a repost from 11/2014 … when will Republicans learn?

In response to a post from Reform Immigration for America … relief for Dreamers

HIM:  Meanwhile some immigrant is stuck in his homeland because the “dreamer” and his parents violated our most basic rules. That law-abiding immigrant may never make it here because the “dreamer” cut in line. Why reward line cutters? I do not have the slightest sympathy for kids who get hurt because of the actions of their parents. It was the parents who knew the risk and hurt their kids, not me. Half of our prison system is full of legal citizens who are parents. You do not think their kids are suffering. Should we just refuse to apply our laws to citizens who have kids? Crazy…

ME:I appreciate most if not all responses, you actually took the time to visit my blog and read a post.  The post you are referring to was taken from the organization the Reform Immigration for America site and was not only interesting it was meant to open up a dialogue; more questions and hopefully more understanding of what Dreamers have to go through in order to become an American. Therefore, I did not write the post.  I do post things I may not completely agree with but in this case, I will tell you that since the word immigrant has existed so have adult folks bringing or having children while being undocumented and no, I do not believe it is the fault of the children. The fact is immigrants of all races have experienced this since that complicit yet unspoken deal made between the undocumented and companies needing workers not only reached out. They exploited people who had nowhere else to go because the fact is, there was no economic net or program way back before the numbers grew to 11 or 12 million undocumented. Those who do cheat the system, do so with malice or who have committed illegal acts while hiding is unacceptable but being a “child of”  is a person of circumstance.

I also believe that there are parts of our economy that would not be or would be lacking in consumer services and or food even if the eco-footprint is huge. We all have to admit these workers are quite often undocumented and while there are “Americans” who do stoop work, the numbers are small and then there are the cleaning, landscape and construction industries with some in control choosing to hire the cheaper no insurance card carrying undocumented.  I think the process needs an incredible amount of reforming and though I know some about the “line cutters”, I am not sure what the actual numbers are lest we talk about the number of people who are deported wrongfully as well. It is a messy process that no one wants to deal with honestly, because the sin and the sinner are far too close at hand.

As for those in our prisons, that is a whole other bag of nasty and I cannot begin to tell you how upsetting it is to know that our prisons are in my opinion, legally controlled housing for folks of colour. I am not going to say that people of colour do not commit crimes but clearly, there are plenty of cases with the same crime committed by whites but the punishment levied to defendants is not even close. These are two issues that definitely need reforming yet I cannot interchange them because the only crime every dreamer has committed, is being brought or born in America as a young child.  whereas at least some prison inmates have actually done so … thus, my hesitation to use the analogy. I would say that being a dreamer is not as easy as you seem to think because the application, the hoops seem as rigorous as trying to become a citizen and it should be. Again, I appreciate your right to the first amendment and opinion … mine is just different.  I also think it’s time for folks to come out of the shadows; such as the kids brought or born here =Dreamers …are, in my opinion, Americans; most have or want more educational/employment opportunities, know nothing different and consider themselves American, possibly have no connection to respective family homelands. I will say that it is time for employers to be held accountable and pledge to help reform the policies that offer a path to citizenship or a way that allows folks to cross over work and go home in a more human way

I hope you are not suggesting we round folks up and send them somewhere.

If you read this … What say you?