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

[Caliga]

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?

If he's not an American citizen and not even legally in the United States, I don't think it's the role of the government to care about his quality of life.  If it was then John Demjanjuk probably wouldn't have been deported to Germany last month.

[derspiess]

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

Unlikely, but I'm sure they'd pick it up eventually

[Caliga]

Yeah, it's easy to learn.  I learned "tengo un pene grande" after a single repetition. 

[alfred russel]

Why not give automatic green cards to people who spent the last several years (we can debate the time period) of their minority in the US, and haven't left since?

[Martinus]

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?

If he's not an American citizen and not even legally in the United States, I don't think it's the role of the government to care about his quality of life.  If it was then John Demjanjuk probably wouldn't have been deported to Germany last month.

Whoa, a death camp guard = an innocent kid who parents broke immigration laws. Great analogy!

[Martinus]

To be honest, I am pretty surprised by Caliga's and Valmy's position. I thought they weren't retards.

[Caliga]

To be honest, I am pretty surprised by Caliga's and Valmy's position. I thought they weren't retards.

I wonder if you are forgetting the part of my initial post where I said (I assume in agreement with you) that I think our immigration laws are too strict and should be changed?  I am in favor of virtually open immigration.  However, until we have that, I don't think we can ignore the laws we already have.  I think that sets an extremely dangerous precedent.

I think realistically we all know that many laws are already selectively enforced, but to make a consistent exception to one is to effectively nullify it, and I don't think law enforcement should be granted the right to nullify.

[Malthus]

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?

If he's not an American citizen and not even legally in the United States, I don't think it's the role of the government to care about his quality of life.  If it was then John Demjanjuk probably wouldn't have been deported to Germany last month.

Would you still be of this opinion if you suddenly learned that your parents were illegal immigrants, and just didn't tell you about it? 

[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?

If he's not an American citizen and not even legally in the United States, I don't think it's the role of the government to care about his quality of life.  If it was then John Demjanjuk probably wouldn't have been deported to Germany last month.

Whoa, a death camp guard = an innocent kid who parents broke immigration laws. Great analogy!

Not innocent.  He's guilty of crimes.

[derspiess]

Why not give automatic green cards to people who spent the last several years (we can debate the time period) of their minority in the US, and haven't left since?

Because then every family member still back in Mexico would follow.

[Caliga]

Whoa, a death camp guard = an innocent kid who parents broke immigration laws. Great analogy!

I thought the analogy was pretty good: your theoretical Mexican kid and Demjanjuk are both deemed unworthy of remaining in the country, and are both likely to be put into peril.  He might have been a death camp guard but he's like 90 now and seems to be an invalid.  I don't think his past, disturbing as it may be, is directly relevant to the example.

Honestly I wouldn't have used Demjanjuk if I knew of a better real-life example.

[Caliga]

Would you still be of this opinion if you suddenly learned that your parents were illegal immigrants, and just didn't tell you about it? 

Of course it wouldn't be, but all opinions are colored by personal experiences.  Right, Judge Sotomayor?

Actually, if they were illegal immigrants from Switzerland or something, it might still be my opinion anyway

[alfred russel]

Why not give automatic green cards to people who spent the last several years (we can debate the time period) of their minority in the US, and haven't left since?

Because then every family member still back in Mexico would follow.

Then make it so they can't bring into the country more than their wife and kids. That seems a poor reason to deport someone who has lived in this country all of their conscious lives.

[The Brain]

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?

Nothing. Being sent back to your country isn't even a punishment.

[Josquius]

That's a strange story.
He doesn't speak much Spanish? How is that possible if he's with his parents...Sounds a bit like a urban legend I've heard about a 40something year old man discovering his parents never completed the paperwork properly when they immigrated when he was a baby and so he's now getting sent to some horrible war-torn country.

I suppose really the line of Americaness should be moved away from the current one of birth and into sentinence. Lets say 4 year old.
The whole thing they have about being born in America is quite silly really in so many ways.