DREAMer's clout increases in immigration debate
By Mariano Castillo, CNN
(CNN) - When Erika Andiola's mother and brother were detained by immigration agents this month, she jumped to action.
She summoned the help of undocumented youths like herself, known as DREAMers, and within hours, immigration officials were flooded with dozens of phone calls.
Andiola's mother and brother were released.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say the detention of the pair and their eventual release had nothing to do with Andiola's activism.
But that does not dampen her spirit. As far as she is concerned, the DREAMers snatched her mother from the brink of deportation.
"For us to get them to do that, it takes a lot of pressure," she said.
Her work, along with other DREAMers, has increasingly become a powerful voice shaping discussions on immigration reform, which President Obama has vowed to pass in his second term.
Dubbed DREAMers, their name is derived from the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, which, if passed, would have granted some undocumented immigrant youth legal status in return for attending college or joining the military.
In 2009, DREAMers knocked on doors and begged for support of the DREAM Act, a bill that would have provided a path to citizenship for certain youth who came to the United States as children and live in the country illegally.
Today, the movement is enjoying a certain amount of clout.
Andiola tapped into the DREAMer network to aid in the return of her mother and brother. But her activism also got her a job with newly elected Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Arizona.
Last summer, the Democrats gave the DREAMers their biggest stage, at the Democratic National Convention. Benita Veliz became the first undocumented immigrant to give a speech at the convention, sharing her story of a high achiever with limited opportunities because of her status.
It's not just Democrats who are listening.
When Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, announced a new immigration proposal this month, he made a point to mention that he had consulted with DREAMers.
As Rubio began working on legislation to address the issue, his staff bounced the proposals by DREAM activists, said the senator's press secretary, Alex Conant.
"We believe there is broad support for letting people who came to the U.S. at a young age, grew up here and are undocumented through no fault of their own stay in the country," Conant said. "We will continue to seek their input as we work on a legislation to legalize their status."
State and national conferences are bringing undocumented immigrant youths together and introducing them to the halls of power.
"The power has been there, what is happening now is that that power is being showcased," said Jose Luis Zelaya, a graduate student at Texas A&M University and DREAM activist.
He says the movement is more organized than before, thanks to partnerships with more experienced organizations, and years of lobbying.
"We have planted a seed and hard work and dedication," Zelaya said. "Maybe a year ago we didn't see the fruit, but only because the tree was still growing."
In 2009 and 2010, Zelaya was among those who lobbied Congress for the DREAM Act. Back then, Zelaya remembers the activists "running from coast to coast, looking for recognition."
The bill ultimately failed, but the DREAM activists did not lose their momentum, and continued to lobby. Last year, when President Obama issued an executive order granting a temporary reprieve for eligible undocumented youth to apply for a two-year work permit, it gave the group credibility, they say.
Obama begins immigration push with trip to Vegas
The president's deferred action policy, similar to the proposed DREAM Act, "gave us breathing room," Zelaya said.
It also raised the profiles of the activists.
As Zelaya waited for his work permit, he began crocheting to make ends meet. He was invited to Miami to talk about his crochet business on Univision. The hosts surprised him on camera with his work permit.
Off camera, some DREAMers find themselves juggling schedules filled with speeches, interviews and conferences at the state and national level.
Now, tracking down leaders like Andiola requires going through a press officer.
Many believed the DREAMers were fighting for a lost cause after the DREAM Act didn't get the needed votes, Andiola said. But they persisted. "We've been able to prove a lot of people wrong," she said.
Their next challenge is to lobby for immigration reform that would go beyond border security and help keep immigrant families from being separated, they say.
To their critics, who bristle that a group of undocumented immigrants have found an audience among politicians, activists and journalists, Andiola advises that they, too, organize.
"We really want to empower the community, not just the undocumented community," she said.
About In America
What defines you? Maybe it’s the shade of your skin, the place you grew up, the accent in your words, the make up of your family, the gender you were born with, the intimate relationships you chose to have or your generation? As the American identity changes we will be there to report it. In America is a venue for creative and timely sharing of news that explores who we are. Reach us at inamerica@cnn.com.
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Thank goodness! obama created the dream act. So us legal citizens can have them scrub our dirty toilets.
I'm Chicano and I too have to pay for this nonsense.Get this people out of here!.If I go to Mexico I can't buy land because I'm American.This stories are just a scam and pro illegal immigration so Democrats keep getting the peasant vote-Treachery!..
It's sooooooooooooo wrong to give those illegal immigrates legal status.
They would stay home to make babies and to get food stamps and to get free medical cares.
We, these hard working people have to pay tax to feed them.
We have legal US citizens that do this. U telling me that you don't have a problem with keeping them up because they are US citizens? Well, I do. I am a hard working legal citizen and I don't want my hard working money going to anyone that doesn't want to work and much rather live off of the fruits of our labor.
Obama will focus on anything but the economy and jobs.
Only in America can criminals who aren't supposed to be here be preceived as having clout by a second rate news organization.
We are having a Dreamer Party in Dallas. Please show up a the local Walmart.
-ICE
Bring our troops home from 130 countries. If we can't secure our own borders, why the h*ll are we trying secure the borders in countries I can't even pronounce.
Yea, what's wrong with using our military to protect OUR borders? It's unbelievable that America can't get a handle on illegal immigration! There's something seriously wrong with this picture!
Who (besides Mexicans) can literally invade another country ILLEGALLY and then demand their rights! These people are arrogant beyond belief and I have no sympathy for any of them. They don't come to America to live the "dream" or they would have come here legally, the way the majority of American CITIZENS did - the legal, right way. They don't even bother to learn the language so I don't believe for a minute that they want to "fit in" as Americans! The City of Phoenix has an many signs (in stores and such) in Spanish as there are in English! Go home, dreamers, you're dreaming up the wrong tree and it's time you stopped bringing America down with your incessant demands and your butchering of the English language! YOU HAVE NO RIGHTS!!!! Period!
I have enough pets, thank you very much! And I like the kind of "pets" that obey the rules of the roost, unlike Mexicans!
As our population ages and birth rates drop, we will depend on immigration to keep replace a shrinking work force and keep the economy growing.
9%+ unemployment shrinking enough for you? Along with millions of industrial jobs that are being outsources and using robotics.. you're just saying silly things.
Randy, that might be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. So we need illegal immigration to fill jobs?!? What world do you live in? How about if we need immigrants to fill jobs we let those that APPLY LEGALLY to those jobs.
You're why the area I live in and love is the laughing stock of hippy liberalism to the rest of the World.
They aren't US citizens. Therefore they aren't people allowed in the US. What makes them think they are special? Nothing should. Because they aren't.
President Obama has vowed to pass in his second term. <~~~ Well this is about all a President that either knows nothing about the debt or cares nothing about the debt can do...which of course will add to the debt.
I'll remember that when I decide to steal a car. If I get caught, just have all my friends call up the authorities and "put pressure" on them not to take me to jail.
Please fix the legal immigration system. Now the wait almost 5 to 20 years(or more) for well educated qualified engineers..
I am very pro an integrated immigration reform proposal. That said I am extremely anti part of the Dream proposal. I believe that American citizenship is a very valuable thing which most of the Dreamers have in no way earned. Gaining a college degree, particularly on our dime is great and they maybe a group I would like as fellow citizens, but they have not earned it and we do not owe it to them. Veterans are another matter, they have earned it, so God Bless them. The fact that the college graduate dreamers had no control over coming here illegally earns them no debt, take up their anger with their parents, it was they that put them in this position.
No immigration reform and enforcement can be effective unless and until we deport certain Havard graduate who worked for his degree on a foreign student grant while showing a fraudulent SS number from a state (CT) he has never even resided in and the became a POTUS, even for a second term.
That's a start for immigration reform.
I don't understand why Mexicans have some sort of right to immigrant to the US. 10% of Mexico is already in the US illegally, how much of Mexico do we really want or need? Truth.
Sen. Dick Durbin started this for illegals yet he has done nothing for anyone else in this country. Time for him and all the other losers running our country to retire. ILLEGAL MEANS ILLEGAL! They broke the law and now they get to benefit? This country is a joke.
Instead of giving blind amnesty, why don't we improve the legal immigration process? duh!
No sure how one would improve the process of immigration. I use to think the only problem with immigration was the huge numbers of illegals. But, the way legal immigration is set up, I don't think it serves the country either. After the immigration reform bill in 1965, immigration levels rose from approximately 250 thousand to essentially unlimited numbers due to immigrant families ability to sponsor immediate family members for citizenship, which has led to legal immigration topping over one million annually. That's a lot of people in a world that is getting ever more crowed and faces increasing challenges due to the demands made from so many people.
If these people love America so much and want to become citizens, then why don't they begin the legal process? Why do they continue to knowingly break the law?
Get out of MY country and stand in line. We don't need a bunch of illiterate immigrants on food stamps and welfare. W need educated folks who contribute to the welfare of all.
you don't own a country dude and never will, this rock is called planet earth and no matter now much man divides her she is the one that laughs and drowns you fleas when you get to be too heavy or bothersome. Keep dreaming like this you tri-fold-hat wearing musket-toting fool and you'll always be unhappy.
True, perhaps, in some metaphysical and spiritual sense, but patently unhelpful advice for those living with their feet on the earth.
While it is true we all came from other areas, he has a point. It DOES NOT make him bigoted to say we don't have enough room and that a person coming here illegally is not good. While you try so hard to be PC, you live in a world detached from reality. I saw a special on Spain where illegal immigrants there are now demanding to be given full benefits of their socialized health care. The people of Spain are enraged, and these illegals there are even going on TV and demanding it publicly because of their relaxed laws. Tell me why we want to be more like them again?
II don't know more than a handful of people who think these incredibly arrogant and demanding illegal immigrants "deserves" anything, let alone a path to citizenship, and most people I know think that if ANYTHING is going to be granted to these so-called "DREAMers" - such an insulting name, as if their dreams are somehow more important than those of citizens!! - it should be a path to LEGAL RESIDENCY, and one that only becomes available after major penalties such as the fines and back taxes that have been discussed previously.
And for that matter, every SINGLE person I know thinks that every last illegal immigrant should go to the BACK of the line and wait their turn for their application to be processed.
Agree, once again the conservatives cave along with the democrats. Preserve their job, party over country. The non-informed voted this yo-yo into office twice. Our country is going down the tube. The majority of americans are against amnesty, however it does not matter what the hard working, law abiding citizens of this country want. Outrageous!
Wait a minute – the illegal alien kids demand status and then say they are working on family reunification?
Those 20-30 million who will be amnestied have a lot of brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and grandparents who are going to be flooding the US with more 3rd world poverty.
Brought to you by the US Congress and Presidency who can't pass a budget but can give trillions away to illegals without batting an eyelash.
Reagan promised us his Amnesty was only going to be a "one-time thing!" Well, here we are 30 years later and the immigration problem is 4 times bigger than it was when Reagan's failed promise was made. This second amnesty (no matter how it is disguised) will only create more uregncy for people to come here illegally. Only, the next time the problem will be 4 times the numbers we currently have in half the time. We will be doing this again in 15 years and those who would have played by the rules will not.
Keep dreaming Dreamers, you're on your way out! Moderate groups are going to take your extreme place. You demand handouts and amnesty? Not so fast, you are going to have to pay your fair share. Nothing is free.
As soon as the 1986 amnesty discussions began in earnest, in 1982, apprehensions along the southern border surged. They soared, hitting a record in 1986 as a full-scale border rush began. Expect the same to happen this time.
If we give amnesty again, the next wave will be emboldened, willing to pay the highest rates ever to coyotes.
And legalizing a massive underclass will swamp our entitlements. The Hispanic population is already heavily over represented on the rolls of Medicaid, Food Stamps, Welfare. And, the CDC has been warning loudly that Hispanics have a 50% lifetime risk of becoming diabetic.
This is what happens when outlaws and their supporters are sufficiently numerous to elect the Sheriff and make sure the laws don't get enforced.
I believe that if the US would've secure the border & put strict immigration rules for nations with high illegal immigration(Mexico & others) at the end of 2002, the US wouldn't be in this mess. There's 11 millions illegal immigrants & 7 million of them are Mexicans.. (Research Article) WoW... Picture those 7 millions in Mexico & Today we would've only had to deal with 4 million of undocumented immigrants. put America to work, Fix Education so we'll not need foreigners to get all the good jobs here. Fix the welfare system so it doesn't get abused & most important Put strict immigration rules. There's so many great opportunities out there in the world, you just have to go for it & earn it, Nothing is impossible.FYI- I'm an undocumented immigrant, I just think differently than regular people lol
They should pay the price for their parent's crime for sure!! If we had been doing that all along, it may have discouraged others from breaking the laws and continuing this constant stream of illegals taking over this country!! They are ALL ILLEGAL....those following the laws to come here, should be able to replace each of these leeches!
I am guessing most of you remember this from 2010 – when the Congressional Budget Office conducted their cost-benefit analysis of the Dream Act, they concluded that it would decrease deficits by 1.4 billion dollars during the 2011-2020 period. After this time, due to expenditures for Medicaid, SNAP,etc., it would cost the gov't at least 5 billion – so at the very least a multibillion-dollar loss. Note that the CBO does not speculate on the impact of increased immigrant education, though, and estimates from certain assumably unbiased sources, like the Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research predict some offset of costs (from increased income taxes and decreased gov't incarceration expenditure) when this is taken into account (it is irrelevant that their calculation was for the MD version of the Dream Act since my point is only to show that federal and state revenue CAN be generated from the pursuit of a higher education). So, in conclusion, I don't think there is necessarily overwhelming evidence to fiscally justify either naturalization or maintaining their "illegal" status. Also note – a mass deportation effort is expected to cost hundreds of billions of dollars and would therefore be much less practical than either of the above.
No Idid not! why you disgregard my comment? I am not saying the same thing I am saying .....Jeff Bush is married to a Mexican and now his son s in the political arena trying to be the next Governor,like Rubio his parenst are illegal ,Bush mother is illegal too!
I heard the CNN audience consisted of outdated right wing conservatives. and i did not believe it . but after looking at these comments.. BOY was i naive. I respect opinions appreciate debate and promote political enlightenment but 99 percent of these comments are racially influenced. they're filled with hate and cruelty. apparently against mexicans when the articles states nothing about mexico. leads me to believe they come from ignorant 'Americans' ignoring their anger for a flawed establishment and disguising it with self proclaimed political righteousness in an attempt of 'purifying' the america, SORRY North America. In an enlightened age, bigotry will get no respect and be forgotten. these comments just help the 'DREAMERS' prove that the only thing wrong with their dreams is that it interferes with white america.
Nobody even mentioned Mexico; you were the first who did.
The key point point: The law needs to be enforced, regardless of the country origin. It is the law that protects millions of American families. If the law is violated, millions of American families are affected. How can such bad things be done to so many families?
Thats a brute exaggeration. i know there exists a solid argument for immigration reform and border security but mass deportation is far from it and it will never happen. until conservatives erase the bigoted approach which seems impossible considering the theme of the post section in this article your argument is weak and will lose every time in the judicial/ political arenas.
You/re still naive. Though, people frustrated with their seemingly lack of control to influence an untenuable situation may vent that frustration in words, to say that the opposition to (primarily) latinos crossing the border illegally is simply about race and hatred is a weak response. What gall for one to be in the country illegally and feel like you have the right to demand anything.
I am the member of Generation Y and a fifth-year college student. I strongly believed that higher education is a privilege not a human right. Illegal aliens, including many of DREAMer, should lose that privilege of going to the United States college. These DREAMer most likely have lack of control when coming to America illegally, but the parents should know better not to enter the country illegally and putting their child in that country.
No "belief" necessary. Higher education is a privilege, and an extremely expensive one at that. There's BIG MONEY in getting the government to confiscate citizen wealth and use it to pay tuition subsidies for illegal immigrants. Academic institutions are salivating as they try to position themselves for free government-paid tuition money and massive marketing encouraging illegal immigrants to apply for those subsidies.
It's a money train, and the only people who lose are basically all non-Hispanics.
In answer to DREAMERs, we have NIGHTMARE: Non-Illegal Group Heightened To Mitigate illegal Aliens Ruining the Elections.
Let us muster up the numbers to bring about a change and make the elected officials realize that this is not a joke.
Unless the LEGAL residents and Citizens rise up to this cause, nothing is going to happen. The elected offcials will be sitting pretty getting votes from these groups.
As several of you have noted, action has to be taken.
Get this aliens outa MY country and back to THEIR's where THEY belong.I'm SICK of these no-good,aliens coming here and TAKING JOBS and EDUCATION that should be focused on AMERICANS.
This is th eonly Country in the world that welcome ILLEGALS and in top of that hey compalin and have riots insulting the Government only in America! they get hee get medicaid,collge,life style all free ,why? go to Miami and is now called cuban capital is only Cubans there ILLEGALS ,not matter what Carte did for them....they are illegal they get collee paid,visa in least time that othe rillegal ,jobs ,food stamps all free .My children went to College they pay loan students (still do it) they work hard they made it by themselves,you go to some Macdonalds and they don' speck English all are Cubans and not speacking our language ,oneAmerican oman wet to get a job in there but she can get hred why?because se didn't speak spanish ...umbelievable! this people took over Amerca and now is too late to fix the problem of immigration .Cometo Floria and you will see lall th pedophiles,rapists,driving without license ,Dui's ,thefts,killers all illegals ...were weare going to end? open the newspaper pages ad you will see all the police reports only by Hispanics illegals, and still the Government pays for them .Pretty soon they will have the visas ready not matter if they are not legal in this Country...Send all them form were they come from ASAP we don't have any obligations with them PERIOD!
Agree with you but is too late.pretty soon we will have a Hispanic President with illegal parents .I see that pretty soon,unfortunally they are not minority not more ! they breed like rabbits to bring kidsto this world of course the Government take care of all of them
Well, think twice before you say "Get this aliens outa MY country"
Most of us qualify to this category, unless you are native.
"aliens coming here and TAKING JOBS and EDUCATION that should be focused on AMERICANS"
You need to remember that most the American companies are doing business and indirectly stealing their JOBs. Never forget foreign markets drive the profits for most of the American companies.
I don't understand the picture above. Is this a actual graduation or a protest? A generation or two ago, college was considered a privilege. Now it is something students think is an entilement and something they should be rewarded for just because they attended. Will just any old college degree get citizenship for the Dreamers or must it be a degree that will actually get them a job, like nursing or engineering. What about in-state tuition or Federal student aid? Will this be the next battle ground for the "Dreamers?" The answer, of course, is yes. What about bilingual classes, or classes taught in Spainish? Anyone would has observed the immigration debate knows this will be made an issue by the Dreamers. How about the following approach? Since these Dreamer kids have obviously attended high school here, illegally, they should get themselves into college, get an employable degree and then ask to stay in the country with a green card. I get the feeling this is all about making demands and getting things given to them.
I'd like to know how they get through these schools all those years, then our colleges are just accepting them, in spite of not having legal papers? Then you read of these colleges GIVING them a free education, because "they have dreams of becoming...." whatever, doctors. teachers,.......like our own citizens' children don't have those dreams? They don't have them come true for free!!
we came here legally and more economic reason, we overstayed. My daughter just graduated from college. She went to college not for free but because of hard work and perseverance that we have. We did pay the required tuition fee without the help of government. We are a decent hard working people who value laws in here as well. Everybody is entitle to their own opinoin but I do firmly believe that if everybody works hard, have patience and hope for their future you can do things to reach your dream. Try to examine yourself and tell me if you have live your life in a crystal path and then, judge all the people around you.
Wow. This is the reason why America is so ugly, not because of immigrants, but because of the people who believe are superior to others. These dreamers aren't all getting food stamps, they are not stealing anyone's jobs because they are unable to work. Companies won't hire them because they don't have social securities let alone a permit to work in this country. So your almighty kids don't have to worry about losing jobs to these Dreamers. If they do get a job it won't be at a fortune 100 companies, so don't worry. If the curriculum at Universities have dimished is not the dreamers fault. Is the Universities who aren't willing to push kids harder to do their best. Criminals for wanting a better life? really? a bit far fetch. When I think of Criminals I think of all those white people who have gone to schools, to theaters to malls to shoot innocent civilians. You are telling me that you will compare the University Dreamers to these shooters, really?? It is unfortunate that a country like this is full of ignorance. Educate yourself, learn to diplomatically state your point, without the name calling the assumptions, it will do more for this country than the rants most of you post. This is a type of bullying, no wonder bullying is such a part of our society. Children learn if from Adults.
In focusing on some of the "ugly" words I believe you fail to see the bigger picture. It is about more than just these "Dreamers," who are in the country illegally. It may be no fault of their own but the responsibility of their situation lies with their parents. Many of people opposed to providing any benefits to illegals see it as just one in a progression of steps toward backdoor citizenship. I believe the tone of the upcoming debate on what to do with illegal immigrants confirms this. Unfortunately, just because many politicians, even Republicans, may be speaking in an encouraging tone for a pathway to citizenship for people who have entered or stayed in the country illegally and now audaciously demand various rights, does not mean that it is right. Politicians have seldom been seen as an ethical role model.
The only way that I see to clean up the pandemonium called Immigration enforcement, is a strict and 100 percent mandatory E-Verify? A mandatory E-Verify, perhaps even run by a security company or a charge card company as Visa or Master card and not lax government employees? Spend the money and make it as foolproof as possible and use whatever resources are available. If the U.S. government can make vehicular unmanned probes that can detect a license plate from thousands of feet above us, they can surely build computer software that can detect illegal aliens in jobs meant for Americans and legal residents? E-Verify has expanded its information sources to include State driver’s license records, which strengthens the veracity of the program. Florida and Tennessee initiated this innovation allowing USCIS to collect data using their vehicle agencies for worker discrepancies. It is pastime that the Congress enact Lamar Smith’s “THE LEGAL WORKFORCE BILL” R-Texas) bill to (Phone: 202-225-4236), as proposed will make E-Verify a mandatory law and will no longer be voluntary. America has come to this paramount point, because of years of corruption by both parties.
An estimated 23 million Americans are still jobless, in part time work or just gave up looking, while millions of illegal aliens still have jobs. This is very sinister situation and those responsible should be held accountable, but never are? With President Obama’s ultimatum of another path to citizenship, we could be seeing a repeat of the rampant fraud that existed in the 1986 Amnesty. Like a giant magnet millions of more foreign nationals outside the United States are going to try and break into our sovereign nation. Illegal aliens will funnel somewhere along the border regions or by lying to the Embassy staff in foreign countries to obtain a visa as a tourist. Before any new Comprehensive Immigration Reform we must secure our borders, constructing the two fences to the former plan of President Bush, the 2006 Secure Fence Act.
Lastly, the second bill that must be passed is Steve Kings (R-Iowa) THE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP AMENDMENT (H.R. 140). Contact his main Washington office at (Phone: 202.225.4426) or his subsidiary offices in Iowa. The Birthright Citizenship bill will bring to an end the “Anchor Baby” legal-corruption, meant for the past generation of slaves. By passing this law, we can stop any more DREAMERS’ ACT or sponsorship of family members who arrive here under CHAIN MIGRATION. There is no real statistics on the cost, but smuggling young children or unborn into the U.S. pays off for the illegal alien parents, in hundreds of billions of dollars a year—and over decades TRILLIONS OF TAX DOLLARS, including child tax refunds that should never paid in the first place. The IRS has turned a blind eye to this robbery of more taxpayer’s money. These two laws should be strongly endorsed right now, to eradicate the corruption in high positions. The insistence from lobbyists that our politicians should not pass these laws, as it would cut into the incredible profits of corporations and businesses, large and small. That is why the 1986 Amnesty became a terrible mess, because millions of foreigners poured into our country as soon as President Reagan signed the bill.
Least we not forget that Obama’s people passed the Affordable Care Act, which has endless possibilities for illegal aliens. Supposedly foreign nationals cannot apply for ObamaCare, but I know as well as millions of TEA Party members and a large proportion of average Americans that a loophole will materialize or using procured Social Security numbers or feeder identification that in the endless bureaucratic chaos to follow, they will benefit from it, costing the legal population even more billions?
Even with millions of Americans jobless the labor visa program still brings into this country over a million legal immigrants a year. A limited number come under the highly skilled category of STEM workers, who are top engineers and other heavily credentialed staff for different high level jobs. But the majority comes sponsored by years of immigration corruption going back decades. Immediate family members who are sponsored eventually become the U.S. taxpayer responsibility in the majority of cases.
Notice how the reporter calls them undocumented immigrants.
No, they're illegal immigrants. They're aren't undocumented. They have plenty of documents. But they're all fake.
Learn the language, pay taxes, follow the laws. That is all anyone really wants. THis is what the immigrants of the 1800's and early 20th century did. If Mexico and the other latin countries are so wonderful, then why the heck are you trying to get out. As for dreamers, most of them are a positive. Give them 3 years in the military-NOT COLLEGE- and then let them become citizens. I work with legal kids who's parents are in country 16-25 years and they understand little english and speak less, but drive nice cars, have food stamps and work under the table. Parents are illegal-
Many Mexicans I encounter, speak excellent English. But they insist on speaking Spanish amoung themselves, as if they want to keep their group separate, which they in fact do want. Many Mexicans have no interest in becoming truly American, but want to maintain a power in numbers group mentality. So far it is working. The politicians, spurred on by the news media, bow to their every demand. I work with several immigrants from India. Even though their English isn't the best, they always speak in English amoung themselves, at least at work. Asians are the fastest growing group of legal immigrants. Americans appreciate the fact that they are not constantly reminded of this.
We need to get letters out to the President and our representatives in GREAT numbers about how they themselves are accommodating this one particular ethnic group with their websites in Spanish, special education in Spanish, and corporate telephone menus in Spanish. If these "DREAMERS" want to dream the dream, then let them walk the walk and talk the talk. Let each and every corporate website know how you feel about them pandering to them. I wrote to my representatives and asked why their websites were also in Spanish but not in Italian, German, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, etc. Never got answers, of course.
Let the corporations know how you feel about "press 1 for English...." telephone menus. What an insult to the American public let alone to those who came here legally. Support E-Verify like Costco does to be sure that corporations aren't knowingly hiring illegal aliens.
[Quote]I work with several immigrants from India. Even though their English isn't the best, they always speak in English amoung themselves, at least at work[/Quote]
You are comparing apple to orange. India has diverse languages in its own country so much so they have to mandate English as an official language. That's not the case with latin america. Of course, one can argue that the dialects are different one country to another. But the difference is not in great degree to be problematic. That's true for mandarin speaker as well. Just like mexican, they speak in Mandarin to fellow speaker.
The Mexican immigrants do have a common language, it is called English. The choose to be exclusive and speak Spanish amoung themselves. The coworkers I know from India do in fact have a common native language, they choose to be be inclusive and speak English amoung themselves.
Why would you want people who will parade through our streets waving a foreign flag, protesting that they aren't getting enough from us, serving in our military??? Really?? They need to be purged from this country!!
They are only laws if they are enforced otherwise they area joke.
Illegal invaders are a parasitic segment of our society. Working for cheap displaces American workers, money made typically goes into messico and there is a huge drain on the medical community as the illegal invaders doctors are all in the "free" emergency room.
what part of ILLEGAL don't you people understand!
Well said!
They don't want to understand that Illegal is a crme like illegal drugs or illegal papers,they can't asume it is illegal,tey said this Country belongs to them because it was a indian territory ....for them America belongs to teh Indians ,that is in their narrow minds indeed!
I am sharing with you all, young Dreamers are only one issue, but there are lots on cases which caused by USCIS due to thier lack of consideration and being unreasonable..professionals, doctors, bachelors degree graduate whih they constantly denying applicaion for green cards because of minor things, US immigration law is really bad. I knew a lot of friends, working legally with permits, paying taxes and still in deportation proceedings, while those who crossed the border or enter illegally, are scattered on the streets, selling things, working under the table(cash) and pay no taxes are still living without spending money for lawyers, paper process etc. And no matter what you tell USCIS and keep re applying, they are always looking for small technicalities that will cause your denial. My best friend's mother was a daughter of US Citizen, she applied for citizenship, they gave her a hard time...then waited for 1 yr..only to find out they denied it....Reform the law, wife and husband should be together forever and with their children, America is land of opportunity and family that supports this children should be allowed to stay and pay their share to the economy by paying taxes. Even if they allow the children to stay as dreamers, without thier parents, they will be loast too.
Wow
Immigrants have been in the United States since forever. Immigrants have been the labor force for the jobs we didn't want. Now they are getting educated and some of us citizens don't like it. Remember white Americans didn't want African Americans back then now their after Mexicans ect. People stop being ignorant the money you say we waste on these people is very well spent.
These are not immigrants. They are illegal alien criminal thieves who have been stealing from America. Disgusting and nothing but a detriment, and will always be viewed as such no matter what the traitor in chief does. Americans are sickof paying their way at the expense of our own kids.
The Federal Government needs to start enforcing immigration laws. Deport all the illegal aliens, secure the border and fine anyone who hires an illegal alien. That is the law. These Dreamers are just criminals who have yet to be arrested and deported. We have laws for a reason. NO Amnesty. No Path to US Citizenship. We need a path out of the country for illegal aliens.
CNN is not using the word illegal.Undocumented they say.
You are not a robber robbing a bank,just a non customer.Robber is a ugly word.
Last month I tried to hire about 100-125 people in Knox IN. . A small poor town no jobs out there. The company moved out there to save money on property rental ect. So I posted jobs around town and nearby towns I only got about 40 applications. The company hired all forty applicants. After maybe a couple of weeks some quit others got themselves fired (drug addicts etc.). So the company decided to hire a temp. Agency they got their 100 employees guess what they were mostly Mexicans most likely all immigrants. Now the company is actually completing orders!! And these are the jobs us Americans want but didn't take them. The company was paying I think it was double minimum wage.
It's no doubt a crappy company which treated them Iike crap so they quit.
I don't know about being crappy? Working at Mcd's is crappy. That's where you probably work at.
...or like most companies today, don't want to pay a living wage or benefits, so will hire the cheapest help out there whether it's legal or not.
Doubtful. You're probably black
Your right. I probably do have some black in me. Remember we all came from Africa.
no, he is right. White people have turned into couch potatoes
Just remember that it was under Reagan we had our first big amnesty back in the 1980's. We also changed the rules and made the focus to allow in family members rather than skilled workers. This opened the flood gates. It was also under Reagan that hospitals were no longer able to turn sick people away in emergency situations. Thus a young couple from Mexico could come to the US to have their baby in a nice hospital – all at tax payer expense. It was also a Republican president (Bush 2) that proposed the second big amnesty, which was not supported by congress. While many blame Obama for the immigration mess, a record number of people have been deported under his administration. The reality is that America has simply become to weak to enforce our borders, and we've allowed millions of foreigners to take advantage of us.
Bush ,but of course his brother is married to a Mexican probable illegal.....he won because the Hispanics votes from Texas.Reagan brought the amnesty and Carter give it to the Cubans the "wet feet ,dry fee " law,that is why they are coming all he time they say they are not illegals........noy wonder why America is going DOWN!
What middle class jobs are immigrants taking? I haven't seen one immigrant lawyer practicing law or a doctor.
Just one example hit hard is the construction industry. Illegals are driving down wages and taking the jobs away from Americans.......Legit companys cannot compete with illegals making pennies on the dollar so many close down. In my area you cannot find a company owned and operated by American citizens because all the legit companys closed down due to the ilegals,which means bye bye to the middleclass jobs they once offered.......
Immigrants can't get union construction jobs. Second small construction companies are too small to even be considered middle class paying jobs!
I own a construction company and can say this is true.....Many illegals have ruined the construction industry and have been taking,destroying those middleclass jobs. Illegals do shotty work and are uneducated but take business away because they work for free basically. We need to get rid of the illegals and put Americans back in these middleclass jobs
Most small companies hire their own kind. It could sound racist but it's the truth. Polish Irish, Mexican etc. construction companies have always hired within their race.If a polish family needs work on their house they call a polish company etc.
no, they are working the jobs that lazy americans didn't want BECAUSE they were too low paying. almost as if americans said "i'm too good to work that job" and therefore they wouldn't take it. Now you bring people that actually want to work and they'll do whatever, so its not illegals that are closing business's its lazy americans that don't want to work certain jobs because "they're too good for it". whens the last time you saw a white person picking berries in california? or cleaning a building for a living? hardly if ever. All because they don't want to work for a lower wage or in those conditions. a job is a job, stop being lazy and just take the job.
They've kept me from having "middle class" jobs because they refuse to learn English. I live in SoCal, born and raised here after my own family CAME HERE LEGALLY AND LEARNED ENGLISH, am college educated and have been turned away from middle class jobs I am perfectly skilled, educated and experienced to have, but can't have because I don't speak Spanish. My family came here (again, LEGALLY) and out of respect for their new home, they learned the language. Illegal immigrants don't show that respect, they expect everything to be in Spanish for them and the pathetic Liberals in CA are more than happy to keep it that way for the illegals. So, save your non-sense pro-illegal immigration cheerleading – their presence keeps Americans out of jobs in more ways than one. Think I'm kidding? Go do some job searches for Los Angeles – you'll see "Must be bilingual" and "Must speak Spanish" everywhere.
Michelle – I couldn't agree more with you. I'm stationed in CA right now, and my husband, who is a USMC veteran, can't find ANY job because he's not English-Spanish bilingual. He's tried applying for everything, flipping burgers, ringing groceries, mowing lawns, etc. and no one will hire him because he can't cater to the illegal population out here.
Spanish speakers don’t expect to have everything on Spanish neither ask for it, business are the ones trying to reach those people; Now companies are becoming global so they need bilingual, trilingual, … employees, if you are so well educated you should know this. And stop blaming on others your incompetency.
The vicious circle continues. We let illegal immigrants pour in. So politicians kowtow to them by weakening or ignoring immigration laws. Which allows more illegal immigrants to pour in. Which leads more politicians kowtowing to them.
And here we are. Drivers licenses, in-state tuition, and billions of dollars in health and education benefits for illegal immigrants.
[b]Better wake up, folks. Start supporting groups that work to stop illegal immigration,[/b] like FAIR (fairus.org). End the vicious circle before it's too late.
Our teens are getting lazier. They won't cut neighborhood lawns for extra cash. They are lazy! So here comes a immigrant he will take the job no questions asked. Why cause these people in most cases come to work!
I don't care who is lazy and who isn't. I care about who is legal and illegal.
Oh, look. The next installment (I think it's monthly) of pro-illegal-immigration propanda from CNN.
haha
Americans need to take their country back and go street to street and round up all the illegals. Have trucks waiting to be loaded up for a one way trip back to the border. Many fed up Americans would volunteer their time helping the border agents round up the criminal illegals.If we did this many illegals would self deport instead of facing the embaressment of being caught and deported in public.
ok. and why don't we just whip up all white people and send them on a one way boat back to Europe too? or China could get any americans fleeing to china because of their much better economy and bring them on a one way boat to the US too.