Maine: Search for illegal aliens alienates city

MaineToday.com ^ | January 30, 2004 | Bill Nemitz

[SheLion]

Ahmed said some patrons eating lunch in the Somali market bolted out the back door - not because they were undocumented, but because they were scared to death.

Scared? Those of us that have been following the influx of Somali's in Maine can be very suspicious.

If I was legally in the U.S., with all the proper papers.......I would have no reason to run from the authorities, right?

Or am I wrong?

[SheLion]

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Somali's bolted out the door? Why? If you're legally here, there is no need to run.

Also, why does the border patrol need to travel 2,000 miles to arrest ten people?

They could capture and deport trainloads of people every day at the southern border.

[risk]

Is this evidence that things are finally turning around, and that despite decades of poor enforcement and amnesties for illegals, we are now going back to the rule of law?

[SouthernFreebird]

Does that mean those agents from up North who never bother the illagals are now watching our Southern borders? God help us...


And no having my ID checked is not cause for alarm.. I get asked to see my ID frequently thru out the day. But then I'm not an illegal criminal.

[cyborg]

police state... I'm just waiting for them to try this in Brooklyn with the illegal Russian Jews and out east with all the illegal irish workers,etc. I could be sitting in a McDonald's eating my food and some jarhead could demand my ID? The eroding of freedom continues.

[cyborg]

Where do you live that you get asked for ID throughout the day?

[Ol' Sox]

If you're legally here, there is no need to run.

If you are here legally, then act like an American and confront the JBT. Get right in his face. Papers please, my ass.

[SheLion]

Somali's bolted out the door? Why? If you're legally here, there is no need to run.

That's what "I" was wondering!

We all know that the hi-jacker spent the night in Portland the night before 9-11! I am very suspicious.

WHO did he see and WHO did he talk to?

Governor Baldacci and Rep. Tom Allen brought these Somali's into the state of Maine...........very interesting, to say the least!

[kittymyrib]

I had no idea that Maine grew all that cheap lettuce...because that's what all those illegal aliens do, right?

[yankeedame]

"...learn to say "Yes, sir" and "No, sir" to anyone in a black uniform and boots. And oh yes, try not to look suspicious."

Imagines of the gestapo leap to mind. Well, so much for the writer's objectivity.

[SheLion]

If you are here legally, then act like an American and confront the JBT. Get right in his face. Papers please, my ass.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

The point is that this is not the Soviet Union. If some s.o.b. walked up to me and asked me out of the clear blue for my papers, I'd tell him to go straight to hell. If we want to cut back on the problem, we need to stop giving social services to illegals. We can also go to job sites and ask the owners for documentation for each employee (i.e. ss#).

[facedown]

At the same time, they left Portland's hard-won reputation as an immigrant-friendly city in tatters.

A bad thing?

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Who asks to see your I.D. everyday? Do you mean as you engage in commerce, or by government officials?

[Steve Eisenberg]

They could capture and deport trainloads of people every day at the southern border.

I think that they do. Unfortunately, another trainload gets through.

While I respect what the Border Patrol is doing (probably not honestly explained in this article), the solution is employer sanctions with teeth. Even the Bush plan, with teeth, would be big improvement. Employers must advertise every job currently held by an illegal to see if a citizen wants it. If the employer fails to do so, or if the employer fails to hire the citizen -- let's say, an ex-con citizen trying to go straight -- the alien gets the boot, the ex-con gets the job, and the employer gets the ex-con's old cell. Do this in in a just a few dozen well-publicized cases, and they'll be going home by the train-load voluntarily, leaving the Border Control to go after the remnant.

[SouthernFreebird]

NC.... when I try to write a check, they ask for my ID. when I go to the bank to cash a check...ID.

Pick up kids from school... again ID...stopped at a licence check, road block.. ID. You don't?

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

What is your point? If someone is dressed differently or is of a different religion they have no right to be here?

[facedown]

14 health fair because, director John Connors explained, "I'm not going to put up posters telling these guys we're going to have a bunch of minorities and immigrants showing up at a particular time and place."

Yeah, that'd be too easy.

[cyborg]

Those are transactions where you have to show ID. This article is talking about people sitting in a eating joint. If I'm DRIVING, of course I have a license with me but if I walked to a 7-11 to get coffee? Come on.