This is an opinion article but full of common sense so thought it was worth posting.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinio ... ws-letters

Illegal workers are playing the system

Charles Miller
Davie
Posted November 11 2006

After reading your Oct. 30 article, "Tired of life in limbo, immigrants risk it all by asking court to deport them," it is obvious that the Braga family knows how to play both sides of the immigration issue. First of all, I agree the debate regarding immigration is flaring, and it's not about legal immigration, which we all agree has been a godsend to this nation, but rather illegal and unplanned immigration.

First of all, you should make it clear to your readers that this couple are not legal immigrants, or as the liberal press prefers to call them "undocumented workers," but rather illegal immigrants who knowingly entered this country on a tourist visa and then decided not to obey the laws of this nation by returning to Brazil as specified in their entry documents.

Like many other illegal immigrants, they then decided to attempt to legitimize their illegal status by having U.S.-born children who are citizens. Many other single illegal immigrants attempt to do so by marrying United States citizens. In many cases, these marriages are shams and result in a quickie divorce once they are granted legal status.

What is the true tragedy in all of this is that there are thousands of persons who have waited their legal and rightful turn to enter this country, sometimes for many years, yet the Bragas showed their disdain for the legal process and these citizens and legal residents by "jumping to the front of the line" and openly violating our laws.

I really don't know what the immigration laws are in Brazil, but I do know that in many countries south of us, they would have been deported long before this.

If the Bragas truly care about the laws of this nation, then they should voluntarily return to Brazil and await their legal turn to enter this nation.