My friend is illegal. He came here when he was a baby. Now he's 26. Should he have to go back to Mexico?

Question

He's gone to elementary, middle, high school, community college. Worked, paid taxes. He's an American, although he was born in Mexico. Are all of you anti-amnesty supporters saying that he should go back to Mexico? A country he hasn't even been to himself, which he has no ties to other than his parents and relatives?

Is my friend an American, or is he a Mexican?

I'm just posing this situation to let many of the anti-illegal peope to realize that MANY people fall into my friend's situation. What do you suggest we should do about people in his situation?

BTW - I am for building a border wall and halting all illegal immigration.

Wow, I'm very surprised by many of your answers. It would be very sad for him to have to be deported when he considers himself an American, as do I.

You don't need a SSN to get a job or go to school in CA.

He works in a restaurant.

Hmm interesting I've never asked him about trying to get legalized, hopefully he has been her long enough to count!

Geeze, I can't believe some of the callouse answers I'm getting.. It seems like many people have a clear cut view on this, no exceptions, no understanding.. Either that or they're just racist bigots.. Geeze..

Not an American? I highly disagree. He IS American. He's lived here his whole life. He's Mexican in ethnicity only. I think many of you can't see beyond that and don't want to address that fact.

My parents came here legally from Portugal in the 60's. This would be like suddenly finding out I was really born in Portugal. I might be Portuguese in ethnicity, but I consider myself an American because I have grown up here and am part of American culture.

Answer 1

For all you "uninformed" people here,you can pay taxes with an "itin" number that you get from the IRS. I say he should stay here, afterall he wasn't asked for his opinion when his parents brought him here.

He's american!

Answer 2

If he's from Mexico, yes.

Legally, if your friend was born in Mexico, he is a Mexican. Didn't his parents (and he) qualify for the last Amnesty in '86?

They should be deported like everyone else who is here illegally. You have to aply the law without prejudice. That's what equal protection means.


I'm not for a wall (I think interior enforcement vs employers would be much more effective), but I agree that illegal immigration needs to be halted. Past illegal immigration must also be resolved.

Answer 3

I think you are lumping illegal alien protestors in with the extremists. You are also lumping your buddy in with the illegal criminals who have come to America only to milk the system. Most Americans want a reasonable immigration program in this country. We once had one until self serving political interests took over to override our own laws. We are seeing the devastating effects of bad government. That is what most people are protesting. If this guy has been here his entire life, educated himself and pays taxes, I doubt he is going to leave. He will be granted amnesty. Why didn't he try to gain citizenship the entire time he was here? I know of many people who have. What is his problem in that regard?

Answer 4

Since he is illegally here, from the legal standpoint he's not American, he's Mexican. Unfortunately there is many people like your friend in similar situations and they are not all Mexicans, there are people of other nationalities. This is a very tough situation, since he did not come over here on his own will, his parents brought him- but if he were to go back to his country, he would probably feel lost, since he grew up in US. Back in these days, everyone was able to get a SS# and that is how he got his probably- only recently laws changed and it's not that easy to get one if you are not a citizen or legal alien. I would say in this situation, he should be allowed to stay, but on the other hand, we must stop people from bringing in babies that grow up here and America is all they know, yet they are illegal.

Answer 5

First and foremost you can pay taxes and be illegal at the same time. All you need to do is contact the IRS and have them issue you a tax identification number that can be used in lieu of a social security card for tax purposes.
Now to answer your question your friend was born in Mexico so therefore he is Mexican and here illegally. Ther is no if ands or buts to it. Sorry for his situation but if he is here illegally it does not matter how long he has been here and that is all there is to it. He shouldn't have waited until he was 26. He should have made more of an effort.

Answer 6

Your friend has been breaking the law for 26 years. He has taken advantage of every legal citizen of the United States who obey the rules and pay all the taxes that have supported his education and other benefits he has received while living in this country.

He had the opportunity to become legal during the last Amnesty. Why didn't he, if he feels like he is an American? People immigrating to this country should assimilate and become citizens, learn to speak English, and be law abiding or be deported.

We cannot allow our borders to be open to anyone who wants to enter this country. It is dangerous for national security and destroys the social fabric of the country. The United States people have always been generous and a compassionate people, but it helps no one if we destroy ourselves. We do not have limitless resources and cannot afford to provide health care, schools, and other benefits to everyone.

We need to have a reasonable immigration policy with close checks on who is entering the country. Along with that, the ideal thing would be to help promote democracy in Mexico and other Central and South American countries so desperate people are not forced to leave their families to travel to the United States to make a living.

Illegal aliens do not have permission to live here, work here, but most of them generally make no effort to become United States citizens or speak American English. Some of the more radical groups say they plan to "take back" California and other Western states.

If you friend has been law abiding in every most ways, of course it is not reasonable to put him in the same class as the thousands of M-13 gang members and other criminals who have entered this country illegally, but he is still breaking the law(s).

The reasonable thing to do is to immediately deport the M-13 gangs and criminals and to secure our borders to keep them out. There could be some flexibility to allow illegals such as your friend to become a legal resident--but there must be restrictions such as whether he can allow other family members to come here. Because he broke the law, there should be certain penalties or fines.

Illegal aliens (even your friend) should not get the special treatment or privileges that are being presented in the current Kennedy Immigration Bill. For example, the bill would allow guest workers to bring their spouses and children into the U.S. These children would be entitled to free education (average taxpayer cost: $9,600 per child). Plus any child born to a guest worker here is deemed a U.S. citizen with guaranteed lifetime entitlement to more than 60 different federal welfare programs. The proposed $1,000 fine is not enough to cover the government’s processing costs. In return for this small sum, people who have entered the country illegally would get to (1) stay here permanently, (2) gain immediate entitlement to government assistance and benefits and (3) bring their families over as well. This is beyond amnesty. It doesn't just forgive criminal behavior, it rewards it.

This kind of policy just invites free-loaders and parasites, not people who want to stay here and build a better country.

US citizens living next to the southern US border say it has become a nightmare. They report illegal aliens trashing land, homes, and outbuildings; killing landowners, Border Patrol agents, and tourists unfortunate enough to get in their way. There are reports of illegals killing or stealing livestock, vehicles, guns, and almost anything else they can. Daily we hear of another instance in which an American is brutally murdered, sodomized, raped or assaulted by a Mexican citizen in the United States illegally.

Is this the kind of country we want to live in?

Answer 7

Sorry but I don't believe in the idea of an illegal American. if your friend is not a legal citizen then he is NOT an American, no matter how long he has lived here. His ethnicity may be Mexican, but his Citizenship is still NOT American until he gets legal status to be one. If I go live in China for 20 yrs without becoming a legal citizen that doesn't make me Chinese....

Answer 8

HI. i was wanting to ask YOU a question.....whose fault would this be? why aren't the people who are actually inflicting the trauma on these kids being held accountable? it's the parents who risk hurting these kids, whether it be by crossing the rio grand or by messing up their heads while the kid is in school...i mean, there is such a thing as PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY and no one has taken up that burden, at this time, except for the american taxpayer. saddly, the kids are always caught in the middle of their parents mistakes

Answer 9

Either he's a legal American or an illegal immigrant. He's known this for 26 years and has had 26 years to rectify the situation. He's paying taxes?? With what Social Security number?? He's got to go!!

I'm amazed how many people said he should be considered an American. Why?? Just because?? That's not good enough!! America is the land of oppotunity....not the land of opportunity at someone else's expense.

Answer 10

Let him stay, He is considered a Mexican-American. He's been in America for a very long time. He doesn't have a social security number, but pays taxes. It once again proves what idiots we have running our country. The country took his money out of his check, It's not lazy. Yes, I agree he should go and get a green card. He still has time, If he is a law biding citizen with the exception of being here illegally. ITS OK FOR THEM TO DO HARD WORK FOR 3.00 DOLLARS A HOUR BUT SEND THEM HOME AFTER THE JOB'S DONE. Sick People In This World.

Answer 11

I would love to see how he got into school considering you need a social security number to do that and to pay taxes and to get a job. You say it is not required to have one to get a job but it is in all 50 states. What is his name I'd be glad to make sure he goes back. Maybe he should go ask his local Customs and Border Protection office if he should go back. I'm pretty sure they'll give him a ride