Might the immigration issue be a distraction from other more REAL problems?
830857
As A liberal I agree completely that the amount of money on what is an unjust war is obscene.  However, the amount of money local, state, and federal agencies are spending on the illegal entrant problem is hardly acceptable.  While it is true that there have always been problems with illegal entry, the last decade has seen this problem mushroom.  It may be the same old problem but it is far worse than ever before.  Couple a loosely guarded border with homeland security concerns and the economic burdens involved and you have a real problem.\n\nIs it a distraction from more pressing problems?  Perhaps.  The loss of civil rights, the loss of habeus corpus, our dropping the ball in Afghanistan, the morass in Iraq and the criminal lack of a reasonable working health care system in this country are far more dire problems in my judgement.  However, we can not downplay the fact that illegal entry is a serious problem that must be dealt with.  Our government should and must eb able to deal with many sets of problems at one time.\n\nThis problem will not be dealt with though, not until our government goes after the company's (big and little, corporation and farm) that depend on hiring illegal entrants for their profits.  We can build as many fences as there is metal available and people will come in while company after company recruits them, hires them and in some cases helps them gain entry.  To go after these the coporations that hire these people would mean those same corporations would stop contributing to political campaigns.  We'll see if that ever happens.
464737
What is the rest of the problem?
247787
It is not up to a political party to do something about the Illegal Alien problem.  It is up to us as a people to tell our Representatives what we want to have done about the problem.  We should learn from 9/11 that this is a serious problem that affects us all.  However many including the 9/11 terrorist's entered the country legally and then did not leave when it was time for them to.  Our INS Department does not have the staff to honestly see the job through in most cases.  We have people who have come to our country on a student visa and remain here for many years after it has been expired, and many of these people go to the INS daily trying to get some sort of status to remain here.\n\nYes we have each day people who sneak into the country, but one must realize that many Illegal Aliens came here legally and just never left.  Sometimes it is just a clerical error and others have to do with quota's.  There is a lot more problems with the illegal immigrants than most people know and understand.  The problem needs to be explored and new legislation developed to meet the needs of our country as well as be fair to those who came here legally.
1076064
America has real problems and yes the undocumented WORKERS had become a scapegoat to the real problems which this country is facing :\n\n- the war on iraq : a war which seems to be eternal and meaningless . it is a fact that most iraquies do not like Americans or their precense in their country , they think that the only interest of Americans is their petrolium and just feel as stuck whit Americans like Americans feel whit them .\n\n- global warming : another huge issue which has been ignore by the bush administration and in fact has been atack as a real issue when every nation on the world knows it needs to be fix and that America is the main cause of this problem \n\n- the huge debt : one of the biggest problems and the one which will have the most lasting efects in America a country which bush recieved whit a record in money ( if anyone still wants to deny this i would like to remind u this is the reason why bush started to give money to his rich friends was the record money which he recieved , money which he did not produce ) and has rapidly become just another country where the richers is richer and the poor need to do as much as they can to survive .\n\nso are the immigrants the scape goat ? once again yes they are .
1077623
And the immigration topic is where?
510191
It attracted attention of mass media and politicians to the problem of illegal immigration. Hopefully it will be solved soon... and change situation for immigrants for better.
449016
You can lose sight of the crucial issues, getting too focused on details that may or may not be important.
446285
The illegal immigration issue is a really hot one right now
677938
It's the 'hot button' issue of the day.  The media dictates what is talked about, and that is influenced by the government.  Right now, Bush needs something to take peoples' attention away from Iraq, Iran, and the rising cost of gas.  Enter the immigration issue.
784043
They say, do you have one? You want to see a real immigrant problem check this out! To be fair your immigrant problem is less of an issue than the muslim/Europe immigration problems. Immigration is a problem in every developed country and always will be, its just taken you a while for it to become a serious issue
1002628
the immigration issue has been going on for years so yes this is a scapegoat to all the incompetency and the cruelty happening in Iraq and right here in America . not wonder it has become an issue for the Republicans they had accomplished the opposite to making  America successful and had created a huge irresponsible debt . this is just a distraction while they take millions of dollars from the Americans and abuse other countries while everyone is focused in the wrong thing .
334800
There are probably facts for the other side, for immigrants, but I can't tell you about those because I am against them. As you know, there are always at least two sides to an issue. Good job for listening to both sides. A lot of people just hard-headedly choose one without hearing the other out. I picked my side on beliefs and try to be somewhat polite when in debates, but it can be hard :)
259826
This is some of what you are seeing in the news today about securing our borders, and prosecuting illegal immigration.  One of the new bills broached would actually scope in on the traffickers of illegal immigrants.  I hope it goes through, but other than some low budget movies there is not much publicity on the subject.  It should be paid more attention....and if you really care about the subject you will be the one to bring the attention.  Do some research, write a paper, and get it published...it's that simple.
1152988
I believe there are issues in that department...
606408
no it has finally hit a level were it is a huge problem in all areas of the country.\n\n\noh and we are not talking about immigration, its only illegal immigration. legal immigrants are welcome and many are friends of mine, they did it the right way.
391120
The immigration issue is a smoke screen to draw American’s attention from this failed administration.\n\nMany argue we need tighter boarder patrols for protection against terrorism, but neglect the fact the terrorists from 9/11 were in this country legally.\n\nAmerica deports illegal immigrants on a daily basis.  Living in Texas, I know what the economic, political, and socioeconomic impact of deporting all of America’s illegal immigrants would be to our country.\n\nThe biggest flaw with recent legislation is making illegal immigrants criminals and criminals out of anyone who helps an illegal immigrant.  Last winter our water line broke and the plumber brought along two illegal immigrants as his helpers.  One of the young men had only been in the country 3 weeks.  He was shivering from the cold so I gave him one of my old coats.  Under current legislation, the plumber could be prosecuted for hiring them, I could go to jail for giving him a coat, and he could have been put in jail for just being here. \n\nThe day I can’t offer a fellow human, who has committed no more of a crime than trying to find a better way of life, food or shelter from the cold without being considered a criminal is a sad day for all of America.  Similar laws existed in reference to helping escaped slaves in the days prior to the civil war.  Why do we want to step back into the dark ages? \n\nWith America’s overburdened prison and court system, where does any of this make sense?  \n\nBush is reluctant to jump on the immigration bandwagon because much of Texas’ and the south’s economy depends on low paid laborers, revenue generated by purchases made by illegal immigrants buying commodities, and sales tax dollars paid on those purchases.   Independent businessmen like plumbers, contractors, lawn services and restaurant owners would have a difficult time hiring day laborers as helpers or kitchen workers and would eventually go out of business.  \n\nAs for taking away jobs from Americans, Americans won’t do the jobs of illegal immigrants for the pay they receive.\n\nThere is no good coming out of making illegal immigrants a political issue.  People who don’t understand economics or the real reason immigration is becoming an issue are fueling America’s already troublesome racial problem.\n\nMost people tend to forget that, unless they are Native Americans, their descendants were immigrants.  I doubt if many are aware if their descendants were legal or illegal.\n\nWe have bigger problems in America than immigration.
1187373
personally I think we have more important things to worry about like poverty, war, healthcare, the economy, issues facing everyday Americans.  Gay marriage... let gay people get married, who I dont understand why its such a big deal who marries whom.  Its a "throw away" issue used to distract people from bigger problems