Thread: Illegal immigrants know about the risks

Illegal immigrants know about the risks
August 3, 2008


The leaders of the July 27 Postville rally in support of immigration reform appeared dismissive of the counterprotesters who want our borders secured and immigration laws enforced.

The rally leaders predictably avoided using the term "illegal" when lamenting the plight of the nearly 400 workers arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Agriprocessors plant.

No one believes it's easy to sneak into the United States illegally, find employment, then work and live in the shadows. Who can blame the illegal immigrants for wanting better economic circumstances?

However, rarely is there a mention from their supporters as to why the illegal immigrants first choose to break our laws by entering the United States illegally.

Most made an economic decision to come here, knowing full well the attendant risks of losing their jobs and deportation if they are discovered.

There is no mention by supporters of what public services the illegal immigrants use, such as free education for their children, free medical care, etc.

When illegal immigrants or their families suffer consequences due to our government finally enforcing our laws, our sympathy needs to be tempered by the understanding that they knowingly assumed the risk for themselves and their families.

Justice demands obeying and enforcing the law. This should include prosecuting the employers who knowingly hire illegal workers and who then often abuse them.

- John Stewart, Lake Panorama, Iowa
http://tinyurl.com/5bnkhe

Of course they know the risk. We all know the risk, whether it's speeding to work, writing a bad check, lying......we all risk getting caught. You make a choice, hope for the best, but there's always a risk. The idea it's somehow our fault they "live in fear" or are "terriorized" or whatever, means nothing to me. It's their consience working. You better believe I was sweating bullets, cringing when I'd check the mail or the phone would ring, when out of despiration, I floated checks in order to eat. When they switched to those bi-monthy paychecks, there was always something that came up a day or 2 before payday. It was never much....10-15 bucks....but I risked the 25 buck bank charge and the 25 buck store charge.....but I put myself through hades when I risked it. It's one thing to make a mistake and bounce a check and another to knowingly write one. I was sick on those occations when I took the risk and everyone else didn't hold up their end......like checks arriving on time so I could hurry and deposit on time.....or God forbid not thinking enough ahead to consider holidays etc. The banks didn't do it to me, the store didn't do it to me.....I did it to me. And it caught up with me because I was so careful and managed to do it for so long, and got away with it, that I pushed it and caused a series of bounced checks that ended up costing me big time. Would probably have worked longer, but the bank changed their policies and it didn't go along with my tried and true routien. Instead of deposits being added by 2pm.....they changed it to 10AM and well.....there was no way I could beat it because they wouldn't give us our checks till noon. Guess there was alot more than me doing it and the bank found they were loosing money being able to collect on those fees. Needless to say......after that I never did it again. I closed my account so I wouldn't even be tempted to ever try it again. I tell ya....the stress ended and it was much easier to live without constantly having to out-think every move. Unless you have no sense of right and wrong at all.......you put yourself through the terror of your choices......nobodys doing it to you. I'd think something would be seriously wrong if you didn't feel scared of being caught. The employees tried to have the policies changed because it was hurting alot of people. But the company said no because they saved money and their save was worth more to them than the misery the employees endured. You can argue fairness and everything else......but that's the rules.