For people that say it's ok for illegal immigrants to break the law, consider this....?

Question

Many feel that its ok for illegal immigrants to cross the border illegally just because they are looking for work to support their families. Would it be ok, however for a poor working American to go rob the local grocery store to feed his or her family? I mean, they're only trying to survive just like the illegal immigrants that flood our country everyday!

Answer 1

I understand perfectly what you are saying because I have raised the same question in the past.

People would call the police immediately if someone broke into their home even if the burglar said he was only doing it to help his family.

Some people don't seem to understand it's the exact same thing with illegals breaking into our country. Just because they're trying to help their family is NO EXCUSE for breaking our immigration laws.

A lot of people don't understand that. But you hit the nail on the head. You are absolutely correct in your analogy.

Answer 2

Of course it's considered a crime. But it's a crime that most people would willingly commit in order to protect their children from the starvation, disease, and extreme poverty that exists in many countries. Nobody wants there to be illegal immigration. The problem is that there's so many illegal immigrants in this country that we cannot catch them all. Do we do the best we can with deportation, while allowing the illegals to be taken advantage of by businesses? I used to work at a place that used a cleaning service. The cleaning service only hired illegal immigrants, which they would then refuse to pay. Consider, also, that some illegal immigrants came over here with their parents when they were just babies. They have no knowledge of the country they were born in, and are virtually indistinguishable from someone who was actually born in the US. And some illegal immigrants do not even know they are illegal immigrants. Many people think that a visa allows them to stay here permanently. There is currently no way for an illegal immigrant to become a legal immigrant without leaving the country--and we are unable to get every illegal immigrant to do so. We need to come up with some sort of solution because ignoring it won't make it go away. My suggestion? Secure the borders. Direct attention away from catching the illegals that are here to preventing more from coming in. Create a path to citizenship--allow illegal immigrants who are fluent in English to join the armed forces and after honorable discharge or death in the line of duty, grant citizenship to them and their children and permanent residency to their spouse.

Answer 3

yes, it would be ok. and actually i think that example makes the cause of the illegals more plausible. think about it: if a father had to choose between letting his child starve or robbing a grocery store, who would not choose to rob the store? And who would not see that action as justifiable? If it is the father's fault for the position the family is in, then maybe he should be punished, but morally, food should still be provided to the child. It is not the child's fault that they are in that situation. If it is not the father's fault, then stealing is even more morally acceptable.

If a person must steal to survive, they are morally justified in doing so, unless their theft would result in other deaths. You seem to assume that the property in the store has more moral worth than human life. What about if there the father worked for the grocery store and as part of his job stored some goods at his house. Through his own fault the house catches on fire and he must choose between allowing his child to burn to death and not destroying the property of the grocer or saving his child and depriving the grocer of his property. Morally this situation is the same as stealing from the grocer - the father is put in the situation where he must choose between survival of his family and the right of someone else to their property.

In matters of life and death the law ceases to matter.

I don't think this example applies to immigration, fortunately for you. If it was a matter of survival, your example shows why following the law should be a secondary consideration. I think you should think of a better example.

Answer 4

Chris D is referring to illegal immigration and not legal immigration...correct me if I am wrong Chris.While one can sympathise with the motives behind illegal immigration, famine , economic and political strife etc, there has to be a system in place so that the host country ( USA in this case ) can comfortably absorb a given number of new Americans every year.

Consider the present situation of the millions undocumented aliens, the unprecedented stress on social services, angry tax payers, conflict, crime and so on. It is also tough on the illegal alien who in most cases lives below the poverty line and spends as much time working as he does evading the authorities. Nobody wins. US immigration Law, though extremely complex does not have a specific category for blue collar workers which would fit the vast majority of illegals. So why not introduce this category and set a quota for each year depending on the demographics for that fiscal year ? This way for each given year the US can plan as to the number of blue collars workers that couls be comfortably admitted based on the economic factors and projected economic growth.

For those already in the country illegally, one can offer cash incentives to return to their home countries. To ensure that no one person makes multiple claims, the immigration authorities could do eye scans of those who leave voluntarily under this scheme. Instant deportation for those who return illegally, without trial....this may need some legal tweaking at the start of the process. This sounds costly but in the long run it would save the exchequer a lot of money, particularly on social services.

To those who justify illegal immigration, I would ask them to consider this : many who apply legally are also fleeing similar conditions in their home countries, these people have to wait for years, yes years, for their cases to be heard. Not approved, but just heard. They have to wait in line like all other legal applicants, why should those who break the law be allowed to jump the line? The only exception I would make would be for refugees who are in danger of death or worse in their homelands. But that's about it .

This is my honest opinion, I hope I have not offended anyone. If I have, I sincerely apologize as that was not my intention.

Answer 5

Illegals only want to work fine!! There is more than one company that has lost money on illegals. They show up with papers, but not legal, employers train the best workers and have an investment in them. then along comes INS and poof employee is gone, and the work has to be done by someone else if there is someone qualified. Process for hiring has changed in companies that have lost significant amount of money, meaning man hours spent checking those papers and an investment from the application to hiring even greater. Mexican workers are worth the investment, hard working, loyal. stable, with families, BUT they must be legal.

Answer 6

No one said it is OK for illegals to cross the border, just like it is not OK to rob a grocery store! Which do you think the Law is going to be more lenient with? A man sneaking in looking for work, or a man sticking a gun in someone's face robbing them of their hard earned money?

Answer 7

Come on this analogy is getting old... crossing the border and stealing.... When an American steals...ask yourself why? He either is an alcoholic or a druggie what with all the programs we have to help someone.... Don't compare thievery to hunger

Answer 8

Illegal immigrants help keep us free, by constantly reminding us of how incompetent our government is, and how little we have to fear from it. A big part of the difference, between free people and unfree people, is that unfree people fear their government.

Our government can't muster the military competence to defend its borders from pitifully poor people who happen to wander past those defenses. How could we fear a government like that?

If they put an Iron Curtain around the USA for an airtight defense, then we would have something to fear, and we would no longer be free.

Answer 9

To cross the bordwr and work versus robbing a store is comparing apples and oranges. One is considered a violent crime whereas the other is not. Can't compare

Answer 10

Mmmmm, why is it you mention that illegals break the law and yet FAIL to mention the businesses that hire them, are breaking the law! Thats a double standard.....And please stop using the robber analogy, its just silly.....I think businesses that hire them are even more to blame, they SHOULD know better, its from pure greed that these people operate from, illegals are just here seeking a better life for themselves....