Is illegal immigration wrong just because it is illegal?

Question

It used to be illegal for a woman to vote in this country. Do you think that it was wrong for women to protest that law? It used to be illegal for blacks to share the same spaces as whites during segregation. So do you think it was wrong for those blacks to organize PEACEFUL sit-ins to bring about change even though they were breaking the law while doing so? It used to be illegal for a black and a white person to get married during segregation times in this country. Because they were of different races, their love was against the law. So do you think it was wrong for them to be in love even though the law prohibited it? I ask this becasue many people say that the reason they oppose illegal immigration is just because "it is illegal". Given the history of this country making some pretty ridiculous things illegal, can we really use that as a defense?

Answer 1

The other answerers before me have brought up some very good points and answers that I know involved a lot of critical thinking. This question seems to have attracted the rather intelligent individuals (these types of questions usually result in every going at each other's head). But I see your answer differently. It doesn't (in my opinion) sound like you are advocating illegal migration but it sounds like you are posing the question whether or not we should be against it JUST because it is illegal rather than provide details on why we feel it is wrong. The other answerers did a great job on telling why they feel it's wrong so I'll just answer your main question: No we can't oppose illegal migration JUST because it's illegal. We have to give the reasons why it is wrong. And some reasons have been stated by people before me.

Answer 2

There are plenty of times people have come together and changed a law that didn't work anymore. The citizens here decided that. They did not break any laws in going about the proper means to change it either.

Please note......citizens here wanted them changed......not people from another country who didn't like our laws. Women didn't vote illegally first and stuff the ballot boxes and say "deal with it because we're gonna do it whether you like it or not". When blacks were fighting for their rights...they didn't break the law in mass and say "tough noogies we're gonna do whatever we want to do and you can't stop us coz we're taking over." People abided by the law and went through the proper channels to do so.

We have immigration laws. There is a means to do it legally.......illegals don't want to. If there REALLY was a need to change it......businesses and legal citizens here could have gone through the proper channels and made the changes if it was so wrong........FIRST. You don't invade a country because you don't like their laws and then start DEMANDING things with an attitude of TS...we're here and we aren't going to leave or abide by your other laws or speak your language because we are taking over. THAT is not how it's done. That is not challenging a law.....that is not amending a law.....that is not a successful solution or one that even considers problems or anything else and how to deal with it. It's nothing but bully mentality without consideration for anything or anyone except what they want, expect, and are gonna take whether you like it or not. Definately not citizenship material or anyone I want to work things out with on any level.

There are problems with immigration and now it has been brought to light. Some real legitament problems......NONE of which are addressed or offer any solution, what-so-ever, that a blanket amnesty would fix. None....nothing. Except make a bunch of Mexicans legal. Coz anything else any other group brought up as to the other problems aren't addressed at all.....LaRaza and all the followers could care less if we deport every other illegal as long as you leave the Mexicans alone. They could care less about problems other immigrants face or implementing anything that doesn't just serve the "hispanic community".

That's not wanting wrongs changed.....that's just wanting a select group to get the green light and then close the borders. No....they don't just want anybody and everybody here.....just "their" people.
They could care less about starving Hatians or people from a worse poverty stricken country who "deserve" the chance to live here too. No....they are concerned about themselves only. Even other illegals and other immigrants who joined their cause in the beginning have said themselves that this "immigration reform" is nothing about fixing a broken system.....it's just for "hispanic rights" and granting them amnesty...period.

A new law would be to serve ALL people and BENEFIT this country.......not to satisfy an out-of-control group who's intent has been made clear and one in which continues to fight JUST for "their people" at the expense of everyone else.

Answer 3

Yes we can, it is a crime to invade any country in this world illegally. Do you think that any other country would allow this type of behavior to go unpunished? It was wrong for black citizens to be treated unfairly and we changed that. It was wrong for women to be treated unfairly, we changed that. But our nation is not responsible for all of the wrongs in those other countries and we can't afford to support the world. Our resources will be used up, our schools and hospitals are already in great trouble, our high ways and biways are being over used, our social services are being used by those who don't pay for the right to have them, taxes are mandatory to keep our system up and running, illegals don't pay their fair share of taxes if any at all. How can anyone compare the social injustices of Americn citizens in our past to not being able to support the world on our backs? Sorry but there is no comparison. It's against our national policy and the constitution of the USA., and it won't/can't be changed to accomodate illegals.

Answer 4

What a philosophical question.

I'd say that it's illegal because it's wrong.

It's a crime just because it's illegal. Committing a crime is also wrong, of course, thus it is /also/ wrong to immigrate illegally because doing so is a crime.

It was made illegal because it is wrong to violate the sovreignity of another nation by invading without a declaration of war. (War is arguably always wrong, too, but I'd rather not get that far afield).

On an even more philosophical level it is arguably /not/ 'wrong' in a moral sense to break a law as an act of civil disobedience. To qualify, though, you have to go and break the law, /and/ accept the punishment - it's a way of drawing attention to the injustice of the law. So if illegals were coming here to protest our immigration laws in acts of civil disobedience, they'd be crossing the border, going straight to ICE, and /demanding/ a deportation hearing.

Answer 5

Allowing anybody to come in just because they want to would cripple the economy, destabilize society, but an impossible burden on our social welfare programs and make many of our laws impossible to enforce. The point is that immigrants need to know the laws and customs of our country so that they can blend in as smoothly as possible. If people want to come here to become Americans, that is great, but they have to be able to accept the laws and ways of American society. Many immigrants try to bring their old ways with them and some of them are illegal in this country. They don't understand why they get in trouble here when they used to do it "back home". Some were accustomed to abusing their spouses and children. We don't tolerate that. Some were accustomed to using addictive substances and we don't accept that. Some survived "back home" by stealing and cheating. We can't allow that.
As a result, we have to have immigration laws to impose some kind of control on how many and who can enter. It is not a perfect system, far from it, but it is better than nothing.

Answer 6

Guess what all those people with the exception of the Illegals were Americans I presume,and at the time those were the laws so in essence they were breaking a law.However an Illegal is illegal because he/she is breaking our current laws and are not American taxpaying citizens which in my book affords them no right to anything. This is not a "pretty ridiculous law" as this inn is full. We cannot support a massive influx of people from outside of the US on a daily basis.There has to be checks and balances neither of which is occurring currently.

Answer 7

Well, the catch is that immigration is not illegal. There is a process to enter this country. The illegality comes in when people delibrately choose to ignore that process.
There was no process for women to vote or desegregation of black and white. So the protest came in to create a process. Now, we can vote and we can marry anybody of any color. There is a process for this too.
There is a correct way to enter the country, just like there is a correct way to secure a marriage license and get married to whoever you want. Not following the process is breaking the law.
Any questions?

Answer 8

Every country on earth has immigration laws. These laws are designed to protect the existing work force against cheap foreign workers. They are also designed to reunify families, not just keep people out.

There is an orderly process for people to move from one country to another. It has nothing to do with voting or bi-racial marriage. No harm came from the elimination of those laws. If immigration laws were eliminated, anyone from anywhere could enter a country and take advantage of its resources.

The country of which you are a citizen is the country where you can enjoy rights and privileges as a matter of law, as a matter of birthright.

Illegal aliens take jobs away from those who are entitled to those rights and privileges. They drain social services such as schools and public health facilities leaving less to those who are entitled to their usage.

Answer 9

20 million border invaders have damaged the country in so many ways.
There is really no need to compare the situation to women's votes and segregation. Those wrongs were made right. This border situation will be made right as well. Probably not the outcome you are looking for though..

Answer 10

Illegal aliens are illegally in this country. Apples and oranges. The others you mention fought for their rights as citizens, and the abolitionists fought for the freedom for slaves on ethical grounds, and to recognized as citizens of the US. The slaves did not come here illegally, neither did the suffragettes. Illegal aliens are not citizens, so on what grounds do they have the right to fight. Immigrations laws are not laws that should be changed.