Surge 2014: A debate on Illegal Immigration and US Policies.

[Gig em Aggies]

During the past few months we have witnessed a "surge" in illegal immigration mainly that of children. This is an open thread for the discussion on how the policies both past and present contributed to this crisis facing the Obama Administration and the country. Wether or not your belief is on the left or right or in the middle, no question is a stupid question their are only stupid answers. Even though this is general I claim this thread but I will not remove people unless they break the rules

Topics:
The impact of this surge on local and national levels.
how the policies of the administration did or did not contribute to the crisis.
Realistic solutions to "fix" or lessen the impact of this problem.
Political ideology and personal beliefs and how they affect your side on the issue.
International events with ties to current immigration issue in the United States.

[Geilinor]

How are so many unaccompanied children getting from Central America to the US?

[Scomagia]

How are so many unaccompanied children getting from Central America to the US?

When your life is in danger on a daily basis, you make shit happen.

[Hamil]

These illegals need to be sent right back where they came from. Lots of them come over here with diseases that the US is not capable of handling because we've never had it

[Geilinor]

These illegals need to be sent right back where they came from. Lots of them come over here with diseases that the US is not capable of handling because we've never had it

Which foreign diseases are these? Of all the real problems, you've picked the non-existent one.

[Wolfmanne]

The United States needs to understand that many of these come from hard situations and upbringings, and therefore needs to pass the DREAM Act, relax border controls and welcome these people with open arms. Trust me, the children of these immigrants will be way more proud to call themselves American rather than Nicaraguan, Guatemalan, Venezuelan etc if you do this.

[Scomagia]

These illegals need to be sent right back where they came from. Lots of them come over here with diseases that the US is not capable of handling because we've never had it

Human beings are not illegal. That dehumanizing rhetoric is absolutely disgusting. They are undocumented immigrants.

[Geilinor]

These illegals need to be sent right back where they came from. Lots of them come over here with diseases that the US is not capable of handling because we've never had it

Human beings are not illegal. That dehumanizing rhetoric is absolutely disgusting. They are undocumented immigrants.

The way they got into the country was. Nobody is saying their lives are illegal.

[Scomagia]

The United States needs to understand that many of these come from hard situations and upbringings, and therefore needs to pass the DREAM Act, relax border controls and welcome these people with open arms. Trust me, the children of these immigrants will be way more proud to call themselves American rather than Nicaraguan, Guatemalan, Venezuelan etc if you do this.

What would really help is if we ended the damn drug war and helped Central and South America recover from the damage that it has done.

[Geilinor]

The United States needs to understand that many of these come from hard situations and upbringings, and therefore needs to pass the DREAM Act, relax border controls and welcome these people with open arms. Trust me, the children of these immigrants will be way more proud to call themselves American rather than Nicaraguan, Guatemalan, Venezuelan etc if you do this.

What would really help is if we ended the damn drug war and helped Central and South America recover from the damage that it's done.

Legalizing marijuana is fine, but many of these drugs are heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine.

[Scomagia]

Human beings are not illegal. That dehumanizing rhetoric is absolutely disgusting. They are undocumented immigrants.

The way they got into the country was. Nobody is saying their lives are illegal.

Calling them illegals is deliberately intended to dehumanize. Don't act like it isn't.

[Scomagia]

What would really help is if we ended the damn drug war and helped Central and South America recover from the damage that it's done.

Legalizing marijuana is fine, but many of these drugs are heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine.

And?

[Geilinor]

The way they got into the country was. Nobody is saying their lives are illegal.

Calling them illegals is deliberately intended to dehumanize. Don't act like it isn't.

"Illegals" is insulting, but "illegal immigrant" clarifies the context in which the term is being used.

[Hamil]

The United States needs to understand that many of these come from hard situations and upbringings, and therefore needs to pass the DREAM Act, relax border controls and welcome these people with open arms. Trust me, the children of these immigrants will be way more proud to call themselves American rather than Nicaraguan, Guatemalan, Venezuelan etc if you do this.

This is an awful idea. These countries fucked themselves over and expect us support their people because they can't?

[Scomagia]

Calling them illegals is deliberately intended to dehumanize. Don't act like it isn't.

"Illegals" is insulting, but "illegal immigrant" clarifies the context in which the term is being used.

It's still less accurate than undocumented immigrants.

[Valrifell]

The United States needs to understand that many of these come from hard situations and upbringings, and therefore needs to pass the DREAM Act, relax border controls and welcome these people with open arms. Trust me, the children of these immigrants will be way more proud to call themselves American rather than Nicaraguan, Guatemalan, Venezuelan etc if you do this.

What would really help is if we ended the damn drug war and helped Central and South America recover from the damage that it has done.

Pretty much this.
Though I also feel laxed border laws would help the situation, and having the U.S. government encourage English speaking to make the general public and the right feel more at ease with the change.

[Scomagia]

The United States needs to understand that many of these come from hard situations and upbringings, and therefore needs to pass the DREAM Act, relax border controls and welcome these people with open arms. Trust me, the children of these immigrants will be way more proud to call themselves American rather than Nicaraguan, Guatemalan, Venezuelan etc if you do this.

This is an awful idea. These countries fucked themselves over and expect us support their people because they can't?

WE fucked those countries over.

[Geilinor]

The United States needs to understand that many of these come from hard situations and upbringings, and therefore needs to pass the DREAM Act, relax border controls and welcome these people with open arms. Trust me, the children of these immigrants will be way more proud to call themselves American rather than Nicaraguan, Guatemalan, Venezuelan etc if you do this.

This is an awful idea. These countries fucked themselves over and expect us support their people because they can't?

Corrupt governments and dictatorships messed up those countries, but the average person didn't do anything wrong.

[Hamil]

This is an awful idea. These countries fucked themselves over and expect us support their people because they can't?

Corrupt governments and dictatorships messed up those countries, but the average person didn't do anything wrong.

So you're saying instead of these countries being responsible for their actions the US should?

[Imperializt Russia]

What surge?
I'm pretty sure illegal immigration and net migration are at an all-time low for the US.
It just sounds like a surge because there's a large proposed resettlement operation going on, and "record numbers of unaccompanied children!" is a headline-grabber.

[Wolfmanne]

The United States needs to understand that many of these come from hard situations and upbringings, and therefore needs to pass the DREAM Act, relax border controls and welcome these people with open arms. Trust me, the children of these immigrants will be way more proud to call themselves American rather than Nicaraguan, Guatemalan, Venezuelan etc if you do this.

What would really help is if we ended the damn drug war and helped Central and South America recover from the damage that it has done.

Speaking as someone who believes that weed is among one of the most dangerous and potent drugs out there (let's not turn this into the potency and health effects of weed), legalising it nationwide and subsiding its production to keep costs low should help drive the cartels out of business. As for helping Latin America recover... this matter is a lot harder. Even in pro-US nations, like Colombia or Guatemala, corruption would stall any progress, whilst in more anti-American countries, like my Mother's own (Nicaragua), I don't see them welcoming US support with open arms, especially when corrupt misogynist pedophiles anti-democracy/human rights dictators like Daniel Ortega are in control.

[Imperializt Russia]

Corrupt governments and dictatorships messed up those countries, but the average person didn't do anything wrong.

So you're saying instead of these countries being responsible for their actions the US should?

Pretty sure Mexico and Colombia aren't responsible for the drug war occurring in their countries.
Arguably America is, but that's another thread's debate.

Unsurprisingly, what amounts to a civil war displaces people.

[Wolfmanne]

Corrupt governments and dictatorships messed up those countries, but the average person didn't do anything wrong.

So you're saying instead of these countries being responsible for their actions the US should?

They didn't. Countries like Argentina and Cuba were among the most developed and wealthiest nations in the world 60 years ago. Latin America was once viewed as one of the wealthiest regions with great potential for development a century or two ago. However, it has been the elites in Latin Americans who have screwed over the ordinary folk by ensuring that they would reap all the benefits of economic growth.

[Neo Rome Republic]

The United States needs to understand that many of these come from hard situations and upbringings, and therefore needs to pass the DREAM Act, relax border controls and welcome these people with open arms. Trust me, the children of these immigrants will be way more proud to call themselves American rather than Nicaraguan, Guatemalan, Venezuelan etc if you do this.

This.

[Imperializt Russia]

The United States needs to understand that many of these come from hard situations and upbringings, and therefore needs to pass the DREAM Act, relax border controls and welcome these people with open arms. Trust me, the children of these immigrants will be way more proud to call themselves American rather than Nicaraguan, Guatemalan, Venezuelan etc if you do this.

This.

So long as they don't call it the DREAM act.
I've become hugely pissed off at the pathetic infatuation American companies and the government have for making acronyms spell words.