Thread: Immigrant: Give others a chance at citizenship

http://www.wilsondaily.com/Wil_region/L ... 302553.php

Tuesday, July 4, 2006


Immigrant: Give others a chance at citizenship

By Alex Keown Daily Times Staff Writer

Abdallah Jallal knows what illegal immigrants in the United States have to deal with — he was one for four years.


Jallal first came to the United States in 1987 from Amman, Jordan, on a student visa. But when the money for his education ran out, instead of returning home, Jallal decided to stay. For four years Jallal lived with an uncle in Wilson while working menial jobs and ducking the law. But he knew he wanted to be a citizen, so he took the necessary steps, including marrying a citizen.

"Now I own a business, donate money, pay my taxes and am proud to be an American. Even when I go back to Middle East I say I am American," said Jallal, who owns Sandy's Convenient No. 2 on Herring Avenue.

Having grown up in the Middle East, Jallal said, he can sympathize with the illegals in America who work menial labor jobs for little pay. He said it's common in Arabic countries to import labor because people don't want to do certain jobs, such as collect garbage or perform maintenance-type work.

"Those Mexicans here, they work hard for a lot less," Jallal said.

According to Nolo Martinez of the Center for New North Carolinians at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, jobs in construction, agriculture, textile, manufacturing, maintenance, services and hospitality are the attraction. Many of those economic sectors have become dependent on immigrant labor, he told the Carolina Journal, a publication of the John Locke Foundation.

Members of Congress are debating a plan to deal with the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants who've taken up residence in the United States. President Bush has proposed a plan that would include a path to citizenship for the illegals. However, many members of Congress, including Rep. Walter Jones, are fighting such a plan. Jones said illegal immigrants shouldn't be rewarded with citizenship when their presence in the country is breaking U.S. laws. He said the fact that the government doesn't enforce its own immigration laws only encourages more illegals to cross the border.

The Washington, D.C.-based Pew Hispanic Center has estimated that 300,000 people — roughly 65 percent of North Carolina's Latino population — are illegal immigrants, based on the Census Bureau's latest population estimates.

Jallal said if all the illegal Hispanics were sent home, there would be a huge impact on area businesses. He said not only would labor costs go up for building contractors and farmers, but the impact on retail businesses would he enormous.

"Look at the school buses taking them to Wal-Mart on the weekends. All that money would be gone from there," he said.

Jallal said giving illegals a chance to gain their citizenship would be a win-win situation.

"Man, you would make them part of the system. They would get apartments, pay taxes, and participate in the community while giving them a sense of pride, that they can walk down the street and not fear anything," he said. "All these people want is the chance to have a better life."


alexjk@wilsondaily.com | 265-7847

THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO BE CITIZENS....A) they already are citizens in their HOME COUNTRY, and B) they can go back to their home countries and apply LEGALLY to become a US citizens.

"Man, you would make them part of the system,(the welfare system, the MediCaid system, the Social Security system, the criminal justice system, etc.) They would get apartments (for each 5 families), pay taxes, (well at least get refunds and EITC credits because they don't earn enough to owe taxes given the huge numbers of dependents they crank out) and participate in the community while giving them a sense of pride (at all the gangs and thugs who will control the streets, covering every exposed surface with grafitti), that they can walk down the street (waving Mexican flags and signs calling all non Hispanics murderers and oppresors who stole this land from them and that they need to go back to Europe) and not fear anything," he said. "All these people want is the chance to have a better life (at U.S. taxpayer expense)."

They're breaking the law because they "want to".

Sigh, see my sig.

Build the fence, now.

This man broke the law and now defends the illegal aliens right to break our laws and become citizens? No way, take away the incentives and they will go and build a strong wall to keep them from coming back unless it is legally.

Jallal first came to the United States in 1987 from Amman, Jordan, on a student visa. But when the money for his education ran out, instead of returning home, Jallal decided to stay. For four years Jallal lived with an uncle in Wilson while working menial jobs and ducking the law. But he knew he wanted to be a citizen, so he took the necessary steps, including marrying a citizen.

I have a serious problem with this. Anyone in this country illegally should not be able to become legal by something he does while illegally in this country - even if he marries a U.S. citizen. The only way a person should be able to become legal is by taking the appropriate action from outside this country. Now, if he married a U.S. citizen in his own country, he could than apply for citizenship based on that marriage. I repeat, no one should be able to become a legal citizen while illegally in the United States!

MW.

The only way a person should be able to become legal is by taking the appropriate action from outside this country. Now, if he married a U.S. citizen in his own country, he could than apply for citizenship based on that marriage. I repeat, no one should be able to become a legal citizen while illegally in the United States!

I agree!

I repeat, no one should be able to become a legal citizen while illegally in the United States!

I agree too and it can't be said enough. Along with the "anchor babies". The idea of this article is complete crap! The writer of this article should be deported not rewarded with citizenship. He broke the law! We have a right in this country to determine who gets to come here and apply for citizenship. We are not against legal immigration but immigration that makes sense. Not unlimited numbers and only people who truly want to be Americans.

Jallal said if all the illegal Hispanics were sent home, there would be a huge impact on area businesses. He said not only would labor costs go up for building contractors and farmers, but the impact on retail businesses would he enormous.

I am really tired of this argument. I wish no hard times on anyone. It may have a severe impact on our economy or it may not. I don't know. However, that is yet to be really determined, if it even can be with any certainty. Could it impact those who exploit this cheap labor? I don't care they are breaking the law. If they can not make money without slave labor then they have a bad business model. Change or die. I do know one thing however, America is not for sale; Not now and not ever and that is what is being suggested by this argument. Whatever it is we will deal with it. The economy is not something that can only be approached in one way. We Americans can do anything we set our mind to. It might require sacrifice. Working together we can overcome great obstacles. THAT is one of the things that makes America great! I will not be driven by fear to accommodate the dissolution of America or for the dollar.