Why People Support Illegal Immigrants

Sorry if I wasn't clear.... I know there are many people who are opposed to illegal immigration too. I guess what I am trying to say is, I understand why people oppose to illegal immigration - because, obviously, it is ILLEGAL. What I do NOT understand is why some people support illegal immigration. And I am trying to find a reasoning behind that.

Some good points.

Some good points

While I cannot agree in the least with illegal immigration, I have heard a few sides of people who do.

In the minds of some people "illegal" immigration shouldn't exist. American is one gigantic "melting pot" and most of us were born in this grand country because somewhere down the gene pool, someone from our ancestry Immigrated to this country.

They feel because of this that America should have more of an "open door" policy.

There are others that just have big hearts and feel it wrong that we American's are doing soooooooo much better than people in other countries thus we should open our doors for these people to come to the land of equal opportunities.

Then there are those who are supportive of illegal immigrants because of the ones that have family here, have made their way here, are trying to start a life, and have children here, and are now suddenly being ripped away from said children and the children are left parentless and hopefully have family here to care for them.

I cannot claim to know the answer, but I don't think we need anything like an open door policy... or even a "knock and come on in" policy.

I think your points have some validity, Selene -- out of sight, out of mind.

However, any measure of public opinion indicates that Americans are overwhelmingly and emotionally against illegal immigration.

I honestly feel that those that support illegal immigration want to have a steady supply of cheap labor to depress wages in this country. Americans are some of the hardest working people on planet earth, but they want fair pay and benefits for a days work- I know I do!

If these would be employers were wiling to day decent, then Americans would be lined up around the corner to fill out an application. For an employer illegal labor means increased profits, no union, no worker comp claims, no demands for health insurance, no OSHA complaints, no taxes because you can pay them in cash, and someone that will generally accept a lot of BS that no American or person here legally would stand for. Legal labor is always more expensive so to increase profits employers turn to illegal labor especially if their competition is doing the same thing. Illegal labor is cheap and is heaven for an employer.

It all comes down to the almighty dollar!

Most people are against illegal immigrants but the media usually paints them as the down trodden and makes the bleeding hearts waffle.

You made an excellent point though about people caring only about the things that directly effect them. Of course they always want the other guy to pay for everything as well so.... Selfish indeed.

"American is one gigantic "melting pot" and most of us were born in this grand country because somewhere down the gene pool, someone from our ancestry Immigrated to this country."

I'm not sure if we are a big melting pot any more. It use to be that people were glad to be here and they learned the language and were proud to became Americans. I think that now our melting pot has a few lumps in it. Many cultures come here and they do not want to assimilate. In fact, in some cases I think it's exactly the opposite. They want America to change for them and their language and culture. They won't learn English. They want to fly the Mexican flag above the United States flag. They're only here for the goodies and whatever they can send back to Mexico. At least that's the way I see it.

Sorry if this is off topic. I just wanted to respond to what Melanie S. had posted.

Lera....that is exactly why I am against illegal immigration.....I think it shoud be a crime to be able to fly another flag above the American flag...I think anyone living in the USa should learn English. I know a few people who know it but refuse to speak it. I think that is wrong...way wrong. When I meet people like that..even if I know their laungauge..I refuse to speak to them in anything but English.

thanks for sharing

I had thought that the majority of the Americans "should be" against illegal immigration, but a large number of articles on Gather showed otherwise. I have seen many pro-illegal immigration articles or comments ever since I joined Gather. I was surprised.

I dont think that most of the people on gather that argue for illegals actually support them I think they just like to argue.

Good article.

I think that there is a % of people who feel superior to the rest of the world by being for "the oppressed," just so long as "the oppressed" remain their gardeners and nannies and don't move in next door. These people call themselves progressives or liberals but I don't. There is a % that never had an interest in politics. It is the rest of us who's responsibility it is to be the informed citizens who make their decisions based on reason as the Founding Fathers intended.

BTW do we really need 12 to 20 million illegals to pick our lettuce, as my over educated son tells me?

Seriously, how can illegals even apply for citizenship? Are you talking about now or if the so-called bill now in the Senate is passed. I am very left brained (logical) and somehow illegal /= (doesn't equal) citizen. But then if I was as smart as Kennedy/McCain I'd be a millionaire too!

From the statistics I remember reading, most of the crop workers are here legally. A lot of the illegal workers are working in the trades type jobs like construction and some meat packing businesses. These are not low paying jobs that Americans won't do. So, I do not believe that argument.

Jack, I do think that you have a point when you wrote that some people feel superior to the rest of the world by being for "the oppressed". I was in a discussion just a few days a go about immigration where the writer of the article gave me the distinct impression that she felt morally superior to those of us who would like to see the laws enforced.

I also wonder if some of the defenders of the illegals have some feelings of guilt that play a role in their support of them. I'm talking about well to do people feeling guilty because they have so much and the illegal immigrants have so little. Does anyone have any thoughts about that?

Now just how the heck did I miss this article?

I have always thought that the " pro-illegals " are being paid to blog here for either big buisness, political parties, the news media or perhaps Gather itself. Todd L and I were just discussuing this possibility.

Just think about it....Just last week there were pro-illegal immigrant articles all over the place, and neither Todd or I had ever heard of the authors of those articles. Also, all of those articles just happened to be published about the time that the new Immigration Reform Bill was before the Senate...hmmmm

Great article Selene and a good one to debate as well.

What I am curious about is the fact that democrat politicians want amnesty for illegals. They want the future votes and the new victim class to pander to that we are all gong to have to pay for. But all the die hard liberals here are against it. Where is the liberal backbone in this? Where are the marches? Please....all you white liberals might get what you want.....but you aren't included.....

Timothy, remember my article was far from supporting illegal criminals rom being allowed to continue here. Selene, you have made some good points. I think since people are not truly affected, then they are not aware, nor think that there are Legal Americans that are being affected.

Lera - About your last question about the guilt... That was another paragraph I eventually deleted in my article. I decided to talk about one trait at a time. But yes, I do think that some people feel "sympathetic" to the illegals, and "guilt" probably comes with it.

But I don't see people being sympathetic or feeling guilty to a bank robber. No one says, "Oh, that bank robber just wanted to feed his poor wife and kids. Just let him keep the money he robbed, and welcome him back to the bank and pick up some more free money." How about that.

Tim - I don't really think those people are paid to post on Gather... Maybe I am naive. But I have seen pro-illegal arguments ever since I joined (Aug 2006), so I tend to think that they are not part of a big conspiracy. But what do I know?

Randy..I wasn't talking about your article.

What has never made no sense to be..is when these illegals receive legal status...the goverment thinks this will correct the problem....It didn't the first time. So How can it this time? Secondly, all those illegals when they become legal will go after your job or my husband and push us out. Than who is going to work in the fields or so called jobs us Americans don't want for low pay?......Yeah,...give an insentives for more illegals to start the cycle all over again. It is like goverment is proudly announcing.... Come illegals..it will only be that way a little bit..than everything is yours for the taking..if you haven't already.

I have a problem with people coming here illegally and not learning the language. There are parts of Miami that you go into a store such as Walmart and there is no one there that speaks English. I am tired of hearing of their rights when they are here illegally in the first place.

I think that all the people that were given amnesty back in 1986 should have that grant rescinded due to that fact the only part of the amnesty that was actually orchestrated was to give blanket amnesty to 2.7 million people. This was called the IRCA,The Immigration and Reform Control Act. Somehow, someway they forgot the second part------the REFORM CONTROL ACT.

While the business lobby is powerful, you have the greater power. YOU Can let your Senator know how you feel and that this immigration laws must be enforced or you will vote for someone who will enforce them.
Still in America, no one can buy your vote.
You can blog all day long and not have the ijmpact of a strident phone call to your senator's office.

I don't think illegal immigrants take away anyone's job. They are mostly in construction, hotel or farming. Americans in general do not seek for these jobs. I think illegal immigrants are not criminals rather victims who only want to have better life. They get exploited by the big business. I think we should be outraged at the government and the big business for making the situation of Immigration so worse.

Syed,
Everyone wants a better life and, to be hones, most of the world want to live in the USA. Most of those people however, respect law. Those who come here illegally have already demonstrated that they are willing to break laws of their own country and ours. They cannot work without documents so they get fake ones from counterfeit rings who are usually also drug dealers.
It is not the illegal who is exploited...they are making good money, better than in their home country. But employers use the illegals to hold down wages for citizen.
Syed, contruction jobs used to be good union jobs.. A man could support his family with a contruction job. Now the illegals have ruined all that. American minorities suffer the most when illegals come in and compete for jobs with them. It depresses their wages while driving up the oost of living, especially rent.
Syed, your perpective is not at all consistent with reality.

Ron, how do you know that the most of the world wants to live in this country? Have you been following the international media news? Unfortunately, not many foreigners want to visit America or live here anymore.
Being an immigrant, either legal or illegal, is a difficult task. No one wants to leave their home and become a "second" class in a strange land. In other words, no one wants to "dislike" where they come from. But, due to unfortunately incidences, they have to do what they need to, in order to live their lives.
I am not sure if you ever lived in any of the developing (3rd world) countries but... The conditions are different.
I suggest that you try to understand other people, besides your own.

Syed, you are wrong that Americans do not want to work in construction, etc. I think that is a complete myth and one that has been spread and misused for way too long. My youngest son started working in the construction field out of high school and was a superintendent at a construction company at the young age of 25 -- because he was a VERY hard worker. Now, that is not to say that others are not hard workers too, but I had to put in a good word for him. Unfortunately, in early 2007 the construction company he was working for went bankrupt and he lost his job and could not find another full-time job in the field. He has been working at anything he can find: a job installing windows, another job installing countetops, and now works part-time for a company that does repair work for insurance companies. At least his wife has a good job so they are barely able to make ends meet.

Exactly right. If we all had the tax collector send us a separate bill for what it's costing each & every individual for the free services given to illegals, I don't think we'd hear all these very loud & vocal protests.
Like you said, "out of sight...out of mind"
If I went to France I would NEVER think it my right to get free services. (I use France because I went there once). It's stealing!

Sen Larry Craig did NOT make the news conference because he was arrested at a bathroom during a connecting flight. But his secretary went on with the conference and explained the government study sponsored by Craig that said Undocumented workers pay MORE in Taxes than they get in benefits. IT is contrary to those who LIE and say they are getting free benefits.
In the state of Idaho, Health and welfare MUST be given VALID SS numbers before any benefits are paid. Moreover, if a child who is a US Citizen BUT has a parent who is NOT a Citizen, then ANY welfare benefits will be denied to said minor US citizen.
We found a US citizen who took over her grandkids upbringing when the mother could not work and the father was NOT allowed to work and YET the minor children were denied benefits.

I assure you property taxes on rentals are MORE expensive and those taxes are paid by renters.
IF an employer Hides wages paid, then those wages appear as profit and probably put him in a higher tax bracket. Either his employees pay it or he does.

Immigration reform is NOT about opening the borders but rather allowing families to stay together. Remember a case where a man was deported leaving his American wife and kids behind in the US. There are hundreds of cases where families are torn apart.

The problem is that too often a US citizen has a relative who is not a citizen. There are childred who grew up in America but are NOT citizens and may be deported to a land they know nothing about.

As Sen John McCain once said about troops fighting in Iraq"How can we tell returning servicemen their families have been deported"
Yep, 29,000 non citizens fighting and DYING for America.

Hatred has been instilled into the immigration debate so that facts are muffled.

Come to Street Rebuttal and watch video responses of what people think about illegal immigration. Greg Fitzsimmons just posted his views. Do you agree? http://www.streetrebuttal.com/view_topic/21/5036

I would like to popint out that not a single blogger actually came up with any reasons for people who oppose illegal immigration and those who want immigration reform.

Did you notice I didn't say that I WANT illegal immigration.

That's right you morons. There is nobody in this country (or at least very, very, few) who actually want illegal immigration.

That's like saying that I want abortions.

Please stop purposely being naive or just plain ignorant.




We want immigration reform.

We want to acknowledge the fact that millions of people were ALLOWED to immigrate to this country throughtout history without having to pay thousands of dollars of be subjected harsh interrogation or deal with persecution.

We want Americans (who by the way most of immigrated to this country) to acknowledge that your own government allowed thousands of illegals to come into this country and make a living for their families.

We want everyone to acknowledge that there are thousands of actual people who came to this country illegally but who contributed to this great nation, and not just in the last 5 years. There are illegals who raised families that have sons and daughters who have served our country.

So, we want Americans to stop being fear mongering idiots and come to the table with an actual plan to enforce our borders while allowing for those contributing to this country to have an opportunity to continue to contribute to this country.

We want immigration reform. And if you want to call it amnesty and treat it like it like it is a bad word, then fine.

yes there are no illegal immigrant as we believe in our country whole security system, maybe some exception