Thumbs up to this NC Legal immigrant!
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End illegal immigration -- it's breaking the law
Guest Commentary


By ARMANDO LAGUNAS
Hickory Daily Record
Wednesday, April 12, 2006




I have been following with great interest the manifestation by the illegal immigrants. I am a legal immigrant from 1957 to 1960, when I returned to my country, and back in 1964 until now. In 1976, I took the oath for my citizenship. I chose not to break the law by coming uninvited. In all my years in this country, I have never been accused or convicted of a misdemeanor or a felony. Also my parents, my brother and his family, my sister and her daughter came to the USA legally. I feel insulted when people bunch together the legal and the illegal immigrants.

I don’t believe that the people who break the law by coming to the USA illegally have the right to tell our government what to do or what not to do with any law, least of all an immigration law.

I would like to ask the supporters of this manifestation if it is all right to keep on breaking the laws after they come to this country. They say they respect our laws, but they think nothing of using fake Social Security numbers, driving without driver’s license, driving without insurance, driving drunk or under the influence of drugs, selling and transporting illegal drugs, living together and having children without getting married, leaving the mother of their children and not supporting them, abusing women and children, joining gangs that do breaking and entering of cars and buildings, not paying taxes when they are paid under the table and a number of other illegal activities.

Saying that Americans will not do the jobs they are doing is a fallacy. If the pay is acceptable, Americans will do any job. How do they think we did before they came to this country?

As to the businesses that employ these illegal immigrants, shame on you. You know very well that what you are doing is wrong and illegal, punishable by a fine and even imprisonment - but the proper authorities are either too busy or they simply do not care. In this area, there are a good number of big and medium size businesses that knowingly hire the illegal. Do not tell me that they are fooled by the fake identification they are presented. They are not stupid.

I know of illegals who start their own business without the proper permits and hire other illegal and pay them in cash. That way, no Social Security tax is paid and neither is income tax. They compete unfairly with the established and legal businesses that have to pay all the taxes the law requires. That happens in the construction industry. Many of these businesses do jobs for other illegals and they cheat each other with no bad consequences, because they know that the illegals will not complain because of their status.

I know there are some who, even though they broke the law to get in, have not misbehaved. Still, they use fake IDs. These are the ones I would like to see get their situation established.

I’d like to see the law applied to the employers who hire illegals and use that money to send the illegals back to their countries, especially those who keep on breaking the laws. Not all of them are from Mexico, I know of people from all the Central American countries, especially San Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. A very few are natives of South America.

The reason these people do not apply for legal papers to come as a legal immigrant is because they cannot comply with the requirements to be admitted in the USA. Some do not have the education necessary, or they have had trouble with their own country’s law. Others are sick with contagious diseases, etc. I have seen many illiterate in Spanish, so how can they learn English?

It takes time to do all the paperwork necessary to comply with immigration laws. Your background is thoroughly checked and an extensive medical examination is performed. You have to have a work contract in the USA or have a sponsor who guarantees that you will not be a charge of the state. You could also open a business and employ people.

Also I hear that the new law will allow them to become citizens. Not true. They may be able to become legal immigrants, but before they can apply for citizenship, they have to wait five years at least. Or, if they are married to an American citizen, they have to wait three years.

Then they have to pass a number of tests, such as conversational English, American history, the Constitution and the Amendments, have an interview where three people, not related, can vouch for your character and morals.

The longer we wait, the more costly and cumbersome the problem is going to be. We don’t need to guard the border so much if we deny them the right to work. The reason they come here is the jobs. If we take that away from them, they have no choice but go back to where they came from.

A great number of illegals make use of Social Services benefits such as free food and counseling. Most of the time, an interpreter is hired for them. In the emergency room at the hospital, they are treated free of charge, because they don’t have health insurance.

We have to put an end to all this.

Armando Lagunas is fleet coordinator and translator for the Hickory Police Department. He is a resident of Conover.


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