Thread: NH-Give immigrant kids a chance ; Deporting innocent childre

Give illegal immigrants' kids a chance ; Deporting innocent children is wrong

Concord Monitor (New Hampshire)
May 20, 2009 Wednesday

ENRIQUE F MESA Jr. and GEORGE BRUNO, ENRIQUE F. MESA Jr. and GEORGE BRUNO For the Monitor

With recent movements by Congress and the Obama administration toward immigration reform, one compelling issue to be addressed is the legalization of undocumented immigrant children. These children, stuck in limbo, are innocent victims of their parents' desires for a better life in the United States, an aspiration not unlike our nation's forefathers.

Many such children arrive in the United States before they are even 5 years old and grow up believing that they are U.S. citizens.

Wouldn't you also believe you're a citizen if you go to school with American children, watch the same cartoons and television shows, play the same games, cheer the same teams, and read the same books?

Sometimes, because of shame, many immigrant parents don't tell their children their true status until they are old enough to drive. Can you imagine telling your child, "I'm sorry you cannot apply for a driver's license because you're an illegal alien and if you do apply you may be deported"? Deported to a strange country and culture the children have never known. These discussions are gut- wrenching, because the children, who have done nothing wrong, are outlaws in the eyes of the United States.

Fortunately, stirrings of immigration reform have revived talk of the Dream Act, with Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois as its leading advocate.

Since 2001, some form of the Dream Act has been introduced by the House and Senate but has yet to become law. At its core, the bill would let illegal immigrants who entered the United States as children - defined as age 15 and under - and who have lived in the United States for five years apply for conditional legal status after graduating from high school. Provided they pay a fine and attend college or participate in military service for at least two years, they would eventually qualify for permanent legal residence and ultimately citizenship. They would earn their way to citizenship.

Unfortunately, opponents seek to cloud the issue with anti- immigration rhetoric, stereotyping immigrants as lower-income families who will "take a lion's share of need-based financial aid" causing colleges to suffer a financial burden. Contrarily, the College Board, comprising more than 5,000 schools, has reported that the 10 states that offer tuition aid to children of undocumented immigrants generally experienced increased college revenue rather than an increased financial burden. Many immigrant children are among the highest achievers in their class.

In President Obama's state-of-the-union address, he underscored the importance of education as part of his desire to create a stronger America full of opportunities as a critical factor to reviving our economy.

Creating productive citizens, promoting family values, honoring our immigrant heritage, eliminating fear and exploitation, focusing on our youth, and generating additional tax revenue by putting everyone to work - legally - is good for America. Passage of the Dream Act is all about affirming the American dream. Congress and the president should get behind it and make it law.

(Enrique Mesa Jr. practices immigration law in Manchester with attorney George Bruno, former U.S. ambassador to Belize.)

http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/En ... 66&start=2

Sometimes, because of shame, many immigrant parents don't tell their children their true status until they are old enough to drive. Can you imagine telling your child, "I'm sorry you cannot apply for a driver's license because you're an illegal alien and if you do apply you may be deported"? Deported to a strange country and culture the children have never known. These discussions are gut- wrenching, because the children, who have done nothing wrong, are outlaws in the eyes of the United States.

Sorry, NO WAY should the kids be rewarded for their parents breaking the law. This was a reason for the parents coming in the first place... so the kids get amnesty and then they bring the parents in. NOBODY pays for breaking the law, I say NO, NO, NO.

These children have only their ILLEGAL parents to blame. The ILLEGAL parents knew what they were doing and their ILLEGAL parents continue by the Abuse of the 14th Amendment to create more children as Anchors and more ILLEGALS for United States Citizens to furnish benefits! The Elitist Politicians and their Elitist Contributors are socializing benefits to the ILLEGALS for the ILLEGAL EMPLOYERS, camouflaged as welfare for United States Citizens, on the backs of United States citizens through our assets such as the Education System, Social Security, and Health Care not to mention our National Security while privatizing the profits for themselves!

Link to source article for comments:

http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/2 ... ubmitted=1

This is why anchor baby citizenship must be stopped; alot of these illegal alien kids were brought over years ago and now have U.S. born siblings. The pro illegal crowd argues it is inhumane to separate brothers and sisters, as the illegal child's siblings are "American citizens". A pregnant illegal gets free care/hospital delivery on the assumption her newborn will be a U.S. citizen. It has to stop!

I just stole $1million from a bank.

I am giving it to my kids. They are innocent--do not take the money from them.....


Logic, logic, logic.

Good News most of the comments on the source article are NOT Pro-ILLEGAL. I have noticed in the last few months that even in the North and Northeast most of the comments to the Pro-ILLEGAL articles have NOT been Pro-ILLEGAL. Citizens continue to comment on these articles while our Politicians seem to weaken, hopefully the Politicians read or are informed about the comments the Pro-ILLEGAL articles receive.

This is why it is important to comment at the individual source articles even though it may seem redundant to the commenter the Citizens reading the articles and comments may have never been exposed to the points we attempt to communicate.

Passage of the Dream Act is all about affirming the American dream. Congress and the president should get behind it and make it law.

NO. Passage of the Dream Act would mean just about anyone in the world can come here to get an education paid for by hard working American citizens who DO NOT WANT ILLEGAL ALIENS OR THEIR CHILDREN TO REAP BENEFITS. Over 80% of Americans want illegal aliens AND their offspring derpoted.

Creating productive citizens, promoting family values, honoring our immigrant heritage, eliminating fear and exploitation, focusing on our youth, and generating additional tax revenue by putting everyone to work - legally - is good for America. Passage of the Dream Act is all about affirming the American dream. Congress and the president should get behind it and make it law.

I agree with all of this paragraph except the last two sentences. I was raised and taught to believe that the primary way that we produce productive citizens, promoted family values, honored our heiritage, eliminated fear and exploitation, focused on our youth, put people to work by creating jobs, etc. was to OBEY THE LAW; FOLLOW THE RULES: DO THE RIGHT THING. So, how does the writer conclude that rewarding those WHO BROKE THE LAW, DID NOT FOLLOW THE RULES, and DID NOT DO THE RIGHT THING, by passing the Dream ACT, will achieve the objectives of the first paragraph? My experience has been that building on a solid foundation, whether it is actual construction or building an operation, process, business, etc. usually results in success. It has also been my observation that undermining the foundation by cutting corners, disregarding procedures, disregarding rules/laws, using dishonest practices usually results in failure. I do not believe for one second that streamlining the process for making illegal aliens legal residents will strengthen the foundation of this country; I believe it undermines it and the very values we want to preserve.

Belize has a massive illegal alien problem with CDentral Americans chopping down National Forests to plant their corn, beans and marijuana.

Bruno should be culturally sensitive and respect our right to set our own laws and have them respected and enforced.

Yeah wait until New Hampshire starts to look like California. Gangs,Cities resembling Mexico,crime,poor performing schools etc. Then maybe their tune will change. Those innocent kids are tomorrow's gang members. Sorry but its the truth.