AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS? (a question for Freepers)

August 22nd, 2002 | Sabertooth

[Sabertooth]

This is a vanity post, let's get that straight from the start.

Perhaps the most vain aspect of it is the conceit that it might stay on topic, but I'm going to give it a whirl.

One of the more contentious species of threads encountered on Free Republic are those dealing with the subject of America's immigration policy, particularly with regard to the Illegal Aliens currently in our country. According a range of reasonable sources, the estimates of their numbers here currently here range from six to thirteen million. Whatever the actual count, there are quite a few people now in violation of American immigration law.

One subtopic that inevitably arises is the question of Amnesty:

Should all or some portion of the Illegal Aliens be granted an Amnesty and be thereby allowed to change their status and acquire legal residence in the United States?

That's the question I'd like to put forward to the members of Free Republic.

Almost as inevitably on threads dealing with this subject, flame wars erupt. It's not my purpose to instigate another round of that, they're rather predictable. So I'd like to ask that your comments, if you're inclined to share them, focus on the big picture of American immigration policy, with particular attention to the subject of Amnesty. I'm not interested in the stock and gratuitous divisiveness of race-baiting or referring to the President as "Jorge," or anything of that nature from any quarter. It achieves nothing, it's sulphurous methane heat with no light shed.

I'd also like to avoid ad hominem ambushes. I'm genuinely interested in learning the collective feelings of Free Republic members on this subject. If you're gonna post, I'd like to ask that you ante up with your opinion on the question at hand before engaging the discussion with others. No taking potshots from the obscurity of the sidelines. I'll post my opinion below at #1.

Fair enough?

So, once again, here's the question:

Should all or some portion of the Illegal Aliens be granted an Amnesty and be thereby allowed to change their status and acquire legal residence in the United States?

[Victoria Delsoul]

My answer is no, I'm not in favor of Amnesty, and there is no amnesty to millions of illegal aliens either. GW has said that there will be no blanket amnesty for illegals, just a guest worker program. This will benefit illegal immigrants who are already living here and have taken jobs no one else wants at lower wages, mainly because Americans view them as something they wouldn't want to do. Since they are already living and working here, becoming legal immigrants will help them integrate into the mainstream of American life.

OK flame away.

[PuNcH]

Start with the southern border.

[nopardons]

Thank you, for your reply. I am glad that we agree about the problem, I laid out.

[nopardons]

WHY ? As if I didn't know. ROTFLMSO

[PuNcH]

WHY ? As if I didn't know. ROTFLMSO

Well if you know then you should say it.

[PRND21]

Should all or some portion of the Illegal Aliens be granted an Amnesty and be thereby allowed to change their status and acquire legal residence in the United States?

Define "some portion". Do you mean zero "I"llegal "A"liens be allowed to ever change their status?
A "large portion" "A"mnesty, no.
But a "slim portion" status adjustment is unavoidable and probably historically constant.

[Texasforever]

So what are your solutions to the problems on the border?

There is only one option to seal the borders. Place a permanent military force with armed soldiers every100 feet. Other than that then the border is going to continue to leak as it always has. Do you advocate that?

[nopardons]

No I shouldn't. Ohm and FYI ... this is NOT what this thread is about. Do try to stay on topic !

[nunya bidness]

Put me in the no column.

[Texasforever]

No, I wasn't tongue tied, but merely responding to previous threds.

[pattycake]

"My answer is NO, no way, I live outside of Washington D.C. and these people have just taken over, I am not only talking of Mexicans but of all nationalities, Indian, Pakistan, you name it we got it. One day I was sitting outside my building smoking and some guy drove up in a new car and asked what suite a doctor was in, I said you have to go in the building and look at the directory to find the floor, he preceded to act like he didn't speak english, I said don't you speak english and he went into the no ENGLAY crap, finally I said I can't help you and he sped off and went down the wrong way of a automatic bank teller and the sign said "do not enter". If the man can't speak english and most of them are pretending, I have no mercy.

No if they can't do it the lawful way, forget it and if Bush doesn't get on this bank wagon he is going to lose a lot of Republican votes, because the people I work with won't call their Reps like I do, they either won't show up or vote for the other guy. FED UP IN VIRGINIA

[Torie]

Watch it. You have lived so long away as an expat, that if you tried to return, you might be regarded as an illegal alien. Have you considered that possibility? Cheers.

[Sabertooth]

My answer is no, I'm not in favor of Amnesty, and there is no amnesty to millions of illegal aliens either.

Thanks for your answer. The question hinged on the general question of Amnesty. It will be interesting to see how various politicians, including President Bush, shake out on a whole range of immigration policy after the November elections.

[PuNcH]

There is only one option to seal the borders. Place a permanent military force with armed soldiers every100 feet. Other than that then the border is going to continue to leak as it always has. Do you advocate that?

There is not only one option and a permanent military force is not needed to stop the horde that is coming across nor at the numbers "every 100 feet" would imply. That we will have reduced illegal crossings in the future is irrelevant. We also would need to go after employers who contribute to the problem and stop giving illegal aliens a handout when they need to be deported.

So there's my view. If you believe that there is only the option of a military force that is unacceptable does that mean you believe that it is impossible to control the borders?

[pulaskibush]

Some illegals can be worked with to make them legal, but their home countries need to pick up the tab and the illegals themselves need to pay fines.

Companies that exploit illegals need to be punished heavily. Stiff fines for the offense and per illegal, shutdowns, and prison time for those involved.

Other illegals and anybody who supports the Azland agenda need to be deported direcly to a jail in their country.

And put the army on both borders.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Define "some portion".

A piece of the pie? A certain amount? Actually can you define, define?

Is that like voting yes on no? Lets see, am I clouding this issue at hand here? Is this a distraction? A diversion?

What do you think of elephants?

[Torie]

Azland [Aslan] agenda

Are you a Narnia book fan too? Those were the best books I read as a knee high to grasshopper type. I still ended up a near atheist, but that is no fault of CS Lewis.

[Pelham]

I'm impressed that you managed to keep the disruptors from wrecking your thread, 'toothie. Good work. And...

No Amnesty. And return to policy we had before Teddy Kennedy's 1965 immigration bill became law.

[Sabertooth]

Some illegals can be worked with to make them legal, but their home countries need to pick up the tab and the illegals themselves need to pay fines.

So you favor some sort of partial Amnesty?

[Torie]

And return to policy we had before Teddy Kennedy's 1965 immigration bill became law

So you favor unrestricted Hispanic immigration I see. That surprises me. LOL. Sorry to toy with you, but I ain't a saint.