these people are doing so fraudulently with documents that are entirely fake.



So please don't think that immigration is all about what is contained at the border. Check out the state department's web site and you will see plenty of cases that have been foiled for entry from many countries abroad.



You are right that there are many people who have migrated here so long ago - that's what makes this country so great - the big melting pot! The thing is, many countries have a "visiting/living" process and limit their entries as well. What I don't understand is why so many make a big deal about America asking for the proper paperwork for any individual entering its boundaries?
Reply:No thanks. I'd rather send them back and preserve our rights as citizens rather than be sponged off of by illegal non-tax paying squatters. They use our roads without paying taxes. They drive without licenses and insurance so that our legal citizens are left holding the bag because they are uninsured and illegal.



Just think, if you got those 15 or so million illegals to pay the same taxes I did last year (16,000) our government would have 240 trillion, yes trillion dollars to fund things like the roads, feeding the homeless, lowering our taxes, etc....



What makes them so special?
Reply:yes it is a real problem, past legal immigrants built the country, sacrificed for this country, gave to this country, todays illegal immigrants sponge off our resources and take from legal citizens
Reply:Yes illegal immigration is a problem.

Since illegal immigration has been going on for such a long time, does that make it right?? No it doesn't!! If I steal cars every other day for 5 or 6 years, does that make it right??? No it doesn't!!



Americans have no problem with immigrants coming into the US if they 1) adapt to the American way of life, 2) learn to speak English and 3) become a US citizen through the propper channels. Millions of immigrants have. Maybe you should learn from them!!
Reply:Illegal immigration is a problem in a number of countries not just the US. Also Canada, Great Brittian, Germany to name a few. Not all illegals are from Latin Americia. The problems are different in different countries.
Reply:Dose a bear poop in the woods. That would be yes. for those of you who have never seen a bear anywhere other than a ZOO.
Reply:They should start shooting them as they come across if they don't stop when told. build vast tent city's and put them in them out in the desert. hold them for a year. caught again, then prison. find the illegals and put them in prison. if we have to build massive ones.build a huge high electrified wall. along the entire border.Canada also.much more protection on the seas and ports.
Reply:Illegal immigration is a problem and the children born, in the USA, of illegals are a big problem.

USA Employers who hire illegals are an even bigger problem. And the biggest problem of all is the USA Government that allows all this to happen.
Reply:illegal immigration proponents is that those who enter the U.S. by breaking the law are invariably "hard-working" and "law-abiding" once they get here.

1. That argument, however, has one major flaw. According to Justice Department statistics and the analysis of immigration experts, the "law-abiding" claim often isn't true.

As Investors Business Daily reported in March 2005:

"The U.S. Justice Department estimated that 270,000 illegal immigrants served jail time nationally in 2003. Of those, 108,000 were in California. Some estimates show illegals now make up half of California's prison population, creating a massive criminal subculture that strains state budgets and creates a nightmare for local police forces."

Citing an Urban Institute study, director of research for the Center for Immigration Studies Steven Camorata noted in 2004: "Roughly 17 percent of the prison population at the federal level are illegal aliens. That's a huge number since illegal aliens only account for about 3 percent of the total population."

1. Former California Gov. Pete Wilson places the percentage of illegal aliens in U.S. prisons even higher. In 2001, he told Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly:

"We had problems related to the costs of educating children who were acknowledged to be in the country illegally, healthcare costs. One in five in our prison population were illegal immigrants who had been convicted of a felony after entering the country illegally."

The Federation for American Immigration Reform also turned to the Justice Department to get statistics on criminal aliens. They report:

"In March 2000, Congress made public Department of Justice statistics showing that, over the previous five years, the INS had released over 35,000 criminal aliens instead of deporting them. Over 11,000 of those released went on to commit serious crimes, over 1,800 of which were violent ones [including 98 homicides, 142 sexual assaults, and 44 kidnaping].

"In 2001, thanks to a decision by the Supreme Court, the INS was forced to release into our society over 3,000 criminal aliens [who collectively had been convicted of 125 homicides, 387 sex offenses, and 772 assault charges]."

1. Up to a third of the U.S. federal prison population is composed of non-citizens, according to Federal Bureau of Prisons statistics - but not all non-citizen prison inmates are illegal aliens.

As to the "hard-working" claim, CIS notes: "The proportion of immigrant-headed households using at least one major welfare program is 24.5 percent compared to 16.3 percent for native households."

Investor's Business Daily concurs: "Once [illegals] get here, they are 50 percent more likely to be on welfare than citizens."
Reply:][I have nothing against Hispanics or any other race or nationality of people that have enough respect for this great country to get in here the LEGAL way! I am angry that my ancestors came through Ellis Island and had to be checked out with a fine tooth comb to get in, worked their tails off and did not insist on having everyone else speak their language but rather learned English to communicate with other Americans. They did not wave flags of other countries and demand rights they were not entitled to! I say if you want to be an American....fine! Do it LEGALLY! Don't run over the border(there are more than Mexican people running over the borders illegally, like people from radical Muslim groups that we have to worry about) and ruin the dream for those who are trying to get here the right way. Illegals are a drain on our system because not all have good work ethics. Some depend on public charities, get an education paid for by the American taxpayer, collect food stamps and get housing while Americans cannot even get help sometimes. I don't think Mexico even tolerates American immigrants who are there legally so why should we tolerate lawbreakers?
Reply:I didn't realize what a problem illegal immigration was until I moved to a small town with a huge Illegal immigrant population.

The county I live in wants the illegals to stay for the farming, so illegal immigrants have more rights then American citizens. If you are an illegal immigrant and you have multiple DUI's without even having a license you spend six months in jail and are walking around free. If you are an American with a 2nd DUI you spend 1-6 months in jail and are at the mercy of the state for 2 years while you jump through a million hoops.I think the Illegal should have to face the same penalties. After several DUI's Americans spend years in jail. Illegals don't pay their Hospital bills, they give false info and those of us who don't lie pay more to off set their nonpayment. Illegals are not supposed to get Fed funding but they get around that by using their American born children. My family struggles and we watch illegals who are working under the table live wonderful lives. They go to their dances every week and have huge sweet 15 parties it's 15 for Mexicans not 16. And it is as costly as a very expensive wedding.
Reply:LEGAL immigrants are a net contribution to society and the economy - ILLEGAL immigrants are a net detraction from society and the economy. I will thank legal immigrants, but I will tell illegal immigrants to GET OUT OF MY COUNTRY! We don't want to take care of you!
Reply:Yes, illegal immigration IS a real problem. It is a problem for children who do not have the attention that they deserve in American public schools, it is a problem for everyone who drives and has inflated insurance rates and it is a problem for Americans who otherwise would be working if not for a position filled by an illegal. just because you may not suffer from any of these things doesn't mean that it is not happening to other Americans. These other Americans are in need of support from their fellow citizens in speaking in a loud clear voice that we know that illegals have broken the law and should not benefit from their crimes.
Reply:they are not making this country strong. they are breaking it down.

we don't need them and we don't want them.

I have no reason to thank them. they haven't done anything but caused problems for this country.

since you think they are so great...let all of them move in with you and you pay all their doctor bills that they are running up. You go out and buy their food so that way they wont be using food stamps that should be going to the American people who needs them.

why do they need them.........BECAUSE THE ILLEGALS HAVE TAKEN THEIR JOBS and, they can't buy their babies any food now.

i will never thank them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply:We have too many immigrants - period. (see the video at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=...



This has been growing problem in recent decades.



Illegal immgration is a HUGE problem. Illegals bring disease (including incurable tuberculosis), crime (all kinds - but especially violent crime) and a unbearable drain on social welfare resources. For example, over 80 hospitals have had to close in California due to illegal aliens using the emergency room for routine care - then paying nothing for services.



Schools in border states are buried in illegals.



The cost to US taxpayers is about $50,000 per year, per illegal alien.



More than half of the prison population of California is made up of ILLEGALS.



We should position snipers on the border to shoot them as they come across. It's a damned invasion.
Reply:Yes, illegal immigration is a problem. They use the system and dont pay into it. Not all of the problems stem from illegals but they are a large factor. I will thank any legal immigrant or citizen for helping make this country strong, but not the illegals regardless of where they came from.
Reply:Yes, illegal immigration is a real problem.



Here are five reasons why:



1. The most important principle of American Democracy is the rule of law. Since their presence alone constitutes a violation of the law, this reason alone constitutes sufficient reason to end illegal immigration.



2. Illegal immigrants don't pay income taxes. You must have a social security number to file an income tax return. Illegals don't have one, so they don't pay. Yes, they pay sales taxes in some states, but sales taxes don't fund schools and hospitals.



3. Illegals accept wages which are well below a "living wage". This depresses the wages for all workers and makes it more difficult for legal workers to find employment.



4. Mexico should be one of the wealthiest countries on the planet. Its people suffer though because it is unbelievably corrupt and its leaders are dishonest. Mexico has tremendous natural resources including oil; it has great tourist industries; it has great manufacturing potential. By leaving Mexico, instead of staying home and pushing for reform of their own systems, illegals are choosing short term economic gain and sacrificing the long term future of Mexico.



5. There is a legal way to enter the United States. If you truly wish to abandon your homeland and come here, fill out the paperwork, find a sponser, learn the rules and laws, and LEARN TO SPEAK ENGLISH! I firmly believe that if illegals spoke English clearly, Americans would be more willing to accept them. In fact, every American I knwo welcoms immigrants, so long as they go through the proper legal process.



Also, the suggestion that the first English colonists were somehow "illegal" is ridiculuous ad really doensn't warrant a reponse, but here's one anyway:



There was no unified political system in place to govern the whole of North America. The Native American alliances which did exist were more like loose trading partnerships, not an actual nation. Therefore, European nations including France, England, Spain, Russia, The Dutch, all claimed certain portions. Wars were fought and treaties agreed upon to delineate ownership. There was nothing illegal about it. Every national border on earth was at one time or another established by warfare. This is the norm; accept it.





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Reply:Yes, trespassing is a real (and expensive for tax payers) problem.
Reply:Illegal immigration is a real problem, but it's not as big as other problems the US is facing, like helthcare, social security, and oh, yeah, the war in Iraq. Although I am Mexican, I don't think you should thank illegal immigrants, you should thank the legal immigrants, who (like my parents) took the time to sign all that paperwork...



And of course, I have to say:

1. Not all illegal immigrants are exican.

2. Mexico is not a poor country, although it is corrupted, it is the 10th richest in the world.
Reply:There is no reason to thank an illegal criminal for ruining my country.



GO BACK TO MEXICO PENDEJO
Reply:No thank you come here legally or donn't come at all.
Reply:yep