Your thoughts on U.S. immigration policy

[GePap]

Most people demand strcit enforcement of the borders, but if it happened, they would then complain about the rising pirce of hotels, restaurant meas, and food at the supermarket.

The US sustains its level fo wealth by importing large amounts of goods, resources, people and capital.

[Sava]

When the US expells illegal immigrants and controls their border, it's called Homeland Security. When Yugoslavia does it, it's called genocide.

I believe in open borders, but think that we should catalogue every person in this country. The best way to do it would be to make the system fast so that people won't need to sneak into the country. This way, they can pay TAXES!!!

Allowing open borders and cataloging everyone is an opprotunity to increase government revenues. Also, I think the military should offer some sort of program where immigrants can serve for a few years and get instant citizenship.

Immigration makes us stronger. Shutting it off would only hurt us. Terrorists and other criminal elements will get into the country no matter what. It's not worth cutting off the positive elements to get rid of the negative. We should let them all in and deal with them in different ways.

[Dis]

Immigration is the way to go right now. Without a doubt. There are too many jobs to fill.

but you would think eventually they would run out of jobs. I suppose as long as the economy continues to grow at a certain rate, we will always create more service jobs.

But here's the problem.

I'm going to come right out and say what no one has the balls to say. No one wants to say it, because they're afraid of being called a racist.

Illegal immigration is the main reason California is 38 billion dollars in debt. It is also the reason my city is struggling.

First lets deal with health care. They have none. They use the emergency rooms as health care. This causes overworked emergency room doctors who make mistakes because of it. And then they get sued for making mistakes. The illegal aliens do not pay their emergency room bills. Those bill are passed on to insurance companies in "other" costs. Thus insurance rates are rising very fast now.

Schools. Well every illegal alien is entitled to a free education. But in my state we are required to teach in Spanish increasing the number of teachers we require. Our schools are broke. They have no money- and our schools are the worst in the nation. While most of that problem is due to poor management (this is evidenced by the fact New York City Schools are good despite illegal immigrants).

Other social services. Well these state goverment programs are struggling.

There are some ways to fix this. Make everyone a citizen, or kick illegal immigrants out, or find a way to tax illegal immigrants.

so either go open borders making everyone in the world a citizen upon entry, or put military on the borders. It's like the saying: **** or get off the pot.

But the problem is nothing will change. If they take a hard line they will be accused of being racist and lose votes in elections. If they make open borders and make everyone a citizen, the conservatives will throw a fit.

[David Floyd]

Ultimately, I want open borders, but only when we also do away with social programs and any sort of social safety net.

[Mr. President]

My goal is to stop people travelling and emigrating.

May sound funny coming from a man born in New York and living in Australia, but I don't think it's good on principle.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by GePap
The Us has no significant population problems. We are not particualrly high of the list of population per square mile and large sections of this country have extremely low population desities. Also, illegals don't take the place of anyone. The goverment does not lower the number of legal immigrants it allows in on the basis of how many illegals they think are in the country. All Illegals are extra, on top of legal immigrants.

And I have no significant money problems, my $1,000,000 of debt isn't due until monday. Seriously, look ahead 20 or more years, once all of the illegals who have stayed have had their kids (who will be U.S. citizens) and let the flow continue. Perhaps that seems like a long time to you, but I'm 42 years old and have seen the population of the U.S. rise by about 50% in my lifetime. There are neighborhoods where I used to play in forests as a kid.

As for illegals taking someone else's place, yes they do. Sure there is no mechanism for this, we have no idea how many illegals are here, or where they are etc. But illegals eat up the willingness of many people to allow greater numbers of legal immigrants, which they at least can do something about.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Sava
When the US expells illegal immigrants and controls their border, it's called Homeland Security. When Yugoslavia does it, it's called genocide.

I believe in open borders, but think that we should catalogue every person in this country. The best way to do it would be to make the system fast so that people won't need to sneak into the country. This way, they can pay TAXES!!!

Allowing open borders and cataloging everyone is an opprotunity to increase government revenues. Also, I think the military should offer some sort of program where immigrants can serve for a few years and get instant citizenship.

Immigration makes us stronger. Shutting it off would only hurt us. Terrorists and other criminal elements will get into the country no matter what. It's not worth cutting off the positive elements to get rid of the negative. We should let them all in and deal with them in different ways.

What I am advocating is simply getting a handle on who is here and what they are doing here, not for shutting down the borders to any and everyone. Once that mechanism is in place we can decide what sort of policies we want to achieve as needed. As for the criminals and terrorists, this sort of system will make it more difficult / expensive for them to operate here, which will reduce their activities at the margins, perhaps significantly.

[Inverse Icarus]

I believe the military should be used to enforce border security- and kick illegals out.

[DanS]

What I am advocating is simply getting a handle on who is here and what they are doing here, not for shutting down the borders to any and everyone. Once that mechanism is in place we can decide what sort of policies we want to achieve as needed. As for the criminals and terrorists, this sort of system will make it more difficult / expensive for them to operate here, which will reduce their activities at the margins, perhaps significantly.

You're not simply advocating that. It appears that you are advocating that plus an overall reduction in the number of immigrants, unless you propose to do away with anti-immigration policies and quotas already in place. The two positions are contradictions in reality in American society.

The fact remains that the market for jobs, ideas and way of life produces more immigrants than what about half of the American people want. But as with fighting all market forces, fighting immigration in the US is a study in futility.

Perhaps that seems like a long time to you, but I'm 42 years old and have seen the population of the U.S. rise by about 50% in my lifetime. There are neighborhoods where I used to play in forests as a kid.

Those neighborhoods aren't exactly a representative sample. Large swaths of our rural areas are also being depopulated at the same time.

[Kuciwalker]

Re: Your thoughts on U.S. immigration policy

Originally posted by Dissident
Even militarization of the borders. But that will never happend because the politicians need the votes.

The votes of the immigrants? They aren't citizens, and don't vote.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by DanS
What I am advocating is simply getting a handle on who is here and what they are doing here, not for shutting down the borders to any and everyone. Once that mechanism is in place we can decide what sort of policies we want to achieve as needed. As for the criminals and terrorists, this sort of system will make it more difficult / expensive for them to operate here, which will reduce their activities at the margins, perhaps significantly.

You're not simply advocating that. It appears that you are advocating that plus an overall reduction in the number of immigrants, unless you propose to do away with anti-immigration policies and quotas already in place. The two positions are contradictions in reality in American society.

The fact remains that the market for jobs, ideas and way of life produces more immigrants than what about half of the American people want. But as with fighting all market forces, fighting immigration in the US is a study in futility.

I'd like to see a huge reduction in illegal immigration and a moderate increase in legal immigration at the moment. I'd like to have a system in place that gives American citizens the ability to have more control over who is here. I'd prefer a cheaper system that doesn't focus as much on border security, but much more effectively on illegal employment, with serious penalties for the employer seriously enforced.

Originally posted by DanS
Perhaps that seems like a long time to you, but I'm 42 years old and have seen the population of the U.S. rise by about 50% in my lifetime. There are neighborhoods where I used to play in forests as a kid.

Those neighborhoods aren't exactly a representative sample. Large swaths of our rural areas are also being depopulated at the same time.

Oh, so we get something for nothing eh? I guess we'll just have to wait a few decades until those abandoned wastelands turn into forest. How's this for a representative sample:

U.S. population in 1960: 179,322,000

U.S. population in 2000: 288,369,000

[DanS]

I'd like to see a huge reduction in illegal immigration and a moderate increase in legal immigration at the moment.

I think that policy is unrealistic. It may be what you want to see, but no politician is going to give that to you, or going to be able to give that to you. The vast majority of people are going to be able to come to the US and remain in the US no matter the policies. It's just the way our country is built.

Oh, so we get something for nothing eh?

No, we (should) get higher density living. That's all.

[St Leo]

You want to stop illegal immigration, eh? Help Mexico with its social problems then. Notice how there isn't a huge rush of Canuckistani illegal immigrants in the Northern States.

Immigration is hard work. People wouldn't do it if they had a good alternative.

[GePap]

The world population has doubled since 1960. The Us is simply moving along with a trend. Only a few places have yet to double their 1960 pop. Many have gone far beyond a 100% rise. Given how low US density is, the Us can more than handle 350 million people without problems. We have more forest land today than in 1900, technology has solved many issues. If your locallity has grown, that is porbalby due to shifts in population more than just growth. Look at hom amny eastern cities have had their pops. cut in half.

Diss: I don;t think illgelas are the cause of Cali's budget mess. Cali politicians are. They increased spending and cut taxes all during the 90's. They set themselves up for a fall. 49 of 50 states have budget nightmares coming up.

[Cruddy]

Originally posted by Sava
When the US expells illegal immigrants and controls their border, it's called Homeland Security. When Yugoslavia does it, it's called genocide.

Eh? The former Yugoslavia (now Serbia & Montenegro) expelled 100s of 1000s of people who had been born and raised in Kosovo. The fact that they spoke Albanian and were Muslim made them stand out a little. "Ethnic cleansing" are the words you are looking for - and yes, it was just that.

The fact they shot anyone who disagreed and torched communities is whats it genocide.