Should the United States government give housing and health care aid to illegal immigrants?

Question

Why? Why not?

Answer 1

Nope. Contribute to society, as well as benefit from it. Who wants a bunch of folks that don't pay their taxes, but still get all the perks of citizenship? No sane person could wish that. Like having a friend sleeping on your couch, drinking your beer, and wrecking up the place without paying rent or chipping in for groceries.

Answer 2

I'd have to say no. When you come to the country illegally, you come with what you bring and nothing more. They knew full well what they were getting into. If not, that's an error on their part that a taxpayer shouldn't have to fix.

It's insulting to think that the tax dollars of an average, working class american would pay for someone else to live when most of us fight tooth and nail just to make sure we have minimal necessities every month. Then we have people who have NOTHING who are american citizens.

Why should we take care of illegal immigrants when 25% of all the homeless are our own veterans?

Answer 3

Of course not. Immigration has been a great blessing to the US--when it has been done LEGALLY. We accept a lot of folks through different immigration programs and should NOT cater to those who break the law. No other country tolerates this level of abuse by foreigners, certainly NOT Mexico, which has a SENSIBLE immigration policy which is ENFORCED.

BTW, as the American media don't like to inform the public of the truth of anything, Mexico has serious illegal immigration problems because of the Latin American countries, they're wealthy.

"In Mexico, their immigration policy makes a good deal of sense. It includes things such as: favoring those who can help Mexico—scientists, technicians, and teachers in areas there is a shortage. Immigrants have to arrive during specified times and at specified locations or be sent home summarily. They must have health certificates and proper documentation. Americans and others who overstay their visas will be deported or jailed (MacDonald, “Mexico’s Undiplomatic Diplomats,” Autumn 2005, city-journal.org).

Columnist Larry Elder noted some of the major differences between what Mexico practices and preaches that we should practice (“How Does Mexico Treat Its Illegals?,” 6 April 2006, worldnetdaily.com). The southern border of Mexico where so many poor Guatemalans try to enter is in Chiapas state. That border is mountainous, yet porous, and the area is “crime-ridden.” Congressman J.D. Hayworth wrote a book, Whatever It Takes, about the illegal immigration problem in the U.S. and he also noted the Mexican government’s problems with illegals—which they regard as a security risk. He included information from a Los Angeles Times six-part series which traced a 17-year-old Honduran’s trek to North Carolina, via Mexico. In the article, Enrique is viewed as a “stinking undocumented” in southern Mexico. His kind is seen as backwards, ignorant, diseased, criminals who take away jobs (89). Yet even in Mexico there are those who will defend the unwanted illegals. A professor at the Latin American School of Social Science told an Arizona Republic reporter that these illegals are “’taking jobs the Mexicans don’t want’” (90). They are growing in number as well. In 1997 about 87,000 illegals were caught in Mexico; in 2004, the number was 215,695 and 211,218 were deported (90).

The Mexican government put both military and police forces in the area in 2004 to try to prevent illegals from entering. If they do manage to enter, a UN Human Rights commissioner said that illegals in Mexico “are highly vulnerable to human rights violations and become victims of degrading sexual exploitation and slavery-like practices, and are denied access to education and health care." Elder notes that when illegals are caught, they are placed “overnight in a detention center,” then bussed or flown back to their home country. Still many are able to enter Mexico, some by bribing those who are to enforce the border.
--Save America, Save the World by Cassandra Nathan pp. 253-254

Now that the public has spoken, many of the illegals are "self-deporting" themselves, which is the inevitable effect of NOT throwing open the door and screaming "freebies!" Legal immigrants don't get those breaks. Citizens who finance it all don't get those breaks.

Mexico is being destroyed from having the US to run to instead of using their MULTITUDE of natural resources, hard-working people, and outside of border towns, well-educated populace, to build a country that will really thrive in every regard. In a few years, Mexico will be all the better for having a few million of its citizens return and devote their energies to making the most of THEIR country.

The US will benefit from having a secure border AND knowing who it is letting in and for what purposes (just to get an education? start a business? retire? whatever--we ARE entitled to know. We'd have to address that if we moved to another country.)

Answer 4

We can't ignore them, we should show some humane treatment. They are human beings, after all. After closing our borders, which is yet to be done, we can hear petitions from each of them as to why they should stay. Those worthy can be fined $5000 payable over 8 years and then they get in the back of the line to become citizens or near the front to apply for legal status. The significant other can be fined $1000 only if spouce is here too and for the kids $500 each. Employers can pay for them or they can be given loans to be paid back over 8 years. If they don't pay they are bounced back where they came from and not allowed back. I also don't believe in breaking up immediate families. If papa is here already he should pay his fine and than he can petition for mama and los ninos. For adults, no mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle or cousin, brother-in-law, sister-in-law etc. Those must apply for themselves. If they have legal custody of a child that is not their natural offspring they would have to show papers stating that and they should have had the kid for at least 3 years before bringing him here. I oppose an all out deportation of the illegals because logistically it would be nearly impossible. If we don't use their labor many farmers would have to hire people at a higher cost and pass that cost onto us through higher food prices etc. Your hotel bill will go up, your cost of many things could go up without the cheap labor from the South. I would rather they stay and we know who they are and why they are here than have the chaos that would ensue trying to deport them.

Once they reach legal status than they can get full medical benefits, their children would not be elibable for citizenship merely by birth. They would pay into the tax system as we all do. They would pay copays and so on in a health care system that would include special clinics in their communities until legal when they go to full clinics. Those clinics in their communities would be for minor things and preventative so the cost won't be higher because of emergency room visists they can't afford like it is now. As for housing that should be provided by their employer unless they are of legal status and then they can be eligable for low cost housing like many native born Americans are.

Throughout history it is the immigrant who has done most of the dirty work that others would not do. Now is no different. By making them understand that crossing our border without permission is illegal and fining them we can be humane and continue to have the cheap labor. We can also require them to make a contribution to our country through taxes, co pay and something in rent for low income housing. They should get nothing free.

Answer 5

Housing , no. Medical care yes, in an emergency situation.Illegal immigrants are criminals who have no rights. They are not entitled to any benefits paid for by the American taxpayer until they obtain some sort of legal status.

Answer 6

No, we should only provide assistance to legal citizens.

It's past time for the citizens of our country to be treated as a priority. We have played second fiddle to the illegals for far too long.

Answer 7

No. How many more people can the working class afford to support without going under.

Answer 8

no!its like u cons see with one eye on this, stop saying its just dems trying to give them everything when republicans held the exuctive brach and legislative branch and bush had appointed officials in the judicial branch for 6 years but they did nothing to solve the immigration problem.

by the way huckabee is the leading conservative in the primary and he supports giving illegals free college tution

Answer 9

No, we can't even afford to give housing and health care to our own citizens.

Answer 10

you see how the neo-cons keep spinnin it, pay attention!!!

bush wanted to give them a free pass to kiss up to all the profit-soaring republican business owners who want the cheap labor and then want the taxpayers to have to pay to take care of them!!

its a simple plan, doesn't take much to figure it out!!!

you guys really need to take the blinders off and get with reality!!!

it might hurt a little bit at first, and then you may get symptoms of paranoia and fear, but once you open your minds and start paying attention and learning things a whole new world will open up to you!!!

and believe me, once you look back you wont like where you've been!!!