Obama gives amnesty to the children of illegal immigrants

[LaylaMonroe]

Anybody have an opinion on this?

Today, the Obama administration announced that "people younger than 30 who came to the United States before the age of 16, pose no criminal or security threat, and were successful students or served in the military can get a two-year deferral from deportation...

It also will allow those meeting the requirements to apply for work permits, Napolitano said, adding that participants must be in the United States now and be able to prove they have been living in the country continuously for at least five years."

Needless to say, the Republicans are going nuts. This new policy will affect about 800,000 illegal immigrants. What say you?

[blyempowered]

I like it! At least they get a chance. Maybe there should be some accountability measures with it such as required citizenship or something like that. Overall I'm pretty liberal on illegal immigration.

[LaylaMonroe]

I like it! At least they get a chance. Maybe there should be some accountability measures with it such as required citizenship or something like that. Overall I'm pretty liberal on illegal immigration.

REQUIRED CITIZENSHIP?!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[nessalynn77]

I actually agree with that policy.  To some of those kids, this is the only home they know, and they one day just get sent "back" for something over which they had no control.  I had a client who didn't even know she was illegal, I had to tell her that her SS Card was fake.  Her uncle had set the whole thing up and got her false documents, etc.   I know the letter of the law says they weren't born here so they're not citizens, but I have compassion for those in this particular situation. 

Actually, I have compassion for all of them (except maybe the criminals), it's just that amnesty is not a good way to handle the adult cases.

[blyempowered]

REQUIRED CITIZENSHIP?!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Uh what I do? 

[LaylaMonroe]

We (the three of us) are so politically anomalous.

I just have to SMH. I don't understand y'all and I don't understand me either.

[blyempowered]

We (the three of us) are so politically anomalous.

I just have to SMH. I don't understand y'all and I don't understand me either.

LOL!!

*looking up the word "anomalous" on my dictionary.com app*





Oh yeah! I agree...LOL!

[under13]

I'ma have to say no, I do not agree with this.

[sjonathan02]

I believe there's some ambiguity in the language.  How does one, who is illegal, know the date when he/she arrived to the U.S.?

Beyond that, how can it be proven?

Other than that, I believe I like the fact that, as Nessa stated, we're giving the folks who have only really known the U.S. as home the chance to stay.

[nessalynn77]

Yeah Rue when it comes to immigration and welfare, you turn into a republican, lol!

[blyempowered]

Yeah Rue when it comes to immigration and welfare, you turn into a republican, lol!

THIS!!

[under13]

How does one, who is illegal, know the date when he/she arrived to the U.S.?

Check the school records.

[LaylaMonroe]

Yeah Rue when it comes to immigration and welfare, you turn into a republican, lol!

I cannot deny that.

And when it comes to immigration and welfare, YOU turn into a Democrat!

But yeah, I've always been very socially liberal and fiscally conservative.

Nessa and Jonathan, you two are leaving something important out. The new policy includes "children" who came to the US by the age of 16. That means that there are God-knows-how-many people who aren't included in the folks who only know the US as home. I might be able to find a little bit of compassion in my pinky toe for the ones who came here as babies and are really American in every sense of the word, except on paper. But what about the ones who came here at 16? Or at 12? They know their home countries just as well as they know this one. I'm not saying it's an easy fix. It's not. I really struggle with this issue, and I always have. But I can't get past the fact that we're giving passes to people for breaking the law. AND, we're sending a message overseas that we're soft on illegal immigration, and that if you get your kids over here, we may kick you out but we'll let your kids stay.

And how on earth do we pay for all this? That's my biggest problem that NO DEMOCRAT has yet to answer for me. We're already in tough straits right now. I wish President Obama would put a price tag on this and include it in his speech so that people know what they're supporting. Where is this money coming from???

[LaylaMonroe]

Then you have states like Michigan, and plenty of other states, that are changing their welfare making it difficult for people to get help when they need it because they simply don't have the funds to support all those who have needs. So we can't take care of our own citizens, but we can take care of others?

[sjonathan02]

I cannot deny that.

And when it comes to immigration and welfare, YOU turn into a Democrat!

But yeah, I've always been very socially liberal and fiscally conservative.

Nessa and Jonathan, you two are leaving something important out. The new policy includes "children" who came to the US by the age of 16. That means that there are God-knows-how-many people who aren't included in the folks who only know the US as home. I might be able to find a little bit of compassion in my pinky toe for the ones who came here as babies and are really American in every sense of the word, except on paper. But what about the ones who came here at 16? Or at 12? They know their home countries just as well as they know this one. I'm not saying it's an easy fix. It's not. I really struggle with this issue, and I always have. But I can't get past the fact that we're giving passes to people for breaking the law. AND, we're sending a message overseas that we're soft on illegal immigration, and that if you get your kids over here, we may kick you out but we'll let your kids stay.

And how on earth do we pay for all this? That's my biggest problem that NO DEMOCRAT has yet to answer for me. We're already in tough straits right now. I wish President Obama would put a price tag on this and include it in his speech so that people know what they're supporting. Where is this money coming from???

Because I'm working on about three things at once, I didn't mention that in my post but I did think about it when mentioning the ambiguity in the language.


And of course, 'who's footin' the bill' is always the question.

[under13]

How many jobs are these people taking away from legal citizens, and how many kids are they having?

[sjonathan02]

Then you have states like Michigan, and plenty of other states, that are changing their welfare making it difficult for people to get help when they need it because they simply don't have the funds to support all those who have needs. So we can't take care of our own citizens, but we can take care of others?

Now this, is the best question of all. There are no easy answers.  Do we just ship them back?

[LaylaMonroe]

How many jobs are these people taking away from legal citizens, and how many kids are they having?

That also reminds me. Another expense is ESL. I have no idea what the number is, but I can only imagine how expensive it is to provide ESL services for so many people. When I was in elementary school, my town had 12 schools and only one of them had ESL classes. Anyone who spoke a different primary language had to go to that school. It was a good school, fwiw. But now, all the schools have ESL. That has to be costly, no? Faculty, space, curriculum, materials...

As for the jobs thing, I think the counter-argument is always that they're not taking our jobs, they're taking the jobs we don't want.

Because I'm working on about three things at once, I didn't mention that in my post but I did think about it when mentioning the ambiguity in the language.


And of course, 'who's footin' the bill' is always the question.

Gotcha. Maybe we'll get more clarity when he makes his speech.

[cordney]

Yeah Rue when it comes to immigration and welfare, you turn into a republican, lol!

I believe I do as well...lol.




Why are the replubicans so mad?!!!  Didn't Reagan do something similiar to this during his 1st four years in office?

[LaylaMonroe]

Now this, is the best question of all. There are no easy answers.  Do we just ship them back?

I meant *changing their welfare policies.... oops.

But yeah, I agree there are no easy answers. This is one of those subjects where I really can't propose any alternative because jailing them is cruel and expensive, shipping them back is expensive (and it could suck, depending on the circumstances)... it's just a tough call... but I DON'T believe that letting them all stay, no strings, is the answer.

I do have a heart, though. I was really saddened by one guy who was deported in his fourth year of college. I really wished I could've done something to help him.