Thread: Law Enforcement Priorities

I posted something similar a while back, and didn't get much response, so I privately asked some people their opinions, and got some good responses. A couple of people suggested that I repost for discussion. So, here goes. I'm also in the process of writing to Immigration, to get legal answers to some of these questions. For now, I'm interested in opinions.

Hi There,

I'm trying to get opinions about an immigration issue. I know a number of people who are legally in our country, but do not have permission to work. They are working, however, often doing stuff like working as maids, in factories in one case, for landscapers, etc. Some are Mexicans from Tijuana who are here legally (many people in Tijuana have special permission to enter the USA as tourists, but most use that permission to illegally work in San Diego and in other towns.) Others are here on tourist visas and do not have green cards, but still work, and leave the US when they are supposed to, and then return as tourists, and then leave again, etc.

My question is, are these people who are here legally but are working when they shouldn't be a minor, moderate, or major problem when looking at illegal immigration as a whole? Should IMMIGRATION go after them, or would it be a waste of our resources? Alot of people do this, for good or bad, which is why I'm bring it up. I have an opinion, which I'll reveal later, but I want to know what you think.

Thanks,

JOE

If they came here legally, how long are they allowed to stay?
If they came on vacation, shouldn't they return home by now?

I say...any job in America, should go to Americans first.

I don't think those with visitor/student visas should be allowed to work.

As for immigration going after them, immigration readily admits they don't go after those illegal aliens who are working.

You can forget the legal immigrants without work visas.

I lived in many foreign countries with a visa that did not allow me to work even tho my skills might have been sorely needed. I didn't work, didn't attempt to...and neither should people who are 'visiting' America...no matter for what length of time...don't have a work visa?? DON"T WORK...

Yes, Immigration should go after ANYONE that works illegally in this country ......AND their employers.

RR

Oh boy! Another can of worms! People who work under the table are doing it illegally. People who work without green cards or guest worker permits are doing it illegally. People who hire these people to work for them are hiring them illegally.

We can't start picking and choosing or we have lost the battle from the start. If someone from England who came her legally and overstayed a visa, do you think they are any different from someone who came here from Saudi Arabia and overstayed their visa? I don't.

I blame our own government for losing track of the people who obtained visas, the people who hire them illegally and the illegals themselves equally.


We can't have it both ways.

Enforcing workplace law seems like the end game to me. How come the solution to a foreign-born problem (shamefully domestically permitted) has to be cracking down on the citizen?

Before we launch a zealous workplace enforcement campaign, let's remember that it will be useless if the border keeps bleeding-in another 10,000 people a day.

How many of those people have no intention of working? just going to suck off the system, or be outright criminals for $$$$??

So even 100% workplace enforcement(impossible) would no effect on the illegals who intend to do the most damage , or be the biggest burdens.

Think about what we might create if we launch another "War on Drugs" -like campaign.

Al Capone.....cartels....should we create a new "Slavelord" of the underworld?





Workplace enforcement might need to be done, don't bother if the border never gets fixed.
Enforcement would just increase bloated government power and punishment of the Amercian citizen., and without a real border, the effort will be for nothing.


pa

I don't see it as picking on US citizens. I see it as enforcing the laws. I will grant that I think the borders and ports need to be secured to prevent more from entering and that the highest priority is getting the criminals out. But we can't just ignore that people from all over the world are working in this country illegally and that the people who hire them know they are breaking the law as well as taking jobs from American citizens by doing so.

What I see happening is alot of people coming on tourist visas who are sponsored by a relative. They actually have permission to be here up to 6 months, and then, in most of the cases that I've seen, they do go home. Then, unless it's been changed (that's where I'm trying to find out about the laws) they can return on that visa, and continue the process where they can stay up to 6 months at a time, then go home for a couple of months, then return, etc, for about 10 years. Their relatives are technically in charge of them, and are responsible for their expenses while they are here.

Sometimes the people coming on these visas are helping their family members in the USA as babysitters, which I am okay with, because daycare is expensive, and with both parents working in many cases to make ends meet, it makes sense to have a relative look after the young kids who are not old enough for school yet, because relatives can be trusted more than strangers. Sometimes, these people on the tourist visas also enroll in adult learning centers to practice english, which is good, too.

The thing is, the people on the tourist visas should not be allowed to overstay their visas. That's where the government should come in and go after their "sponsors." That way, there is more personal accountability.

The people on these visas shouldn't be working, in my opinion, although if they did odd jobs around the neighborhood like babysitting, cleaning houses, etc, I don't have a problem with it. I would have a problem with them going out and getting employment with legitimate companies and with companies that work under the table (like many maid services, lawn care, painters, etc.) If our government actually did some workplace enforcement, or went after unlicensed companies that aren't paying taxes, this would be curbed somewhat, but unfortunately they don't.

I think our priority as a nation (this is where I'm finally interjecting my opinion) should be to secure our borders and ports first and foremost. Next is establishing more of those teams of 5 to 8 agents (there was an article a while back about how there used to be 17 of those teams, and now there are 52) to go after those who have been ordered to be deported, but haven't left. Well, we need about 5 times that many teams.

Third would be the workplace enforcement, and fourth would be going after common people who have illegally overstayed their visas (as they make up about 40% of all illegal immigrants.)

I don't think going after the people who are legally here but working illegally should be a priority. I just wanted to bring this issue up, because in our discussions we always talk about deporting illegals as a blanket term, but the issue seems so much more complicated than that. You have people who have snuck across the border outright, people who are overstaying visas, and then temporary legal people who are here for a variety of reasons, including vacation, tourist -- being sponsored by a relative as I described, students, workers, and refugees -- which is another area that I'm trying to learn about, because the laws just seem kinda weird. And then those people here temporarily, although by law they to go home every so many months, who are from Tijuana. I guess I've learned that this issue is more complicated than I first realized.

JOE

hi- Joe- well my opinion is that we need law 'immigration enforcement to do sting operations along the border and in cities where illegals are most often hired' and in the most often to hire illegals occuaptions
service industry
construction
landscaping
restarants
landlords
i am not holding my breathe on this- but SOMETHING NEEDS TO GET DONE-
Just hearing the word deport send shock waves of fear and of course more press conferences from THE OTHER SIDE - ie the illegal ommunity-&

Targeted stings, that is more reasonable than the kinds of "enforcement" i expect to see from the government.

I envision a NEW department(imagine that), Homeland Workplace Safety, or some othe lame name.

A new cabinet level position, and a stageful of law enforcement stiffs wearing expensive suits, proposing a new database where a camera is implanted in everyones forehead, so we can catch those pesky employers.

Don't forget a special budget, in order to hire the most expensive lawyers, for the ILLEGALS that enter the deportation "process".


AND they will pull officers away from the border, so they can sit and eat donuts, watching Home Depot.

-pa