Does anyone actually know the immigration process for Mexicans? I tried to find information on the INS web page but it seemed so complicated. I just want a condensed version of what it actually takes. I would think it they could streamline the process, more Mexicans would want to come here legally. Of course, with a limit set on how many, I suppose there would still be those trying to cross illegally. And I don't think I'm for building a wall. My instinctive reaction is that it is so un-American. Our country is built on immigrants and it just seems wrong to say we want to shut people out. But I guess it would be somewhat of a practical solution, though the Mexicans seem to be good at tunnels! Anyway, I just don't think there is one simplistic solution. It's a complicated problem. Just my two cents.
There is a huge amount of hypocrisy among some. They think immigration is great until they get here and then they want the door shut. Like the people who are against building any more homes/businesses in an area after they get their home/business built.
You're right, this country was built by immigrants; but they were LEGAL immigrants. It's not the immigrants that's the issue here, it's the illegals who are having anchor babies and draining the economy and causing hospitals to shut down cause of the drain on their funds and the ease with which terrorists can enter. I'm all for easing the legal immigration process. I know of several legal immigrants who have no end to trouble with making sure they obey all the laws; they're practically treated like criminals. All the while, the illegals are roaming free and not having to worry about overstaying their visas and not being allowed back into the country for years if they do.
"the Mexicans seem to be good at tunnels!"
Instead of publicing it when they find a tunnel they should plant land mines in it and the tunnel along with the users will be eliminated at minimal cost.
Except when there have been amnesties (7 of them since 1986) the immigration process for Mexicans is the same as for everybody else. The difficulty that they have coming legally is that there are only 5000 slots annually for unskilled workers. Since most Mexicans are uneducated, all 40 million of them that would like to come to America are trying to squeeze into that category and they are competing with the 5 billion other people in the world who are on average poorer than Mexicans.
It might be appropriate to adjust the 5000 number upwards a bit but keep in mind that back in the 19th century when the massive waves of poor immigrants were coming, it was before the New Deal and before America became a socialist welfare State.
Even though we set fairly high standards for the million or so immigrants we allow to come legally every year, most of them require some public assistance. Over the course of their lives, the average cost to the American taxpayers of legal immigrants is fairly low. I seem to recall a figure like a $10,000 net lifetime drain on the treasury per immigrant average. If we bump the number of low skilled immigrants up from 5000 per year to 400,000 per year which is the number in the McCain/Kennedy Shamnesty, you can expect that all these low skilled people will need substantially greater assistance and will be much more expensive for taxpayers then the higher skilled people we are bringing in now.
And once they get the vote, 80% of them are going to vote for RATS and more socialism.
This is an incredibly naieve statement to make when there are an estimated 11 million illegal Mexican and other South American border crossers in the country.
The yearly quota is in the thousands. Millions more than that are trying to get here - any way they can!
Unless you live in a glass bubble or in a small town in the northern tier, try going down to your local Home Depot - those day laborers hanging around outside are generally illegals. Go to a hospital emergency room, check out the ethnic status of those waiting.
We are losing the "American Character" of many of our cities from the volume of the illegals....and the large families they have after they are here. America women are having babies only at the "replacement rate" - 2.1 per woman. The rate of growth of the illegal family, 4 to 6 kids, will overwhelm this nation in 20 years.
I used to spend a lot of time in San Diego. I admire the energy and willingness to work (and learn) of the Mexicans there....many illegal. But.....
We Can No Longer Afford the Unrestrained Influx of Illegal Immigrants to Our Country - From Either a Security or an Economic Standpoint!
The only way in is through family or a needed skill. A needed skill will get you in faster. Family based immigration can take up to a decade from Mexico, depending on the relationship between the sponsor and the immigrant.
The vast majority of our immigrants from Mexico are family based, through illegal immigration.