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IMMIGRATION

Illegal Immigrants Should Be Deported, Say Most Americans

Majority view conflicts with DC wisdom

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by Mary Noble

Senior Editor t

McCain gets an immigration-themed earful from conservative Arizonans / Image: Boston Herald

With some Republicans now backing a "path to citizenship" for America's 11 million illegal immigrants, the prevailing DC consensus is that mass deportation is not going to happen.

That political wisdom clashes with the majority view in Main Street USA, however. A new poll shows that over half of American citizens think "most or all of the country's 11 million illegal immigrants should be deported," according to Reuters.

30% believe most undocumented immigrants should be deported, while 23% believe ALL of them should.

The split between lawmakers and many voters on this issue is vividly illustrated in the amusingly heated debate between John McCain and his Arizonan constituents at a recent Town Hall (video below).

Via Reuters.
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Do you think America's illegal immigrants should be deported?

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Comments (view in Forum)

  • Santiagoquijan
    !
    As a matter of fact I believe that those illegal immigrants who come here and work in those fields the citizens don't want to, should be given a chance to make
    their dreams cometrue, however all the trouble makers should be expelled with
    no considerations none at all. Also those children who are born in the USA and
    think they can belong to a gang should be deported to their parents country.
  • Canoochee
    !
    @Santiagoquijan I agree with you partially. I think the jobs you refer to are not one's American citizens won't do, but, can't do. At least at the wage the illegals can work for. Hire a citizen and they have to be paid minimum wage and have taxes deducted. don't have that problem paying illegals cash.
  • jessejaymes
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    @Canoochee Go try to hire an illegal standing around in the morning at Home Depot. They all demand 100.00 a day. This old wives tale about them working jobs that Americans won't work is pure BS. I don't know anyone out of work who won't work for 100.00 a day.
  • Canoochee
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    @jessejaymes I see your point, and there never seems to be a shortage of them at Home Depot.

    I damn sure won't pay the 100 a day unless it's damned hard labor. Bet if you rolled up around 10-11 AM offering 40 or 50 per day you would get some takers. Maybe not where you are, but, here in Georgia its a sure thing.
  • AntiPorcheria
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    @jessejaymes - LOL! My son works in a profit sharing builders group. He would love to make $500 a week tax free. Come to think of it, that's a better wage than most legal citizens.$500 a week is $26,000 annual tax free. Not bad.

  • View all 37 replies >

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    BossTweed
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    I totally agree. We are a Nation of Cowards who didn't demand that our Border be defended and we must pay the price. Baby Boomers just didn't Man Up. We aren't worthy of America.
  • u
    S-N-A-F-U
    !
    It's called resolve. President Eisenhower launched a campaign against illegals to send them back from whence they came, it was called "Operation Wet-back." It was very successful in causing the Illegal parasites to 'Self Deport." The way it worked was very simple, they dried up all the jobs through employers with stiff fines and even jail for non-compliance.

    With this administration it's all about illegal voters, and turning this country into a 3rd world entity filled with the most ignorant from south of the border.

    All law breakers -- meaning violators that are charged with protecting our Sovereignty, Constitution, and 'rule of law' should be JAILED 'tout de suite,' starting with the "Great Pretender" in the Oval Orifice and his shoulder borne parrot in DOJ!!!

    http://www.youtube.com/embed/6Zy297Xgr8Q
  • FollowTheMoney
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    @S-N-A-F-U The career politician is in it to win it, for them selves. Their resolve is to perpetuate their careers. What they lack is integrity, doing the right thing for the country regardless of what it cost their careers. And Eisenhower had it right.
  • mwr
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    Let's process them based upon their home countires laws. Anyone look up what Mexico, Japan, Russia, China do to illegal aliens? They dont play games... treated and processed as criminals. We should do the same.
  • LGRepublican
    !
    This subject goes WAY beyond deportation. As much as we think people should be held responsible for their actions, the reality is we can't round up and deport 11 million people. At the same time, it isn't fair to those who are going about coming to this country LEGALLY to be held to a higher standard that those who came her illegally. The first thing we need to do is shore up border security so this problem doesn't become an occurring thing. Reagan tried amnesty in 1986 thinking it would be a one time shot. Fast forward to 2012 and some are talking about it again. No matter what we decide to do, nothing will matter unless the border is secure.
  • FollowTheMoney
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    We had this discussion last week. So I e-mailed Rand Paul and made your exact point. His response was on target. He said he is looking at immigration reform but only if measures to secure the borders are guaranteed first.
  • stepped_in_it
    !
    Even though I agree that they should be deported, the question is will it solve the problem?
    Without a secured border, they will just re-enter the country.
    Without fines and jail time for employers who hire these illegals, they will still re-enter the country.
    We can talk about and act on deportation all we want, but, unless those 2 items are fixed first, we are just peeing in the wind!
  • jessejaymes
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    Obama is bragging about bringing home 30,000 troops from Afghanistan. I bet 30,000 troops with all that expensive equipment added to what is already there could lock down that border tighter than a drum. But they won't. The rich want them to help destroy the middle class. people who never had anything don't realize they are losing anything when the come to somewhere that it looks better. Amnesty is a bullshit proposition. Just an excuse for the Dems to get votes and the rich to destroy the middle class.
  • Post Removed by Moderators
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    zachsquatch
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    There is no wisdom in DC, on both sides.

    Now, with that out of the way. It makes no sense whatsoever to reward illegal activities. We cannot sustain such a mass influx of illegals to only allow them to capacity to have equal rights. With this same logic, anyone in the US convicted of a crime should have the capacity to write it off, it truly is as fair as it gets. We have borders and laws for a reason, follow them and enforce them- the same can be said for the gun argument. We don't have the jobs, we don't have the money, we can't do it. When you're in debt and have a deficit, you're BROKE. We are BROKE and we cannot do this. We have accomplished mass deportation before and we can do it again. The next silly argument that they throw around is that the Europeans were illegal. This is the way that it has worked for thousands of years and there was no central governing body with the Natives. As someone that can legally register as a Native, I say get rid of them. Their rights end when theirs super cede mine, and they have because under no circumstance would me violating the law and being caught go unpunished. We need to stop the stupidity and just do what needs to be done. Allowing these people to stay is a slap in the face to anyone that has worked their asses off to get here legally.
  • o
    earl
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    I don't believe that the majority of them come for a job. They come for the welfare benefits. I could be wrong. I once thought I was wrong. LOL.
  • o
    NavinRJohnson
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    @earl

    Tell me more about how illegals get welfare benefits..

    How many citizens do you know that negotiate Dr fees prior to having a child or procedure? Most of the Hispanics I know do, even the legal ones.

  • View all 48 replies >

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    earl
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    Of course you would go to jail but Obama and Democrats see them as potential Democratic voters. To Hell with what it's doing to the country.
  • FollowTheMoney
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    @earl Don't kid your self,career politicians of either of the power parties will take a vote or campaign donations from anywhere they can get it.
  • wonka45ACP
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    @FollowTheMoney I agree this path to citizenship bull pucky' has future voters of america written all over it, so lets pat their backs now.
  • FollowTheMoney
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    @earl That's just political posturing. Reform is the issue being bantered around. Republicans, like Rand Paul, are considering reform but want a secure border first.

  • View all 10 replies >

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    CommonSense
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    @falco_alba
    Not when you consider how much it will cost for an effort to find all these people. In fact no matter how much money we throw at it it won't work.
    Drugs are illegal but they're still here. Why does anyone expect a massive deportation effort to work? How would you do it anyways? People keep saying they want to deport all the illegals but never propose a plan for actually doing it or they naively hope that if we just punish the employers they will deport themselves. We should punish the employers but we should not delude ourselves into thinking that's going to cause everyone to self-deport.
  • mudpike
    !
    Not exactly sir , but likely far less than years of free food, housing & medical . I would donate one of my weeks of vacation & come down there to drive a school bus back to the border . Like a shuttle service - load up a day bag , get on the bus & deliver them to the border.
  • o
    earl
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    Millions of illegals live along the border, a five mile trip. A few old buses and volunteer drivers, it is doable.

  • View all 25 replies >

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    earl
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    Not stolen, after they lost the war they sold much of the Southwest for a few million dollars. Stupidity, not theft.
  • u
    Seneb
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    @earl "not stolen"... From what I understand annexing and then making the loser pay is called "sue for peace". By definition that is stealing, especially since the US started the war.
  • o
    earl
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    @Seneb Under the terms of the treaty negotiated by the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hildago,, Mexico ceded to the United States Upper California and New Mexico. This was known as the Mexican Cession and included present-day Arizona and New Mexico and parts of Utah, Nevada, and Colorado (see Article V of the treaty). Mexico relinquished all claims to Texas and recognized the Rio Grande as the southern boundary with the United States (see Article V).

    The United States paid Mexico $15,000,000 "in consideration of the extension acquired by the boundaries of the United States"

    I expect that had Mexico won the war, their terms would have been worse. They lost the war and were stupid. Nothing was stolen.
  • u
    Seneb
    !
    @earl "I expect that had Mexico won the war, their terms would have been worse. They lost the war and were stupid. Nothing was stolen."

    But the Mexicans had no chance from the start. President Polk was sure they would give up within a week. Hence it was an unfair war started by the US meant to annex Mexico. They saw weakness and took their chance. Why is that not stealing?

  • View all 6 replies >

  • harold_lloyd
    !
    Some of those illegals adhere more American ideals than some of you people.

    Some of them came here as infants, or children too young to remember anything else.

    Some of them should be deported.

    Some are violent gang members and criminals.

    Make a rule that covers all those situations fairly, and with some compassion.
  • RoFroh
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    There should be no compassion for law breakers, going in a case by case basis will just drag out the task, NO AMNESTY!!! You wouldn't get any there!!!!
  • harold_lloyd
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    @RoFroh
    My personal goal is to emulate the best of humanity, not the worst.

    And I differentiate between at least two categories of lawbreakers, those who commit violate criminal laws, and those whose malfeasance is limited to what amounts to an administrative law. I see a real difference between how we should treat a child who was brought here at the age of two, and how we should treat John Allen Muhammad.

    Is 'NO AMNESTY' a principle, or just applicable to people you don't like. Ever renew your license late, or get off with just a warning for a minor traffic violation?
    Has anyone ever given you the benefit of the doubt?

    And where is 'there!!!'?
  • RoFroh
    !
    @harold_lloyd my personal goal is to OBEY the law....no I have never renewed my license late and never had to get a warning or the benefit of the doubt. I see no difference between children or adult illegal immigrants....if you give a pass to one you wind up giving passes to most.....and there is just about any other country on the planet.....they don't condone being in the their country illegally and some will kill you for it!!!

  • View all 6 replies >

  • o
    NTBFW
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    They SHOULD be deported. They are here ILLEGALLY. But I can't see HOW we CAN. I DON'T blame them for coming here I have no grudge against them. But we either have laws we follow or not. This concept of picking and choosing which laws we pass and which laws we enforce is WRONG. But I believe the 11 million number is low by far. I don't know what to do with them. We can't just say F it and leave them alone. At the very least they need to pay taxes. They are as good of people as anyone and should be fine citizens. But the fact is they are here ILLEGALLY and that can't be ignored. Just like a drug user being allowed to own and buy guns.
  • mudpike
    !
    I agree many are good people . They are far harder working than the inner city useless humans that now have generations of knowing nothing but ' gimme mo' money'
    But with illegals, there is no control of the workers & the criminals. And out Gov't. should not be so eager to offer all the freebies that erode the working class's take home pay - simply to gain a larger parasitic voter base.
  • la3rd
    !
    The ones that are already here that haven't committed crimes should be allowed to stay register go to the back of the line behind those who did the right thing. but the way to slow the roll is to make it toxic for employers who hire with out papers take away the jobs an you slow the flow. As far as putting them in jail goes I don't think tax payers would like spending the estimated $45,000 it takes to house a prisoner a year to the tune of 11 million. This is not theory to me being in construction and being low balled by relatively cheap labor. Second what makes this country great is its ability to take the best brains from all over the world making them American and keep on growing. half of my family didn't come here from Plymouth rock the other half come here on coffin ships to avoid the potato famine both made good on the American dream. My apology to the ones in Newfoundland I know you are proud Canadians.
  • la3rd
    !
    The ones that are already here that haven't committed crimes should be allowed to stay register go to the back of the line behind those who did the right thing. but the way to slow the roll is to make it toxic for employers who hire with out papers take away the jobs an you slow the flow. As far as putting them in jail goes I don't think tax payers would like spending the estimated $45,000 it takes to house a prisoner a year to the tune of 11 million. This is not theory to me being in construction and being low balled by relatively cheap labor. Second what makes this country great is its ability to take the best brains from all over the world making them American and keep on growing. half of my family didn't come here thru Plymouth rock the other half come here on coffin ships to avoid the potato famine both made good on the American dream. My apology to the ones in Newfoundland I know you are proud Canadians.
  • la3rd
    !
    The ones that are already here that haven't committed crimes should be allowed to stay register go to the back of the line behind those who did the right thing. But the way to slow the roll is to make it toxic for employers who hire with out papers take away the jobs an you slow the flow. As far as putting them in jail goes I don't think tax payers would like spending the estimated $45,000 it takes to house a prisoner a year to the tune of 11 million extra detainees. This is not theory to me being in construction and being low balled by relatively cheap labor. Second what makes this country great is its ability to take the best brains from all over the world making them American and keep on growing. half of my family didn't come here thru Plymouth rock the other half come here on coffin ships to avoid the potato famine both made good on the American dream. My apology to the ones in Newfoundland I know you are proud Canadians.
  • o
    earl
    !
    The illegals have already committed a crime. The ones who apply legally, wait their turn learn our language and assimilate should be welcomed. The illegals don't do that.
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