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My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

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Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#101

Post by potatolicious »

Aloisius wrote: post #88

How difficult is it really to have a green card wedding? The only knowledge I have of it is from TV, but surely in a country where a good chunk of the population doesn't take marriage seriously, finding someone to marry you for citizenship wouldn't be difficult. You could even build a startup out of it... USMailOrderSpouses.com.

I have a friend who works in Canadian immigration as a marriage interviewer (i.e., that guy who interrogates you both, separately, to determine if yours is a green card marriage). According to him, it's very difficult to sneak past them - they've seen it all.

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#102

Post by fastfinner »

anigbrowl wrote: post #76
lupatus wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True. But, he was not a minor or forced against his will when he decided to check the citizen box on the I-9, or when he decided to pursue a writing career in New York instead of Manilla, or every time he decided as an adult to stay in the USA while knowing he was here illegally.

That is illegal, I agree. But while I wouldn't do that, I don't feel able to condemn him for dealing with a situation not of his own making. The government does not offer any procedure for a person in his position to regularize their legal status (eg do XYZ and pay a fine in restitution, which will allow you to apply for permanent residency on the same basis as a new visitor). Absent a way to live legally, he has lit…

"Absent a way to live legally, he has little other choice."

No he has a choice and he chooses to risk being busted and live in the land of opportunities. He can live legally. He can choose to go back to the native country of his parents and start a legal life there. He has graduated from a university in the US. He has done work in the US. He is much better off resume-wise than many of his peers.

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#103

Post by RandyHelzerman »

What really has to sink in is that there are at least 11 million people in this guy's situation. I can't think of a single example in history of 11 million people being forcibly removed from a country, and any analogous parallels are quite ominous. Fact:(1) they are staying here Fact:(2) there are real, tangible costs to them, you, and society as a whole for them to remain undocumented. Conclusion: There should be a path to citizenship for them.

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#104

Post by reddweb »

geezer wrote: post #93
reddweb wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its simple. Do you implement the LAW ? or let law hijacked by emotions/plight? The legal aliens are idiots?. There are literally billions of people living below poverty line, who will sacrifice everything just to come to America - legally!!! Hardships, emotions and empathy has no place when you take into account 300 million citizens who are legally bound to support the system (tax, servcies, public shcools, hopsitals…

If law is unjust, you change the law. It has happened in American plenty of times. Hell, America was founded in part because an unjust law was imposed on us.

unjust to whom? lets open borders ?

vargas, when he was smuggled into this country, was not "special case" at that time. This is a typical, hallmark fraud case. The coyote, fake passport, fake student visa, fake greencard the list goes on.

you want the Law to be just in above case? i am just saying there needs to be punishment and accountability.

Believe me, the US immigration law is lot better, just and clever than most other countries. There are lot of legal aliens that comply with it, and grateful for the opportunity.

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#105

Post by fastfinner »

phillmv wrote: post #59
haberman wrote: post #28

I have no beef with this guy who was basically forced into breaking the law before he could have responsibility for his actions. But overall I just feel that the compassion about immigration is misplaced. I don't understand why all the pro-immigration people say "look at these poor undocumented immigrants -- we should make life better for them." I think the people we should have compassion for are the people who are…

>I think the people we should have compassion for are the people who are trying to do things the right way but running into headaches. Those are the people we should make things easier for, not the people who are willing to break the law to get what they want. >I don't understand why it's so controversial among the pro-immigration crowd to say that people shouldn't come here illegally. It's because the official green…

"Kicking out the people who are already in the country doesn't achieve anything other than waste more money and ruin more lives."

It achieves fairness about who gets in. Rules may need to be revised, etc. No arguments here. But while the revision is taking place or not taking place the rules need to be followed.

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#106

Post by nl »

reddweb wrote: post #86
nick-dap wrote: post #51

I'm in the same boat. It's been difficult. I cannot express how grateful I am to Jose Vargas for writing this story. I was brought here as a kid 13 years ago. I'm 24 now. I also graduated from a "top" university -- like that matters. I guess my parents weren't smart enough to get a fake social security card for me back then, I wish they were. I've also been fighting for the Dream Act for what feels like an eternity.…

Its simple. Do you implement the LAW ? or let law hijacked by emotions/plight? The legal aliens are idiots?. There are literally billions of people living below poverty line, who will sacrifice everything just to come to America - legally!!! Hardships, emotions and empathy has no place when you take into account 300 million citizens who are legally bound to support the system (tax, servcies, public shcools, hopsitals…

He had a real social security number. It had work restrictions, so he usually used a photocopy with the restrictions hidden.

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#107

Post by fastfinner »

aaronblohowiak wrote: post #80
nick-dap wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is living in limbo for a decade, with literally no single piece of paper identifying you as a human being is "cutting in line?" And why can't we tackle these problems at the same time? Why can't we even tackle these problems _one_ at a time? The Dream Act has been under review since 2001. It is a bill that can be voted on and passed in literally two days. Why not? ... I'll answer. Our impotent Congress, two year…

You're blaming the laws of the country you want to recognize you instead of your parents who did not recognize the laws of the country they smuggled you into.

Exactly. Many, many laws were broken to get this person in and let him stay in the US. I don't see how "feeling like an American" justifies all that.

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#108

Post by reddweb »

nl wrote: post #106
reddweb wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its simple. Do you implement the LAW ? or let law hijacked by emotions/plight? The legal aliens are idiots?. There are literally billions of people living below poverty line, who will sacrifice everything just to come to America - legally!!! Hardships, emotions and empathy has no place when you take into account 300 million citizens who are legally bound to support the system (tax, servcies, public shcools, hopsitals…

He had a real social security number. It had work restrictions, so he usually used a photocopy with the restrictions hidden.

yes he got social security card from SS office but the grounds for it are not valid - making the SS card invalid (when somebody catches him for illegal entry to US).

The secret service is supposed to be able to pull up entire background check - not simply make sure if SSN checkouts against Vargas name.

Re: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

#110

Post by maxwin »

nick-dap wrote: post #51

I'm in the same boat. It's been difficult. I cannot express how grateful I am to Jose Vargas for writing this story. I was brought here as a kid 13 years ago. I'm 24 now. I also graduated from a "top" university -- like that matters. I guess my parents weren't smart enough to get a fake social security card for me back then, I wish they were. I've also been fighting for the Dream Act for what feels like an eternity.…

Like his facebook page. Show some support.

http://www.facebook.com/JoseAJournalist?sk=wall

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