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<p>I have no further comment to add to this quote, just thought it was kind of funny.</p>
<p>I hold a heretical position on immigration—there should be permeable borders everywhere. I maintain that then, opportunities everywhere will level out eventually as a result, and there will be less people clamoring to get into the US, and lots of Americans moving elsewhere.</p>
<p>My understanding is that she will be unable to return any time in the near future. If you are voluntary deported after living in the U.S. for more than a year, you are not eligible for any type of visa (not even a tourist visa) for 10 years. So she will be 29 years old until she is eligible to return and by that time it will be much harder because she will be placed in a “preference” category which makes it harder to obtain a visa.</p>
<p>I’m not sure why she was denied citizenship when the rest of her family is legal. Perhaps the entered legally and thus were granted citizenship, while she entered illegally and was denied.</p>
<p>It’s obviously a sad story, but we are a nation of laws and allowing illegals to get a ‘special pass’ because they were a good student or for some other reason is just not a tenable position to put our country in.</p>
<p>Mousegray – but how do you address that most other countries do not have open borders – which the US virutally does? Do you really think your utopian view will happen? Or do you just wan the US to let everyone in?</p>
<p>CIA – there is a missing part to this story – why the daugther is illegal, but not the mother. When reporters leave out an obvious issue, it makes me wonder.</p>
<p>I’m puzzled, too. As far as I know, children under 18 cannot apply for citizenship; it is granted to them on the basis of their custodial parent(s)'s citizenship by simply paying big $$ and filling out a form. Perhaps the mother was not aware of the laws; perhaps there were some issues with the custodial parent (I’m saying this because the article says she has half-siblings) - we don’t know. It sounds like the mother chose to use her money to smuggle the child into the country instead of paying an experienced immigration attorney…</p>
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<p>There are laws about justice, and laws meant to create incentives and social utility. Immigration regulation falls into the latter category. It’s perfectly fine to use consequentialist ethics here.</p>
<p>Why must we use deontological ethics? Will any of these immigration hardliners speak up about that?</p>
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<p>This is a deontological argument. Why must we use that sort of framework here? Why not use a consequentialist argument? Deontological arguments assume immigration law is based on enforcing justice. It’s not.</p>
<p>You can argue ad nauseum about what the philosophical basis for immigration laws should be or how they should be enforced, but it’s all moot. </p>
<p>The law says you can’t be here illegally and if you’re caught here illegally you should be kicked out and sent to your home country… and that’s what is happening here. Nothing more and nothing less.</p>
<p>So clearly that makes deportment sensible.</p>
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<p>Yes, it does. We have laws and they should be enforced.</p>
<p>Indeed. I propose we protect every single law on the books from repeal.</p>
<p>galoisien, nobody is suggesting that this, or any other law, can’t be debated and potentially changed in the future. However, like it or not, the law is what it is today and must be enforced as such.</p>
<p>From the original article it seems that the mother was able to obtain citizenship somehow after arriving without papers. Something is not quite right. I do feel badly for this young woman but there are probably many stories like hers.</p>
<p>Sabaray – I suspect the problem is that the it is documented that the girl was in the country illegally for years, before the mother became legal. I dont know how the mother became legal – possibly the lottery? Marriage to someone else? I dont know if family unification applies to people already here illegally. </p>
<p>Galo, many people are unhappy with immigration laws and the lack of enforcement.</p>
<p>kay, I don’t think so. The way the article is written suggests that the mother first obtained citizenship and then sent for the daughter. </p>
<p>I would take the DNR article with a grain of salt. I live in the area and frankly, the paper is not known for journalistic integrity. Take a look at some of the comments now associated with the article and you’ll see the type of angry anti-immigration mentality so prevalent and loud in this area. Ugly stuff. </p>
<p>Immigration needs reform. I think on that we can all agree.</p>
<p>The article never says when the mother obtained citizenship. Just that the mother became a citizen. Then later sentences about the daughter’s arduous trip here. Yes, if you assume the order is chronological, even though that is not states, you could conclude that the mom became a citizen first. However, that would lead you to the ridiculous result that the mom snuck her in, instead of applying for citizenship. IMHO it was poor reporting not to get the facts – but the mom may have wanted to skirt over her role in sneaking daughter in. </p>
<p>I think calling anti-illegal immigration protests anti-immigration is biased.</p>
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Very well stated! These are questions that never get answered from the bleeding hearts who are so sad for this girl.</p>
<p>I believe the OP knows the girl. There are several unanswered q’s to the OP so far. Why are there no answers?</p>
<p>I agree that this is a sad situation, but no sadder and less sad than a number of stories about illegal immigrants.</p>
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Of course it is. Just as the cries of racism are hysterics designed to obscure the real issues.</p>
<p>One can’t seriously discuss immigration reform without discussing (a) identify theft, (b) gang activity, and (c) infectious diseases. </p>
<p>Were the screaming advocates willing to discuss the fact that this is a complicated issue, I would take them a lot more seriously. But, of course, they’re not serious about the issue, themselves, they just want to feel good and vent. So tiresome.</p>
<p>I’ve been a literacy coach of (mostly) illegal immigrants for decades and have personal relationships with many. I know the complications and the heartache and feel for it. But the issue is much, much more complicated than what is presented here on so many levels. If one wants to howl about racism, one must look back at the countries of origin. It is not an accident that the “brown” people are pushed across the border, stripped of their histories, cultures and families. It is not America that is doing the pushing, though, but it’s so fun and trendy to blame America for everything! If you were to ask the mother of this girl, she’d likely tell you that had she been able to make a good life for her family in El Salvador, she would have preferred to have stayed. Those of you who are advocating open borders and maintenance of the status quo have no respect for native cultures and families and should look in the mirror when screaming “racist!” It’s not compassionate, and it’s not good enough to think that tearing families apart, endangering lives and destroying cultures is the solution here.</p>
<p>It’s a darn shame that this girl has to leave her family. They made some very, very bad choices. I also think there’s a lot more to the story than what is presented. Imagine, a biased media report.</p>
<p>Zooser, the story well could be very much as presented. The situation is typical around here. The fact of the matter is that it is far easier to stay here illegally than to jump through the legal hoops. Also, for many people, the outlook is favorable to take the illegal route. Actually, this young lady is fortunate in that she is very likely to get a legal way back in the country. There are many who have shut out that option.</p>