Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Immigrants come here for many things. The biggest draws are
One. Kids born here are American citizens with a support system and benefits. Our 14th amendment is here to stay
Two. Job opportunities. Employers want the best, brightest, cheapest.
It looks like most people on this board prefer some level of restriction on immigration.
We won't be able to do that for the following reasons:
1. We have framed our country as a nation of immigrants and this moral high ground narrative about immigration. Despite being angry, most Americans don't speak their mind because of fear. Those who do are viewed as racists or the extreme right wing. Such a narrative was brought on by the same people who don't like it as well. But we have created an established political ideology that is difficult to change.
2. Immigration benefits both parties in different ways. The democrats see poor immigrants as a sure voting block for them. More people will depend on the government and support democratic policies. Democratic leaders and celebrities are wealthy and don't personally suffer from this. The republicans are worried that their states might turn blue. But they like cheap labor too much. Their business friends will go after them with pitchforks if they get real serious about undocumented immigration.
3. The demographics of many states in the sunbelt and beyond are already changing. Many citizens are recent immigrants who have plans to bring family here. Public opinions will remain divided. I gather many Americans on this board are native born without close ties with people in another country. But you are quickly shrinking as a population percentage because we have been adding lots of people. Take a look at schools, especially elementary schools. The majority of kids are sometimes immigrant children. They have an inherent affection toward immigration and they are relatively new still. They share a lot with their country of origin. Reducing immigration will be seen as anti immigrant and scare many people away from voicing their opinions. Anti immigrant sentiments are going to be a small fraction of "extremists."
4. The workplace demographics are also shifting tremendously. The high tech industry has become an international country club. If you stay at their dinner parties, you meet mostly highly educated affluent people. It can seem great. But it's a very small fantasy land compared to the rest of america. Many companies are already very international, and decisions are made in that mindset. A foreigner in leadership position may recommend more people they know from another country, for example. Once these companies become global, they will not become local again.
5. Many foreign workers possess practical skills. They focused on career development while Americans drifted. This means that the competition is strong, and the winners are going to be from not just America.
The need to take care of the immigrant poor will triumph the shrinking white middle class.
The need for American businesses to stay competitive also triumphs the shrinking white middle class.
The American middle class is pulled from both ends.
There are already restrictions on immigration. However, they are not being followed by the Administration.
I don't think anyone is against legal immigration, which I think is what you speak of in your post. They go through the process, get documented, pay taxes - no problems.
The illegals come here and get an education without paying into the system, health care without paying into the system, and etc. They burden other taxpayers by using services and not putting money into the pool. And those are the illegals who behave themselves.
There are already restrictions on immigration. However, they are not being followed by the Administration.
I don't think anyone is against legal immigration, which I think is what you speak of in your post. They go through the process, get documented, pay taxes - no problems.
The illegals come here and get an education without paying into the system, health care without paying into the system, and etc. They burden other taxpayers by using services and not putting money into the pool. And those are the illegals who behave themselves.
We don't enforce restrictions because we can't. For the reasons I listed.
I tend to agree with the OP; back during the Cold War years the Soviet Union and its satellites worked hard at keeping many of their citizens from leaving, but the task is even tougher if a successful and growing society tries to keep disadvantaged people from coming in. For both the immigrant and the employer, it's a win/win situation; there are losers, but they tend to be the sort of people who both demand too much from government, and put too much trust in it. And over the long run, legal immigration pays huge dividends. It's central to the success story of nations such as Canada.
The best we can hope for, I believe, is to maintain a close vigilance on immigration, to attract the people with the skills most in demand (they shouldn't displace available American citizens, but won't necessarily pay all that well) and to divorce the most blatant political motivation and cronyism from the process.
There are already restrictions on immigration. However, they are not being followed by the Administration.
I don't think anyone is against legal immigration, which I think is what you speak of in your post. They go through the process, get documented, pay taxes - no problems.
The illegals come here and get an education without paying into the system, health care without paying into the system, and etc. They burden other taxpayers by using services and not putting money into the pool. And those are the illegals who behave themselves.
I agree with this. We are not against legal immigratrion. Illegals have no regard for federal law, even if they haven't committed crimes here in the U.S. , they have already broken Federal law. The immigrants that have come here legally deeply resent the illegals as well as the majority of native Americans.
DRo is exactly right, we have federal laws to deport illegal people - but the current administration has not enforced the law much and allowed many illegals to be given temporary relief from deportation if they meet certain guidelines. This is a cycle that changes when another administration comes in the federal government and our current president leaves, the enforcement of immigration law may or may not be back in action. It certainly cannot get any more leanient than it is now, with thousands of illegal children and women flooding the southern border.
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.
I am for revising the amendment to read All persons born of legal parents in the United States...I am hopeful.
We don't enforce restrictions because we can't. For the reasons I listed.
That's baloney. Fine an employer for hiring an undocumented worker and, suddenly, you don't have an issue. The problem is that both political parties wink at this now and the working class of this country gets screwed over in the process. Moderator cut: off topic
Last edited by Oldhag1; 07-25-2014 at 02:10 PM..
Reason: Unless a thread is specifically about politics discussing political parties is off topic
I agree with this. We are not against legal immigratrion. Illegals have no regard for federal law, even if they haven't committed crimes here in the U.S. , they have already broken Federal law. The immigrants that have come here legally deeply resent the illegals as well as the majority of native Americans.
DRo is exactly right, we have federal laws to deport illegal people - but the current administration has not enforced the law much and allowed many illegals to be given temporary relief from deportation if they meet certain guidelines. This is a cycle that changes when another administration comes in the federal government and our current president leaves, the enforcement of immigration law may or may not be back in action. It certainly cannot get any more leanient than it is now, with thousands of illegal children and women flooding the southern border.
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.
I am for revising the amendment to read All persons born of legal parents in the United States...I am hopeful.
You might want to read this if you are really bored. This is the law signed by Bush which is making it difficult to just deport children.
It's really something to watch the tug-of-war play out in the conservative community. The xenophobes cry "Keep 'em out!" while the bizznizz placaters stay quiet. There's nothing the boss classes love more than their cheap labor!
I agree with this. We are not against legal immigratrion. Illegals have no regard for federal law, even if they haven't committed crimes here in the U.S. , they have already broken Federal law. The immigrants that have come here legally deeply resent the illegals as well as the majority of native Americans.
DRo is exactly right, we have federal laws to deport illegal people - but the current administration has not enforced the law much and allowed many illegals to be given temporary relief from deportation if they meet certain guidelines. This is a cycle that changes when another administration comes in the federal government and our current president leaves, the enforcement of immigration law may or may not be back in action. It certainly cannot get any more leanient than it is now, with thousands of illegal children and women flooding the southern border.
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.
I am for revising the amendment to read All persons born of legal parents in the United States...I am hopeful.
LOL- the immigration problem is from the BIG businesses ( started with railroads) who invited them in the first place, it's about supply and demand -cheap labor, or your precious drugs, sex slaves and other needs the consumers have- BIG money has always payed for all this, open thy eyes,,, there are many old videos showing American recruits with big signs that read- TRABAJOS! in Mexico. Who brought the slaves, who brought the Chinese? you created a monster now don't know how to stop it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
