Why Do They Keep Coming?

yes it would solve the problem. Now good luck enforcing it.

Nobody wants the country over-run and overpopulated with illegal immigrants. At the same time the hypocrisy of wanting cheap labor and liking paying under minimum wage rears its ugly head and people ruin their own country.

Why?
Historically they could make 10 times the amount of money here than they could at home.
Would not hiring help? Maybe, but we'll never find out.
Americans won't stop hiring illegal immigrants because
1) they can get away with it
2) any penalties they pay when caught are a hand slap compared to the profit they've made by doing it
3) as upset as people get about it, they secretly think it's a right of free enterprise to get the best deal (cheapest under the table employees) they can - even if it's practically slave labor.

If I was living in abject poverty, I would swim rivers, climb fences, and dodge bullets to make sure my daughter didn't have to live her life the same way. What we might see as "inconsistent benefits or compensation" is riches to those who have lived in true poverty. Go visit real slums in other countries, then the life of an "illegal" in the US looks like a life worth fighting for, and risking your life for.

I'm not sure what you're trying to answer.

However, most of my friends are illegal immigrants who are good "citizens" and good members of my community. They've moved here to escape a TERRIBLE life for their children, and I don't blame them. I'd do the same.

They keep coming because even though they are paid less than they are worth, a family of say 12 lives in an apartment made for 3, it is still a better life than where they came from.

Add to that the chance that you could get your kids educated, you yourself could get educated there is a chance you can stay.

In the end I think it has more to do with their kids future than anything else. Generally speaking the family bond is greater than the norm in the US. Even if everyone illegal could not work those in the family that are legal would support them just for the chance the next generation will be legal.

The problem is in spite of what you read and hear in the news we have a pretty great country where someone can pull themselves up from poverty. That is like crack to those that are living in countries where that is not possible.

I think that if we enforced our laws all the way around it would help. I don't care for the idea of giving blanket amnesty to a ton of people. That's like a parent who throws their hands up in the air when their child has gotten to out of control after they allowed that child to get to that point.

Honestly, if I lived in a poor country, I'd be doing everything possible to make a better life for my family. If it seemed impossible to enter another country legally, as much as I feel I'm an ethical person, I could see myself doing it illegally for the sake of my children. For this reason, I don't have hatred of illegal immigrants as much as most people do.

They're seeking a better life in the way my ancestors did. In fact, my mom is an immigrant from Canada, although a legal O..

Do I think they should be entitled to the same resources as citizens? No. But my feelings are very complex on this issue.

I do think employers shoulder a lot of the blame here. If they didn't hire illegal workers, there would be less incentive to come here. However, at the same time, it's not like average Americans are clamoring for hard labor work in the fields, either.

Don't ask us in AZ what we think, there probably isn't enough space on here...

Well, I do not know what it's like to live in oppression, extreme poverty, with no human rights, religious rights, quality of life rights, with no right to choose what I think is the best thing for my children, or any other government of any other country other than the United States, which using the aformentioned criteria, is STILL the greatest country on the planet.

(How's THAT for a run- on sentence!)

So really I have NO IDEA what the motivation is of any immigrant group.

In your post, you think like an American, because you don't know it any other way. Neither do most of us.

I am very glad I am not the person who has to decide what to do about this subject, I see ALL arguments very clearly. Sigh.

:(

yes and no...There will always be those who want dirt cheap labor and can get away with it so they will continue to lure them here. With our lax border they pretty much can walk over when no O. is looking.

I believe and support those who want to work hard to better themselves but unfortunately coming here illegally burdens our system contributing to poverty and crime.

I am for all immigrants who want to live the "American Dream" but not sponging off me to do it.

I don't know. My husbands family are from Mexico and with the exception of my husband, they are all illegally here. My husband and his brother ans sister do speak english and are "americanizd" but they are not able to read or write english. A few years ago it was no big deal but it is very hard now to get a job. I have my own feelings about it all and although they are my family I don't think its fair that they get food stamps and medicate and everything else that people that really need help ans are citizens can't get. It bugs me that they don't speak english as I think they should. Trust me, its not that easy, at least here in Texas. From what I've seen first hand. Although its easy to say just go back to your country but now in their town its like a battlefield. Zetas are making everyone life miserable and there is no work. In conclusion to my rant, I don't know why they stay. I guess illegal work is better than nothing at all? Also making it impossible to work may help sending them home but not likely.

Because even what we consider deplorable conditions are better than what many of them have. Many also have relatives here who can get them on with whoever they're working for. Plus, if you have kids, they will at least be fed at school! We have soup kitchens and food banks unlike most developing nations. If you get sick or injured our hospitals will treat you regardless of your status. They won't let someone die in the ER for being an illegal -especially a child.

As a nation we've gotten ourselves in a mess because it's easy to say no O. should hire illegals, but no O. is willing to pay the price increases for food and construction costs (the two biggies) that would come with 100% fully legal agriculture and construction workers. Legal US residents who would normally be on the tier to do farm labor and lower end construction work mostly seem to feel they're too good for that, so enter the illegals who are happy to be here -even if it means doing our dirty work.

I guess they feel their native country is bad enough that it is worth the risk to come here illegally.

I think if we stop employing the illegals it would definitely help. Probably won't solve the problem all by itself, but it is a start, and we need to do something!

I feel if you are doing something illegally, then you have lost your rights in this country that we are so proud to have.

I absolutely LOVE what CAWriterMom and Sue W. had to say. I feel exactly the same. I live in a community that has a huge population of migrant workers from Mexico and Honduras. People can get pretty upset here about people's legal or illegal status. O. year, at tax time, we had to pay in several thousand dollars (self employed, own 3 small businesses) and I started to get offended at all the illegal immigrants who raise my taxes.
THEN, I met a lady who came to our church and between her broken english and my broken spanish, I came to find out that she walked, yes, WALKED from Honduras with her toddler, while pregnant. Her husband had gotten a job here in Minn. and she and her children were homeless and starving. What would I have done in the same situation?????? I was infinitely humbled. This family is trying to obtain legal work visas (husband has O.), and they are not bilking the system.
Would I walk across a continient for my children? I certainly hope so.

Oh, and A.K.C's mom has a point! Americans who hire folks who are here illegally are also breaking the law! And they are benefitting FAR more than the families that are working for them.

Great question!

Because it's pretty easy to do so! Beyond that, the worst thing that will happen is that they will get caught and sent back- considering where some of these folks are coming from- it's worth the gamble!

In our community, if you drive down the major city road between 6-7 am, the street is lined with folks willing to work for a day's wage- no questions asked. You will literally see contractors drive down the road, pull over, offer a day or two of work and pick them up. It happens everywhere.

Illegal labor is cheap- no taxes, cash and no "benefits" or strings (unless you get caught). It may slow the problem, but I don't know that it will stop the problem altogether. Some of the conditions in their native countries are alarming.

They may come here for a better life and all that which I don't have a problem with but I believe that they need to do it legally. Americans who hire them are also breaking the law. They need to be reprimanded as well. If we need to relook at our rules on how to become a citizen easier then so be it. But as it is now, no you should not be here illegally. You want to live here then do so but do it legally.

There is huge underground network for illegals to buy fake id's, SS #'s through, etc. I worked for a big cleaning company and we had to check their SS'#s all the time... only a very few didn't pass and let me tell you most of them couldn't speak English, etc. I was very young at the time so I didn't realize what was going on... but looking back I now do!

I was just at the airport in Boston and asked a girl at the bathroom sink (in a uniform) a simple question re: where I could turn something in to the lost and found. Not only couldn't she speak it - she couldn't even understand a word I was saying!! I was so flabbergasted that I didn't get her name off her ID or what division of the airport she was working for.. I mean broken English is bad enough but to have an individual who can't even speak a WORD. How did they interview?!

Also - once they have a baby on US soil the child is eligible for welfare, food stamps, etc. That's why they're called anchor babies... they allow the illegal to set anchor here....

Such a mixed bag.
I agree with everyone else, that they are seeking a better life, and no different than I would do if I were in the same situation.
You can't really fault them for that.

Where I get upset is with the demand for equal rights.

2 years ago we had several HUGE Immigration "rights" marches in the city. They were demanding status, benefits, etc...

And it's chicken and the egg. Some of them are employed by folks that do not try to hide it. You can see their argument.
However, for those that are working illegally and undocumented (aka: scooped up off the street for a day) and they are making demands...SERIOUSLY? Try coming here the right way, and then you're entitled to all of that.

It's such a complicated issue, it's kinda hard to commit to feeling O. way or another, I think.

For the same reason my family came here illegally (as far as the Native Americans were concerned).. for a better life.

I am so sick of this question. You can't get here legally, especially if you are the uneducated person that most of our ancestors were. Make it so people can get here legally, and then crack down on those who don't. Until then, I don't want to hear it. Our immigration system is so messed up. I had a friend who came here as an infant (from Canada). Her dad died while she was in high school and our government gave them 6 weeks to get out of the country. She lost her dad, her house, her friends and her country in the course of two months in the name of "immigration control"-- and her dad was a highly educated engineer. I know of a another girl that happened to who was from Germany. She got sent back to Germany-- and she didn't even SPEAK German-- just because her Dad died. With a system like that, who can blame people for avoiding it?

I am so sick of people saying that people don't deserve to be here if they've broken the law getting here. That law is a MISDEMEANOR-- like speeding. Let's throw everyone out who has broken any kind of law. It will be a much quieter place around here.

I don't blame people trying to get here illegally, if they can't get work in their own country. I would do the same if I were in their position. I also don't blame us for trying to keep them all out -- our country can only support so many people. Our young people need jobs too.

However, I think our lack of jobs is solving the illegal alien problem.

And yes, Denise, if we didn't keep employing them, they wouldn't be here.

I can completely understand why people come to this country. Especially those from poor areas. I would definitely want to improve life for my children if possible. My problem is with it being done illegally. I have no problems with anyone coming here, but follow the proper channels. I think it's dangerous and it sends the wrong message when society willingly overlooks laws that are in place.

I'm not heartless and without compassion for people by any means. I don't have a problem with the immigrant part, just the illegal part. Also, my personal feeling is that if you are going to be in this country, at least make an effort to assimilate. First and foremost, attempt to learn the language. Yes, I know we do not technically have an "official" language, but everyone knows that English is what most Americans speak. It's hard to have a unified country without a unified language! Just my personal opinion. :)

well, if you have never lived in a country ruled by a tyrant, or was communist, or where you lived in daily fear of drug cartels, or worrying about your child dying of hunger or disease, if you have never lived somewhere that you can be tortured for your beliefs, have your family taken away and tortured or murdered etc then you wont understand. yes our country has a lot of isues, but it is by far 100 X better than a lot of places.

My in-laws came here from Romania 28 years ago. it was communist. my FIL literally was chased by dogs and men shooting at his with machine guns to escape. in communist romania you were persecuted for being christian, couldnt work many places or go to school past a certain age. my husband almost died as a baby because they had no milk to give him. my MIL could not breastfeed and the government would only let them buy 1 gallon of milk a week for 6 people. my husband couldnt walk until he was 2 1/2 due to malnutrition. my MIL would give him rags soaked in sugar water just to get him to stop crying and help him sleep. that is just the very tip of their story, now understand why someone would risk it all to come here???

now, yes I do think people should go through the proper channels to come here, but if they are living in a horrible situation and flee for their lives, then I think they should be able to stay, work towards getting their citizenship and be able to have the same chances we do.

so many people are so against immigration but have no problem sending our troops overseas to fight for all those other people. yeah they need help too, but come on we all know we arent in it for pure reasons. ( and no that is NOT a bash against our soldiers!!!! i support our troops 100 million percent, just not the reasons they are sent over)

there is my 2 cents worth!

I feel for the people in other countries and if we could care for the poor people in our own country then take on the problems of the world I'd be okay with it.

BUT the facts are there are families in America who go to be hungry, who are raped over and over, who are sold to drug dealers for a hit on a joint, duct taped to the bed and sold for a 6 pack of beer...don't believe me?

I worked with people with developmental disabilities and the young lady I worked with had been treated like this by her mother then the dad took her the the brothers took up where mom left off. The only way anyone found out is because she got pregnant at 14.

Another young man was sold for sex with a dog for drugs over and over. We can get up and walk away, move to a different state, try over and over to find work and still be unsuccessful.

These are not all lazy welfare people, do you have any idea how many of the homeless in America are families that have lost everything due to major cutbacks and downsizing?

It amazes me that we allow anyone to come in, be it legal or illegal, we need to take care of the people in America first then we should offer aid to people who are in the circumstances mentioned in other posts.

At the local food bank people line up around the building and wait in the heat, the snow, the ice, the rain for a single box of food holding a box of corn flakes, a couple of cans of veggies, some rice, and maybe a loaf of bread or some other addition. They wait for hours and come back each month.

O. month they started new regulations and each person receiving a box had to show SS cards for each family member. About half the line was turned away that day. The other families that were there and had the proper id's actually all got a box that day, only 1 or 2 were left over. All those Americans got a box of food that day. They gave the leftover boxes out the next day to a family that had a fire.

I think before we go fixing other countries problems we have to fix our own. That is just the way it has to be. The people of America need to understand they are only a few paychecks away from being in the same shoes and needing that assistance for their own families, if they give all the food to people not qualified then you get none how are you going to feel then?