It's sick how many people think he shouldn't get a dime back. He's not a professional smuggler, drug dealer or scam artist. He's an illegal immigrant that just came here to work and help out his family. I even read someone write that $59,000 isn't a whole lot of money, so what's the big deal? OMG, do you not realize this man worked 11 years for this? Not everyone has millions in their trust fund like you?
This isn't the same kind of illegal like killing someone, smuggling drugs or robbing a bank; it's just being in the country without the government's knowledge. It's done all over the world, and no one really will put you behind bars like a criminal for it.
Give the man back his money, this is wrong.
2007-09-29 08:31:14 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
I posted it again because I wasn't aware the Immigration category was full of Minutemen today...amazing how xenophobic and racist Americans can be. If he were a white Polish man, I bet people would be raising fits!
2007-09-29 08:37:44 · update #1
They even confiscated the donations that were given him. Just unreal.
What people are not able to see here is that citizens can also have their cash confiscated. A truckdriver in Texas had all his cash confiscated without being charged with any crime at all. Just a good ole boy that didn't believe in banks. This is more than a right or left problem.
Here's one link. As long as they believe it won't happen to them, people don't care.
http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2007/Aug07/082707/082707-05.htm
2007-09-29 08:41:59 · answer #1 · answered by Middleclassandnotquiet 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
The question should be why was he carring $59,000 in cash? And why did he not have it in a bank? I'm not racist in any way, but it would be the same for your white Polish guy as well. It is aginst airline policies through customs, to have more than $10,000, it even says that on the back of the Customs claim form they hand out at the end of all international fights. And if he was an Illeagal, it would have been in is native language as well. Or he could have been Illitertate, who knows.
2007-09-29 15:51:39 · answer #2 · answered by acot_anthonym 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Did he pay taxes on the money?
It is also illegal to carry over $10,000 in cash when leaving the U.S.. Did you know in many 1st world countries you need have permission to send money out of the country? A couple of years ago, a famous business man in Asia was arrested for investing money in the U.S.. His crime was sending over $100,000 to the U.S.. ( We don't have that law in the U.S. and if we did then China would not be doing so well economically right now.)
By the way, undocumented people are a net drain on society. They cost more than they are worth.
Facts are here: "Illegal Immigration: A Case Study by Congressman Randy Forbes"
http://forbes.house.gov/issues/immigrationcasestudy.htm
2007-09-29 15:33:30 · answer #3 · answered by a bush family member 7 · 7⤊ 0⤋
I think we all feel bad for him because he is obviously a hard working man. As creative as lawyers can be, I hope someone comes up with a way for him to get his money, sans taxes. He did obtain it illegally though, and of course they want to make an example of him. I don't think it has to do with xenophobia either. I think Americans are jealous of his work ethic and ability to delay gratification. Time and time again foreigners (legal and illegal) come to America and make it big by working hard and being willing to sacrifice and in doing so show the average American that they have nothing to complain about. If someone can come here from another country, with a new language to learn, and do that, then why can't the average American do that?
Also, I agree with your comment that it would have been different had he been of Polish decent.
2007-09-29 15:50:32 · answer #4 · answered by starmoishe 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
The crime is not as serious, but the money was earned illegally and taxes were not paid on it. The man had 11 years to figure out what he was doing he made the choice to take an illegal path.
2007-09-29 15:38:14 · answer #5 · answered by fangtaiyang 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
to answer your question truthfully, and has been shown by the answers you have gotten, who gives a dam ?? as long as it is not them, what they don't realize is that when they turn their back on some one who is being did wrong , the same will happen to them when something happens to them, look t how Dear Billie Clinton tricked every one int not complaining about the search warrant issue which killed the 4th amendment, and no one complained, comrade Clinton said they needed this bill to search housing projects for guns and drugs, so no one cared after all it is only some black drug dealers, BUT, when the law was written it said anyone any where their car, home office or ??? could be searched as long as the gov, had a interest in such, can you name one place home or ? the gov don't have an interest in???
so now any one any where can be searched , home , office or ??? and the same applies to our so called terrorist bill that G.W.B. CONNED US INTO ACCEPTING,
so if the man can show he earned the money , not drugs then we had better insist they give his money back, who knows will you or I be next????
2007-09-29 15:50:21 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
This is a capitalist country. He worked for that money, in fact, he's smarter than 80% of Americans who have NO savings and live on credit card debt year after year. He's free to earn that money, and he's free to spend it wherever the hell he damn well pleases. Give him back his money, plus punitive damages.
2007-09-29 19:44:12 · answer #7 · answered by dumboe8899 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
He did several illegal felonies while in the United States for 11 years. One he crossed the border illegally (felony), failed to rep0rt to INS to try to get permission to be in the United States (felony), did not pay income tax (felony), did not pay Social Security Taxes (felony) and under the Federal RICO Act, he and his boss were both co-conspirators in defrauding the United States (Felony). The RICO Act is what put John Gotti in prison for life. So Pedro gets kicked of the US and has his money confiscated. Next time he will get a Visa or go somewhere else.
2007-09-29 15:40:31 · answer #8 · answered by ? 6 · 5⤊ 2⤋
It was wrong for him to have come here in the first place.
If we keep allowing illegals to reap the rewards of their 'crime' in coming here,they will never have any trepidations about following their neighbors.
I am sure the man has had a better life than he would have in MX - let him take that home with him.
2007-09-29 16:03:55 · answer #9 · answered by wider scope 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
He was here illegally, so no sympathy
The IRS confiscates huge amounts of money from legal American citizen-taxpayers every year. Shed a tear for them first
2007-09-29 15:35:50 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 0⤋