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Do illegal immigrants have an obligation to obey laws banning them from entering the United States?
The Washington Post's The Volokh Conspiracy ^ | April 7, 2014 | Professor Ilya Somin, George Mason Univ. School of Law

Posted on 04/08/2014 9:28:52 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

One oft-made argument against illegal immigration is that it is morally wrong simply because it is illegal. Immigrants have an obligation to obey the law. If they violate it by entering the country illegally, that by itself is enough justification for deporting them, regardless of whether their illegal entry actually harms anyone or not. In an interesting recent Fox News interview, former Florida governor and possible Republican presidential contender Jeb Bush takes issue with some aspects of this argument:

Jeb Bush said the debate over immigration reform needs to move past derisive rhetoric describing illegal immigrants.

The former Florida governor said in an interview Sunday in College Station, Texas, that people who come to the United States illegally are often looking for opportunities to provide for their families that are not available in their home countries.

“Yes, they broke the law, but it’s not a felony. It’s an act of love, it’s an act of commitment to your family,” Bush told Fox News host Shannon Bream at town hall event at the George Bush Presidential Library Center….

“I honestly think that is a different kind of crime, that there should be a price paid, but it shouldn’t rile people up that people are actually coming to this country to provide for their families,” he said.

“I think we need to kind of get beyond the harsh political rhetoric to a better place.”

In contrast to many critics of illegal immigration, Bush recognizes that the reasons why illegal immigrants violate the law matter to any moral evaluation of their actions. Those reasons might be irrelevant from a standpoint that condemns all illegality equally, regardless of the situation. But few Americans actually endorse any such position....

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: aliens; amnesty; bush; illegals; immigration; jebbush; lawlessness
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To: gunsequalfreedom

It’s hard to be offended when you didn’t say anything that made any sense.

Can you try to explain what you are trying to say?


21 posted on 04/08/2014 11:28:04 PM PDT by ansel12 ((Libertarianism offers the transitory concepts and dialogue to move from conservatism, to liberalism)
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To: Secret Agent Man

If you have ever spent much time in Mexico, then you would probably not want to risk being picked up for anything, innocent or guilty.


22 posted on 04/08/2014 11:30:00 PM PDT by ansel12 ((Libertarianism offers the transitory concepts and dialogue to move from conservatism, to liberalism)
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To: ansel12

Oh my gosh, it must be me. That’s the second time I heard that today.


23 posted on 04/08/2014 11:33:02 PM PDT by gunsequalfreedom (Conservative is not a label of convenience. It is a guide to your actions.)
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To: haroldeveryman
It is not their prerogative to enforce only those laws that favor their constituencies, while ignoring those laws that they don’t like.

Well according to Holder's testimony before the House this week, it is the prerogative of the Executive and his cabinet to decide what laws to enforce or ignore.

24 posted on 04/08/2014 11:51:43 PM PDT by itsahoot (Voting for a Progressive RINO is the same as voting for any other Tyrant.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Yeah Jeb, they ‘lovingly’ pissed on our immigration laws because of their ‘love’ for our money.

Screw you Jeb.


25 posted on 04/09/2014 12:31:30 AM PDT by Bullish (You ever notice that liberalism really just amounts to anti-morality?)
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To: TigersEye

That is what needs to happen, along with cutting off paying for their kids’ schooling, medical, EIC and all the rest.


26 posted on 04/09/2014 12:51:02 AM PDT by jospehm20
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Do US citizens have an obligation to obey the laws the United States?


27 posted on 04/09/2014 3:45:50 AM PDT by caver (Obama: Home of the Whopper)
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To: TigersEye

Why would an illegal obey any laws?
They broke a law to get here.
The government should put a “Dead or Alive” bounty on them. It would not take long for them to realize the folly of coming here.


28 posted on 04/09/2014 4:26:15 AM PDT by BuffaloJack (Freedom isn't free; nor is it easy. END ALL TOTALITARIAN ACTIVITY NOW.)
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To: GrandJediMasterYoda

Jeff Bush loves undocumented immigrants, but, where is his love for the millions of Americans unemployed? There are 91 million Americans out of the work force.

Thanks to Obama we have the lowest participation in the work force since the 1970’s and some demagogues want to open wide our borders to hundreds of millions around the world who would love to enjoy the American dream... but that dream is becoming in an American nightmare for those born here and those who came legally to enjoy our way of life loving the U.S. as much as their country of birth.

What is even more aggravating is that people who entered the country illegally are demanding rights and privileges that American citizens do not enjoy and they did not dare to demand from the government of their own country.

California used to be the richest state of America. Now it is almost bankrupt. Anybody can see the result of uncontrolled illegal immigration, and companies are leaving to Texas, Florida and other red states with less taxes and better incentives to invest and prosper.

In fact, unemployment is now lower in Mexico than in U.S.; perhaps Americans will start moving south.


29 posted on 04/09/2014 10:15:51 AM PDT by Dqban22
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To: Dqban22

That’s another thing: Liberals keep complaining about low minimum wage yet they support cheap labor by way of illegals which warps supply and demand.


30 posted on 04/09/2014 10:30:08 AM PDT by GrandJediMasterYoda (Hitlery: Incarnation of evil.)
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