ritz627 wrote:... If America preaches its democratic ideals across the world, why don't we practice them in our own country?
... It's not a valid connection. What do democratic ideals have to do with ignoring the rule of law?
... As for your other arguments, as to the feasibility of shipping all illegals back to Mexico, no argument - it would be a tremendous undertaking - like going to the moon or something. ... but America pulled that off.
... It is a very difficult situation, no argument, and the economics involved are huge. This is because the problem has been allowed to fester unattended for so long.
... How many buses can be scrounged up for the job? And ships? And building a real wall across the border, end to end, would require no miracle of engineering. It could be done, if anybody actually had the will to do it.
... And who would suffer? Well, now we get into the economics, and certainly the cost of goods and services would rise as a result.... but the point still sticks in the craw, doesn't it?
Illegal aliens are criminals, every one. Companies that employ illegals are no less culpable and must be made to
suffer legal penalties for their crimes - nothing like the slap on the wrist they receive now, with a knowing wink from Uncle Sam, signaling that this is just the cost of doing business.
... Add to this the fact that a majority of Americans favor very tough actions against illegal immigration, and are demanding (and being ignored) that something major be done about it.
... And here are a few "carefully researched factoids", concerning the state perhaps most impacted by illegal immigration, California:
1. Illegal immigrants costs the average household $1,183 per year.
2. Mexican immigrants account for only 3 percent of the state's economic output, despite comprising almost one-third of the population.
3. 41.5 percent of Mexican immigrants used "major welfare programs" like Medicaid and food stamps, while native Californians used only 14.2 percent of the same programs.
4. California hospitals provided $500 million last year in emergency care for illegal immigrants -- seven times the amount of the federal grant issued by to cover such costs.
5. Healthcare for illegals costs approximately $1.4 billion annually. Free medical care for illegals has degraded and closed some of America's finest emergency medical facilities and caused hospital bankruptcies: 84 California hospitals have closed their doors as a result.
6. The cost of incarcerating undocumented immigrants in prisons and jails in California is approximately $1.4 billion per year
... Personally, this has had zero effect on my life (nowhere near California), BUT, I am presently attempting to obtain a green card,
LEGALLY, for my wife, and you would not believe the bureaucracy, the money and the headaches... and the TIME involved in this undertaking. To see illegals just jump a fence, squeeze out a kid ("anchor-babies") and be set for life... makes me want to buy an automatic weapon and take a trip to south Texas.
...