Opinion survey - What is your stand on immigration in America?

Question

We have heard both sides of the argument. On one side, we have heard that immigrants are destroying the cultural stability of America by refusing to assimilate, and illegal immigrants are bringing crime and gang violence. We have also heard that America was built by immigrants and everyone has a right to a better life.

So where do we all stand on this issue? I have mixed feelings. I do think that immigration needs to be controlled, so that we can keep at least some criminals out. But I also know that if I were living in some God-awful country where I had no rights and no money I would want the opportunity for a better life. And being that my significant other is an immigrant (albeit an educated one with a good job) I really can't say that I am against immigration.

America is constantly changing, and people are always complaining. People complained when slaves were set free, and when Irish and Polish immigrants arrived. We can't stop change. So should we just accept it?

Answer 1

MY STANCE IS UP HOLD THE LAWS AND DEPORT ILLEGAL ALIENS!

THEY ARE FREE LOADERS!

$12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

$17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

$3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

$90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare & social services by the American taxpayers.
http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html

$200 Billion Dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html

The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children, are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the United States.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/12/ldt.01.html

During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroine and marijuana, crossed into the U. S. from the Southern border.
NEW: Homeland Security Report:
http://www.house.gov/mccaul/pdf/Investigaions-Border-Report.pdf

Answer 2

I think we limit the number of poor people who can come because they will never make enough money to cover costs of education and other benefits they and their families will use. A few we could ignore, but making our facilities and services cover 12 to 20 million has lead to failing schools, and closing ERs and maternity wards in areas where illegals concentrate.

The crime aspect could be cured by screening, to the extent we can catch them at all. However, the poverty aspect is a worldwide problem, and with no idea how we will handle our aging and retiring baby boomers, we need to carefully enforce limits on immigration of poor people who take more out of the system than they put in. The baby boomers already put a lot into the system, but in their working days that money went out to the social programs drained by mass illegal immigration. There isn't a 'flush' system any more.

Answer 3

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt, 1907

As long as any country doesn't spend their tax dollars to create infrastructure that all can use to create wealth they will not enter the 1st world's economy.

The 1st world has spent their dollars to install infrastructure. Do the citizens of the 1st world's economy owe the other countries use of this infrastructure in 1st world countries - NO.

The question isn't usually framed in those terms. They question is usually address by the immigrants calling the previous dwellers racist.

When the 1st worlders attempted to install infrastructure in 3rd world areas it was frequently nationalized. Many 1st worlders said fine let let when they are ready create & finance their own. Yes for a short time by nationalizing the assets created by others made the locals wealthier, but long term it hurt both more.

Answer 4

The thing about immigrants is that they are legal. They have already shown respect for those that have come before and for the laws of the US. People always fear that which is new, however, after these people have assimilated they will be the ones fearing the new immigrants.
Illegal aliens have already shown complete disregard for the laws of the US. They are criminals and should be treated as such. Oh, and for those who are wondering, non-citizens have NO constitutional rights or protections. Thus, they don't need jury trials, can be deported, and we have no obligation to take care of them.

Answer 5

They only thing I have against the legal immigrants is they are here in the USA learn to speak ENGLISH. AS for illegal ones the need to be stopped from entering and maybe then some off the violence might stop.

Answer 6

I'm not against immigration at all, I just have a problem with ILLEGAL immigration. It creates problems we don't have with legal immigrants. It drains all our systems and resources. And when does it stop? Does everyone have the "right" to come here illegally, just because they are poor. There are lots of poor people that wait their turn, what are we saying to them? Do we grant people who have flouted our laws, demanded rights that foreign nationals should not have, and insulted us citizenship?
Is it so much to ask that people come legally, follow the laws, pay their dues, and respect the culture of this country?

Answer 7

Bottom line is if the US didn't have immigrants (including illegal ones) the American economy would be in shambles. There are not enough American workers to keep the US economy #1 in the world so the US has to have a lot of immigrants to do the jobs that most Americans won't touch. If any of the anti-immigrant citizens of the US took Economics 101 in college they'd realize how important all immigrants are to the health of the US economy.

Answer 8

Immigration is good. Illegal immigration is bad. Legal immigration is only bad when people come to the US and expect not to have to learn English.

Answer 9

It is true our country was built on immigration,legal immigrants. The illegal immigrants are slowly destroying this country and if not stopped it will rip America apart.

Answer 10

I have no problem wuth legal immigration. Illegal immigration, I do have a problem with. We are a democracy with laws we all have to follow to live peaceably. If someone breaks those laws, especially on a large scale, it leaves the rest of us wondering why a select few can especially when they don't even support our government with taxes and won't even carry our flag at their marches.

Answer 11

i support immigration-legal immigration-illegal immigration is out of control and has been and continues to be a burden on our economy. we r not the wild wild west nowadays-so limiting immigration by no means restricts freedom. crime rates have risen due to illegal immigration. we shouldnt just accept what is illegal-we should crack down on undocumented aliens here and protect our borders too. legal immigration is just that-perfectly legal. so i am pro legal immigration