Should illegal immigrants who came to your country as kids be deported?

[Martinus]

I just heard a story on the radio about a Mexican guy who apparently came illegally to the US when he was 1 (with his parents) and got deported when he was 19. What do you think about situations like that?

[Valmy]

I personally think we need to reform immigration to make it easier to come in legally from Mexico.

But I do think illegal immigrants, when found, should be deported.

[Caliga]

Yes, they should.  But IMO we should make legal immigration much, much easier.  I'm in favor of nearly-open borders, personally.  Until that changes though, existing laws ought to be enforced.

[Caliga]

I personally think we need to reform immigration to make it easier to come in legally from Mexico.

But I do think illegal immigrants, when found, should be deported.

Brother!

[Martinus]

I personally think we need to reform immigration to make it easier to come in legally from Mexico.

But I do think illegal immigrants, when found, should be deported.

Even in a situation like that? The guy pretty much is an American. He probably doesn't speak much Spanish. He got schooled with your money and now is a qualified employee. It's both unfair and wasteful to deport him.

[Valmy]

Even in a situation like that? The guy pretty much is an American. He probably doesn't speak much Spanish. He got schooled with your money and now is a qualified employee. It's both unfair and wasteful to deport him.

He should get a greencard like everybody else if he really is a qualified employee.

Why should we require that of other foreigners we hire and not this guy?  Because he was smuggled into the country?

[Caliga]

I'm a big fan of orderly societies, which in part require law enforcement to uphold existing law even if they don't like them.  Otherwise you have selective enforcement and chaos ensues.

[Valmy]

I'm a big fan of orderly societies, which in part require law enforcement to uphold existing law even if they don't like them.  Otherwise you have selective enforcement and chaos ensues.

Wow we really are of one mind on this issue.

From now on I deputize Caliga to speak for me on all illegal immigration issues.

[Neil]

In my opinion, it makes more sense to execute them.

[Malthus]

I'm a big fan of orderly societies, which in part require law enforcement to uphold existing law even if they don't like them.  Otherwise you have selective enforcement and chaos ensues.

Consistency is certainly a consideration, but in this particular instance it appears to work an injustice - as the infant did not himself break any law, but rather a law was broken on his behalf by others.

My opinion is - keep consistency as a general rule but be willing to bend it to avoid injustice.

[derspiess]

I personally think we need to reform immigration to make it easier to come in legally from Mexico.

I used to think that.  I guess I'm still in favor of some sort of guest worker program, though.

But I do think illegal immigrants, when found, should be deported.

Yeppers.

[DGuller]

In my opinion, it makes more sense to execute them.

Agreed.  Deporting someone who's for all intents and purposes an American to Mexico strikes me as extremely inhumane.

[Caliga]

Consistency is certainly a consideration, but in this particular instance it appears to work an injustice - as the infant did not himself break any law, but rather a law was broken on his behalf by others.

My opinion is - keep consistency as a general rule but be willing to bend it to avoid injustice.

I agree with you when we're talking about certain situations that are nearly universally regarded as immoral (genocide, for example).  But you have to draw a line somewhere.  I don't think deportation--which lacks any sense of permanence in my mind--is on the genocide side of that line.

[garbon]

I agree with you when we're talking about certain situations that are nearly universally regarded as immoral (genocide, for example).  But you have to draw a line somewhere.  I don't think deportation--which lacks any sense of permanence in my mind--is on the genocide side of that line.

What if said individual can't speak Spanish? What sort of life is he expected to have in Mexico?

[Neil]

I agree with you when we're talking about certain situations that are nearly universally regarded as immoral (genocide, for example).  But you have to draw a line somewhere.  I don't think deportation--which lacks any sense of permanence in my mind--is on the genocide side of that line.

What if said individual can't speak Spanish? What sort of life is he expected to have in Mexico?

Maybe he shouldn't do crimes.