Why couldn't the gov. punish protesters for illegal immigration with economic terrorism if they had succeeded?
606649
Because illegal immigrants don't make on average $50,000/year plus full benefits...like the New York City transit workers do. It is also not forbidden by law like the strikes in New York. Besides all that, is everything terrorism? The guy next door sprayed some insecticide...is that eco-terrorism? We are so consumed by the idea of terrorism that we cant, even for one day, accept that free speech might not be terrorism. If we destroy liberty to defend what America is, then what are we defending?
339931
Ludicrous idea.  Next thing you know these politicians will label these folks as "livelihood-terrorists".  What harm exactly are these immigrants causing?  If anything, they're keeping the economy rolling right along.
347395
It is possible it could work, but forging a new government of the people, by the people and for the people should have worked too. Unfortunately these different sects are so used to blowing each other up they don't know any better.
515266
Officials are not allowed to kill, except on self-defense. If an official murder someone without reason, it should be jailed. If someone tells you the army is shooting at illegal immigrants who try to cross, they are lying to you (apparently some people want to implement that in the US). Illegal immigrants are caught and deported. There is impunity and violation of human rights, including murder, but that is in violation of the mexican laws, there is no way the government or the congress have commanded to shoot people in the border.\n\nNow, the Mexico-Guatemala border ain't exactly a nice place, there are gangs, drug smugglers and corrupt officials. So, it's not surprise that there are dead people, dead innocent people. The same happens in the border of Mexico-USA.\n\nI lived in that zone a few years ago and people who tries to cross and are caught are jailed and then deported. That's what the officials are allowed to do. I never saw or heard of a "shoot'em illegals" kind of thing. That's plain BS.\n\n"If their destination is Mexico, which it never is, they would have to contend with Mexican Immigration Laws. If you are not familiar with these, here is a link."\n\nAn example of ignorance (or maybe shameless propaganda). A lot of people from central america crossed illegally to Chiapas state to work in the coffee industry for better salaries than what they had in their countries. Some others headed to Quintana Roo state to work in the tourism industry.\n\nYou can read the reports of Human Rights in the links I added below, those state what are the current situation of human rights in Mexico and what are the serious problems. It states the main issues about "law enforcement" and abuse of the authority. Any abuse (assaults, rapes and murder) in the border is considered that, an abuse.
418171
The word "illegal" indicates the person committed an act against the law. Usually, punishment such as prison and fines are the penalties for committing a crime, but apprently some people feel that illegal immigration should take exception. Illegal immigration should be PUNISHED, not rewarded.\n\nTo answ3r3r: Illegal immigration has NO comparison to the civil rights movement. Rosa Parks was a CITIZEN fighting for equality. The immigration protests are demanding PREFERENTIAL treatment.
516635
They don't, and that's the shame of it, our corrupt politicians are allowing our country to be invaded so they can establish the NWO-(New World Order) these outlaws that cross our borders illegally have 0, none, notta, zilch, not one right to even protest here.
273953
well duh\nof course it should be\nthe gov only keeps illegal to make money off of the busts
816327
I don't think a solid number should be set. However, as illegal immigration as I proudly am, there are a lot of people here illegally and at least some of those people are good working people with no criminal record.   There's no practical or moral reason to boot productive people in society.\n   That said, some gang members do exist, drug dealers, etc. As an independent nation we have the right and responsibility to deport those who do have a criminal record.  \n   This applies to anyone of any national origin, I single no one out.  I feel the US has the soverign right to set quality standards for those who stay.  If we continue allowing anyone to come waltzing into the US the only other option will be an eventual police state, coupled with more gov't control of the economy.\n   I can think of nothing more tragic.
594469
Sorry, just because people protest does not make them violent.  Why would they take up arms and damage the economy that provides work for them.
590423
They wouldn't want to be accused of being used to 'chill' anyone's freedom of peaceful expression.  There were tons of legals at the march.  They had no more knowlegde from looking at the crowd who was and who was not an illegal immigrant than we did.  Realistically, they would have been barbequed if they had gone up to every person there and asked for ID to be in the country.  Besides, there is no law that says you have to carry ID when you protest, so what good would it do?  \n\nSome absences may have given them leads, or some businesses that closed may have confirmed suspicions, but they need some level of cause to accost someone.\n\nGood thing, too.  I'm against illegal immigration, but who wants to live somewhere where you can be detained just for doing what they did yesterday?
50824
It probably works to some degree. We've managed to prevent some terrorist actions as a result of it...although at the expense of diminishing the authority of the U.S. Constitution.\n\nI'm a believer in slippery slopes so I imagine the logical end to all of this is to preempt every potentially illegal action by putting the entire population of the country into prison...just to be on the safe side.
365671
Legally they're entitled to, so I don't see why they can't if they're pissed.\n\nHonestly though, it's sort of annoying when people strike and affect thousands of others (i.e. transportation strikes, teacher strikes, etc.)
597507
i'm american but what i've heard about their immigration policies...i'd say there are loopholes..hijackers forced a plane to land and had 180 hostages they got welfare and subsidised housing for 5 months while the govt decided if they should get citizenship. they should have been arrested for committing a felony.
676027
YOu answered your own question.\n\nNo one has the right to break our laws and to do something illegal.\n\nWithout control, any terrorist can learn Spanish and come over through Mexico. This is not a racial issue but a country taking a hard stance to enforce good laws.\n\nNoone can blame the poor Mexicans for trying to better their lives but it cannot go unchecked without damage to our country and the rest of us.
1181552
That is like saying a raped woman should have done something to prevent a man from wanting to rape her.\n\nVicente Fox is doing nothing about stopping the mass exodus of the citizens of Mexico.  Why would he?  The money sent back to Mexico is the second largest source of income for his country.  The illegals who come here don't care about what they're doing to our entire economic system.  If they did, they'd pay for their medical treatment instead of bankrupting hospitals, they'd learn English and teach it to their children so our resources weren't going to waste in the public school system while we pay for their special classes, they wouldn't kill or maim our citizens then flee back to Mexico and to the breast of their government, they wouldn't steal SS #'s and cause problems for our citizens to sort out, the list is endless and the Mexican government and its citizens are to blame.
437273
So there are people in the US that work illegaly, And if someone does something illegal there should be consequences. What about the government choosing not to enforce the law as well as they could? Then in practice we have a law that may or may not be enforced and that is not to blame on illegal immigrants. So now that 9/11 happened people are worried about the borders but the current situation is as much fault of the immigrants as everybody else that let it happen. So everybody needs to pick up the slack.\n\nSo illegal immigrants don't pay taxes. False, they do pay state taxes they just don't pay federal taxes. And they don't do it because they can't because they are illegal. If they were legal they would pay taxes and there would be an even ground for americans and immigrants competing for the same jobs.\n\nThe idea that all mexicans should leave is rather naive. The american and mexican economy would have a crisis. And the US would have an enemy where there used to be a friend. That would not be a smart thing for a leading country to do.\n\nDriving a car with an expired registration is also illegal. The punishment needs to match the offense, and also the backround needs to be accounted for. If law enforcement decided not to enforce a law for years; that also needs to be accounted for. If the US decided to not let anyone else come in (without disregard for human life) that is fine, but after a person has been here for years and has made a life here, that is something else. And let's not shoot ourselves in the foot.
854597
I think a lot of people fail to realize that the US has its own extremists. They're called the KKK and the Aryan Nation and just plain bigots like the people who burn down churches of mostly black congregations. We cannot all be held accountable for the abhorrent actions of a few. If this became practice, where would it end? Would parents of murderers also have to go to prison? Would teachers lose their jobs is a child in their class failed? This world and particularly our country is severely lacking in personal responsibility and accountability. The one or ones who perpetrate the act should pay.