Gothamist: Immigrants Plan to Protest Today

Sten41167

Sun, 06 May 2007 10:23:15 -0500

I haven't been up to anything these days. So it goes. I can't be bothered with anything these days.

Sten41167

Sun, 06 May 2007 10:23:11 -0500

I haven't been up to anything these days. So it goes. I can't be bothered with anything these days.

Sten99218

Fri, 04 May 2007 02:02:46 -0500

I haven't been up to anything recently, but so it goes. Such is life. What can I say? Pretty much not much exciting going on to speak of. I haven't gotten much done lately, but I don't care.

Sten49023

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 03:43:21 -0500

I haven't gotten anything done today. I feel like a fog, but what can I say? I've just been letting everything wash over me lately, not that it matters. Shrug.

iycs xvkmzwlc

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 22:57:46 -0500

brgmi zgrd mnfr iferjhobx kfrudjnqi ucyj gyut [URL=http://www.dhpb.rfntqo.com]qveyoxsmn lwzpma[/URL]

pdveqxwmg hxtoamld

Sun, 21 Jan 2007 22:56:00 -0500

gsvrz duakqjtgx uihsa cjwhydre itylzn zdrmib crny

TramadoL93154

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 00:53:07 -0500

My life's been basically bland today. More or less nothing seems worth thinking about. My mind is like an empty room. I've more or less been doing nothing to speak of. Not much on my mind recently.

pooh

Wed, 03 May 2006 21:41:35 -0500

Hell, everyone has a price. If you pay someone enough and give them benefits, they'll spend all day scraping gum off of a subway platform. Hurray for the MTA! But seriously, if we didn't have an influx of cheap labor, people would start doing things for themselves because services would become more expensive. And if labor becomes more expensive, investments in innovation would yield labor saving devices. But it doesn't pay to invent a labor saving device and try to sell it when you can get black market labor so cheaply.

Drew

Wed, 03 May 2006 10:55:46 -0500

I actually heard a decent solution to this problem would be to fix mexico so that theres no reason for people to risk their lives to get a better life here in the US when they can get the same thing in Mexico. If they made Mexico better off, they'd screw up the illegal immigrant flows to the US a little. Less people would be coming over thats for sure.

Vman

Wed, 03 May 2006 09:04:01 -0500

#63, Defend the rights of illegals staying in the USA and receiving benefits all you want, but your racist stereotypes towards people from the middle east or anywhere else are not appreciated here. Maybe we should exclude ALL Jamaicans from coming over when some of them held up a bodega in the Bronx, according to your logic.

Lisa

Wed, 03 May 2006 08:43:19 -0500

I think everyone is missing the boat.These people are not here for the fun of it, they are here to survive.If you were in a 3rd world country suffering and a land flowing with milk and honey was a mile or two up the road what would you do? The governments in these underdeveloped countries such as S.America,Central America,and the Carribean are corrupted, often if you are poor you will not get a visa to go any where. So what would you do? Its all about survival,only the strongest survive. These people have not been fed with silver spoons all their lives,like many people from the U.S.MY family is from Jamaica and if you were to go into the real country and not a tourist resort your heart will be compelled to bring every one back with you. These people from the western hemisphere are not terrorist. Lets bann middle easterners, not are neighbors!

those great $15/hr jobs with benefits

Tue, 02 May 2006 10:54:58 -0500

Right on, if we got rid of the immigrants everyone would be rich! Never mind that most white rural areas are impoverished, and I love the 15/hr with benefits dream. Have you heard of Walmart? Have you heard that people have to become Miners in places like west virginia because it's the only way to make money there. Is there a coincidence that all the white guys in the military come from impoverished areas like southern illinois and mississippi? . And to be honest, delivery guys make pretty good money, from tips, but wage wise they get nothing, like waiters do, so doesn't matter who is delivering your sashimi, the dude is not getting paid much by the employer, it's up to you at the door to show some love.

ellisfullocrap

Tue, 02 May 2006 10:24:50 -0500

What people don't know is these illegal immigrants eventually become legal citizens. What's economics 101? I hear this a lot lately? Another PC/Fox news buzzword? Don't forget, it was the conservative radio set that invented this word for whatever that didn't agree with them. So, they put a spin on everything. Wake up, kraka!

K

Tue, 02 May 2006 10:16:53 -0500

#56 Corey Kanterman, if we had to pay the delivery guy 10 bucks an hour, how much do you think that will end up costing us the consumers?

S.D.

Tue, 02 May 2006 10:10:15 -0500

ABC Girl, You mean BS like this?

ABC Girl

Tue, 02 May 2006 09:44:02 -0500

I hope & pray that this doesn't become hunting season on anyone who looks Hispanic or speaks Spanish -- like the reports after 9/11 of racists who started attacking anyone who looked or sounded remotely Middle Eastern/Islamic...

Vman

Tue, 02 May 2006 09:11:01 -0500

Agree with #55, Putting economics and jobs aside for now and just talk about what's fair. As a naturalized citizen who went through the hassle and spent the time to immigrate to this country, I would feel totally cheated if these illegals are going to be standing in the same line as or ahead of me to vote and to get govt benefits and social security. Why didn't I just hoped a plane to Canada (they let ANYONE in up there) and sneak across the borders, get my fake Social Security Card and I can become a full fledge citizen of the US. I am not advocating deporting the illegals back home, but they better be behind us legal immigrants when the government is passing out benefits. One more thing, the National Anthem is and should always be in English, not Spanish, French nor Chinese. English is not my first language but if I had to learn it then every else should.

Corey Kanterman

Tue, 02 May 2006 08:25:16 -0500

Why don't you assholes understand that these immigrants are doing jobs that no US citizen are willing to do at the wages they get paid at. Who will delivery your precious takeout, who will bus your tables, who will handle your dry cleaning if not for the illegal immigrant worker? I don't think any of you understand the real issue here. dumbass transplants. Moron, I guess you weren't paying attention in economics class. Therte's a little thing called supply and demand. Those jobs would pay $10-$15/hr with benefits if illegals weren't around willing to take $5/hr without benefits. LEGAL CITIZENS would gladly do those jobs at that wage. Go to Maine, North Dakota or Idaho, I guarantee you that there are legal citizens doing "dirty work" jobs there because thats their only option. Companies hire illegals because they're cheap labor, legal citizens would never do these jobs.

eric wei

Tue, 02 May 2006 00:06:28 -0500

I've come into this country legally and after years of waiting. These protestors do not speak for me and should not be able to cut infront of all the rest that have abided by the laws of this wonderful country and waited their turn.

using samuel's logic

Mon, 01 May 2006 23:44:34 -0500

"We live in democracy and congress has the power to make laws. If you don't like this, maybe you should move to Mexico" Ladies and Gentleman, I give you our Republican nominee for 2008. So, with that logic of if we don't blindly agree with everything our goverment does (so very trendy, so very Red China) then I guess... If you don't support the war in Iraq, maybe you should join the insurgency. If you don't support faith-based initiatives, maybe you're a athiest pig (who will go to hell, but will still believe in a little thing called separation of church and state) If you don't believe that all laws our Congress has made are 100% correct and represent America, maybe you should...oh wait you already said this one. I'd argue more but my Chinese Food is here now. Here's one immigrant who is getting a very nice tip today. Because I am a rich NYC liberal, who happened to grow up poor in a housing project here but now lives very nicely as a liberal elite media fuckstick. All because this country does, God Bless it, give people chances to reach their dreams. Any person that wishes to do that, and is willing to work for that as hard as most immigrants do, has my support 100%. But have fun with your facist separatism. Good night.

jenkins

Mon, 01 May 2006 23:41:11 -0500

2. 95% of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens. http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20040119-082933-4484r.htm Actually, the quote is 95% of OUTSTANDING warrants. It's still a high number (if true) but much much smaller that 95% of all homicide warrants.

K

Mon, 01 May 2006 23:07:49 -0500

NY

Mon, 01 May 2006 23:05:12 -0500

you all act like we can’t afford to have these people here. Actually, we don't. Even Paul Krugman (hardly a right-winger) admits this. They consume too much public resources (health care, schools, welfare..). The annual cost to US taxpayers in 1997 was $70 billion. Today it is much more, definitely over $100 billion. Maybe you have extra money in your trust fund but the rest of us do not. at the same time help the ones who are already here and offer them a chance to become legitimate citizens. We tried this already in 1984. If we do it now, do you think it stops the illegal immigration? Or does it increase it since everybody knows there will be another amnesty..and another..

NYC

Mon, 01 May 2006 22:47:42 -0500

the funny thing as a fourth generation american (and new yorker) is that there truly has been horrible immigration to this beloved city of mine. for the past 15 years, we've seen an onslaught of white conservative people, grown in their suburban shitholes (and referencing in their posts other shitholes like say phoenix and denver) and unfortunatley, they've brought their point of views as well. oh, how i miss the days when new york was the most open and liberal city in the country! when san francisco looked toward us as a beacon of freedom and intellectualism. but I guess at least now we have whole foods, best buy and trader joes. help. but i digress. we still do open our arms to our white bread friends as well as we do to "illegals" who are only illegal because of idiosyncrancies in the law. everyone here is an immigrant, as well as being a human being. give me your tired, your poor, your waspy guy who grew up in a cul de sac and listens to steve miller, and yearns to be a mid-level marketing manager at a second-teir media company. i love the talk about how immigrants depress wages, yet no one has mentioned how immigrants depress prices and costs as well. this whole issue is depressing. thank god we still have good bars here, where i can avoid the fucksticks who wanna run all pat buchanan on this board. god speed. AMEN!!!

ispitonkraker

Mon, 01 May 2006 22:31:53 -0500

Oh, so you've actually lost your job to an immigrant? I can't believe someone would blame the woes of Delphi Industries on immigrants. whether you know it or not, You krakers benefited a lot from immigrant labor and services. silly kraker, trix are for kids. now go back to craigslist.

Samuel

Mon, 01 May 2006 22:28:35 -0500

Post-Katrina, there were a lot of african-american construction workers but they were fired immediately when "the mexicans arrived" doing the same job for less money (no inconvenient taxes involved). Well, I'm sure NY liberals couldn't care less. They have their secure jobs or trust funds. I hope those companies will be prosecuted and the illegals deported. who are only illegal because of idiosyncrancies in the law. We live in democracy and congress has the power to make laws. If you don't like this, maybe you should move to Mexico. Try protesting there and demand rights. Let's see what happens.

Kojak

Mon, 01 May 2006 21:35:03 -0500

Even though they are illegal and don’t pay taxes, its foolish to think that they don’t contribute to the US economy. Granted they send a lot of that money back to their families in Mexico, China, etc, but most of that money stays here. Not to mention most of them are law abiding and just want to secure a better life for themselves and their families. We should do as much as we can to slow the flood of illegal immigrants into the country, but at the same time help the ones who are already here and offer them a chance to become legitimate citizens. Now really… Is that too much to ask? This being an 11 Trillion dollar economy, you all act like we can’t afford to have these people here. Can someone please tell me what job they lost to an illegal immigrant??

Karen

Mon, 01 May 2006 20:57:29 -0500

I agree with the first post, Roy's. Congratulations to you, for doing it the legal way, brother. As a Delphi worker, I know that Steve Miller is just frothing at the mouth, waiting for the day he can hire newly "legal" aliens, for dollars a day, just as he can now, in Mexico, offer no benefits, and when they get hurt on the job (don't let anyone tell you, factory work is easy. AFter 25 years of such work, I have broken fingers, sprained wrists, had torn rotator cuffs requiring surgery, as well as torn cartilage in one knee...all of which the company fought me on, to deny treatment, or payment of treatment), just fire them, and get a new one. As for the arguement that our way of life is sustained by cheap, illegal labor, wasn't that one of the big arguements, for slavery, in the mid 1800's? That the economy of the South would collapse, if all those slaves had to be freed, then rehired and paid what they were worth? SO, are the illegals, our new American slavery?

is this new york?

Mon, 01 May 2006 20:51:17 -0500

Toby

Mon, 01 May 2006 20:42:33 -0500

I know, we can build a big wall (hiring Haliburton, of course), hire former East German border guards and get graffiti artists to paint the free side. It could be a tourist attraction.

Open borders?

Mon, 01 May 2006 19:33:50 -0500

Should we just remove the border ? Be a HMO for the whole world? We cannot even support current citizens well, how about if we have 200 million new arrivals demanding welfare checks, free hospitals and free housing? Reagan gave amnesty to illegals in 1980's. That did not solve anything. If we now give amnesty next time we'll have 50 million illegals. This just can't go on.

littleblueeyes

Mon, 01 May 2006 19:24:03 -0500

Although I am not sure why the feds won't go and shutdown the chicken packing factor called Perdue or Tyson which has blatantly hired illegal workers to do the meat packing. (Since they admitted that many workers are noticeably absent today) Anyway, maybe they are afraid of the jacked up meat price.

united idiots

Mon, 01 May 2006 19:23:57 -0500

Just cause some of you had it easy and never had to work a day of your life getting paid about $5 a day working on a construction site or working on a farm or cleaning toilets in our mansions, don't judge why other people from around the world getting paid $2 in their own countries for the same jobs decide to come here, legally or illegally. We are all "imigrants" in every sense of the word! I propose a mass citizens arrest be made and we all meet @ The Tombs later tonight and plan our escape from this immigrant ridden country of ours! Deal? I think not. None of you would have anything demeaning to say if these hopefull/hopeless "illegals" were willing to innocently give their lives for this country. Most would likely do so only the military life insurance money is about 100 times their combined lifelong salaries.

littleblueeyes

Mon, 01 May 2006 19:18:23 -0500

In the US, you can't arrest the illegals in a protest like this because you cannot tell their legal status. (The cops or the INS are not allowed to check their documentations on the street without any reasons) They can't pull the same trick in the UK though.

guard

Mon, 01 May 2006 19:05:47 -0500

Where is the national guard? Arrest illegals and enforce the law.

sa

Mon, 01 May 2006 18:54:01 -0500

the illegals are making alot of noise near houston and bway. i think i see some vegans mixed in.

Day without Illegals

Mon, 01 May 2006 18:47:36 -0500

Sorry, don't give me your racism crap. Since when has protesting against illegals been racism? They are here illegally, got it? http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NTBlOTVlNDFkNTYwOTg4YWYxMThkZmE2MWZhMmVjMWM= From Colorade so things are about 500% worse here.. What would a day without illegal aliens really be like? Let’s try to imagine it. Hospital emergency rooms across the southwest would have about 20-percent fewer patients, and there would be 183,000 fewer people in Colorado without health insurance. OBGYN wards in Denver would have 24-percent fewer deliveries and Los Angeles’s maternity-ward deliveries would drop by 40 percent and maternity billings to Medi-Cal would drop by 66 percent. Youth gangs would see their membership drop by 50 percent in many states, and in Phoenix, child-molestation cases would drop by 34 percent and auto theft by 40 percent. Colorado taxpayers would save almost $3,000,000 in one day if illegals do not access any public services, because illegal aliens cost the state over $1 billion annually according to the best estimates. Colorado’s K-12 school classrooms would have 131,000 fewer students if illegal aliens and the children of illegals were to stay home, and Denver high schools’ dropout rate would once again approach the national norm.

Jane

Mon, 01 May 2006 18:39:40 -0500

Why is everyone now pulling this whole "my taxes are paying for their welfare" garbage. Personally I'd rather pay for the welfare of immigrants (and help get social services to them so they don't live in the conditions that breed such statistics that "TH" seems to enjoy spouting) than pay billions to kill hundreds of thousands of Iraqis for oil that is still getting more and more expensive. That taxes argument is rediculous, try to find another way to justify your racism.

Sean Mintz

Mon, 01 May 2006 18:28:49 -0500

Many illegal immigrants do pay taxes. The IRS gives them a special number, called a Individual Tax Identification Number, which allows them to pay taxes. They do this to show that they are just as willing, and in some cases more willing than others, to make economic contributions to the United States. Sean Mintz

argos

Mon, 01 May 2006 18:24:01 -0500

Why not giving money to bank robbers as well? Because it is illegal! Most illegals do not pay any taxes, they do not have car insurance et cetera. Those who actually pay something through fake SSN (BTW, this is identity theft!) claim fake exemptions, deductions, EITC so withholding taxes are minimal. Somebody already mentioned Paul Krugman's article which showed the costs to society. They sure will collect all welfare checks, free health care, school benefits they can find. About those SSN payments: They will get them back once they have been legalised. Pro-illegal politicians take care of that.

eyespitonurkok

Mon, 01 May 2006 18:18:51 -0500

You can't collect welfare benefits, you racists. Again, what about those who come in under false pretense. They "overstay" their tourist visas, their student visas or their racist sponser system. IT's all Nabisco Saltines. cracker. There were many her before your stupid Ellis Island. I wished they kicked your wop or mick grandma's vag into raw hamburger meat.

Pat

Mon, 01 May 2006 18:13:53 -0500

If you have a problem with illegals not paying taxes, why don't you allow a legal way for them to pay taxes? According to the Times Magazine, a lot of illegals actually do pay taxes through fake social security number or tax id number. Except they don't anything back. also, illegals are also consumers as well.

argos

Mon, 01 May 2006 17:57:29 -0500

Just curious: Does this strike mean that the illegals do not collect their welfare checks today? Hope they continue this for a long time.

Bootsy Clay

Mon, 01 May 2006 17:51:03 -0500

Y'know, I'm lookiing at all of these pictures on the wire about the protests, and I'm seeing nothing but Mexicans. Shouldn't the title of the story be "Mexicans plan to protest today?" Why aren't there any European immigrants out there protesting? Who sang that song "Things That Make You Go 'Hmmm'"?

TH

Mon, 01 May 2006 17:50:01 -0500

Really? Unfortunately, New York Times does not publish any statistics unless it supports their political position. The situation here is very similar. For example, welfare recipients are overwhelmingly illegals.

Toby

Mon, 01 May 2006 17:48:45 -0500

The thing I wonder is if these protests all over are filled with illegal aliens, why doesn't the INS (or whatever they call themself now) go and arrest these people? It seems like basic police work. Then again it is the federal government.

New Yorker

Mon, 01 May 2006 17:35:48 -0500

Newsflash, TH: We live in New York.

TH

Mon, 01 May 2006 17:28:14 -0500

some statistics: From the L.A Times(2002) 1. 40% of all workers in L.A. County (L.A. County has 10 million people) are working for cash and not paying taxes. This was because they are predominantly illegal immigrants, working without a green card. 2. 95% of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens. http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20040119-082933-4484r.htm 3. 75% of people on the most wanted list in Los Angeles are illegal aliens. 4. Over 2/3's of all births in Los Angeles County are to illegal alien Mexicans on Medi-Cal whose births were paid for by taxpayers. 5. Nearly 25% of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally. 6. Over 300,000 illegal aliens in Los Angeles County are living in garages. 7. The FBI reports half of all gang members in Los Angeles are most likely illegal aliens from south of the border. 8. Nearly 60% of all occupants of HUD properties are illegal. 9. 21 radio stations in L.A. are Spanish speaking. 10. In L.A.County 5.1 million people speak English. 3.9 million speak Spanish (10.2 million people in L.A.County). (All 10 from the Los Angeles Times) Less than 2% of illegal aliens are picking our crops but 29% are on welfare. http://www.cis.org Over 70% of the United States annual population growth (and over 90% of California, Florida, and New York) results from immigration. The cost of immigration to the American taxpayer in 1997 was a NET (after subtracting taxes immigrants pay) $70 BILLION a year, [Professor Donald Huddle, Rice University]. 29% of inmates in federal prisons are illegal aliens.

TH

Mon, 01 May 2006 17:21:19 -0500

"What about all the a-holes who come here not across the border but through our airports?" At least they have gone through the INS interrogation and fingerprinting and they do not collect WICs (welfare checks). This is the first thing latinowomen do here: they apply for a WIC. Illegals do not have rights. US taxpayers have rights!

S.D.

Mon, 01 May 2006 14:36:40 -0500

Should be titled "Illegal Immigrants Plan to Protest Today". From what I've read, lots of Citizens there too.

INS guy

Mon, 01 May 2006 13:55:28 -0500

Nice of the illegals to round themselves up for us, time to gather the paddy wagons, boys!

Tom

Mon, 01 May 2006 13:39:42 -0500

Sloppy headline on Jen Chung's part. Should be titled "Illegal Immigrants Plan to Protest Today". Unless you can't (or won't) differentiate between legal and illegal.

Hmmm

Mon, 01 May 2006 13:28:56 -0500

"Let's take 100 million chinese, 10 million saudis and 50 latinos here. After all, it may bring extra votes to my party." Who are you kidding? The Saudi's don't want to come here. After all, it may mean treating women as equals. I would love to see them come here and start telling NY women what they *can't* do. Comedy gold.

Ispitonjc

Mon, 01 May 2006 13:28:13 -0500

Yeah, that includes that sponser program to bring more saltines in.

Mexican

Mon, 01 May 2006 13:27:53 -0500

Looks like we're going OK without the immigrants on the strike day. I heard Five Points was closed. The airports are fine. The stock market is running. My brain is still functioning. I can still get a beer.

ethos

Mon, 01 May 2006 13:25:33 -0500

"Why are we talking about immigration here? This has almost nothing to with immigration." My point exactly. It has just as much to do with the rights of an average U.S. citzen like myself. "Illegals do not have any rights." But U.S. citizens -- who could be criminalized if they help "illegals" in any capacity -- parents of U.S.-born children, and Green Card holders -- who could be deported or worse, detained INDEFINITELY -- most certainly do. "Let's take 100 million chinese, 10 million saudis and 50 latinos here. After all, it may bring extra votes to my party." I really have no idea where you're getting that from.

ispitonurkok

Mon, 01 May 2006 13:22:02 -0500

What about all the a-holes who come here not across the border but through our airports? We should get rid of all these on their student visas, their "overstayed" tourist visas and other sneaky ways to get over on us. I'm talking whitey. Yes, that priviledged color that this kuntry values so greatly.

Jimison

Mon, 01 May 2006 13:11:11 -0500

"According to Families for Freedom, all the bills contain provisions that would:" This is hardly an objective source. Why are we talking about immigration here? This has almost nothing to with immigration. Illegals do not have any rights. First, secure the borders. Then, let's discuss what to do with these illegals. Otherwise, if they get amnesty, we have another 10M new illegals demanding the same right in 5 years. Why not smashing the borders altogether? Let's take 100 million chinese, 10 million saudis and 50 latinos here. After all, it may bring extra votes to my party.

Jesus Christ

Mon, 01 May 2006 13:10:25 -0500

My mexican maid told me she wasn't working today to join the rally. I told her to not come back, that I'll hire someone else and that her six children would starve to death in the next few weeks cause she would be unemployed and I would call immigration officials to take her away and she would be in jail in Mexico. She then changed her mind and said she would work today and I got bonus foot massage. Awesome!

ethos

Mon, 01 May 2006 12:59:05 -0500

Just to clarify some things: [From NY Daily News] According to Families for Freedom, all the bills contain provisions that would: Deport long-term residents for increasingly minor crimes, even when they are green card holders, U.S. veterans or the parents of American-born children. Expand immigration detention facilities, using domestic military bases and for-profit prison facilities. Overturn Supreme Court rulings and legalize the indefinite detention of noncitizens. Turn local and state police into immigration agents. Erect a massive border fence and further militarize our border communities. Enable Homeland Security agents to expel suspected foreigners indiscriminately. Create a national identification system for all workers. The very real dangers these provisions represent for immigrants spurred Families for Freedom to take part on a recent national demonstration in the nation's capital. "On April 24, hundreds of families directly affected by deportation converged on the Capitol to remember our loved ones - among the 1.4 million people deported since 1996," Shahani said. "Immigrant rights do not just depend on legalization," she added. "We need Congress to repeal the anti-family deportation laws that are aggressively tearing apart our homes and communities." It is a fair and humane demand that, unfortunately, got lost in the harsh rhetoric that has prevailed in the immigration debate. ----------------------- When you get past the lip sevice from BOTH sides, I can see why people are upset about this legislation. A lot of what's being proposed would not only threaten people who are here illegally, but everyone else as well.

Heh

Mon, 01 May 2006 11:16:35 -0500

"the GOP will lose Florida, California, and the southwest for a decade..." Right on, Tim N. Must be the same genuis leadership who had the foresight to invite Stephen Colbert to the White House Press dinner. That was awesome. Colbert is my new hero. Not only did he not back down and play nice, he threw gasoline on the fire. Well done. Off topic, sorry.

J

Mon, 01 May 2006 11:13:11 -0500

I for one wouldn't have a problem with a "pardoning" program or something, but I just don't get how anyone could advocate such a program when it gives people who broke the law and entered the country illegally a leg up on the people who tried going the legal route (green cards and such). Do any of these programs address that? Also, about the fact that these people enable us to live better lives...I agree, but don't forget they need us as much as we need them. It's not like they're doing us some huge favor.

Tim N.

Mon, 01 May 2006 11:07:49 -0500

David Brooks, the Times resident righty, said that if the House bill passes and deportations begin, then the GOP will lose Florida, California, and the southwest for a decade. To wit I say: Carry on, gentlemen. Discuss...

JBC

Mon, 01 May 2006 11:05:04 -0500

"This is not about immigrants, but ILLEGALS." I think the point is that we would all be illegals were it not for some twist of fate, money or luck. There but for the grace of God go I...

MH

Mon, 01 May 2006 10:58:10 -0500

Every country has a problem with illegal immigrants. The World should take an opportunity to capitalize on the situation. One way to capitalize is to train illegal immigrants, via the military. (not a gun) Place them all on work/education VISAs for a couple of years, then send them back to their country to do the same ,but, work for the United Nations. They would get paid by the World Bank. After a certain number of years, they can go to a country of their choice or stay in their own country. As it stands, the illegal immigrants leave their country for economic reasons. So that is the issue which should be addressed. It should be addressed as soon as possible. As a citizen of the USA, I can not live in America without paying rent/mortgage, or without paying taxes and medical bills. No other person should be able to either. Illegal immigrants should be processed out of the country and given a Visa to come back in. In the mean time their countries should pay the USA the back taxes. The immirants can pay their country back after returning.

TH

Mon, 01 May 2006 10:54:06 -0500

Actually, native americans "stole" this land from other people but this is besides the point. We have INS (or whatever it is now called, BCIS?) which should check everybody who comes in. This is a country of laws. BTW, this event is organised by "Mexicans without borders" movement. This is their open goal: To remove the border between the US and Mexico. How nice. This is not about immigrants, but ILLEGALS.

um...

Mon, 01 May 2006 10:46:56 -0500

technically, they have as much of a right as you or i to be here... unless we are all native americans, we are all here illegally. just because our ancestors were wealthy enough (comparatively) or lucky enough to get in, doesn't mean we have any more right to be here than anyone else. we illegally stole this land from people who already lived here. what would you say now if the remaining native americans filed a lawsuit against the current citizens of the u.s.a for us to leave? where would we go? a ridiculous, comparison yes, but not that far off... just because they are desparate or poor does not mean that we have the right to kick them out. they came here with the same dream as the rest of us. i think we need to ask the question: why are they coming here illegally when it is so much more dangerous? perhaps if we re-worked our immigration policy, the illegal option would not be so tempting. if it was just a simple matter of filling out some papers, i am sure they would do so. but it's not.

MH

Mon, 01 May 2006 10:43:17 -0500

This would be a good day to take a consensus of every person that took the day off for "Day Without Immigrants." There is no question that many people who are here illegally work very hard. The hard workers include, Asian, Europeans, UK, Russians,Africans,Canadians, Hispanics and Latino. Illegal immigrants have been coming to this county for years, and some, working better paying jobs than the South Americans. If the immigrants were truly sensitive to how they are treated, they would see Latino and Hispanic consistently wined up with menial labor. I have never seen day laborers that look white. I have never seen African day laborers either.

mig

Mon, 01 May 2006 10:36:08 -0500

your cushy quality of life is impossible without unpaid, exploitative immigrant labor. i only wish the protest would last a week, instead of a day, so that everyone would truly feel how impossible their lifestyles are without immigrant labor.

Vin

Mon, 01 May 2006 10:27:11 -0500

I have sympathy for the hardworking, law abiding illegals and their necesity to the economy, but saying that they deserve equal benefits and treatment as legal immigrants is just outrageous. I was a legal immigrant who had to wait 5 years to come over to the US, another 5 years holding a green card before becoming eligible to take the citizenship test and took my oath to become a full fledge citizen of the US. In the mean time learning English, U.S. history, and paying all my taxes every year, which most likely subsidize many of the benefits that the illegals are getting now. If illegals are put into equal footing with legal immigrants with green cards than we might as well abolish the INS, throw out all immigration laws and just let anyone come in. I support the guest worker program that would eventually lead to citizenship for law-abiding illegals, but they cannot be placed ahead or even at the same level as legals in obtaining citizenship. There also has to be some type of punitive measures in terms of monetary penalties (a % of back taxes, perhaps) included, but I wouldn't felonize them.

rikomatic

Mon, 01 May 2006 10:21:43 -0500

I'm with Bush on this one. I can't believe I just wrote that: America's immigration system is outdated, unsuited to the needs of our economy and to the values of our country. We should not be content with laws that punish hardworking people and deny businesses willing workers and invite chaos at our border. It is time for an immigration policy that permits temporary guest workers to fill jobs Americans will not take, that rejects amnesty, that tells us who is entering and leaving our country, and that closes the border to drug dealers and terrorists.(From his State of the Union Speech last year.)

Drew

Mon, 01 May 2006 10:05:21 -0500

I was about to say the same thing. I just can't respect the people that want the same rights as those that went through the system legally like yourself. Once they put themselves through the system and become legal, THEN they can ask for the same benefits.

Roy

Mon, 01 May 2006 09:51:12 -0500

Day without immigrants? I'm a (legal) immigrant unlike those people. This is not about immigration (which is good) but about illegal intrusion by people who do not pay taxes but flood our hospitals, schools and other public services. Paul Krugman had good article about this few weeks ago in NY Times. Please, no more politically correct names. Illegals are not immigrants. (Similarly, bank robbers are not bank customers even if both visit banks).