Seriously, How do you compare LEGAL immigrants to ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS?

Those who feel entitled will never understand you! I've found it's much like the beating of a dead horse to make their differences understood by people who only think Me, me, me! The differences are so immense that perhaps those of illegal beginnings can't comprehend what legal would even be like? Americans have no argument with legal immigrants only illegal aliens! I think they may think we are still a frontier that needs to be populated, sad to say some just don't get it!

It's over hyped. I have no problem with it. We are a small country, but only a tiny portion of our landmass is occupied. It's only the central government not passing on the benefits of all the extra tax to local services that is causing a problem. Legal immigration is done on a points system, you need to have good skills to get in. What I hate is * The aslylum system is too inefficient. People get treated like criminals and kept in limbo for far too long. * When the points system changed those who qualified under the old system had their passports taken away. So they couldn't just book a flight and go home, they had to be deported. This treated honest people like criminals. * Soft targets are picked to pander to the more extreme tendancies. Rather than chuck out the real chancers they go for pillars of the community and decent people with families just to get their figures up. * People are treated as items to process like a shop assistant swiping items on a conveyor belt. Illegal immigration- no one likes it, what we differ on is how serious the problem is.

Someone who tries to immigrate legally is a stupidy like me.

I spent over three years looking hard for a job in Canada through the internet. I studied a lot about the Country. It was very hard but I found a job approved by HRSDC, in February of this year, to work in Edmonton, Alberta.

I submitted all required documentation to the canadian consulate but the immigration officer refused my work permit. He said that I do not have strong economic ties to my country.

I tried to go legally, I did everything within the law. I had employer and place to stay. But what was the advantage of doing that legally?

It's just ignorant people that think that way... There is a huge difference between people who don't follow the law and sneak into the US, compared to the people who went through a process of getting a citizenship and being here legally! Your absolutely right there should be no comparison... once you are a citizen of this country, you are an American!! anyone who thinks otherwise is a dumbass... and needs to stop categorizing people

Well, I am married to a LEGAL permanent resident from Portugal (he was already legal before we met) and he does not want anything to do with people who are illegal because he feels that they are just a group of lower class people who manipulate the soft heart of the US to get taken care of. In a way I share his point of view, but I tend to be less radical about it than a lot of people. I agree that something needs to be done (amnesty is not the answer).

My family is just like yours one of the first founding Spanish families of the Taos area of Northern New Mexico, but you know what I've found? That we will never and have never been treated as equal as the Anglos regardless of how long we've been here. I know that some of them come here to cause problems but that's not all of them, let's try and have a little more love for our own kind, shall we?

As a LEGAL immigrant to the USA from England I do not want to be placed in the same category as illegals.

I have worked very hard to come to America to live, paid thousands of dollars for lawyers, followed the law to the letter, integrated into society.

I would be very insulted if I was classed in the same grouping as people who have no regard for the US law, who believe themselves above such laws, if they did respect the law then they would have gained entry the correct way..

Seems that there always beating the drum for illegals there a non issue they have been violated the next step is deportation> For the crimes they have commited>So why all the what if's and how about & could be>It's over enforce the laws & close the borders>

Illegal aliens are criminals for breaking our laws. They have no rights and they shouldn't be here. They are damaging our country!

Legal immigrants obey our laws and came to this country the RIGHT WAY.

BTW, there was this comparison yesterday. I went ballistic in my post because he was so wrong. He said they weren't criminals. I think his question must have been deleted because it wasn't part of my list of questions answered. His comments were really bad!

Your comparing the immigration policies of 100 yrs ago to those of today? Are you serious? 100 years ago you could show up at Ellis Island on a boat with papers in hand and become a citizen THAT DAY.

The same way they compare dog-fighting to hunting - by using invalid comparisons.

This country was built by Americans - not immigrants!