[8IhGpvH0]

Sounds like a judge has ruled it's the federal government's responsibility to discern who is legal and who isn't... Still waiting to hear the full ruling.

[MyLeva]

Here's a pdf of the ruling: http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/ima...ing.pdf?hpt=T1

[wasssallx]

Here's an AP link.

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/sto...07-28-13-30-19

[funnyPasds]

I don't know what the law even was, all I know is that Mexican immigrants should not get special treatment simply because their country is right next door. There are millions of people all around the world who want to come to this country and they wait their turn and obey our laws.

[qikolax]

I don't know what the law even was, all I know is that Mexican immigrants should not get special treatment simply because their country is right next door. There are millions of people all around the world who want to come to this country and they wait their turn and obey our laws.

Actually, for the 85,000 work visa quota for 2010, the demand wasn't all that overwhelming. There weren't "millions" waiting to come to this country to work; in fact, the quotas, which once filled up within days of the application date of April 1st, wasn't reached until Dec. 2009.

The Mexican immigrants aren't coming here as much either. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, between 2005 and 2008, the number of Mexican migrants arriving in the United States actually declined by 40 percent. The jobs they're taking aren't exactly on the list of "skilled" occupations, so they don't qualify for the H1-B work visas anyway. Oh, and the law they're breaking -- coming into this country illegally -- is a misdemeanor.

[ElenaEvgeevna]

Millions, thousands, hundreds whatever. The point is people from other countries are wanting to come here and they are waiting to do so legally! And does a law being a misdemeanor mean it is no longer a law? Or is it one of those laws that its ok to break or something; my breakable laws cliff notes havent been updated.

[extessarere]

Millions, thousands, hundreds whatever. The point is people from other countries are wanting to come here and they are waiting to do so legally! And does a law being a misdemeanor mean it is no longer a law? Or is it one of those laws that its ok to break or something; my breakable laws cliff notes havent been updated.

We need to get past "they're all lawbreakers." It's not helping to move anything along. As long as those who want to hold onto this all or nothing notion of crime and punishment and tie that to the notion of amnesty, nothing will happen. The U.S. government will never be able to round up, much less deport the 12-20 million undocumented immigrants in this country. We must work toward some kind of comprehensive reform and that is going to include providing some kind of program for the people already here.

[Unwiseevove]

Nope, sorry not going to pretend the law is not the law just to appease some people. Those who cheated, and jumped in line in front of ose who want to get into this country but do so legally should not be rewarded. The people who live in countries that are not right next to our border should not be punished for having to go the legal route. We are a country of immigrants and we are also a country of laws. My ancestors did not immigrate here, we were kind of dragged by force, but working on a university I am well aware of the legal immigrants, and students with visas who come to this country. If they can do it the right way, why should any other person be given special treatment because the live right next door and it is easy to sneak across the border?

[Eltabaco]

Nope, sorry not going to pretend the law is not the law just to appease some people. Those who cheated, and jumped in line in front of ose who want to get into this country but do so legally should not be rewarded. The people who live in countries that are not right next to our border should not be punished for having to go the legal route. We are a country of immigrants and we are also a country of laws. My ancestors did not immigrate here, we were kind of dragged by force, but working on a university I am well aware of the legal immigrants, and students with visas who come to this country. If they can do it the right way, why should any other person be given special treatment because the live right next door and it is easy to sneak across the border?

Approximately 300,000 students with visas each year don't leave when thier student visas expire, according to the Pew Research Center. They aren't doing it "the right way" either. Look, all of this focus on the law-breaking and the borders is ignoring the real problems. Why are all these people risking their lives, leaving their families to come to this country? That's the larger question. Terrorizing them to leave isn't going to work. They're already terrorized. The majority of them come here, work hard, contribute and obey the law. Some don't.

The problem is two-fold. We need to help Mexico make it more attractive to stay there and we need to help the ones who are here contributing be able to stay here and contribute.

What good will it do just to be pissed off? We cannot round them all up and send them back. It's not going to happen. So all of the law-breaking, jumping in line, cheating, blah, blah crap is just that. Move on and find some solutions.

[Yinekol]

Great point. The majority of immigrant workers in this country contribute hard work, and if they do file any paperwork to receive a payroll check, they rarely stick arond long enough to actually take advantage of the unemployment taxes they pay into, the Social Security taxes they pay into or the disability taxes they pay into.

[xyznicks]

I gave you solutions, you just dont like them because you want me to pretend they arent breaking the law or that they arent jumping ahead of non-Mexican immigrants who are still waiting to come to this country or any other country for that matter. It is not the United States job to make Mexico a better place to live, from what I have learned any interference from the US in Mexico will likely piss off the population. I know Mexico isnt the Malibu but once again, as I have stated before, Mexico is not the only country that is poor, suffering, and unsuitable to live nor is it the only country in this world that people want to emigrate from. You continuously say you can't round them all up and send them home, and I have addressed that comment although you dont like my opinions. So your saying that because there are 20million people who have broken this specific law they should just be given a pass because the number is so large? Yet again, I dont think so and I have stated already why we do not need to "round them up".
This conversation/debate is going nowhere and honestly just seems to be a waste of everyone's time.

[JamesTornC]

Who has argued for just "giving them a pass" in this discussion? What the Obama administration has proposed, and many support, is a path toward legalization that involves paying any and all back taxes and following the normal channels that others go through in order to gain legal status. It also involves getting in line behind the others who are waiting.

What it does NOT involve is singling out any and every person who "looks" illegal and challenging them. That is what many find offensive about the Arizona law.

[CealialactBek]

Living out here, I've felt in the past I've been singled out 'cause I look like I could be Mexican. I have some Colombian blood in me, but I'm otherwise of European descent. Even before the law, I've been pulled over seemingly for nothing. One time it was "get that crack fixed in your winshield." Like the officer really saw that on my car when he was stopped on the side of the highway and I was going 65 mph? No, I tend to think it has more to do with my dark caucasian complexion. There was one time I was stopped at the dog walk for not holding one of my dogs leashes in hand. That's my small happy little froo-froo dog. Meantime, a friend of mine who was with me pointed out how an owner with a pair of golden retrievers walked past the same officers and were not stopped. If any of these dogs in question get into a fight, mine's the one doing the least bit of damage.

So what am I supposed to do? Carry my passport and drivers liscense with me, even though I'm not Mexican at all and born citizen? Am I going to be asked for ID no matter where I go here and no matter what I do? Why should I have to be subject to any of this?

[Henldyhl]

I gave you solutions, you just dont like them because you want me to pretend they arent breaking the law or that they arent jumping ahead of non-Mexican immigrants who are still waiting to come to this country or any other country for that matter. It is not the United States job to make Mexico a better place to live, from what I have learned any interference from the US in Mexico will likely piss off the population. I know Mexico isnt the Malibu but once again, as I have stated before, Mexico is not the only country that is poor, suffering, and unsuitable to live nor is it the only country in this world that people want to emigrate from. You continuously say you can't round them all up and send them home, and I have addressed that comment although you dont like my opinions. So your saying that because there are 20million people who have broken this specific law they should just be given a pass because the number is so large? Yet again, I dont think so and I have stated already why we do not need to "round them up".
This conversation/debate is going nowhere and honestly just seems to be a waste of everyone's time.

What solutions have you offered? I honestly don't see any solutions in your posts. What I do see is a lot of stuff about breaking laws, standing in line, special treatment... the same old lines that are not getting any of us any closer to a solution. I see even fewer solutions coming from the government. Arizona is claiming the government isn't enforcing the laws. Okay, I'm not hearing anything from Congress about its willingness to fund enforcement. All I've heard from the Executive Branch is a lawsuit stating that immigration is the job of the federal government, not the states; however, without the money to enforce the laws, what's the point?

So what is your solution?

[EjPWyPm4]

Really you don't think if the President asked Congress for 100 billion dollars or whatever to strictly enforce immigration laws and had an actual plan to do so, Congress wouldn't be forthcoming with the money? Please even the Dems in Congress would be forced to vote AYE!

[Xiciljed]

Really you don't think if the President asked Congress for 100 billion dollars or whatever to strictly enforce immigration laws and had an actual plan to do so, Congress wouldn't be forthcoming with the money? Please even the Dems in Congress would be forced to vote AYE!

No, I don't. I don't think anyone in Congress will touch this with a ten-foot poll right now. If the President or Congress, past or present, truly wanted to "fix" immigration, it would have happened. Too much politics involved here. Nobody has any balls when it comes to this issue.

[Poll Pitt]

Well, let's see what happens, Paul. You got your wish, but it was the Democrats who came up with the money. My guess is it will go pretty much along the lines of what this writer suggests.

Jul 29 2010, 2:19 PM ET

Normally, Republicans are the ones calling for amped-up border security. But with a $701-million bill Democrats pushed through the House last night, Republican senators may have to choose between seeming in cahoots with the Obama administration or weak on immigration.

Late yesterday night, after a Phoenix judge knocked down some of the most controversial parts of Arizona's stringent immigration law, the House passed a $701-million bill (PDF) beefing up border security. The money would go toward hiring 1,200 new Border Patrol agents and over 500 other customs and border security personnel, supporting local law enforcement, and expanding Department of Justice immigration enforcement programs.

The bill now shifts to the Senate, where it will face an interesting election-year future.

One tack for Republicans may be to claim that the bill does not do enough, proving that Democrats are not serious about immigration. Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the conservative-leaning Center for Immigration Studies, provided a preview of this approach.

"In general, it's not enough money for border security, and it could be allocated differently to get more bang for the buck," she said. Though she hadn't seen the final draft of the bill, previous funding requests gave her a sense of where Republicans might pounce:

There is definitely not enough money being put towards things like the immigration courts, so that more people can be processed for removal, no increase in detention space, no investment in worksite enforcement. There's not enough money to support local law enforcement agencies who want to help with border security. It's too little to really make a difference. The budget is the expression of lawmakers' true priorities, and it seems clear from this level of funding that this is not a priority.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/...gration/60629/