What will all the angry anti-immigrant people say when their grocery prices triple? When the Social Security fund crashes out much earlier than predicted (these workers pay in, but don’t collect)? Some immigrants are criminals, just far fewer than our native population. Some immigrants collect government benefits, but far fewer than our native population. Why are you so afraid of these people? What have they ever done to you? The President is always happy to employ and exploit them for years. They come cheap.
20
My millennial son, a winemaker from Napa Valley CA, is visiting us this week in the North Puget Sound area of WA State. The western part of our state is resoundingly blue. I have exactly one friend who is a Trump Supporter. She is an elderly lady, an evangelical who is subject to figures such as Fallwell Jr. and Graham. We've had a decades long friendship which is why we avoid politics and religion. She was here visiting my son, and made the mistake of asking him if they had an "illegal problem" in California. He rounded on her and told her "You bet we have a problem with "illegals" in California. We don't have ENOUGH migrant labor." He explained that California is the breadbasket of the United States. He explained that in his 15 year viticulture career in central/northern CA, he worked with countless migrants who did the hard work of cultivating crops. He told her that he never asked if they were legal, that they had been here for decades, working backbreaking labor to bring food to the tables of America, sending money back to support their families. He reminded her of the statistic that migrants have a lower crime rate that the general population. He reminded her that the border moved on the Mexican population in California and the southern border, and not the other way around. He finished by asking her if she wanted to pay $10. for a head of lettuce and how many young American males she knew who would sign up for this backbreaking work for minimum wage. Amen, son!
31
I live here and this sickens me. These people are trying to feed their families. They want to same thing for their families that my Irish and Swedish ancestors came to this county for. I would like to see ICE concentrate on gang violence and leave these families alone. They are just trying to live their lives and pose no threat to me or others. 2020 cannot come quick enough. Please let's rid ourselves of the racist xenophobe in the White House.
48
What a cruel and heartless country we have become. I know that we cannot have an open border. But surely we can do better than hunting people down using ICE?
So many immigrants are adding so much to the fabric of America. Many have been here for decades and now they live in fear of being deported to a place that they no longer live.
There is a massive and growing refugee and immigration crisis around the whole globe.
Not all, but many of these displacements have to do with our policies abroad.
We all need to figure out a better way to tackle the situation, here and abroad. It's not going away.
Arresting and detaining is not a solution.
Building and maintaining massive detainment camps (!) as the United States is doing in Gitmo (!) to jail immigrants, is not a solution that I can live with, nor is separating children from their parents and jailing them.
Arresting, detaining and jailing is the American solution for too many problems.
It's immoral and expensive and wrong.
We mass incarcerate citizens at a far higher rate than any other nation; even the most vile regimes have nothing on us.
We jail people for being brown. We need to admit that and change our policies.
Surely we can do better.
9
The culmination of having a governor who ran and won with an ad showing him pointing a shotgun at a young man. I am a life-long resident of Georgia and we are regressing politically back to the days of Lester Maddox.
Someday soon, the goon squads will overstep and some unspeakable tragedy will occur. I pray this never happens.
Also, the big companies that come here might start having second thoughts.
Is this really the best America can do?
1
“May America be an Asylum to the persecuted of the earth! "... George Washington. form a toast to victory over the British by General Washington in a New York tavern.
Are today’s undocumented immigrants toiling in America’s fields any different from the slaves who once toiled on southern plantations? They have no protections, no voice even if they wanted to cry out. Some are being exploited, others not, but all are at the mercy an immigration system in desperate need of a fix. To the Trumpers out there, are you ready to replace these vital farm workers that ICE continues to roundup and deport because the GOP refuses to address the issue?
2
What a moral conundrum!
Not a Christian, but I strive to be a Good Samaritan, when it's convenient, but also support all sane laws.
I've heard cops saying that they respect these illegals who, for the most part, are supporting their large families south of the border. It's a form of work-welfare, a good thing, a decent act, from god's perspective.
But what about the tiny percentage of these people who are criminals? Just overlook them? Take the tiny bad with the good? Would I say that if they robbed me or attacked my children or grandchildren?
What would Thomas Jefferson do? Or Ben Franklin? Or Abraham Lincoln? Or Mayor Pete?
I distrust most people: They are usually friendly enough until they need or want something from me. Most illegals I know and see (I've always lived in Texas till recently) are hard-working, congenial people.
But, yes, I know: How about the good folks trying to get in the right way, the legal way? You have a point, of course.
It's a problem in search of a quick resolution. But with emotions running high, biased politics, and general malaise (the eternal need for a scapegoat), a rational response is much less likely. Few will be happy with the final solution. (To beat the rush, I'm choosing to be disgruntled now, no matter how the chips fall, which gives me another reason to distrust people. Which keeps my game sharp in this snake pit, where nice guys finish last.)
3
@Jim Muncy
I think many people forget (or never knew) that the Obama administration had a high deportation rate but did concentrate on those who had broken our laws once here. That seems to me to be a much better approach than the random deportations now. Of course it does require more effort to be selective.
12
@Amoret
I knew Obama was a massive deporter, but that was never acknowledged, of course, by the right wing. Bush never seemed to lift a finger to keep illegals out: How ironic is that!
Trump has no governance strategy or policy, just public relations: Will this act please my base base? All he cares about is sales, customer satisfaction, and brand recognition: a salesman, born and bred.
2
@Jim Muncy who ignores the lawbreakers?
2
What an incredibly responsible journalist he is.
1) One of the most effect ways to dehumanize a human being is to label them “illegal”. I recommend “undocumented” instead.
2) I really do fear for our country’s and world’s future, in an increasingly globalized society and economy, when I read the fear mongering that many here in this comments section represent.
Most are offering solutions of yesteryear, when nationalism instigated 2 world wars and countless small, regional ones.
3) I didn’t know so many under informed read the NYT’s. Isn’t this the news outlet your POTUS has labeled “false news”? Why subject your biases to something otherwise?
It is so much easier to stoke fear than to stoke compassion. Xenophobia is build into our monkey genes, and dangerous autocrats have always known how to use it to build up a fear frenzy that allows them to destroy democracy. This is particularly easy when you have a large population of people who feel left behind and cheated. Schumer seemed to understand the underlying currents when he supported Trump being tough on China.
The old dichotomy between freedom or safety comes to mind. It even applies when the "safety" concern is a lie concocted up by skilled conmen. I hope the democrats will know how to take a "compassionate conservative" stance on the subject.
7
What is the point of stories like this other than that there are people in this country illegally who think they have a right to wipe their feet on our sovereignty and then expect us to be empathetic?
7
This is how democracy works!
The people and issue Mr. Guevara is covering is illegal immigration. Through elections the people of Georgia have clearly stated the want to control illegal immigration.
8
If it was so "clear" the anti-immigrant party would not have to gerrymander to win.
@Truth without Hypocrisy
Georgia isn't the only concerned state--even liberal California deals with the complexity illegal immigration brings:
On the pro side, an irreplaceable cheap labor force for all sorts of industry, including our behemoth AG industry who would go belly up without this labor. As I speak, strawberries a stones' throw from my house are rotting in the field due to the new crack down.
On the con side, an overloaded welfare system, burgeoning school districts that must accommodate non-English learners with very little funds to do so, and a lack of cheap housing for these poorly paid workers. Crime is far down the list as a concern in our community.
I'm sure Georgia farmers can't be pleased with ICE right now and how their fellow Georgians can't come up with a better plan for dealing with the undocumented in their communities.
4
What about challenging the businesses hiring illegal workers and investigating the "coyotes" promising them refuge in the U.S. and then enabling their travel to the U.S.?
5
I do support deporting illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes and finding a way to keep them out. But Trump's policy for the "bad hombres" is like taking a chain saw to this endeavor when what you need is a surgeon's knife. This article proves it.
Here's another bit of truth: A while ago my Mexican-American friend was hired at our local police dept. as a liaison for the Spanish-speaking community. Most folks whom she dealt with were illegals or had green cards. The police had hired her because these field workers carried cash, never used a bank, making them easy targets for robbery. The assailants were often but not always illegals themselves. American criminals targeted them as well.
Another truth: she said relatives in Mexico would often send the bad apples to family members in the US to work in the fields, which they refused to do once here. They instead turned to crime as they had in Mexico. Their criminal activities would often result in raids and arrests for innocent relatives who then found themselves in jail alongside their cousin or uncle whom they didn't want here in the first place.
My friend tried and failed to convince these hardworking people to use a bank or to help police with investigations. And we fail to realize or appreciate all the perils these people face who supply us with vital labor and cheaper produce.
Or worse, we vote for people who do realize these perils and want them out anyway.
Since amnesty is an impossible word, it would be good for those who sympathize with immigrants to suggest a way of documenting who they are and where they live without immediately requiring deportation. Many Americans, like myself, are deeply concerned about this tranche of persons hiding in plain sight, though we may see no harm in their presence and acknowledge their contribution. My Hispanic friends have, for my lifetime, been churchgoing, family oriented, proud, hard working persons more helpful to me than me to them. But I don't like their anonymity. There is no political solution to the problem as it is currently framed, simply grist for an interminable and ongoing squabble. When can we expect political progress to replace this schoolyard, "So's your old man!" nonsense?
1
David Frum had a trenchant longform article on this in The Atlantic a couple of weeks ago. Wish more Democrats understood the larger picture and layers of issues beyond heart bleeding for non-citizens over our own fellow citizens. This is what has solidified the political and economic split, fueling the social culture wars with it over the last 40 years. It will get worse. We've been warned. Many thinking folk have known for more than a decade there's another storm brewing that will be hard to quell, and then another. Same goes for Europe and the UK.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/04/david-frum-how-much-immigration-is-too-much/583252/
13
I'm a pretty simple person. I believe that everyone employed by a government agency has an extra duty to obey the law. Now, as it happens, Georgia, like most states, makes it a crime, a felony, to impersonate any state employee. There has even been an instance of a peace officer arrested fro claiming to be a police officer!
So when ICE employees wear clothing that says "POLICE" I don't understand why they are not promptly arrested and locked up.
Georgia has not made them police officers, so they are committing a crime wearing clothing that says "police."
Of course no federal employee is a police officer by virtue of working for the United States since the United States federal government has no police power. Not even on federal property.
1
1) Using the term “illegal” is a means of dehumanizing the human beings affected. “Undocumented” should be preferable.
2) In reading the comments for this article, I’m struck by how so few have still not grasped that we are now part of a global society and economy. And they don’t realize their rhetoric is a throwback to the mindset that started 2 World Wars and countless regional ones. While the solutions proffered may have “worked” 100 years ago, they will not work today.
What is truly needed is a mindset with its appropriate visionary solutions that tear down barriers and walls, not erect them.
@Dennis McCrea I respectfully disagree. Words matter. "Undocumented" is what I am when I leave my wallet behind and drive to work. "Illegal" is what I am if I entered this country illegally, or remain here past my legal limit. Harsh reality, but reality nonetheless. Artificially softened language, no matter how well intended, makes a bad situation worse.
6
Two points.
First, when any other class of criminals are arrested, unless there are gross violations of procedure we applaud the police for enforcing the laws. Why are we demonizing them for enforcing these laws? If you do not like the laws, it is up to the politicians you elect to change them; not up to the police to decide what laws to enforce.
Second, and much more minor. "It also poses the question: What don’t they want Mr. Guevara to see?" My guess is the faces of the ICE agents. Knowing who they are makes their jobs both more difficult and more dangerous.
5
Yes, our current business model demands and recruits illegal immigrants. Why aren't we targeting the businesses if we want to decrease illegal immigration? Stockholders are doing well in part on the backs of these workers who are also paying for current social security and medicare benefits. Because of business clout as described in Mr. Holzmman's comment, we are not addressing this problem in the most cost effective way.
9
Illegal immigration is not a victimless crime. When American workers become so discouraged that they quit looking for work, they are no longer counted among the unemployed. The "labor participation rate" is a measure of the percentage of working age people (18-64) that are employed. The labor participation rate reached its lowest point in around 35 years several years ago. It's been climbing, but it has a long way to go.
Mass immigration is basically corporate America's way of ensuring an oversupply of cheap labor. Legal or illegal doesn't matter much to them, except that illegal immigrants are easier to exploit. But immigrants are the modern slaves.
Some years ago, I interviewed former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO), who in the '90s was the leading exponent of reducing immigration on Capitol Hill. He told me that two fast food execs had spent an hour trying to buy him. They told him that if he quit talking about reducing immigration, and cracking down on illegal immigration, they'd keep his campaign coffers full. He wasn't for sale.
26
@David Holzman - You know when American workers quit looking for work? When they cannot find a job that matches what they can and/or are willing to do. There are millions of jobs available right now, but most either require a rare set of skills or don't pay what people want. Because of the crackdown on illegal immigration, there's a severe shortage of construction workers, for example. The immigrants are gone, and yet you don't see American citizens lining up for those jobs.
Ah, but you probably blame illegal immigration for cheapening those jobs, right? Of course. However, the demand for cheap labor has a name: capitalism.
1
@MMM Many American men were construction workers a generation ago; now you rarely if ever see one who isn't from South America. Why? Because of the flood of illegals willing to work for slave wages. Get rid of the illegals, raise wages and hire Americans.
3
@writeon1 and others: Pretty soon the question won't be "How many immigrants can we accommodate?" but "How many do we need?" Even with its unusually high birthrate, the USA will soon have more over-65s than under-25s. Have you noticed how many greying people now do the "entry level" work that teenagers used to do in convenience stores and fast-food restaurants? that's becasue the proprotion of over-60s is now greater than the under-20s. And it will get worse.
We see the same trends up here in Canada, and in every G-20 country. See Japan for an example of how it plays out, and recall that we don't have the communal ethic that Japan has, so we aren't likely to vote for government supports of the increasing number of people who can't work.
"Demographics explains about 60% of everything." Politics, the economy, culture wars, etc.
9
@Wolf Kirchmeir
In our large urban city, millennials are have 4+, whether they can afford it or not. Many are latino immigrants. They cannot afford housing for a family of 5 or 6. The merd is already hitting the fan as they're stressing the schools and municipal services. They're mostly apt. renters and pay no property taxes for those schools and municipal services.
Japan is an example of how to do reduce the population bloat correctly in order to prepare a country for the longer term quality of life future. There's a period of lag, but that's because Japan is an island nation with little immigration. However, one new trend there is young couples moving to aging smaller and middle sized places where housing is more affordable and kids can grow up with more space. Kind of like the American 'burbs of the 1950s and 1960s. Japan's new 'burb families will probably remain there and create a new, stronger nation.
4
@Maggie - apartment dwellers do pay property taxes for their local schools and municipal services. They pay it in the form of rent, a portion of which the property owner uses to pay the property and school taxes.
Japan is facing an aging population, a sub-replacement birth rate, and a generation of young adults with no interest in sex, let alone raising families. Vacant homes are becoming a problem in Japan, particularly in rural areas, as homeowners age out and/or can no longer afford to take care of their homes. Rural and suburban local governments are aggressively demolishing older vacant homes (older homes have greatly diminished value), and are toying with the idea of attracting younger folks with free homes. Their country is on the road to ruin, as our country would be, if not for immigration, documented or otherwise.
1
@Maggie You say apartment dwellers don't pay school taxes. That's odd, don't the landlords pay school taxes on their properties? Hereabouts, all school taxes are levied on all properties, regardless of who owns them. If you rent, the rent includes your share of the school tax.
I've observed similar scenes in my small town in California. The letter of the law is important, but the spirit of the law is even more so.
Relations with immigrants have always been friendly here. No one doubted some were undocumented; it was never an issue. But one day after the 2016 election two unmarked cars without license plates showed up on the streets. People posted photos of them on Facebook, worried that drug dealers had come to town. A local approached a car to ask them who they were. The driver wouldn't answer, but the person noted in a post that the driver wore a pistol in a leg holster. A day later local police confirmed it: they were ICE. Word went out to stay low, ICE was in town. You could feel the fear. It almost felt like Nazis were in town, hunting Jews.
Recently my neighbor was having repair work done on her house. The project was going well, but one day the contractor didn't show up. My neighbor tried for days to get in touch with him. Finally she learned the contractor had been arrested and deported. He had come to the US as a 4-year old and was undocumented. He had built a successful business, had a wife and family. But he disappeared in the night like he was a dangerous master criminal.
It's said the behavior of underlings reflects the culture of the bosses. What I've observed, and what I've heard about from other towns, makes me conclude that ICE's conduct today is a result of malicious politics at the top, not sound law enforcement.
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@Bill Haff
The spirit of the law must not violate the letter of the law - or it’s no longer rule of law.
15
@Charlierf Why was the law passed in the first place? By whom? To whose benefit? Segregation was once the law too.
12
@Charlierf we as a nation abandoned the law (for decades) and created the market for immigrant labor, if we cannot find a way to cut some slack for those who relied on the reality of America (how it behaved) then shame on us. The letter of the law can be changed.
8
The "wolf" was good enough to grant asylum to the reporter.
As a legal immigrant I am against illegal immigration. Follow the rules.
Or build your own land. Improve your country.
123
@ianmacrostie
That is easy to say on a full stomach and safe in your house.
25
@javier
No one has said it is easy. To improve ones country sacrifices are unavoidable.
The US had a civil war .
17
Try to live in the poorest and unsafe country for a month or two, and then come back and let us know what you think and feel.
6
Georgia elected a governor who promised to round them up and ship them out. The people shouldn’t be surprised- this is what they voted for. They did vote....right?
Stacy Abrams would have been a great leader.
The new heartbeat bill the governor has signed has made me change my daughters college list
Sorry Georgia Tech and university of Georgia- she won’t be applying.
149
@Deirdre
Yes we did vote. And my Gwinnett county which has a high percentage of minorities was subjected to racist Kemp's voter purges and ballot tossing. The new Jim Crow voter laws make a difference in turn out. Stacy is suing and so is ACLU but it will take time.
76
@Deirdre I'm sure Georgians will mourn the missed opportunity of another New Jersey resident moving down
23
@Deirdre
I guess your daughter isn't mature enough to make her own decisions about a college list. But surprisingly enough, both UGA and GaTech freshman classes will be full without her.
27
Please vote blue in the next election so we can repair the damage done and work towards sensible solutions for the many who are running in terror towards us for safety. The trump administration believes that by creating ever larger troubles at the Mexican/ USA borders they will cement a win in 2020. Let's prove that fear is not the dimming of lights on the city on the hill.
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@Artemis Hudson
And keep voting blue in every precinct for the next 40 years. These problems take time. Most of them require cultural change. And most of them require PREVENTION, which has a long lead time.
18
"...when I joined him, on the dark roads of Gwinnett County, prowling the housing projects..."
I was dismayed when I read the headline, but then I read the article. Gwinnett County is not Atlanta, it is a stand alone county to the northeast and has been not only Republican dominated but racist as well. For years they have refused to extend the rapid transit system, MARTA, into the county for obvious reasons, it might just bring more African Americans into the county. Now what follows is a quote from our paper today.
"
Mayor Theresa Kenerly withheld the resume of a candidate for city administrator because he is black. Kenerly reportedly told at least two council members the predominately white city “isn’t ready for this.” This is the town of Hoschton, and resides in Gwinnett County.
Atlanta resides in Fulton County and is considered by many here to be a sanctuary city and considers ICE a blight.
25
@cherrylog754 Norcross area is in Gwinnett. It's got Koreans.
5
@cherrylog754 Hoschton is in Jackson County but you knew that. You just assumed that most people would just take your word for it, right?
And voting against Marta expanding into Gwinnett isn’t racist, it’s good economic sense. You failed to mention that Gwinnett County already has a transit system that the county mismanaged. Why would anyone in their right mind vote a tax on themselves when the existing system is a mess? African Americans have been moving to Gwinnett since the late 90s without Marta so please, try again.
And as Liz mentioned, Norcross is full of more than just Hispanics. There are tons of Koreans, Vietnamese and Thai there as well.
If you’re going to tell it, please be sure to tell it all.
7
@cherrylog754 That's actually Jackson County. Your point is well taken and true.
1
I know two women who were deported from Europe and the UK respectively for overstaying their visa and attempting to work without legal immigration status. I see no difference with deporting people who are living in America without legal immigration status and find this article despicable.
15
How were they arrested? Did they stalk them in the dark? Do their families know where they were held before they got deported?
One thing is certain. If the Democrats run on a pro immigration platform, we will have another four years of trump.
17
This problem will end the day the first employer goes to jail for violating eVerify.
23
Every election in America proves that most Americans don't care enough about this country to even bother to vote.
But immigrants? Oh my, can people get all riled up over an issue whose complexities (like voting) are not worth the bother.
People fly into America every day on commercial (and private) airplanes - trips that cost a lot of money. Then they never leave.
Russia and China send pregnant women here to give birth, get the child immediate citizenship, and then start "chain migration" (another issue no one discusses). Think Melania.
Some Americans just have to have someone or some group to hate. Immigrants (most who are poor and from Spanish-speaking countries) are their favorite target.
"Immigration" is an issue of fear and hatred - nothing else. It is perfect political foil for the Republicans. If it was really a "national emergency", all Americans would be demanding action. It's the politics of hate, nothing more, nothing less.
9
Great reporting on a revolting Trump Policy.
7
This reminds me of Stalan's purges. First it is 'them,' next it will be 'us.' Have certain of our leaders become so depraved? So hateful? God help us.
7
When will we start to see abandoned fully-loaded F-350s (with leather seats) along the side of the road? These are the vehicle of choice for the owners of large AG operations out here in central MN that employ undocumented workers. When will ICE start to arrest those that illegally employ along with the "illegals."? Who's the illegal?
18
I wonder if ICE ever raids Trump properties.
13
I'm reading comments and am shocked at most of them. These immigrants are people who have established lives here. Often, their children are legal citizens. ICE is doing this work because of a racist, hate-filled president who has no compassion and works to please his bigoted base.
Immigrants under Trump are now what Jews were under Hitler. There is political gain by blaming the weak.
Trump originally said that immigrants that have broken the law will be deported. Now, its free reign and anyone with a Spanish last name is being attacked.
The laws should be changed, but in the meantime, those who are working and have lived here peacefully for years should not be treated so badly.
Mr. Guevara understands that living conditions in these immigrants former home countries often means a death sentence when they return.
The words at the base of the Statue of Liberty no longer are valid. I'm surprised that Trump hasn't ordered them to be erased. "America First" could then be written.
8
@Carol Ring Thank you. It is depressing to read phrases like "final solution" used here, without a trace of irony. Have none of these posters studied history? In the days leading up to WWII, the Republicans stopped every single measure to allow Jews to enter this country. Those who were turned away were returned to Germany, where they were the victims of abhorrent crimes against humanity. Have we no mercy as a country anymore? I wonder what the ancestors of many of these posters would think about the daily erosion of our morality by this lawless administration.
How many people who read these articles wouldn't cross a border to save their lives or those of their families, and immigration laws be damned? It's easy to look down on "illegals" when you have a home and a job and no fear of a 4 AM knock on the door by ICE. Telling people to stay home and apply at the nearest US consulate is fine, but it's quite possible to die waiting. Most of us are happy to obey laws that protect us, but when it's a choice between the law and survival, I'm pretty sure I know where most of us would land.
We need to control our borders. We can't take everyone. But a rational immigration program can't be built on lies, on calling refugees on our southern borders criminals, rapists, drug dealers and gangsters and maybe "a few good people." Many are fleeing truly desperate conditions, and we Americans have made them worse. Money and weapons go south to the cartels in exchange for drugs bought by Americans. Climate change destroys farm economies, and we continue to pump massive amounts of CO2 into the air.
We should be asking why refugees are fleeing here, what we can do to help them stay home, and how many we can accommodate with benefit to the them and to our economy. Fear and panic are good for Donald Trump, not for the rest of us.
10
"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." F. Scott Fitzgerald
Our political discourse cannot do this anymore. So much for "first-rate intelligence".
We need immigrants to keep the economy expanding, but to control population growth, we need to figure out how to create a reasonable economy that doesn't need to grow continuously.
We should be compassionate to our fellow human beings, but we cannot be the overflow valve for the world's population.
Americans won't take many of those jobs, but that's because the illegal immigrants have driven down the wages and working conditions, as other people have clearly stated. Picking farm produce might be the exception to this. A guest worker program could solve that problem.
16
They're here because it's easy to find a low paid, unskilled job. Clean houses. Wash dishes. Wait tables. Pull weeds. Pick fruit and vegetables. They're hired because most businesses can't find legal workers for the paltry amount of money these jobs pay. We, the general public subsidize the industries of agriculture, meat packing, construction, etc. by our funding of health, education, and welfare for the immigrants. The next time someone suggests that if we didn't have illegal immigrants, our lettuce would cost more, explain to them how much the subsidies already cost us. And the next time someone says Americans won't do those jobs, explain that they need to pay a living wage and see what happens.
25
@Daphne
That is not what the press is reporting. Farmers are increasing pay but still cannot find sufficient locals workers or legal immigrants to work the farms.
https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-fi-farms-immigration/
https://www.pinalcentral.com/farm_and_ranch/arizona-farms-struggling-to-find-legal-workers/article_a9c89060-370d-5245-b592-e8f11ced3d13.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/05/us/farmers-strain-to-hire-american-workers-in-place-of-migrant-labor.html
Citizens and legal immigrants will not do the jobs filled by many illegal immigrants. Businesses do not want to use U.S. citizens or those with green cards who would require a living wage and clean, safe working conditions. It is much easier to use illegals who will take any job, no questions asked, and don’t understand American work standards. Businesses also do not want legislation that would hamstring them with requirements for job safety or any other guidelines. While some of these requirements may be expensive to meet, tax breaks and labor negotiations could be used to satisfy both employer and employee. Until businesses have to hire legally, that is, laws require them to use a legal workforce, they won’t.
14
I am struck by and disheartened by the plain old meanness (in both senses of the word) of many of these comments. We are speaking of human beings with whom we share the earth.
12
We should step back and wonder why it is that identity has become such a foundation of our government, economy, and society. There was a time when you could skip your debts and your history and start a new life elsewhere in the U.S. - what a concept! It was a freedom that brought so many European and Asian immigrants to us, and it was a freedom that allowed many U.S. citizens to start over when their world had closed in around them. I have to admit that the anxieties over identity probably coincide with the growth of social programs and insurance, and the anxiety that the undeserving would profit from them. This fuels, without any basis in fact, the current anxiety over illegal immigration. If we could just put up with a bit of undeserved use, we could restore many of what used to be our unwritten, and basic, freedoms.
4
He needs some help. He needs someone to ride along shooting video while ICE is shining a light into his lens. His is a two or three person job, not a one person job. Plus what he does it dangerous and there should be a lot of witnesses accompanying him. If I lived where he does I would volunteer at least two days a week to ride along to help get the video. Maybe others can do the same.
12
The key question is "What don't they want Mr Guevara to see?"
This is indeed the underlying question to ask about the entire Trump regime's troubled relationship with justice: what is it about (fill in the blank: Trump's taxes, his administration's efforts to upend the Constitution, environmental statistics that have disappeared from government websites, etc.) that they don't want us to see?
47
The answer is not simple but we need a comprehensive overhaul of immigration laws so people can immigrate lawfully. I’m afraid however that no matter which new law we have, there will be quotas on who how many can come in from which countries. That is fair if the law is written fairly. I say—write a fair new law, give all 11 million illegal immigrants amnesty but from this day forward, enforce the law as written which means you get deported if you break it. Some are fond of saying Trump is not above the law. Neither are illegal immigrants.
7
@Pablo I agree. The pathway is too hard and unfair, and we need legal immigrants who feel safe and can work. There was a good article last year here on how small towns have been bolstered with immigrants, saving their businesses.
7
@Pablo
If all 11M get amnesty then there should be no more from those coutnries where the majority of these 11M are from.
5
More than a million immigrate legally, annually. This oversupply of cheap labor causes wages to fall, and takes jobs from American workers, which is why the labor participation rate is still lower than it's been in ~30 years.
Fully half of Americans would like legal immigration reduced to 250,000 or less, according to an Axios poll May 2018 of likely midterm voters. Two thirds want immigration reduced.
We got Trump because Americans were fed up with ***too much*** immigration.
7
We need immigrants. But, as a nation, we should have the right to determine who can come into the country.
16
There is the micro and the macro which seem to be irreconcilable. I have sympathy for and have tried to help illegals via charitable giving to Catholic charities on the border and paying for legal fees for an illegal. They are people and I can help. That is the micro. The macro is that Gallup reports that there are over 700 million folks who would like to immigrate, and that the U.S. is by far and away their most desired destination. In addition, many of these folks are from countries where there are unsustainable birth rates. So, I can feel sorry for and try to help illegals and, at the same time, know that there is no way that we can let ourself and our environment be overwhelmed by all those who would like to come. The only two things I can see that will ultimately help is to support economic development in these countries and birth control in these countries. I wish there were simple answers. There are not, and that is why in part that our politicians use these folks as footballs, but offer no real ideas on how to deal with this.
49
@Robert
I think your comment touches on the reality that "immigration" is a complicated issue requiring a menu of multiple, long-term solutions at international, national and local levels. I'm not hopeful we have the right mix of politicians to lead us in that hard work. In the meantime, it is our American spirit that is fraying at the edges. The arc of history moving towards justice is kind of wobbling right now.
25
@Robert
Yes, birth control is the ultimate answer. And birth control requires equal power between women and men: difficult to change that in any culture.
Supporting women's self-esteem and physical safety as well as birth control will require long term commitment.
We're not very good at that. The next election comes quickly and a backlash wipes out any progress.
17
Mario Guevara himself is the reason why immigrants are good for this country. He may be driven by his personality but it is also a universal ideal that coincides with American idealism. Having him in America gives this country vigor and hope
31
There is no chance that in the current political climate that either immigration and the status of dreamers, sensible gun laws, health care, deficits or anything else is going to be addressed. All of these issues are complex and require all the players involved to address them, and unfortunately everyone has adjourned to their party's echo chambers and just yell their talking points out to their fellow party members. You can summarize the dialogue between groups to my opponent is completely wrong so no compromises, I need to raise more money so I can stay in office and make a difference preserving stalemates, thoughts and prayers for the unfortunates that aren't among my financial supporters.
40
All of this is true and troubling. But I would like the world to know that there are pockets of Metro Atlanta that freely and willingly offer haven and hope and help to immigrants, regardless of their status. In particular, Clarkston has opened its arms to refugees, and immigrants. And many of us work with and for the welfare of those who have fled unspeakable places for a better, safer life. What we must do is elect a government with a conscience and a heart so that these fellow human beings can pursue their dreams.
39
the vast majority of comments are very much against illegal immigration regardless of why they are here and how well behaved they are. we need to fix our immigration laws or trump or someone just like him will get elected. most commenters want legal immigration. Democrats, beware.
51
I have great empathy with the people from Central America who are fleeing their own overpopulated, tumultuous countries. If I were living in Honduras or El Salvador I would want to come to the US also. Are there really thousands of people who are in danger because of their political activity or simply rampant, violent gang warfare? To disprove the need for political asylum must be near impossible.
I have traveled extensively throughout South America, admire the various cultures and can get along well in Spanish. My grandparents came to the US through a legal process that took four years. They had skills, quickly became productive members of American society and as soon as possible became US citizens. To potential legal immigrants with valuable skills, I say welcome. I ask only that you wait in line with all of the others that seek to live in the US.
31
@tom I've seen this argument before, but why should it take four years? Cubans have been getting express admission to the USA for years based on Cold-War era laws (and CANF donations to the GOP) and there's no "Cuban Problem".... Making it easier for people to get legal citizenship would be logical, but the cult known as the GOP stopped working with logic decades ago, perhaps around the time Reagan was arming and
funding the murderous thugs who still run things in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras and granting express citizenship to the hoards who flocked here to escape those wars.
18
@allanbarnes
It takes 4 years if not more for everyone around the world. Cuba was a special case. There's no need to make it shorter for Central Americans who have been coming for decades.
10
@tom
There is no line. Or the line is 10 years long. My immigrant mother came to America on the wings of an American spouse. My immigrant husband came to America because his mother came first and her second marriage was to an American. It was a cinch for them to qualify, albeit with some paperwork, and they came here to a better life and gave back to the nation.
Our immigration system now is so clogged and so dysfunctional that no one breezes in, not even the most qualified high tech visa seekers. Let's remind ourselves that the majority of our illegals are not wading over the Rio Grande to get here. They are overstaying their legally obtained tourist or student visas. How come a nation that got men to the moon can't figure out how to track and evict visa-overstayers before they settle in and birth American citizen children? How come we can't figure out how to process the myriads of asylum seekers at the southern border in a humanitarian (Christian?) way.
Why? because it makes for a good sound bite to claim we are being invaded and politicians are weak cowards when it comes to solving third rail problems. We can find the money to pay for off budget wars, we can find the money to pay our congresspeople for not doing their jobs. But when it comes to fixing the broken immigration system, we can't find the will, so we don't find the means.
4
Gee, I guess all those rich white people living in Atlanta’s suburbs will now have to pay workers a living wage to renovate their kitchens. They must be crying into their G&T’s down at the country club.
44
@ProSkeptic
The immigrants work harder and better than the native born Americans. That's something to cry about.
26
It’s a good thing to lower competition for lesser skilled jobs so that legal residents can make a decent living. I don’t know what’s so complicated about this for Democrats to understand. My legal immigrant, very working class parents came to this conclusion based on empirical facts and have moved from being party line Dems to being vocal Trump advocates.
28
@ProSkeptic....whoa...pretty judgmental I’d say. I have had family living in Atlanta for 50 years. The changes that have taken place in the city over the past 25 years has been amazing. My son and family live in the NE part of the city. The diversity there continues to grow by leaps and bounds. It takes generations for cultural changes to happen but Atlanta has caught the diversity bug and I’m impressed.
2
It's remarkable how many people commenting on this forum think they are superior to undocumented immigrants. You are not. The vast majority of (all) people just want a better, happier life. Yes, there are people 'gaming' the system of all backgrounds, creeds, and colors. That includes Americans. How is possible to own own slaves? Exterminate another race? You start with exactly the line of thinking you will read on this forum.
19
@freepress2019
I dunno if decades ago in Tucson we all (we Germans, my Mexican friends in elementary school, et alia) were perhaps not superior, but not one of us got freebies for obeying the rules of this country and proved worthy of becoming citizens. Now what has been shoveling into our poor country for decades consider themselves Massively Entitled to Take from the unworthy and annoying Gringos. Sad. Time to take back our country and its values.
8
i read the comments and am deeply saddened by the overwhelming lack of compassion and kindness. Have any of the commenters read the inscription on the Statue of Liberty? Instead, they recall the ugliness that made internment possible during WWII, and, perhaps, even yellow Star of David patches. I would ask, where are your families from? What horror were they fleeing?
24
In this article, the word "documented" is used several times such as the van is documented or the arrest is documented but it never describes the people. I wonder why. Is it possible that the people are "undocumented"?
27
"Once engines of economic opportunity, the vans are now tombstones for the disappeared."
Well, it's an economic opportunity for someone else. All you US citizens who are young men without a college degree, now is your chance. As long as you had to compete with illegal immigrants, you couldn't find work, but maybe now someone will hire you. Been in jail? Well, if you're willing to paint houses and clean out gutters, and nobody else is available, they don't really care.
32
@Jus' Me, NYT Hired two 'Americans' in just the last week. One was a mason grateful for the concrete work, the others were a local business that cleaned gutters and siding. They did great jobs. Six months ago I hired some young 'American' college guys to take down some pretty impressive trees. I am my own e-Verify. I can tell you that the American work ethic is still strong.
9
@Jus' Me, NYT
Illegal immigrants work harder than citizens because they are powerless and employers are exploiting them. Make them legal and they will have the same work ethic as citizens.
I find the idea that there is something intrinsic about Latin Americans that makes them work harder nonsensical and a little racist. First we exploit them and then when they behave like they are exploited people like you attribute it to their national or racial character.
8
@Jus' Me, NYT - You have put your finger on why employers prefer to hire illegal aliens. They will work harder than American citizens for less money in tougher conditions.
The only way to get employers to hire US workers is to take away the option of hiring illegal aliens. When employers have no choice, they will take whoever is available to get the work done.
This is the only way Americans will get used to working again.
5
I used to get to the school where I worked at 6 a.m. Our school had many immigrant children, mainly from El Salvador. I would see the bright lights of INS, shining outside homes where INS would be arresting/detaining people who were here illegally. The big decision for the families was whether to leave their born-here (thus U.S. citizens) children here with relatives or take them back with them when they were deported. In either case, the children were the pawns. But what is the answer? We don't take care of our own...53,000 people with no homes are living somewhere in Los Angeles County. When, if ever, will we have a clear immigration policy?
51
@Ellen Perhaps we should work on having a clear policy on caring for our citizens who need housing and other necessities first. Shouldn't it be illegal for citizens to be so mistreated... but we bestow nonstop housing and food and welfare and community college and free legals to non-citizens...? Why don't we care?
2
Our country gives this guy freedom from his violent place. His “thank you” is to put a slant on justice.
The arrested individuals probably are driving without licenses, working under the table and have committed some crime. Hooray for ICE.
60
@FloridaRob
Our country has had, at least until recently, a deep respect for the First Amendment. Even if some may not agree with Mr. Guevara's work, we need to respect the fact that he is reporting what some may consider to be news. The minute we start messing with the First Amendment will mark the decline of the entire bill of rights. As one SCOTUS member said years ago (I think it was Justice Brandais or Learned Hand), it is the most important amendment because all others would be rendered meaningless without it. Food for thought there.
7
@javierg
FloridaRob is, obviously, not inveighing against freedom of speech, he’s noting the ingratitude of someone who we’ve welcomed, but has championed those who violate our laws.
8
@javierg Justice Brandeis was also a fanatic supporter of Taylorism, scientific management practice and piece rate work. At least he was in favor of First Amendment rights to complain about it.
1
Ice does not want you to see their gestapo techniques.
22
@David Underwood
Okay let's hear you come up with a technique then? Allow them legal representation so they can game the system yet again? Or fly them back first class to their home countries? Or allow them to go home pack, spend a month with their families, bid them farewell and promise to be back illegally in a few days?
Just what is so "gestapo" about this? They have broken the law - they will be arrested. Nothing gestapo about these arrests.
52
@Kirk Land
Some laws are just wrong, Nazi Germany was a country of laws, Jim Crow was laws, prohibition was laws. Their law breaking as you call it, is nowhere as bad as DWI. As you can read , most of them were field workers, taking them out of their homes and deporting leaves their families destitute, so they get public assistance, is that such a goo deal for us.
Let them come and work the crops and go home when the season ends, that is the humane thing to do. If you can find some unemployed citizen that wants one of those jobs, they can be hired tomorrow, but I think you will find they will not last more than a day or two.
I am responding to you one time because you might be able to reason, but it is doubtful considering your response.
13
Their children born in the USA are using our resources. Do away with automatic citizenship for children born to non citizens and I may support that suggestion
42
How is it right to characterize the law enforcement officials of your own country as wolves? Are illegal immigrants illegal or not?
92
@John
I believe it was the first President Bush who publicly resigned from the NRA after it or its spokesperson referred to ATF agents as "jack-booted thugs".
There is a habit of scapegoating people in law enforcement for enforcing laws that many people do not like. Please reference the recent opinion piece in NYT on the shocking downsizing of the IRS - the workers were easy targets to score political points, but the losses have very serious consequences for the country.
Whatever one thinks of the laws (our immigration rules seem to be absurd and inhumane), the person hoping to not get hurt or killed on the job did not make them and does not have all that much leeway about how to enforce them. It is time we stop blaming people with several layers of supervision above them for the decisions elected or appointed officials made - usually with support from many voters.
22
Is there any evidence that ICE is detaining people who are in the US illegally? I highly doubt it. They are enforcing the entirely just law that in order to remain in the US you must either be a citizen or have a valid visa. Every country has such a law. The fact that people from central America think that they're magically entitled to unconditional entry and residence into the US should be ignored. They spit in the face of millions of people around the world who are legally waiting their turn, who do not have the luxury of just taking a bus to the border and then sneaking across. This man is not a hero, he's just a racist who thinks his own people should be above the law.
69
@KM
Considering how the country was founded, we are not really in position to be calling anyone racist or thinking themselves above the law for simply wanting to live here.
15
@KM Melania Trump came her illegally. Trump hires illegals. Trump's in-laws get to the front of the line. Maybe the system only works for the powerful.
26
@Alan
So Alan, injustice anywhere excuses injustice everywhere?
7
Seems with enough “compassion and dedication” and strident advocacy journalism, Mr. Guevara can help turn Atlanta into a suburb of El Salvador. Not necessarily a good thing for Georgia.
40
Alice's Restaurant, actually as someone who lives in the Atlanta area, our economy would be devastated if we did not have the undocumented workers here. Many citizens who run a variety of businesses from construction to landscaping and restaurants. And in rural areas farmers would not be able to pick their crops. Why do you think Trump's businesses continued to use the undocumented until recently and systematically avoid e-verify in states it was available?
23
@jonathan
Then, please send buses to the Tijuana-San Diego border, many wait for you. The citizens of Tijuana have grown weary of caring for them.
13
@jonathan
Some would say it is not your "economy" that would be devastated if you did not hire undocumented workers, it is your profit margins. Without the endless supply of illegal workers, wages would of necessity rise, and working conditions would improve. Employers use illegal foreign workers because it is cheap and they know there will be no complaints.
39
Most of us would probably do the same if we lived in a country without opportunities, however, if you do not like the law-change it.
I have to wonder if these “pro-illegal advocates” would change their thinking if the US had 50 or 100 million illegals. The truth is MOST of the world would love to live in the US. At what number do we such, “Enough !”
And I have to ask, if the nations these people flee are so bad, where is the UN? Send in the Peacekeepers, and help everyone have a better life!
38
@D. Arnold You are kidding right? Most of the world would love to live in the US? Really? Now? I was born here, my family has been here since the 1700's, under this current regime I'm ready to leave. This isn't the United States any more. This is Trumpaskistan now, with no respect for the Constitution and openly defiant of any rules that might curb his excesses. Yes, I'll take the "illegals" any day of the week.
2
We can only hope that a few brave souls are remaining to look in to the Wolf's mouth in the reporter's native El Salvador. As millions of species disappear and the human population heads to 8 billion, we are not going to have a economically and environmentally stable world until we can make places like El Salvador seem as much like home as Atlanta.
17
Go, ICE!
These people don’t belong here, and need to be thrown out as soon as they step foot here. They came here knowing full well they were breaking our laws and that they’d be living with the threat of deportation hanging over their heads. They take jobs from Americans and/or drive down the going rate for labor, which hurts America’s working class (our citizens who are most vulnerable economically). Illegals also make a mockery of the idea of waiting your turn to immigrate to our great country, at the expense of potential immigrants who don’t happen to live right below our southern border.
Get them out of here. Enough is enough....
47
If we live in a nation of laws,
how about we start with Trump and
members of the administration obeying them?
Give us a model Mr Trump.
22
The best solution is for the illegals to withdraw from work for a week (if they can afford it). Such an action will reveal the contribution these folks make and how crucial they are to the economy. I am sure the republicans will find US citizens on welfare rush and compete to fill these jobs. Trump & co can claim credit for increasing employment. If the Employers who are impacted complain them the republicans should cease and desist.
6
@Jerseyite Some years ago there was a movie titled "A Day Without a Mexican". It was set in LA. The comedy focused on the whites that couldn't do anything for themselves, mowing the lawn, etc., when the day workers all evaporated into thin air.
"...local law enforcements agencies have moved to vigorously enforce immigration law..."
"...a predator does indeed stalk these quiet corners and busy streets. The “wolf” arrives in the form of an unmarked car, or cars...."
I have a tough time with the idea that people enforcing our laws are predators and wolves.
And I think it's one reason we have a problem with illegal immigration.
57
@Talbot
Yes, our lack of enforcement in the past (before Obama) is what has kept luring these people here.
I also find it very offensive that an immigrant given asylum in this country and here less than 15 years seems to be out stalking our immigration authorities who are trying to enforce the law and calling them "wolves" and "predators".
I would also add that we now have so many immigrants in this country that a lucrative industry has developed to support them at all levels. It is hard to strengthen our laws because immigrants and their advocates rally in the streets to oppose any legislation that might seek to curb the numbers we allow from all countries.
It's sad to have to deport these people but we need to be realistic and start reversing laws that act as lures to encourage people on a dangerous and expensive journey that may end in failure.
26
Federal law enforcement officers doing their job in apprehending people living here illegally are "wolves".
This sort of rhetoric is such a ridiculous losing proposition, but it makes us feel good to say and believe things like this, so we'll let Trump glide into 2020 on a massively popular issue.
42
The author is distressed that Immigration Enforcement is enforcing immigration law. Should we tell him that baseball players - gasp - play baseball?
58
The residents of Georgia voted for a leader who wants tougher immigration enforcement to keep the illegals out of their restaurants, farms, and other establishments.
Mr. Guevara should be commended for recording this for future generations to bear witness.
9
Heartbreaking. Thanks for telling this story.
13
To those who say round them all up and deport them:
Are you okay with putting their kids in foster care? And holding the detainees in jail for months or years? Is it okay to divert law enforcement resources to stop, detain and arrest these people?
Because if you say yes, please note that it will be your tax dollars paying for the foster care, mental health treatment, jail and prison construction and maintenance, court time, police officers and other associated costs.
If this is how you want your money spent, fine. Just recognize that it WON'T be spent on infrastructure, education, or healthcare.
12
@Elizabeth A
So let me understand. This is the threat - spending money on foster care than infrastructure - which will always loom large over our heads and prevent us from going after people who knowingly broke the law? What happened to being a country of laws? Or that does not matter lest we lose healthcare. Ok.
27
@Elizabeth A
Society already pays enormous sums to provide social services - education, health, food, housing - to these people. As long as they are permitted to remain, our tax dollars will continue to be diverted to people who have broken the law and, for the most part, are gaming the system. The businesses that illegally employ and often exploit them, also fuel the problem, with the taxpayers effectively subsidizing their firms.
42
@Elizabeth A
Money won’t need to spent on “infrastructure, education, or healthcare” to support for illegal immigrants with income busting low wage jobs when they are caught and booted out of the country. The money spent to round them up is just another cost the illegal immigrants impose on this country (and the illegal immigrants can’t be thanked for that, can they?).
The official legal policy of this country in almost all parts is intense hatred of its indigenous poor population. What money the newcomers will such out of the nation for “infrastructure, education, or healthcare” would have otherwise gone to our own citizens.
16
Make no mistake about it, Mr. Guevara knows his job and is asking the right questions. All ICE is doing is pulling over vans with brown people and that is unconstitutional. To do it the Constitutional way is cumbersome but necessary. Otherwise, we are like any crackpot dictatorship. Right now we have an Administration that cares little for our system of checks and balances, the Constitution, the truth, or even human decency.
29
We also have an impossibly large number of people working the system. laws only work when the vast majority obey them. Immigration is an area of our society with such perverse incentives that the current system is broken beyond repair. Lock them up, the employers that is and go a long way towards fixing the system.
38
@Covfefe
Being Sicilian I'm as "brown people" as any Central American, perhaps browner in the summer, and I haven't been pulled over once in thirty years by ICE, even though I've gone through the San Onofre, California, check-point often, day and night.
32
@Barnaby33
A very long way towards fixing the system.
In addition, I say every time ICE picks up an illegal immigrant, ICE should also be waiting at that employers door at 5AM.
10
I was once in law enforcement and had the opportunity to work with ICE. They were looking for potential deportees on Probation. Since I did not have the residency status of the men on my caseload, I asked the ICE officer how I was supposed to identify who they were looking for. He said to merely pull out the files of the individuals with Spanish last names. True story. Since this was a voluntary assignment I refused to work with them after that.
46
@Covfefe
You did make a distinction between "Spanish last names" and Italian, right?
7
Does the author get this overwrought at the sight of police pulling over speeders? That's the favorite comparison used by supporters of illegal aliens. Fact is, deportation is a CIVIL REMEDY that sets things back to what they were before the illegal alien broke the law. It's also likely that ICE is not picking up random illegal aliens, but aliens who have already had due process and were ordered deported, yet who are still here in violation of a court order. How many Americans are allowed to ignore court orders, say, refuse to pay child support, without consequences?
99
@Ali
Yeah, Child support is a good analogy. Lots of us are still waiting on that child support check from 2001. Americans ignore court orders all the time. You need to think that one through a bit more.
30
@Ali
I see this argument a lot: Essentially you are saying that these immigrants broke the law by coming here and staying, and they should have to deal with the consequences.
This is a hard argument to refute, because we live in a nation of laws and there should be consequences for breaking the law.
But the other side of the coin is that many of these are people with children and families who are productive members of our society and have really done nothing wrong or hurt anyone, yet the punishment is draconian - very different from a fine for speeding (even though someone who speeds actually does put other people in danger and probably should face more punishment than an undocumented alien).
37
@S
So what do you suggest be the penalty then? How about a 3 year jail term? Would that be better? But then coming out of prison, this person would still be illegal and perhaps no be able to find a job and feed their family. So what really is the best penalty? A tap on the wrist, so we have millions more coming in illegally? As a nation of laws what makes us so desirous a destination for immigrants world over is we have a process which one has to go through to get rewarded with a permanent residency and citizenship. Now you can blame this process all you want, but until it is changed anyone violating it is breaking the law. You break the law there are consequences. Too bad those people didn't think about those things when they had kids here or brought them illegally as well.
23
There's no facts included concerning who's getting detained and why. Often they are wanted criminals who are identified in the justice department records . No American could do what they do ,in any country ,on earth. The authorities light up his camera because he is interfering with an investigation and intends to make law enforcement officers look bad . It is not this journalists job to inform American taxpayers they must take in tens of millions of aliens free of charge .
56
@Alan Einstoss Often they are wanted criminals. If you mean for reason other than being in the country illegally, I think that you are very wrong.
I think that you might not really appreciate the devastation that these people are experiencing in their home countries. They are frequently fleeing not just to a better life but to a life free from fear of being robbed and murdered.
They are also decent, hard-working people who are well aware of their advantages of living in the United States.
It was clear from the very beginning that the Trumps aggressive pursuit of illegal immigrants was far more based on bigotry than on a real attempt to deal with a real problem.
It is important to keep in mind that the country is looking at the lowest unemployment in decades, low inflation, decent wage growth and economic growth and these immigrants have been here all along contributing to that growth.
If you are looking for problems with the economy or your place in it, you should probably look at a tax system that continues to create a smaller and smaller number of very wealthy and leaves a larger and larger number of people who are just getting by.
17
@Aan Einstoss, He is an journalist who is not interfering but recording the process. That is a perfectly legitimate and legal activity. When officers prevent people from observing police action it makes one think they have something to hide. No one is above the law, not even police.
21
@HT
"It was clear from the very beginning that the Trumps aggressive pursuit of illegal immigrants was far more based on bigotry than on a real attempt to deal with a real problem."
What an absolutely ridiculous and insulting characterization of the issue. People who disagree with you on illegal immigration are deplorable, right?
Not only do I not understand why anyone would defend a single illegal resident, but you folks seriously harm legal immigration by tolerating milions of illegals. America could probably take in 50% more legally every year if you folks didn't insist on protecting the people who cheat the system and cut in line.
24
Simply put, if you’re proud of your work, you don’t put a flashlight into a camera lense. So, why the obstruction? Is it the shame or are you doing something wrong?
45
@Covfefe
It would appear that regardless of how proud the ICE agent is of the job he does, the reporter (who apparently is well know in the area), will characterize him as being a "wolf" and a "predator". Maybe he just doesn't want that meme of him out there when all he's trying to do is the job he's tasked with?
1
Who will fill the jobs these folks did? Will Americans be okay with higher prices on the services and jobs these folks do once they are all gone?
16
@linda Legal American citizens will fill these jobs, and make a decent middle-class wage. It is unfair to suppress upward mobility for working people by flooding the labor market with low-wage illegal workers. In fact it's worse because it drives down existing pay rates for skilled & semi-skilled trades - further widening the rich-poor gap.
In an era when manufacturing jobs have mostly disappeared, skilled trades are one of the last decent options for blue-collar workers.
83
@linda
Yes, let everything cost what it should and let the chips fall where they may. I know a lot of you really enjoy this system where the costs are hidden, where the benefits are heavily weighted toward employers and illegals, at almost everyone else's expense, but I'm personally not in favor of it.
25
@linda
How about paying better wages? So illegals should be celebrated? Not by me. I followed the rules, came here legally. Thy can do the same.
27