

Effort to curb illegal immigration from America's southern neighbor heats up








II. Is the Price Right?








III. Border Policing, Domestic Surveillance are Topics Mired in Controversy






Marijuana Mexico




IV. Members of Congress Critical of DHS Spending


Ron Paul
[Image Source: AP]






Sources: Raven Aerostar, WSJ

Comments     Threshold


RE: P214
By RufusM on 8/16/2012 1:00:43 PM , Rating: 2
This is the amnesty argument: We can't get rid of them so let's let them all stay and legalize it. This is an incentive that encourages illegal immigration.

When my great, great grandfather came to the US from Norway on 1882 his incentive was free land. When it comes down to it, behavior is about incentives and dis-incentives.

We need to dis-incentivize illegal immigration by creating conditions that make it less desirable for Mexican people to come here illegally. One thing is tougher laws and better deportation practices. Another is to start working with the Mexican government to clean up their act. Building walls and fences is just a band-aid and doesn't solve the problem; that there's a huge incentive for Mexican people to come here. We need to police the border while change in Mexico happens, but we need to start helping to make that happen too.

RE: P214
By MrBlastman on 8/16/2012 1:04:38 PM , Rating: 2
Mexico's problems aren't our own. Have you looked at our National debt lately? We have no business trying to fix their problems.

What we can do is give current immigrants a path to legality--and at the same time... force them to pay taxes while on it... which will increase the revenue our government receives to help pay down that debt.

Also, this incentive is a one shot deal. It could be coupled with immigration reform making it more desirable and attainable for those south of our border to attempt to reach. We sorely need immigration reform in a positive way.

RE: P214
By Apone on 8/16/2012 1:25:19 PM , Rating: 3
@ RufusM and Mr. Blastman

I agree but the issue is that many foreigners are brainwashed into thinking that "America, the land of opportunity!" is synonymous with "if I come here, I'll be spoonfed the opportunity and can flourish by being complacent" which unfortunately is not true.


And this is exactly why I'm not a fan of Obama immigration reform attempts or California Governor Jerry Brown's DREAM Act. Where are the incentives to all of us former immigrants who worked our fingers to the bone coming to the States legally, integrating into the culture, and making it on our own without any help? Is Uncle Sam (or California) going to reimburse me for my undergrad and grad school loans under the DREAM Act?

RE: P214
By RufusM on 8/16/2012 1:31:23 PM , Rating: 3
Amnesty is never a one time thing. The US will get a flood of illegal immigrants when word gets out that it's coming. After amnesty takes effect, that won't stop anyone from continuing to come here illegally. The same problems will still exist and we'll need another amnesty down the road, continuing the cycle.

While there are many illegal who would pay taxes, there are many who would go on entitlement programs so it's not the revenue boon you think it is. Plus it will also attract criminals looking to do business here in the US so there will be more dollars spent on those people. There's just no way to sort the good illegal immigrants from the bad illegal immigrants and the political parties here in the US would never let you give amnesty to some and not to others.

Granted, it's a complex problem but I think Mexico's problem IS our problem since their population is coming to the US in droves. Why not reduce the dollars we spend overseas and spend some getting Mexico in line since it impacts the US? There are plenty of military bases we can cut. For all of the dollars the US has wasted just in Iraq, we could have done a lot to help this problem.

RE: P214
By MrBlastman on 8/16/2012 1:58:26 PM , Rating: 2

This is why you don't announce it prior to passing. You just do it. One day you come out and say:

"Hey, if you can prove you've worked here x number of years with community references and are currently living here on this day, you've got a shot."

It isn't perfect, but it's better than nothing.


If people think we spend too much on the war on drugs here in the United States, wait until they try and spend money taking down Mexican drug cartels. Whole cities are routinely massacred in Mexico. It's horrifying.

Thanks but no thanks. Until the Mexican government proves that they can seize control of their own country, pouring money into them is as pointless as sending it to Africa.

RE: P214
Whole cities are routinely massacred in Mexico. It's horrifying.


RE: P214




RE: P214
By Reclaimer77 on 8/16/12, Rating: 0
RE: P214
Dear MrBlastman,






