Should we make it a federal crime to be an illegal immigrant?  Why?
469811
The Jails Are Full Enough And The Judicial System Is Overburdened Enough - I Think ILLEGAL Immigrants Should Be Deported IMMEDIATELY Upon Discovery\nNo Jail\nNo Judge\nNo Passing GO\nNo Collecting $200.00\nIf You Are Here ILLEGALLY, You Are Entitled To DEPORTATION\nNothing More, Nothing Less\n*********************\nIn Respnse To gkmarie1(Above)\nYou Stated\n"i'm not sure about sending back what is a major force in the workplace" \nILLEGAL Immigrants Comprise 5 Percent Of The Workforce\n**Unemployment Is 4.7 Percent**\nDeporting ILLEGALs Will Free The Job Market For Unemployed Citizens To Get Work\n***************\nel_hottie91 - You Stated \n"they take the Jobs that americans dont want"\nYou Dont Give Hardworking Citizens The Respect They Deserve\n****************\nDr. Harold_K...-You Stated\n"it should also be a crime for companys to solicit imigrants to work for them."\nTHAT Is A KEY FACTOR To Resolving This Issue\nEmployers Must Be HIGHLY Accountable\nFines Do Not Work - The ONLY Deterrant Is JAIL SENTENCE For The Employers
833783
Yes. It is OK. But the illegal immigration should be persecuted as criminal.
658449
the only thing I do not understand is... We are all from other places of the world. The person who made it illegal to live here was an idiot. It's like making killing a crime and giving everyone a gun and a reason to use it. I do not understand why it's so easy to commit this crime. OF COURSE IT BENEFITS THE STATES... it shouldn't be an illegal act! It's cavemen science... you go to where there's a better living. IT's NOT A CRIME, we are not stealing, raping or killing... if anything the illegal people are getting cheated on, but USA will never accept that. Can't we just get along?\nThis issue is so funny, THEY WILL NEVER EVER FIX THIS PROBLEM. Nor will the problem fix them. You'll see.
801077
Illegal immigration's a crime, and there's better answers to dealing with global poverty than letting everybody move to the United States...
397940
Yes It Is\n\nAnd We Can Do It Easily And Cost Effectively\n\nCongress Needs to pass a law that says, quite simply, that the CEO (ANY EMPLOYER) of any business that was caught employing ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS went to jail for a year - \nNO EXCEPTIONS - \n\nWe Must STOP Handing Them Social Services IMMEDIATELY\nA COLD TURKEY Approach - \nNO Health Care(Except Emergency)For ANYONE Not A Citizen\nNO Education Benefits For ANYONE Not A Citizen\nNO Welfare Benefits Of ANY KIND (Yes Including WIC Programs)\nFor ANYONE Not A Citizen\nSound CRUEL???\n\nWithin a month there would be ten million (more or less) people lined up at the Mexican border trying to get out of the United States And Back To Whatever Country They Came From. \n\nDo you want to pay taxes to a Government that uses your tax money to subsidize people from Other Nations who Aren't Contributing to Your Nation,??? \nWho are helping drive down the Quality of Life, and your Peace and Tranquility??? \nDo you as a TAXPAYING CITIZEN  even feel comfortable in Visiting the Decaying Inner Cities of this Nation that YOU OWN??? \nDo you feel good about paying for these Decaying Inner Cities with your taxes??? \nDo you feel like a FOREIGNER  in YOUR OWN NATION??? \n\nIts time that WE THE PEOPLE (Citizens) started Telling OUR Government that the Borders MUST BE MAINTAINED if the Government wants to Tax the Citizens.\n\nWe CANNOT SELECTIVELY ENFORCE Our LAWS \nWe MUST DEMAND That OUR GOVERNMENT \nSEAL OUR  BORDERS IMMEDIATELY  \nPUSH HR 4437-NO AMNESTY\nDEPORT ALL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS UPON DISCOVERY
396432
If people obtain legal documents saying that they will pay taxes to the USA then to me they can do anything they want to as long as it doesn't do anything bad. But if they're here illegally then they should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. The option to come over here legally is always open but unfortunately some people would rather live in fear than knowing they did something right unlike millions of other people.
644487
Your point being? The reason they patrol the boarder so heavily is because they have agreements with the U.S. to do so.  To prevent narco-trafficking.  Your argument however is a reasoned one I respect that. Your right this nation is very open to immigration its part of what made it great.  But, the question is whether it is just to felonize behavior simply because another nation does.  Just because a law exists in another country does not make it just.  \n\nYou are using a circular argument.  We should do this because they do this, so we should do this.  Circular arguments may sound rational but they rest on false premises.
934912
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS NOT A VICTIMLESS CRIME\nApologists for illegal immigration like to paint it as a victimless crime.  But in fact, illegal immigration causes substantial harm to American citizens and legal immigrants, particularly those in the most vulnerable sectors of our population--the poor, minorities, and children.\n\nIllegal immigration causes an enormous drain on public funds.  The seminal study of the costs of immigration by the National Academy of Sciences found that the taxes paid by immigrants do not cover the cost of services received by them. We cannot provide high quality education, health care, and retirement security for our own people if we continue to bring in endless numbers of poor, unskilled immigrants.  \n\nAdditionally, job competition by waves of illegal immigrants willing to work at substandard wages and working conditions depresses the wages of American workers, hitting hardest at minority workers and those without high school degrees. Ý \n\nIllegal immigration also contributes to the dramatic population growth overwhelming communities across America--crowding school classrooms, consuming already limited affordable housing, and straining precious natural resources like water, energy, and forestland.
17152
As a former legal immigrant, after taking into consideration of the history of our U.S. Immgration and policies as well as my personal experience, I will have to say that illegal immigration should be a felony in our country, at least in the foreseeable future.  I had to wrestle with this subject for quite a few years before I could arrive to my conclusion.  The illegal immgrantion upsets the legitimacy of legal immigrants.  Essentially, this illegal act ridicules the law of the land and encourages others to follow.  No country could sustain itself if the control be allowed to be violated continuously.
339051
why does it have to be illegal?
545864
It's bull--it, If you come to this country legally, GREAT..If you come here illegally why should we allow you to stay, you already broke the law...& to let felons come here to work? NO WAY !!!! This country was founded by LEGAL immigrants..............
551263
It is the government's responsibility to enforce the law and they didn't. If he broke an International Immigration law by EWI (entering without inspection), there is no legal document that shows that citizens must report them or call police or even the INS, unless he has committed a crime. Don't make this a witch hunt by civilians, let the government do its job. Don't make the problem worse than it is. Your civil participation by calling your Congress Representative with your views is your responsibility, not harassing people you "suspect".
392489
Oh, my dear PANCHA...  You already know my stand on this,... but we'll 'dance' again...\n\nIt may very well be that many illegal immigrants don't understand the severity of their crime.  But that doesn't matter:\n\nIGNORANCE OF THE LAW IS NO EXCUSE...Period!  Without the 'Rule of Law', society would degrade into utter chaos.  \n\nImagine that I go into a parking lot and find your car, unlocked, and with the keys in it.  Does that mean that I'm suppose to drive it?  And if I take your car, get caught, and am charged with a crime,... would it be okay with you if I claim that I didn't understand how severe the crime was?;  that I decided to take the car because I wanted to get somewhere faster than walking, and the opportunity just presented itself? (...and yes, that IS a fair comparison).\n\nNo one should enter another STATE, much less another country, without being knowledgeable of the laws which apply to them.\n\nOne would think, given the overwhelming opinions against your rhetoric on this issue, that you would have 'seen the light' by now.\n\nBut PANCHA must, indeed, live in a  very dark and lonely place...
837431
The evidence in support of putting and end to illegal immigration is overwhelming. Study after study, fact after fact CLEARLY demonstrates this. Illegal aliens have broken federal law, they are in fact criminals. The U.S. Government has made but a token effort to enforce the law and in every other aspect (free food, free medical, free education, public assisted housing) encourages and rewards the lawbreakers.\n\nI find that the U.S. government is guilty of aiding and abetting a criminal enterprise. I find them guilty of importing criminals and sentence ALL former Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and members of the House and Senate to give up and forever relinquish their FAT pensions.\n\nGee if we could do that this problem would have been solved in a heartbeat
1121878
Unfortunately not.  Illegal immigration is considered a federal problem and does not fall under the jurisdiction on local authorities.  The local police can arrest illegals and detain them for the federal immigration officials to deal with, but they don't have to.  Chief of Police is a political position though, so you can put pressure on him to do more about the problem.
561811
A crime is a crime.  If it is against the law then anyone that breaks the law is a criminal.  SEAL THE BORDER. Mandate English in the schools period....
250922
How about this?\n\nPenalize (harshly) businesses that employ illegals. Multiple offenses = jail time. \n\nYou should be required to match the social security number to a national database. Social security should be required to assist. \n\nNo SSN = No Job, No Apartment, No Drivers License, No Bank account. Nada, Zip, Nichts, Nunya.\n\nWhen the money dries up, so will the flood of illegals.