So he was legal.
My point was to defuse emotionalism: to point out there are people who come here illegally who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for this country. They are not all drug dealers, or violent felons, or revanchist ideologues.
That doesn't make their illegal entry any less of a crime. The person you mentioned was only 3 at the time, so I don't hold him legally responsible for his entry, which is probably why the USG changed his legal status. Willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the US is not a criterion to enter this country legally.
Quite a few [prison population. Yet proportionally a far smaller number than native-born African-Americans.
Typical racist reasoning. Put down another minority group to make a point. The number of illegal aliens in prison is disproportinate to their numbers. One third of California's penal system is filled with illegals and about one-quarter of the Federal system. And just by being here, all illegal aliens have committed an illegal act. They are all criminals, at least the adults. I would also posit that most are guilty of identity theft and not paying their taxes.
Not all negative cultural dynamics emanate from without our borders.
Agreed. But do we need to import more problems from abroad by not securing our borders? How many American citizens' lives have been affected adversely by illegal aliens who have committed violent crimes against them or been involved in car accidents because of their negligence?
He was illegal until he found out that the military would help him get his legal residency if he signed up. Basically the Army said: "Don't worry if you're illegal. We can expedite the paperwork and get you legal in time to ship out."
His legality was a technical piece of tissue paper.
Willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the US is not a criterion to enter this country legally.
Many of the Irish alluded to on this thread were allowed to stay purely on their willingness to take up arms in the war on the Confederacy.
Typical racist reasoning. Put down another minority group to make a point.
Not at all. The racism was in singling out illegal Latinos as an ethnic group inherently more criminal than native-born Americans.
The number of illegal aliens in prison is disproportinate to their numbers. One third of California's penal system is filled with illegals
Again, there are ethnic groups that are even more disproportionately represented in relation to their numbers than illegal Latinos.
and about one-quarter of the Federal system.
Since the Federal system deals specifically with interstate and cross-border offenses that the states do not deal with, it stands to reason that a very high proportion of Federal inmates would be illegal aliens.
How many American citizens' lives have been affected adversely by illegal aliens who have committed violent crimes against them or been involved in car accidents because of their negligence?
Quite a few. Which is why we need stronger border enforcment.