Just a question to think about... if the majority of the Mexican immigrants in the US do jobs that Americans do not want, and they are given legal status to become residents, etc., won't they stop wanting those jobs and we will need even more immigrants then to come and fill them?
202513
yes of course over the years this has happened time and time again\n\nMost of these people are really nice people and hard workers, but they are being rewarded for breaking the law.\n\nIf I was unemployed and decided , heck I will rob banks but not use any weapon so no one can get hurt, I am not hurting anyone, so why does it matter.\n\nShould I not be forgiven for breaking the law, I was merley trying to make a better life for myself and I was not hurting anyone.
469353
Yes, I have heard this before and have read it in the news.  In fact, if the illegals who are presently in the US get that much hinted at "amnestsy," you can bet even more of them will no longer do the work "Americans won't do."  No siree!   In fact, there will be a new tidal wave of even more illegal immigrants than ever before to take the place of the "previous" illegal immigrants, all hoping to also receive amnesty in another 10 or 20 years.  This is just another carrot dangling in the faces of illegal immigrants.
143305
I am Mexican, i live in Mexico, and i see this as a big problem for both our countries. I have the sensation that this is turning into a figth instead of the brainstorm, the generation of ideas, and figuring out the solutions of this SHARED Problem.\n\nI am not in favor of that kind of things like the marchs or the boycot, because i think they can provoque a diferent response than we are expecting to be.\n\nI do understand that the immigrants have found that as the only way to make americans to hear your voices. And i hope they remain as pacific as they have been.\n\nI hope that American people realize that there are many persons, besides the illegal immigrants, that have made links to the immigrants, that have hired them, that have made friends, associates with them. But specially that they are there because America has the jobs and oportunities they needed and didn't find in their own countries. \n\nAnd that they are not in the USA to figth, to snatch their country, but to work and compete, just as any of the american people does. \n\nI know this have not been done properly, but i hope americans realize that in this moment the time cannot comeback, and the fact is that there are millions of people in that situation. That's why i believe there's the moment to create solutions.\n\nAnd YES, THERE ARE MANY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS - and part of the solution is realizing the facts, so we can change it if this is wrong.\n\nBut what i hope the most, is that the immigrants, wheter they are Mexican, Colombian, or from any other country in the world, realize that they have things to do as well, and a lot of things. \n\nI believe this is a great moment to show how good they can be at work, how good they can be at the moments of negotiate, how good they can be in their integration of that nation -USA- that have embraced them.\n\nI don't want them to forget their roots (Mexico is great and i can understand that they would never stop loving this country), but they must be grateful with that country as well. I believe they have to learn english, and i believe that is not only American country that has to get used to them, but they need to understand the americans point of view.  \n\nTALK AND SOLVE.\n\nAND FOR ALL THE PREVIOUS ANSWERERS - WE ARE NOT LAZY!!!
272326
Immigrants legal or not do a whole lot of jobs that 99% of Americans wouldn't do and even if we somehow forced everyone of the unemployed to work there wouldn't be enough people to fill ALL the jobs that immigrants do.\n\nThe US economy wouldn't crash per se but would be placed in a serious world of hurt. \n\nThank God for all the hard working immigrants in our country. Remember that ALL OF OUR FOREFATHER WERE IMMIGRANTS!
559115
First and foremost.... these people DO NOT WANT TO BECOME CITIZENS.  Therefore, they will not join up to pay taxes, etc.  They will just continue to send $$$ home to Mexico. Bush and company assume they want to be citizens, but I have not heard any of the illegals say that.  Just that they are "taking over".  Send them all  back.  No special treatment or deals.
324532
During his testimony during the Senate hearing last week, economist Professor Richard B. Freeman, Program Director of Labor Studies at the National Bureau of Economic Research noted that in no job category do immigrants constitute a majority. I believe he said 30% was the highest concentration. So literally there is no job that Americans don't do. Not theory, but fact.\n\nHowever if shortages of labor do occur the normal economic responses would apply. Raising compensation to attract workers or increasing the efficiency of workers through mechanization or other methods is what's usually done. There may be certain jobs that don't make economic sense. The existence of a huge pool of willing workers of has encouraged the use of labor where it would not have occurred had our immigration laws been enforced. It's not like the economy won't adapt. That's what markets do. \n\nYou also have to realize that just as illegal immigrants don't take jobs from legal residents in a zero sum calculation, their absence will also mean that fewer jobs will need to be done. Illegal immigrants, like everyone else, aren't just workers. They are also consumers of goods and services and when they leave that role, a certain number of jobs that are related to that consumption will also not be needed. \n\nMy hope the increased demand for labor will allow teenagers  once again to enter the world of work. And even more important for our society, the disturbing level of unemployment among black males and the social problems that creates could be reduced. I would also like to see prisoners work. There is no rehabilitation without work. Work is what responsible members of a society do.
333766
lets see...millions of Mexicans get to circumvent the law and become Americans ahead of others.Flooding our already over extended food, medical, and fuel supplies among others. \n\nAnd America gets to have a better soccer team.\n\nUmmm...I am happy with my current soccer team right now.
127405
yes, as well as those we never thought of doing. theyre very inventive. they cant work jobs we do like as they have no credentials/id. all employers are responsible for their output whether production or service. with preasures of being certified & unions & such, they really cant hire immigrants. besides, its easier to hire employees you can talk to.\nimpact. well, they come here to live. all the money they make here is spent here through rent, bills, gas, food...all the things we have to pay for. those who come to prey on the wealth of the states are a drag but we need to be allowed to police ourselves to solve that. the government cant be our mommy & fails miseable every time reguardless of power or money. health care, nearly all are too scared of deportation to go to the hospital which is a 'foreign' idea anyway. shouldnt have socialsism in the 1st place. thats why we left england. as we've seen with katrina, the private sector is more giving than any gov. imagine what we could do without the strain of taxes, which the immigrnts pay into through commerce. they are actually less of a drain on any of our systems by desire to stay under the radar.\nwhat should be done... open the borders, legalize comin to america. seems a contradiction in terms to close america. what kind of decent person should deny any other their ameriCAN dream? the borders are there to keep out other governments, not other people.\ni grew up all over los angeles. moved away at 13 & have lived all over the country.ended up in texas at 16 & have lived here for most of the last 20 years. also, im cherokee, blackfoot & hopie. so, who has birth rights around here? it burns deep when i see & hear all the hate based on ownership of this country which...used to be mexico.  remember the song 'this land is our land'?
185782
"They do the jobs Americans won't do."\n\nPlease stop using that bs. Yes there was a time when americans did those jobs. Some were usually a person's first job in the workplace. Others were done by people who needed a job and didn't care what it was. Americans don't do it anymore because of the immigrant. The employer will take the immigrant over the american.
135079
Well - gosh - I see so many "Americans" lining up to clean, cook and do yard work.  These so called jobs being taken away from Americans (ha,ha) are given to immigrants bcuz they will do them for next to nothing in pay and if YOU were to do any of these jobs you would want $50 an hour with benefits and vacations and sick time and a say in what you do and a title for your job and pay raises etc, etc. You get the drift ???????
105648
There are over 200 million US citizens, so you probably have more than one opinion!  I as one US citizen don't feel threatened by Mexican immigration.  The system we currently have is broken.  I believe the law should not be broken and employers should be fined if they hire illegals.  At the same time, why not let Mexicans come legally to the US, give them Social Security numbers and keep everybody paying into the social programs.  Many illegals are paid cash, which means there is less money going to pay for the soon to retire baby boomers.  Mexico has a young population, but the US has a aging population.  The US needs more Mexican immigration.  If people come to work, fine.  I wouldn't want people to come and to demand social programs and services in Spanish.
44666
*Noddling for this is an interesting question* I can sum my thoughts up simply using one word from the topic.\n\nILLEGAL!!! Says it all dun ya think?\n\nNow for the more expanded version...\n\n1st I wanna say I have no prob with immigrants, after all most of the people we concider American's ancestors (and some of mine) were immigrants who came here by legal means. There is no problem there.\n\nBut, I do have a problem with the huge amount of money being shelled out by us tax payers to pay for welfare, education, medical ect to someone here illegally.\n\nNot only that, it is evident here in states on the borders that businesses are using low wage/under the table pay Illigals as their workers. And we are not just talking picking fruit in fields. All sectors are now affected by it, from construction, to manufacturing, to high tech trade jobs. It is wrong that Americans who wish to work cannot find work at a reasonable wage and must resort to accepting near minimum for positions that took years of educational expenses and experience to be able to do or to go on unemployment as they cannot find the work that pays a reasonable wage to meet living expenses or to move to areas not as affected by the situation...\n\nIt is past time our government here in the US starts representing the US people and stop accepting big business money to ignore the problem.\n\nJust my 2 cents...
216556
YOU GO GIRL... I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU 1000000%. THAT IS WHAT I KEEP SAYING.. WHO THE HELL IS GOING TO WORK THE FIELDS IN HOT WEATHER FOR MINIMUM PAY IF THAT.. THIS COUNTRY CAN NOT SURVIVE WITHOUT US MEXICANS.. AND THAT IS A FACT THAT PEOPLE WILL JUST NOT ACCEPT.. WE ARE MUCH HARDER WORKERS THAN ANY AMERICAN HERE.. WE WILL WORK SELLING FLOWERS, FRUIT OR WHATEVER, BUT WE WILL WORK.. WE WON'T BE LAZY AND GO THE EASY WAY LIKE MOST BEGGERS ON THE FWY OFF RAMPS!! SO NOTHING WRONG WITH US.. IF ANYTHING IS WRONG, IT'S WITH AMERICANS NOT WANTING TO ACCEPT US HERE IN THIS COUNTRY.. WHAT HAPPEND TO THE LAND OF THE FREE???
384446
Yes.  Many people wrongfully equate illegal immigration with people of Mexican ancestry.  This is very unfair because we don't assume the same of people who are from other countries.  There are more Mexican immigrants here illegally than any other nationality, but that's only due to our proximity to Mexico, and they are by no means the only people who are here "without papers".
553090
this is wrong and should be stoped . now why are all the illegals in this country???if they were not hired to work here they would be someother place. think about it and think who is responsible for the influx of illegals. its not the mexicans. talk to your big rich companies and the ones who hire illegals.
281705
They do take jobs.  They work for less than the govt requires be paid to legals - construction right now is the worst.\n\nThe reason we worry about it so much is because almost all of the illegals are then using govt assistance, and since they are paid under the table or do not have to pay taxes.  We end up paying for them to be illegal.\n\nI worry about whether I can give my family everything I want to (and work hard to be able to) and my taxes keep going up because of the illegals.\n\nAND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON HOW MANY OF THEM THEN BREAK OUR LAWS and end up in prison where I am AGAIN paying for them...\n\nWhy do you care what we worry about?  If you too are American and do not worry about it, then I suggest you write your congressman/woman and suggest that people who are in favor of illegals can pay into a fund with their earned money so the rest of us no longer have to.\n\n<< go to any govt care facility in CA - they are NOT ALLOWED TO TURN ANYONE away, SS# or NOT - they cannot even ask for immigration status! - be sure you have all your facts for EVERY state before you say something is stupid.>>
181591
somebody said about no real jobs and the mexicans issue. This anyway doesnt apply on me I am not mexican, but why I cant find a decent Job. I have my education and i am sure not because of the mexicans but because of the OUTSOURCING. My Job aswell of many other vanished for some CHEAP LABOR overseas (india and china), The issue of the illegal immigrant has been  a problem since forever, but why now it was erupted? Because the Big companies are laying off people left and right, and outsourcing the jobs of others, maybe they knew some retaliation will happen so they erupt and paid money in millions to let media concentrate on mexicans.\n\nBeside that someone said the 300.000 on welfare.... Did you trach how many are not mexicans on welfare and they are capable of working but they dont want to do anything beside selling crack on the streets and hang out arround. You know how many are those? MANYYYY.\n\nWhat about the war thats is not OURS!!! war expense everyday was estimated of 100 millions. Gaz for vehicles, food for soldiers, etc... What we have to do with irakians problems? why we still there? thats beside everyday we lose one or 2 soldiers. These are humans !!! THATS where you lose Money!!!\n\nAnd for those who said now we have laws about immigration I am afraid that you missed totally the point of the person who asked this question. He mentioned the settlers as a prove that all white, yellow, black, brown except what called red indians are IMMIGRANT. You accept that fact or not, this country history return back to 300 to 400 years max. \n\nAnyway americans are offensive to newly immigrant? yes but because of some rules in some companies about zero tolerance against discrimination they dont say it out loud. btw If the americans didnt descriminate against others based on their origin...why there is a law prohibit the descrimination !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!