Arizona's Immigration Law for Houston (Deport: credit check, loans, safer)

[Sampaguita]

Originally Posted by mirjaja

For those of us who are naturalized citizens (and may not look like your "average" American) - are we someday going to have to carry around our passports or naturalized citizenship papers to prove our legal status? I've been detained several times crossing into Canada or Mexico WITH A US PASSPORT simply because I was not born in this country while my US-born travel companions breezed on through. It's not a great feeling to know that although I'd been a voting, tax-paying & responsible US citizen for as long as or longer than my colleagues, I was given "special" treatment for simply not being born here.

If you were detained crossing into Can or Mex, you were dealing with the immigration authorities in those persepective countries. You would not have dealt with American authorities until you were returning into the US.
---I was detained both by US & Canadian immigration. At the US/Mexican border, I was detained by US immigration - several years pre-9/11.

Now, if you are from a country that has muslim extremist ties - I can fully understand that they might not waive you through as quickly as your American born boss. Simple law-of-averages would dictate that people that represent your demographic or profile might be more apt to hold animosity towards the US, or be more likely to hold extremist views than a 50 yr old business man born and raised in Iowa. Canadians are now subject to more scruting because extremists have used lax Canadian borders and immigration policies as a way to enter the US illegally.

---When TSA checks my DL against my boarding pass, there is no indication that I was or was not born in the US. I was racially profiled. I understand that this can occur but when it happens time & time again, it starts get annoying...considering I don't have middle eastern or southern Philippine island features. LOL - I look like a pale Chinese woman!

I DO agree with many of your ideas on hindering illegal immigration especially #4 & #7. I see no reason whatsoever why we house illegal criminals in our jails or prisons - that should be automatic deportation.

I don't travel to other countries expecting everyone to speak English. If I ever relocated to another country, I would make it a priority to start learning that country's official language before I even moved. ALL people immigrating to the US should be expected to learn to understand & speak English.

All that being said, I've known a few illegal immigrants who are hard workers - they do work that no American-born citizen I know would ever "lower" themselves to do. There are a lot of able-bodied/minded American-born US citizens who sit on their a$$es all day collecting welfare or disability expecting the illegals they despise so much to do the jobs they won't do. I can feel a lot more empathy for illegals that work than our citizens who refuse to work. Some of the illegals I've known have since become citizens and they continue to be hard workers who pay their taxes, contribute positively to society (not all illegals are unskilled laborers - many were professionals with college educations in their home countries) and actually appreciate what being an American means.

I just think this proposed law in AZ (& possibly TX?) is taking us down a slippery slope and that the federal gov't needs to take note & DO SOMETHING before we become a "...your papers please" country.

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by Sampaguita

I just think this proposed law in AZ (& possibly TX?) is taking us down a slippery slope and that the federal gov't needs to take note & DO SOMETHING before we become a "...your papers please" country.

We already are a "your papers please" country. Why on Earth is everyone pretending we are not? The AZ law contains nothing that is not already on the law books for decades - aliens have to carry their papers with them. Citizens can and are stopped by immigration authorities. Don't believe me? Take a drive in California north up the I-5 past Oceanside and see who's waiting along side the freeway near the San Onofre nuclear power plant. Or better yet, get stopped by a local law enforcement officer and tell him you do not have identification.

[Creek Hollow]

Originally Posted by texas7

What does bother me is when these laws split up families (like those who have children born here who are American citizens - but then you have the problem of people sneaking across to have their kids here as a hope for fast path to citizenship).

Blame for family separation belongs squarely on the shoulders of illegal parents. I firmly believe that children born in this country to illegal parent/parents have no right to American citizenship, period.

Originally Posted by texas7

even the hardworking illegal families are opposed to the illegal criminals - they are trying to get away from that element themselves.

Hardworking illegals still have no business here. They are still parasites on the social systems.

Originally Posted by texas7

Our borders aren't controlled and its more than illegal immigrants from Mexico crossing - it is also would-be terrorists who have found an easy access point into our country as well.

For some reason our government does not want border control, otherwise the issue wouldn't exist.

Originally Posted by texas7

What bothers me as well is that we allow (or lets say conveniently turn the other way) and let illegal citizens serve in our military - go to our universities (spend their money) but yet employers are not allowed to recognize their education because they are illegal. Is that really right?

What is your source for your statement "we allow (or lets say conveniently turn the other way) and let illegal citizens serve in our military?" I'm pretty outraged if that's true.

I doubt the majority pay a cent for their education. It's far easier for minorities to get scholarships and a free ride than American students, even those with the good grades.

Employers should be severely penalized for hiring illegals. Their education level has nothing to do with their illegal status.

Originally Posted by texas7

Our laws contradict each other which makes the entire situation worse.

There's not much contradiction on who is illegal. The problem is that existing laws are not enforced.

[Creek Hollow]

Originally Posted by mirjaja

I agree that legal immigration should be easier for qualified people, and tougher for people with little to no skill sets that would benefit the US. I also think that several implementations might stop the onslaught of illegal immigration:
1) flat tax - everyone should pay to play
2) limit the amount of funds that can be wired out of the country
3) limit access to social services for legal immigrants for a period of 3 yrs. Stop access to social services for illegals.
4) if an illegal is caught commiting a crime. they should be deported, they should not spend tax payer dollars to incarcerate them (~1/3 of prisoners are illegal).
5) Get caught driving a vehicle without insurance or valid plates/stickers & you are illegal. They should hold you so that your family can pay a massive fine, which includes all of the licensing and insurance costs for a 12 month period. Get caught doing it twice - deported (~20-25% of vehicles in Texas are uninsured -- which raises liability insurance for everyone)
6) you should have to show your passport, or birth certificate and photo ID at all voting stations
7) English should be made the national language. When the massive wave(s) of immigrants have come here at various points in history, hey assimilated into society. They learned english and embraced their new country. All government services & documents should be performed/printed in english only - it would be a huge savings to tax payers.

I agree with EVERYTHING you've listed. You wouldn't want to run for public office, would you?

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by crbcrbrgv

7) English should be made the national language. When the massive wave(s) of immigrants have come here at various points in history, hey assimilated into society. They learned english and embraced their new country. All government services & documents should be performed/printed in english only - it would be a huge savings to tax payers.


I don't agree with this. The first generation almost never learns the language. This was very true in Chicago where Germans, Italians, Poles and Jews (just to name a few) had neighborhood newspapers in their own languages, medical professionals that could speak the language, clergy that spoke the language etc. Also, I see government services and documents being printed in other languages as a stopgap against friviolous lawsuits.

My grandparents worked incredibly hard to learn english when they came to America and refused to teach my father Yiddish so he would have to learn english. Don't confuse immigrants feeling more comfortable in their native tongue with having no other choice but to have government documents in their native language. Tort reform and getting the Democratic party weaned off money from trial lawyers will go along way towards eliminating the worries over frivolous lawsuits.

[blkgiraffe]

I was racially profiled a couple of months ago when I was pulled over in the Fondren area of Houston; I was pulled over for a "broken" tail light and on top of that they asked for my *gasp* ID and insurance! It sucked, but luckily I had my stuff; they only wasted about 5 minutes of my time and let me proceed on.

Yeah; it's really annoying and stupid these type of things are still going in our country, but it just shows we have a long way to go and whether this law is passed or not; racially profiling is going to exist. I'v been pulled over more than 5 times for just being black and I know this because they always lie about an excuse for pulling me over (mostly the "broken" tail light).

I guess that's why I show little compassion for Mexicans complaining about being treated unfairly as if they are the only ones suffering for these type of situations.

The illegal immigration issue is already out of hand and it's going to take extreme measures to get it under control; if the Federal Government had stepped up to the plate years ago instead of dodging the issue; we wouldn't be dealing with this law today.

In the end though; I will admit it would be much better to target the business and jobs who are hiring illegals instead of taking illegals individually off the street.

[SteveArmy]

umm do you people really think cops enjoy stopping people then letting them go? maybe following gut feeling and random stops (ok profiling cars and people) is part of cops jobs.

[teald024]

Originally Posted by jluke65780

I was racially profiled a couple of months ago when I was pulled over in the Fondren area of Houston; I was pulled over for a "broken" tail light and on top of that they asked for my *gasp* ID and insurance! It sucked, but luckily I had my stuff; they only wasted about 5 minutes of my time and let me proceed on.

... I'v been pulled over more than 5 times for just being black and I know this because they always lie about an excuse for pulling me over (mostly the "broken" tail light).

A broken tail light is not an "excuse" for pulling someone over. It IS a valid reason to issue a ticket. It's either broken or it's not. How about fixing that broken tail light that you got pulled over 5 times for. perhaps thats the real problem. You are either very suscicious looking, dont fix your car or a very bad driver.


..

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by teald024

A broken tail light is not an "excuse" for pulling someone over. It IS a valid reason to issue a ticket. It's either broken or it's not. How about fixing that broken tail light that you got pulled over 5 times for. perhaps thats the real problem. You are either very suscicious looking, dont fix your car or a very bad driver.


..

That's the point; it wasn't broken and never has been. On top of that; if I was bad driver than why out of all those 5 times I was never issued a citation???

[SteveArmy]

Originally Posted by jluke65780

That's the point; it wasn't broken and never has been. On top of that; if I was bad driver than why out of all those 5 times I was never issued a citation???

sooo you probably look suspicious, your car looks suspicious, your car fits the profile, you have the wrong bulbs or maybe you have the rear fog lights on