I would like to understand the point of view of illegal immigrants and why they don't enter the US legally?

Question

I'm very interested in the subject; especially with all the immigration bills in the news. One thing I don't understand is why immigrants don't just enter the US using the legal channels. It seems that if they did, they would not have to live on the margin of society and in hiding. Maybe I'm not seeing the whole picture? I'd love to hear other people's views and ideas on this; particularly from nationals living in the US illegally. Thanks!

I'd like for this question to not be answered in a way that is disrespectful to others; legal or illegal. This is not a forum to throw names around or assumptions based on stereotypes. Please be nice.

Answer 1

Um?? People get turned away? There are jobs here? SO MANY jobs and jobs that aren't being fulled. I don't see a bunch of 'they stole meh job!' Americans wanting to get paid $7.00/hour to open boxes in department stores. But that's good solid money for some illegals and they can send that money to their families who are back home where there isn't a big job market. No big job market, no place to go and get an flow of $7.00/hour.
No benefits, sometimes not paid for work they did even up to a whole week, taxes ARE taken out of their paychecks, and they get fired all the time for being illegal and have to get re-hired somewhere. They stole our jobs! The jobs we weren't working anyways and the ones that allow us to live in this wonderful life of luxury."I want to see my department store FILLED goddamit, no holes in the wall of T-shirts! Get those Americans with benefits and holidays and such to fill that wall for $15.00/hour! Oh wait...Now those shirts cost $40.00."
But the US doesn't want Consuela who doesn't speak English to come here legally. She doesn't have the money for any of the necessary paperwork + etc. ESPECIALLY not Consuela's son, make sure he stays out of the country.

Answer 2

During the last 40 years, the us foreigns policies have affected many countries all over south and central america, as well as the rest of the world, but the biggest impact was in the south american economy. The reasons why all this people want to immigrate to us are too wide, but the reason why many of them choose to do it illegally its because of us politics on LEGAL immigration. For a regular person applying today to immigrate legally to the us, it will take approximately 17 years to do it the legal way, or just sneak across the border and try some luck. One you are inside, even if you marry a us citizen, it will take you about 10 years to become a us citizen, and if you have a child inside of the us, you have to wait until your child turns 18 years old, and from then it will be about 3 more years until all of the paperwork is done, so, the FASTEST way to do it is just illegally, if you want to do it the legal way, you are talking of 17 years.

This bill that got nailed last week in congress was the best thing that could have happenned to america, I will explain you why. The US goverment already said that it is UNABLE to deport all those millions of people that are already in, it was said that they are not being deported unless they commit a crime, so even if they are not legalized, they are staying (first issue), now the first part of the bill was based on legalizing all those with no criminal record and deporting all those with criminal records, and securing the borders, so starting 2008 any Newcoming illegals could be deported on a first come, first served basis, since there will be fewer illegals in the country, plus that bill was going to be tougher on illegal immigration.

The laws of this country do not punish anybody for being illegal, if you are illegal, you are not commiting a crime, you are not a criminal, so you should not go to jail, and this new law was going to crack down in all that, all the new people that it could have stopped from coming inside dont have to worry about it, the bill didnt make it, so they can tour freely across the borders.

The effects of not legalizing all these people will be that many of them under the age of 20 that had a dream of education, are not going to be able to continue their education because of this, and also all these people without driver licenses that are not able to buy autombile insurance because no insurer in the country will insure a driver without a driver license. This also leads to the increase of robberies commited by many dirty police officers across the nation targeting illegal immigrants and charging them a monthly fee in cash or vaccine so they wont write them "no license"and "no automobile insurance" tickets (this is so true, read it in nyt or anywhere else), so all this hard working people that make the lowest wages end up paying every month the consequences of a broken system.

If we all want kick out all illegal immigrants, we got to think it twice, you are more than welcome to say goodbye to 99cents cheeseburgers and a home made salad will become more expensive than a sirloin steak at a fine dining restaurant.

I am an american (college student, 20) that is aware of people's civil rights and the way economy moves around this country, the ones taking jobs are the big corporations sending all their bussiness to china to get a bargain in labor production costs.

Answer 3

I am the wife of a permanant resident, prior illegal immigrant, and I can honestly tell you that if he had not married me he would never have been able to get here legally. There are not many legal ways of doing it, that is just it... You can win the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, which is similar to the lottery and requires that you have at least a high school education or 2 yrs work experience. This is not available in 2008 to immigrants from several countries (including Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Jamaica, etc) b/c there have been over 50,000 immigrants from those countries in the past 5 years. So if you don't win that, you can get a non-immigrant visa, proving that you do not intend to stay or live in the US, just basically to visit, which would not be for many of the immigrants coming here to make a better life... you could be sponsored by a US employer or your US Citizen spouse or relative in the US... I know that it's pretty hard to find a spouse or work sponser in a country that you've never been to. So, that is why a lot of illegals come here illegally, because they cannot get an immigrant visa to come here. I know that my husband came here to give a future to his brothers and sisters so that they wouldn't have to come here.. He wanted to send them to school there so that they could have a chance there. He discourages his family members from coming here illegally, and while he was here, he was working with a fake (not stolen) social security card, and taxes and social security were taken out of all of his checks, contrary to public belief that all immigrants are not paying taxes and using state benefits. He was not using state benefits, either. I don't know a single immigrant that has used state benefits (a lot of states ask for a ss#) or worked for cash. I am not saying that they're not out there, but it is sad that we, as educated US Citizens, are so quick to make a stereotype about a certain nacionality or group of people (illegal immigrants) and say that they are all free loaders, criminals, etc. I know a lot of illegal immigrants personally, and they are hard working, humble, wonderful people. There are illegal immigrant and US citizen drug dealers, rapists, etc, that doesn't make all illegal immigrants OR all US citizens that way. My husband worked his honest little tail off to make a better life for himself, and he succeded, thank God he married a US Citizen or he'd be on the other end of a lot of racist mean comments and beliefs... I hope our country does not keep going down the arrogant road that it is headed down, and opens their eyes to what the USA has always been about... opportunities!

Answer 4

Its simply a numbers issue no matter what anyone else says.

We already have 300 million here. Even if we take in 20 million a year we still would not accept all who wish to come here. To do that would of course doom this country to 3rd world status inside of a few years. So not everyone who wants to be an American may immigrate. What is so frustrating to most citizens is how the illegals jump the line and then demand, with our cowardly politicians letting them, an amnesty and to stay in the US.

The small fees imposed (yes I know that it seems expensive to the people who pay them) do not even cover all of the costs associated with the gigantic bureaucracy needed to process these immigrants. So the taxpayers subsidize immigrants.

Answer 5

For those of you who haven't noticed, the US is not an agrarian society. Illegal immigrants, with few exceptions, do not have the knowledge and skills to make a long term contribution to our 21st century technology based society.

So even if DHS raised the quotas 100 fold, almost all the illegal immigrants in the U.S. would be screened out.

Answer 6

The People that come into this country are not only from Mexico. They come in illegally from various countries, only since Mexico is a neighboring country, Mexicans get all the attention. Some people from certain countries obtain asylum and are allowed to stay here. Mexico is an extremely wealthy country but is wealthy at times for the wrong reasons. Drugs unfortunately are a big money maker there but most of the politicians control that money. People there must pay taxes but never receive any money back. Large corporations from your United States open factories there but pay as little as 5 to 10 dollars a day. If someone can work here in this country even for minimum wage it is still alot more money that they would make in Mexico. The reality is that these people although they are working with fake social security numbers they still pay in to social security. Only they will never see that money. Everyone at one point came in to this country illegally or they were forced. The pilgrims came into this country to avoid religious persecution from England and to have a better opportunity of life. Mexicans as well as people from other third world countries come here for the a better life and to avoid being murdered or raped or having to live in poverty even though you work 12 hours a day 7 days a week. Most immigrants come to live a quiet modest life. Unfortunately like any race you have people who live their lives wrong and commit crimes. They will pay for those crimes wether it is now or later. I dont think God created this world to see such animosity or hate towards one race or ethnicity. They dont come in fear of failing any medical test or fear paying to become legalized. They just want the same opportunity that was given to yours and our ancestors. They want an opportunity to live a better life. If you want to blame anyone for taking your jobs why dont you look at the big corportaions like Wal Mart that import everything they sell from third world countries and pay low wages and offer no benefits. The times that I have walked into Walmart I see people who could have better jobs and make better money, since they were born in this country (USA) and have every opportunity of making good money and having a good life. Instead they settle for 8 bucks an hour and blame everyone else for the fact that this government has screwed the American people and unless change focus from what is really important our economy, our wages and our benefits will depend on those third world countries and the people you are asking about.

Answer 7

If simpletons like Mexmelt down, who dose not know when to keep his mouth shut. He is most ignorant of the law . The "law of supply and demand" If Americans were not the biggest drug users in the world, no one could make a profit by running drugs into the US. Illegal drug users are criminals and need to be locked up. Take away the profit motive and your problem is solved also take an interest of what your children are doing. Illegal drugs in America is an American problem and not a Mexican problem.

Answer 8

This is a subject of great interest to me also. I have seen both good and bad sides of this issue. The problem with coming here legally is that it is truly a LONG drawn out process of red tape that can be very cost prohibitive. Many of the illegals are poor and cannot afford to support their families in their own country. I do sympathize with that element. I personally feel that regardless of financial situation, all aliens should go through the proper channels. It is only fair to the many thousands who have already legally completed this process. The infrastructure of Mexico itself needs to change. It is not our country's responsibility to carry the weight of another country. We are already taking on the burden of their poor in health and welfare, regardless of citizenship. We have our own poor to consider! However, we cannot possibly deport millions of people, so.....

Answer 9

I think the main thing is that coming in legally is very difficult to do because you have to prove lots of things such as what your skill is (then the US needs to see if it is needed), where you plan to live and with who, and they do a background check. It takes years to sometimes be approved to come to the US but crossing the border illegally can take you a few days.

Answer 10

I'd like to understand too, but with all the propaganda flying around it's hard to tell truth from lies. In my opinion it would be to illegal immigrants benefit to go through the legal channels, so they would be subject to minimum wage laws.

Answer 11

There is a limit to the number of immigrants accepted into the country. The government would like to bring in people that speak English and have a degree or are capable of earning one at an American college. Mexicans that speak Mexican and don't speak either English or Spanish and have no job skills at all know that they won't be approved.

India, on the other hand, teaches its students English as a second language and thousands of Indians come to America to obtain free college educations subsidized by the government.