Post #10: Illegal Immigration

[mattwade]

Since it's the hot topic nowadays, I figure I should share my two cents. I believe that illegal immigration should remain illegal, and that no one should try to push for loopholes (even in the instance of an illegal immigrant having one or more U.S.-born children). If an immigrant to this country wants to become a citizen, he or she should save up the money to come here, then take and pass a citizenship test. After that, the new citizen should seek out help in finding an educational institution and/or job, home, legal aid, health-care, professional assistance with all required documentation and whatever else he or she may need. The new citizen should also seek the advice and support of family and friends residing in the United States, if they are available for that particular citizen. However, I think that the government should standardize the expiration dates of all types of visas, and perhaps downplay or eliminate the importance of the Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record. Thus, legal immigrants will be less confused as to how long they are allowed to live and work in the United States. Most importantly, I think that foreign countries (especially Mexico) should provide all of their citizens with better access to current immigration information (for example, they could fund free Internet kiosks at schools, restaurants, bars, hotels and other public institutions). Ultimately, I believe that the U.S. government, foreign governments and their respective citizens should ensure that they cooperate with each other to ensure that all prospective and current immigrants and U.S. citizens remain legal. This has been ...

M. Wade
Esquire