My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant

Exactly, you seem to prefer to philosophize and invoke moral criticism than to actually discuss practical solutions.

> I think its really easy for you (or others) to say "country's full, you'll have to get in line like everyone else"

I started this thread by arguing that we should have compassion for people who run into headaches while trying to immigrate legally, and that we should aim to make things easier for them.

> while ignoring the circumstances of real people like the author of the article

I started this thread by arguing that people brought here as children deserve more leniency.

> The only difference between you and anyone else is when and where you were born, thats all. Its crazy to think you have entitlement to rights and opportunities, simply because you were born this side of an invisible line.

The only difference between me and Bill Gates' kids is who we happened to be born to, but that doesn't entitle me to grow up in Bill Gates' house.

It is you who are making an argument of entitlement. A Mexican is no more entitled to come and work in the USA without a visa than I'm entitled to go and work in Mexico without a visa. The only "right and opportunity" I am invoking is the right to live in the community where I was born, a right and opportunity that most of the world enjoys.

The only thing that makes my position more privileged than a Mexican's is that my countryman and ancestors have built a more prosperous economy than Mexico has. That's dumb luck on my part, no doubt, which I am grateful for. I didn't do anything to earn that.

But there's no way everyone on earth is going to be born with equal opportunity. And there is no virtue in opening wide the gates of immigration if just ends up making the (currently) desirable place more like the (currently) undesirable place.

I think that's a fair point. A more important argument is that making the system too lenient towards people who have come here illegally creates the wrong incentives.

Edit: actually the natural growth rate is every so slightly positive. Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_of_Canada_by_year#Co...

here's your perfectly insightful and worthwhile comment which no one else can see unless they enable "show dead":

wunderfool 7 hours ago | link [dead]

legal immigrant (now citizen) here immigration is a pain in the ass. we stood in line at the INS at 3am (back before they instituted appointments), and i'm not just talking tech people...i mean everyone, from all over the world and all walks of life. it sucked but we all did it. we stood in lines and paid the fees and waited and followed the rules. if you don't, adios. i have zero, ZERO pity for everyone who has tried to come across as a charity case when they really just wanted to jump the line or not deal at all. to even get back in line i would assess a $10k fine on all of you, regardless of income or background. -----

I am all for letting Vargas stay, and for liberalizing this country's immigration policies.

But would going abroad for 10 years really be so bad?

Vargas has proven himself to be an accomplished professional writer and should have no problem finding work pretty much anywhere he goes.

As a writer and a reporter he would gain valuable international experience by living and writing abroad. He could see the world. reunite with his mother and brother, learn something about his country of origin.. and, who knows, he might find he prefers the Philippines (or some other country) even more than the US.

He does have a life in America and that's the country he's most used to, so leaving won't be easy; but he said he hasn't let himself get too close to anyone here, so that should make it somewhat easier to move somewhere else.

When you're young 10 years might seem like a long time, but it's really not that long in the scheme of things. If he's in his 20's now, he'll be in his 30's when he gets back -- plenty of time left to rebuild his life here, should he wish to.

Unfortunately, there is no guarantee he would be allowed back in, and it would be stressful or even dangerous not to be able to come back in in the meantime, should he need to for some reason. So it's certainly not an enviable position to be in; but it's not necessarily the worst thing in the world to go abroad for 10 years -- many people do so gladly and willingly.