Illegal Immigrants Are Being Invited To Leave... Is This A New Approach By Customs Enforcement Aka Ice?

[burghard]

ABC NEWS... Immigrations and Customs Enforcement will soon be providing particular immigrants an choice to come forward... there are about 500,000 immigrants who have received deportation orders... if they come forward in August 2008... they will be given 90 days to get their affairs in order with no sudden upheaval..they may own house, autos, and have youngsters in school...once again they will be give 90 days to close out their affairs prior to they comply with the law and return to their native nations...immigrant advocates say that by signing any document they would be giving up any possibility of becoming a legal citizen...immigration courts are backlogged and detention centers are full... Federal Officials are hoping the program will ease the pressure..what's your take?

[adusa37]

If the U.S. had a "points system", and enforced it, maybe tomorrow morning we would have merely 1000 illegals in the whole nation..I am tired of that old saw, "yearning to be free of charge".. Most areas on earth are free.. Change it to "neer-do-wells yearning to make a buck"...NOTE: People who are "creating it" in their house country have no desire to come to the U.S....Or perhaps maybe for a holiday..With our falling dollar we are now the 3rd world to several travelors..

[pfesssley]

There are, depending on who you listen to, between 10 and 14 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.  The vast majority are hard-working people who came to the U.S. seeking better life, not so much for themselves(a lot of illegals work long hours for very low pay) as for their children, and pose absolutely no threat to American society, whatever nonsense Pat Buchanan may be spewing to the contrary(consider, for example, that in today?s U.S., people of German descent outnumber people of English descent two to one; there are as many Americans of Irish descent as there are Americans of English descent; Americans of Irish descent outnumber the population of Ireland two to one).  So there is no reason to think that hundred years from now the number of Americans of Mexican descent could not exceed the population of Mexico... Criminalizing illegal immigration, conversely, is bound to fail.  The entire U.S. prison system is overcrowded, with over three million people behind bars.  Routing 10 to 14 million illegals(including women and children) through this system is a physical impossibility, unless you want to drastically lower the(already non-existent) standards of "comfort". So the options are,(1) a comprehensive immigration reform(including both legalization of illegals and lowering the barriers for professional, business, and entrepreneurial immigration), or(2) concentration camps.  I sincerely hope that the latter is not being seriously considered, so let me spend a few minutes on the former. Currently, the U.S. has an immigration policy heavily skewed toward family-based immigration.  The policy on business and entrepreneurial immigration, conversely, is very restrictive(to qualify as an immigrant investor or immigrant entrepreneur, you need to invest at least $1 million in a business with at least 10 U.S. employees; plus, you have to be from a country with which the U.S. has an investment support treaty, so Russians, for example, are automatically disqualified on this count).  As a result, only a few thousand people(far less than the 10,000-person quota set by the U.S. government) take advantage of this opportunity in any given year.  In Canada, meanwhile, you can simply loan the government C$400,000 for five years without interest(if you want to qualify as an investor) or be a business person with net worth of C$300,000 and intend to operate a business in Canada(if you want to qualify as an entrepreneur).  In Britain, you only need to show you have £200,000 in the bank.  So immigrants with money steer clear of the U.S., while immigrants without money pour in illegally... Professional immigration is similarly discouraged.  Even physicians are allowed to immigrate only if they intend to practice in an underserved area.  Professionals wanting to immigrate into the U.S. must prove that they have "extraordinary ability".  Compare this to Canada with its points-based qualification system(which, by the way, is completely separate from the business immigration mentioned above); a combination of college(or better yet, advanced) degree, four or more years of work experience, the right(between 21 and 49) age, proficiency in English and/or French, and a job offer from a Canadian employer virtually guarantees your qualification...  

[Galton]

kymlor said: 1 If the U.S. had a "points system", and enforced it, perhaps tomorrow morning we would have merely 1000 illegals in the whole country..I'm tired of that old saw, "yearning to be free".. Most places on earth are free.. Change it to "neer-do-wells yearning to make a buck"...NOTE: Folks who are "making it" in their home country have no desire to come to the U.S....Or perhaps maybe for a vacation..With our falling dollar we are now the 3rd world to many travelors.. 65 months ago

[Skeggr]

Legalize 'em, and the sooner, the better... There are, depending on who you listen to, between 10 and 14 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.  The vast majority are hard-working people who came to the U.S. seeking better life, not so much for themselves(a lot of illegals work long hours for very low pay) as for their children, and pose absolutely no threat to American society, whatever nonsense Pat Buchanan may be spewing to the contrary(consider, for example, that in today?s U.S., people of German descent outnumber people of English descent two to one; there are as many Americans of Irish descent as there are Americans of English descent; Americans of Irish descent outnumber the population of Ireland two to one).  So there is no reason to think that hundred years from now the number of Americans of Mexican descent could not exceed the population of Mexico... Criminalizing illegal immigration, conversely, is bound to fail.  The entire U.S. prison system is overcrowded, with over three million people behind bars.  Routing 10 to 14 million illegals(including women and children) through this system is a physical impossibility, unless you want to drastically lower the(already non-existent) standards of "comfort". So the options are,(1) a comprehensive immigration reform(including both legalization of illegals and lowering the barriers for professional, business, and entrepreneurial immigration), or(2) concentration camps.  I sincerely hope that the latter is not being seriously considered, so let me spend a few minutes on the former. Currently, the U.S. has an immigration policy heavily skewed toward family-based immigration.  The policy on business and entrepreneurial immigration, conversely, is very restrictive(to qualify as an immigrant investor or immigrant entrepreneur, you need to invest at least $1 million in a business with at least 10 U.S. employees; plus, you have to be from a country with which the U.S. has an investment support treaty, so Russians, for example, are automatically disqualified on this count).  As a result, only a few thousand people(far less than the 10,000-person quota set by the U.S. government) take advantage of this opportunity in any given year.  In Canada, meanwhile, you can simply loan the government C$400,000 for five years without interest(if you want to qualify as an investor) or be a business person with net worth of C$300,000 and intend to operate a business in Canada(if you want to qualify as an entrepreneur).  In Britain, you only need to show you have £200,000 in the bank.  So immigrants with money steer clear of the U.S., while immigrants without money pour in illegally... Professional immigration is similarly discouraged.  Even physicians are allowed to immigrate only if they intend to practice in an underserved area.  Professionals wanting to immigrate into the U.S. must prove that they have "extraordinary ability".  Compare this to Canada with its points-based qualification system(which, by the way, is completely separate from the business immigration mentioned above); a combination of college(or better yet, advanced) degree, four or more years of work experience, the right(between 21 and 49) age, proficiency in English and/or French, and a job offer from a Canadian employer virtually guarantees your qualification...   NC 65 months ago Please sign in to give a compliment. Please verify your account to give a compliment. Please sign in to send a message. Please verify your account to send a message.