Mr. Obama would do well to remember that ANY immigration system is only is good as the enforcement of its rules. His FIRST step should be to put the systems in place (eVerify, SS no match letters, U.S. Visit, improved processing for LEGAL immigrants) without which no immigration laws can function.

Its wise of President Obama to start taking care of Immigration Reform, This will open all the other doors to Success, Whenever USA opened its doors to Poor Migrants, Almighty God Blessed us with more prosperity. dose anyone remember the last Immigration reform that went down in smoke because of the Republicans who opposed the bill?
Well were all now paying for it BIG TIME. Almighty dose not Bless those who are not Caring about his children.

To those who are afraid about these poor migrant workers who wash our dishes, cars, mow our lawns, Get REAL, If you are a USA citizen and are afraid of losing your LOW MINIMUM WAGE JOB. Then only YOU ARE TO BLAME. Because ANYONE can get educated and learn a profession in USA. STOP BLAMING OTHERS for your own Shortfall.
President Obama is is the best example of what you can become if you are willing to put the right effort and time . YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF YOUR SUCCESS.

There is no Right or Wrong time for anything, there is correct Effective Action that will lead to Positive results.

It is appropriate for those who would argue our “national security” is at risk in this argument, to find out who is here. By registering and creating a program to penalize those who have entered or overstayed and give them an opportunity to make it right by paying fines, taxes and adjusting to a legal status we can take a huge leap forward in this matter.
Thousands of families that contain one or more US Citizen are affected, and by honoring thier rights and the constitutional protection to family unity we uphold our tradition of family values.
We are simply deciding to spend money on enforcement that destroys our economy and creates more social choas or support a prison for profit model that is shameful and degrades our standing in the world as a “humane” nation.

Dpes anyone remember the last big amnesty in 1986? All the enforcement promises that were made to garner enough votes to get that amnesty passed. Employer sanctions was to have been the “cornerstone” of that amnesty. Fines were to have been so expensive and so certain that no employer could stay in business if he employed illegal aliens. Yeah right. The immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 was a big lie. We were scammed in 1986 and will be again if another amnesty is passed. All amnesties do is encourage more of the same; an invasion by illegal aliens. Remember 1986! NO AMNESTY

Obama is going to do good. He will make all legal Immigrants feel more comfortable and issue them all GC’s , this increases people investing on housing as they know they will settle down in the country. This also will let people setup new businesses that could open more job opportunities for Americans.
God Bless UNITED States – Land of Immigrants.

Undocumented immigrants paying more taxes than you think

Eight million Undocumented immigrants pay Social Security, Medicare and income taxes. Denying public services to people who pay their taxes is an affront to America’s bedrock belief in fairness. But many “pull-up-the-drawbridge” politicians want to do just that when it comes to illegal immigrants.

The fact that Undocumented immigrants pay taxes at all will come as news to many Americans. A stunning two thirds of Undocumented immigrants pay Medicare, Social Security and personal income taxes.

Yet, nativists like Congressman Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., have popularized the notion that illegal aliens are a colossal drain on the nation’s hospitals, schools and welfare programs — consuming services that they don’t pay for.

In reality, the 1996 welfare reform bill disqualified Undocumented immigrants from nearly all means tested government programs including food stamps, housing assistance, Medicaid and Medicare-funded hospitalization.

The only services that illegals can still get are emergency medical care and K-12 education. Nevertheless, Tancredo and his ilk pushed a bill through the House criminalizing all aid to illegal aliens — even private acts of charity by priests, nurses and social workers.

Potentially, any soup kitchen that offers so much as a free lunch to an illegal could face up to five years in prison and seizure of assets. The Senate bill that recently collapsed would have tempered these draconian measures against private aid.

But no one — Democrat or Republican — seems to oppose the idea of withholding public services. Earlier this year, Congress passed a law that requires everyone who gets Medicaid — the government-funded health care program for the poor — to offer proof of U.S. citizenship so we can avoid “theft of these benefits by illegal aliens,” as Rep. Charlie Norwood, R-Ga., puts it. But, immigrants aren’t flocking to the United States to mooch off the government.

According to a study by the Urban Institute, the 1996 welfare reform effort dramatically reduced the use of welfare by undocumented immigrant households, exactly as intended. And another vital thing happened in 1996: the Internal Revenue Service began issuing identification numbers to enable illegal immigrants who don’t have Social Security numbers to file taxes.

One might have imagined that those fearing deportation or confronting the prospect of paying for their safety net through their own meager wages would take a pass on the IRS’ scheme. Not so. Close to 8 million of the 12 million or so illegal aliens in the country today file personal income taxes using these numbers, contributing billions to federal coffers.

No doubt they hope that this will one day help them acquire legal status — a plaintive expression of their desire to play by the rules and come out of the shadows. What’s more, aliens who are not self-employed have Social Security and Medicare taxes automatically withheld from their paychecks.

Since undocumented workers have only fake numbers, they’ll never be able to collect the benefits these taxes are meant to pay for. Last year, the revenues from these fake numbers — that the Social Security administration stashes in the “earnings suspense file” — added up to 10 percent of the Social Security surplus.

The file is growing, on average, by more than $50 billion a year. Beyond federal taxes, all illegals automatically pay state sales taxes that contribute toward the upkeep of public facilities such as roads that they use, and property taxes through their rent that contribute toward the schooling of their children.

The non-partisan National Research Council found that when the taxes paid by the children of low-skilled immigrant families — most of whom are illegal — are factored in, they contribute on average $80,000 more to federal coffers than they consume. Yes, many illegal migrants impose a strain on border communities on whose doorstep they first arrive, broke and unemployed.

To solve this problem equitably, these communities ought to receive the surplus taxes that federal government collects from immigrants. But the real reason border communities are strained is the lack of a guest worker program.

Such a program would match willing workers with willing employers in advance so that they wouldn’t be stuck for long periods where they disembark while searching for jobs. The cost of undocumented aliens is an issue that immigrant bashers have created to whip up indignation against people they don’t want here in the first place.

With the Senate having just returned from yet another vacation and promising to revisit the stalled immigration bill, politicians ought to set the record straight: Illegals are not milking the government. If anything, it is the other way around.

ALL THE 3 LEADERS OBAMA , PELOSI AND THE GREAT HARRY REID SUPPORT REFORM AND THE MAJORITY OF THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE DO THE SAME . LOL
EVEN IN THE SENATE ABOUT 20 REPUBLICANS LIKE
MCCAIN SUPPORT FIXING THE BROKEN SYSTEM .
REFORM IS COMING BABY . SIT DOWN , WATCH AND CRY .

Edited by Feet in Two Worlds for inappropriate language.

The U.S. corporations use illegal immigrants as slave labor and both the corporations and illegal immigrants are breaking the law. At a time like this, corporations still feel their bottom line is more important then what is good for America and that has to change.
The way of life that Americans have created, was based on dedication, determination, ingenuity and hard work. Many Americans have lived in this country for many generations, so their roots are right here, therefore this is their native country.

Whether or not this is realized, history tells us that people migrated from one location and spread all over the world so, we’re actually now all immigrants. As an example, at one time Germany was an unnamed and an uninhabited land. The people that migrated to Germany, were not Germans when they arrived, but became Germans after they developed villages, cities, borders, civilizations, societies and eventually laws.

So in 1776, America gained its’ independence from England and then went on to create, villages, cities, states with names and borders, a civilization and a society with laws. So we the people (born or naturalized) of these United States of America, are its’ citizens. And it is only the citizens of this country that have a vote and the government’s decisions must be made based on what is best for America and American citizens.

Immigrants that enter the U.S. illegally are breaking the law and should be deported. The U.S. government’s first duty is to the people of The United States of America and the government was created to serve, defend and protect the constitution and the American way of life.

Everybody is a pilgrim on the earth. If you were not an illegal,your mother or father was. If your mother or father was not, your grand father or grand mother was. If your grand mother or grand father was not your grand grand-father or grand grand-mother was or may be your grand grand grand grand grand grand grand(x10 father or mother)was an illegal. If the first inhabitants or the Pilgrims thought the same way people think now the Country would not be what it is today: a Great nation and a land of opportunities

America being the biggest supper power has the responsibility to act in a manner like an elder brother or sister to all the nations of the world. A father or mother feels happy about an elder brother or a sister caring about their younger brothers and sisters. So is the heavenly father-mother going to be happy if America does like wise with the people and nations of this world. This is the surest and the fastest way for America to revive from a crushed economy.
“AS YOU SOW SO SHELL YOU REAP” is an ever lasting truth-a law, which works all the time. It works on every one and nations of world.

[Edited for relevance]

Request to the editter—Edited for relevance!….I think the meditation given bellow, by JS Godsmith has a good deal of relevance on this blog.

[Edited by Feet In 2 Worlds]

Although we understand immigration and related issues are very contentious topics, we prefer that readers make contributions that advance the debate in a mature and meaningful way.

We will delete lengthy texts copy-pasted from other sources, especially those we find replicating throughout the web.

If illegal immigrants pay taxes in trade for permanent residency or Naturalization will be okay. However there has to be a trade off such as if taxes not paid…good bye! Back to the land you were born from.

Although, I agree with Christian about being a pilgrim on earth. Your born, live in a space of land, work, school, fun, and RIP.

Cheers

If US citizens had done the small jobs …like cutting the lawns and cleaning the toilets then YES they can complain about the hard working immigrants that live in the USA! But they did nt! They left all the dirty jobs to the hardworking immigrants! It is time to help the immigration system and help the United States Economy…..both work hand in hand!!!
1. Bring the immigrants out of the shadows and make them pay a fine – hence this will help the economy
2. Fine the employers to let the immigrants carry on working for them and let them apply for greencards – this will help the economy as the Employer will pay the taxes and a fine and the immigrants will pay a fine too! Duhhhh!!!! Help the economy!!!!

Are some people so stupid that they cant see what our New President Obama is trying to do!!! Or is there another agenda ….i.e. race/color and creed??? Is this why so many are against amnesty?

lets face it most us citizens cant even plough an orange grove …why because this land was never theres…they stole it from the native indian and alot of the dececents of the native indian are the mexicans…..so lets not have other agendas why you dont want amnesty ….its a beautiful, flourishing way of making money for this great country everybody loves so much and dont want to see it hurting the way it is !!!!!!

Kumar, You can have your opinion, but I strongly disagree. That methodology lowers the standard of living and the only ones that win with that mentality are the corporations. The corporations are destroying this country and the government is letting them as they both get richer.
Immigrants receiving low pay will need two fulltime jobs to make ends meet and I’ll guarantee at some point, you’ll just run out gas. Along with that the American standard of living is dropping lock a rock and the college graduate of today will be paying the huge student loans will in to the future on half the pay that he though he’d make. Now if you’re an illegal immigrant, you probably couldn’t care less, but if you’re a born American that loves this country, then America’s stability should be your first priority. As a country, America has always been generous, but if America isn’t strong, we won’t even be able to help ourselves.

I WOULD MUCH RATHER PAY 5,0000 DOLLARS TO KEEP MY ILLEGAL WIFE IN AMERICA THAN TO BE SEPARATED FROM HER FOR TEN YEARS. MY MWIFE HAS A LOVING FAMILY THAT WOULD DO ANYTHING TO MAKE HER LEGAL. IF DEPORTED SHE WOULD LEAVE BEHING HER USC HUSBAND AND THREE USC CHILDREN. GOD SPEED OBAMA IN BRINGING AMNESTY TO AMERICA!

No one wants you to split up your family. If you love your wife or husband, then do what’s right for your family and return with them to Mexico.
And now you might understand why Americans are angry, as they can’t afford to work for $5 an hour either. Illegal immigrants have reduced the American standard of living by accepting these low paying jobs and now you want higher pay. But don’t you get it? That’s why these law breaking employers hired you in the first place… to save money.

trini say love thy neighbour as the creator say,pass amnesty for your neighbours,and see the power of the creator change the downfall of america and make it RISE untill he decend on earth.peace….

With new studies showing that nearly half of undocumented households being families with children, it is simply not sensible to talk about sending these people “home.” They have been living here, having children here, and making the United States their “homes.” I think we need to welcome them with a comprehensive immigration reform package, and I believe that President Obama will push for this with all his might. It is the right thing to do, and he is morally driven more than politically driven, I believe. Immigration reform is the morally right thing to do. And, I believe, it is in the best economic and political interests for the United States. We need young, energetic workers to keep the goods and services we demand — and will pay for — in place.