TLW, I hate to say it, but it will encourage more to come if we just
allow them to stay.

Last time we let them stay, we are where we are now. At least this time
they have to pay a fine and then reenter, but it still shows people
coming in illegally once they make it, they are here for good.

Again if we need more people to work, we can allow the ones that have
been waiting years to get here legally, in. Instead of letting the ones
crossing illegally come back before the ones already waiting.

It just sends the wrong message to people crossing illegally (if you
make it, you make it) and the wrong message to the people waiting (don't
wait, just cross and get here faster.)

I am quite sure that there are visas for temporary/season workers that
are sponsored by the companies. But these should be closely monitored by
the immigration Department.

In regards with minimum wages, although a field laborer works harder
(physically) than a receptionist, the minimum wages are different...
depending on the industry, those are the salaries that are paid, right?

I don't condone illegal immigraytin, but I think there are two sides to
it... not only employers or business owners employing illegal for less
than minimum wages, but what about those authorities that are fully
aware of how and when these illegals enter the country? It has nothing
to do with Congress... The medium commands are in charge of enforcing
these laws, and they are not doing it. These authorities should be
doing their jobs. Not blaming others for their inability to cope.

mytar, you should read the bill or google questions and answers
concerning immigration bill. you are obviously misinformed about the
bill!


Alana, visas for temporary/season workers that
are sponsored by the companies.
These are not sponsered by the company's as I know. The companies are
polled to tell how many guest worker visa's are needed, and the number
is then set according to these needs by the INS. It has been this way
for years, and they are suppossed to ensure they leave when the visa
expires. Unfortunately this has not been the case!

Minimum wages are set across the board as one minimum wage. It is no
different for a construction worker than an employee of McDonalds!
Employers are not supposed to hire illegals, period, and if they didnt
tell INS that they needed guest workers they are not supposed to hire
them at all. The jobs are suppossed to go to American Citizens first,
then if they arent filled they can fill them with guest workers, but not
before! The biggest problem with the employers is the benefits of cheap
labor outweigh the fines. Also they are not enforced because political
donations for local politicians are made by the local business men who
are getting the most benefits from the cheap labor! Like mayors and
sherrifs, etc. their campaigns are financed by the developers and local
business that hire the illegals.

It is also a crime to rent to an illegal immigrant. Never enforced but
called harboring a fugitive! These people are breaking the law,
therefore they are fugitives. PERIOD!! Georgia is enacting strict laws
beginning July 1st to deal with this, as well as a town in Texas, SD,
and several in Colorado that have already done so. If you rent to an
illegal then you are slapped with heavy fines and your property can be
seized if you are caught doing so repeatedly!

Unfortunately, this is not being done Nation wide and so the illegals
just move. Making the problem worse for their neighbors, but hey we
should all do the same thing and maybe when the problem does become
worse we will wake up too.

Rock on Georgia, Texas, and Colorado, Good job!!!

fanta, my moms side from BARBOURSVILLE my dads side from SALT ROCK.

Just a question.
i accept that illegals are illegals because they are here out of status.
But why do most of the people want to criminalize it?
Why don't do it a civil action?
Do you know how hard is to be called a criminal when most of them are
very honest people?

ASHEVILLE – City police arrested an illegal immigrant who had been
deported twice before for committing prior felony crimes in other
states.

Police found Salvador Melgoza Ramirez, 31, was wanted for armed robbery
in Arizona during a traffic stop Saturday, a release said.

Ramirez, who identified himself under a false name with a false social
security card, had been first deported in 1998 after a felony assault
conviction in Washington State, police said. He was arrested again in
2000 after illegally crossing the border near El Paso, Texas, held for
15 months under federal custody and deported again.

In 2003 he applied for a North Carolina driver’s license under the
name of Luis Ramirez, police said.

Ramirez was charged with one count of identity fraud, three counts of
false pretense after allegedly using a false name to obtain a license
and two counts of obtaining a vehicle title under a false name.

He was being held at the Buncombe County jail in lieu of a $55,000 bond.

2 in one day!!!

ASHEVILLE – A man not yet identified by police was arrested Tuesday
after he allegedly raped a 13-year-old girl, Asheville Police said in a
release.

The man, who was carrying four identification cards and two credit cards
with different names but the same date of birth, took the girl to a
north Buncombe County location and raped her, police said.

Detectives believe the man has been primarily using the name Carlos
Diaz Mendez but have not confirmed his identity.

The suspect, referred to as John Doe #638, was charged with statutory
rape and felonious restraint of a child. He was being held at the
Buncombe County jail in lieu of a $50,000 bond.

They have been sending our sheriff deputys to a special INS school to
train them to recognize, and to arrest illegal immigrants. This is the
first sign Ive seen of them actually doing something!

Hopefully there will be more to follow!

Lonelywalker, if you don't want to be called a criminal, don't do the
cirme. It is a felony to enter this country illegally. Do you get
that, it is a FELONY. that is a MAJOR CRIME. There is a way around
that, enter this country legally and we will welcome you with open arms.
If you commit a crime and enter this country illegally expect to be
treated as the criminal that you are. If that is unsatisfactory to you,
there are no hooks in your butt holding you here you can go back to
where you came from anytime.

gardenforge i would like to tell you that i appreciate ur generous contribution for the immigrant cause.
While you pay your taxes, the immigrant's children, who are already North Americans, can have access to health care and education.
Thanks to you and so many generous people like you we are growing healthy and well educated.

Thank you..

TLW

Yes fanta, your right, I had looked at a site and should had known to go to the loc, although I still feel it encourages them. It should be if you come illegally and are caught, you are guaranteed to never be allowed to come back legally.

by god they listened to us...now to get them to enforce current laws...


WASHINGTON - The Senate drove a stake Thursday through President Bush's plan to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants, likely postponing major action on immigration until after the 2008 elections.

ADVERTISEMENT

After the stinging political setback, Bush sounded resigned to defeat.

"Legal immigration is one of the top concerns of the American people, and Congress' failure to act on it is a disappointment," he said after an appearance in Newport, R.I. "A lot of us worked hard to see if we couldn't find common ground. It didn't work."

The bill's Senate supporters fell 14 votes short of the 60 needed to limit debate and clear the way for final passage of the legislation, which critics assailed as offering amnesty to illegal immigrants. The vote was 46 to 53 in favor of limiting the debate.

the rest is at yahoo headlines....

lonely walker ...your teasing, sarcastic comments to this important issue accomplishes nothing but bad feelings...maybe thats what you want...

A good quote (IMO)... Miles


The following is one of my favorite thoughts on the issue of immigration. It's from President Theodore Roosevelt in a letter to the American Defense Society in 1919, 10 years after his presidency.
--Lou Dobbs

"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...

There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

--Theodore Roosevelt, 1919

"Do you know how hard is to be called a criminal when most of them are
very honest people?"

Honesty and crimes usually are not associated traits.

I have never heard of someone that got robbed being thankful they was told they would not be hurt by the person robbing them. (Yes I concede robbery is far worse then crossing illegally.) The point remains.

If they are so honest, why didn't they let the US know they was coming, why don't they tell their employers they are here illegally instead of using false documentation to work, I can go on and on about things of this nature showing how even though they may be good people, not bothering anyone etc... but how they are still not being honest.

(Just actually read what had been posted, didnt read when I made my earlier reply as I didnt have time.)

davinci, that is not a good thing in my opinion, and is against 70% of the population who wanted this bill passed. It is just further evidence of the Republicans attempt to stall all legislation regarding a real solution to the immigration problem. Yes, I said stall, they only appear to want stiffer laws. what they really want is to stall until its to late for anything to be done. If the Republicans are so for stiffer immigration policy, why dont they, they are in power, enforce the current laws? The AG's office has continually blocked states efforts to by-pass the Fed inaction. The Feds have done this by stating constitution jurisdiction, saying states dont have jurisdiction, while they, the feds, do nothing about it.

This was not amnesty, as anyone who read, and understood it could tell! It did give the illegals a chance to become legal citizens, but it would not have been easy. They would have had to earn and pay for it! The only ones I know personally that were against it were A) uninformed, or B) total racist! I am neither, I just want a solution so we can move on to other problems this country faces! Oh well, more work to do. #1 work on getting anyone in my state that didnt support the bill out of office! Elizabeth Dole first!!

OK< the bill is dead, as of today. The motion to close debate and vote failed to receive the 60 votes necessary for cloture. Bush has thrown in the towel.

I'm afraid it was defeated for the wrong reasons, but at least there can be a respite now to beginning tackling the issue in a healthier way.

I'm sorry for all the 'illegal immigrants' who, given the welcome they receive here from their employers, must surely wonder at the weird workings of our 'democracy.'

To those who worked to defeat the bill, including my friends here, I say, I hope you roll up your sleeves and help craft a better bill for new consideration.

I know it is a complicated issue -- very complicated -- but we owe it to ourselves and to our guest workers, to do it and do it right.

Perhaps if we started by deconstructing the issues we might have a better chance.


Oceans

as a matter of fact i don't want to accomplish anything.
those who are smart read my comments and classify them as bull...
those who are not, feel offended.
the second class of people are my audience, are those who feed me, therefore, thank you.
BTW thanks to genereous people like you.
My men and women are able to send money free of taxes back to their countries.
You see your contribution is even bigger than just healthcare and education within USA, it goes to our countries of South and Central America, so their people back there can eat, dress, and build better houses. No the paper houses in which they live.
You are contributing to a chain effect.
God bless North America and its people.

TLW

Los Angeles Roman Catholic Cardinal Roger Mahony, who has emerged as a national religious champion of efforts for immigration reforms, said, "Each day that this status quo is permitted to exist is a moral failure for our nation, as well as a legislative one."