Kerry DoughertyHERE'S A PREDICTION: It's going to get ugly in Richmond this winter.
A bushel of bills before the General Assembly are aimed at illegal immigration at a time when emotions - at least around here - still are inflamed because two Virginia Beach teenagers were killed last spring by an inebriated illegal immigrant with a criminal record.
There will be charges of bigotry. And intolerance. After all, we can't even agree on what to call those who are in the country illegally.
The politically correct crowd is fond of "undocumented workers." Newspapers like "illegal immigrants."
Both bristle at "illegal aliens." Defamatory, they say. Like something out of one of those creepy Sigourney Weaver movies.
Odd. My copy of Webster's defines an "alien" as "belonging to another country or people; foreign," which sounds just about right.
In fact, when I lived in Ireland in the early 1980s, I was an "alien." I even carried around government papers that made it official. I never felt like an extraterrestrial.
I do remember the raw winter day I went to the Aliens Registration Office in Dublin to beg for permission to stay in the country when my tourist visa expired. A burly man in a uniform grilled me about the work I'd be doing, how much money I had and where I planned to live.
Before signing the paperwork, he sternly reminded me that I was a guest in a foreign nation. Violate even the most minor Irish law, he warned, and we'll deport you.
By the time he finished his lecture, I was afraid to jaywalk.
Of course, like most Americans, I have a fairly law-abiding nature. It's that fundamental respect for the rule of law that makes the debate over the "rights" of illegal immigrants all the more exasperating.
If foreigners break laws to get here, at the very least they should be deported the first time they're caught breaking others.
Yet the open-borders crowd counters that those who oppose illegal immigration are prejudiced. That we hate foreigners.
Nonsense.
What we don't like are law-breakers and cheaters.
We all know it's the responsibility of the feds to enforce immigration. And we're aware that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is swamped, what with millions of illegal immigrants in the country and more arriving every day.
Maybe it's time to give ICE a hand instead of simply pointing fingers in the direction of Washington.
Some proposals before the General Assembly would do just that. Several bills would deny bail to illegal immigrants who are arrested on criminal charges, to give ICE time to act. Another would make it a crime for employers to hire illegal immigrants. And localities would be banned from acting as sanctuary cities.
The most intriguing bill is Senate Joint Resolution 26, offered by a Democrat, Charles J. Colgan of Manassas. It asks the commonwealth to join other states in suing the federal government to recover state funds spent on illegal immigration.
Here's a thought: Virginia ought to tack on a bill for public schools. That way, maybe we could finally find out how many kids are being educated - courtesy of Virginia taxpayers - while they're here illegally with their families.
In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that children could not be denied a public education because of their immigration status. Fine. Let the feds pay for them.
If states forcefully demand action on behalf of their law-abiding citizens, Washington might get serious about enforcing America's borders.
Be prepared. The debate leading up to that will be bitter.
Kerry Dougherty, (757) 446-2306, kerry.dougherty@cox.net
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Yeah, most of us are not "Native"
But we are legal. That's the difference, our ancestors went through some process to become legal, generally at some expense (i.e. my Scottish family name was changed for some reason or another). The issue is not immigration or immigrants, the issue is the legal vs. illegal ones.
Hmmm, maybe we can kill 2 birds with one stone. Step one, ban illegals from using any type of money transfer service, make them keep all the under-the-table cash they ear here in the states. Then, ammend the "Virginia is for bad drivers who never use turn signals" fees to apply to illegal's instead of speeders (I fullly suppoert the fees for the DUI idiots out there), this could possibly create some revenue and at the same time make it too expensive for illegals to stay. Tax them into legal status or fee them back to their home country.
Illegal Immigrants...
I happen to live in the historic disrict of South Norfolk. We've all heard the hoopla about the "gateway" to SoNo????? Another Ghent wannabe. Well, it should really be termed the gateway from "Mexico TO SoNo".....Why????? Because I happen to live next door to a "coyote" type of operation. Both houses (1 a duplex and 1 a single family home on a single city lot being used to bring/house the illegal immigrants into our community. I have gone through all of the legal routes to no avail. Every day I see more and more illegals being brought into our community, (usually under the cover of darkness, with their bedrolls and knapsacks in tact.) I have called the city police department, the federal ICE program, the city zoning and building codes office and NOTHING!!~!!!!!!! I hear the disgust of every person I speak to regarding this issue and still, I see absolutely NO resolution to the problem and YES it is a problem. I am witness to illegal immigrants openly soliciting sex via prostitutes as well as smelling their "pot" parties right next door. How do I know they are illegal???? Because every time one of them gets drunk, they end up at my doorstep asking for help. I have asked every single
Disgusts me...
I know I may sound hateful when I write "Illegal aliens have NO place in our society". Not only has our government but our LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS have conveniently turned a blind eye to illegal aliens. They aren't immigrants for crying out loud and this didn't happen overnight. It took decades. They (illegals) are successful because our industries readily hire them, our slumlords stack them in 20 to a house, our law enforcement were directed not to bother with them, so is it a wonder that this cancerous population has such a foothold in our country? The people who make our laws, sit in committees, and oversee our government do not live in our reality. These leaders are not proactive except when it comes to enriching the status quo. Ethics? Honesty? Truth? ...whatever
Illegals
If all illegal aliens suddenly disappeared, the extra money we might have to spend for agricultural products would be more than offset by the money we would save in tax dollars by not having any of them on welfare, not paying their medical bills and not paying for their childrens schooling. A friend of mine works in a welfare office in PA (specifically the Cumberland County Assistance Office). She deals with numerous illegals every day. When they find out someone is an illegal alien they are not allowed to inform the Federal Government. It drives her nuts. I don't know if that is the norm in all state welfare offices but somehow I think it is. All of our governments (local, state and federal) need to quit turning a blind eye when come accross an illegal alien!
Illegal Criminals need to go!
Kerry- You hit the nail right on the head! My daughter Tessa paid the ultimate price for the wishy-washy way we handle immigration here in Virginia and in America in general. Yes, one writer said we are all Immigrants, but we have also evolved into a soverne nation. My mother was an Irish Immigrant as well, and she had to pass a test on the Constitution, speak English, have a good record and sworn in by a Federal Judge. The Illegals who repeatedly break the laws these days are essentially ignored, and are allowed to walk back on the streets; Americans don't even have the same right. The laws make it excruciating for Americans if you get a DUI or commit a felony, but Illegals aren't affected because they have no identity! They are not what we should be protecting here. They deserve nothing more than a one-way ticket to home, don't come back. If that had happened with Ramos even the first offense, Tessa and Ali would be alive today! There is no disrespect in telling people that you have to earn the right to be an American. Visit another country, any, and see how they treat your non-citizenship status!
The Law of the Land
"(1) IN GENERAL. -- It is unlawful for a person or other entity to hire, or to recruit or refer for a fee, for employment in the United States --
(A) an alien knowing the alien is an unauthorized alien (as defined in subsection (h)(3)) with respect to such employment, or (B) an individual without complying with the requirements of subsection (b). The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.
This law has yet to be enforced by any President, including the one who signed the bill into law. It has yet to be adequately funded by any Congress. Any candidate who says, "I shall strictly enforce the Immigration Reform and Control Act," will get my vote.
If you have a problem with the words "alien" or "unauthorized alien," your problem rests with the law.
Superjeff needs to do his homework
Jsuperjeff asks if we realize what would happen if all of the illegals were suddenly gone from the workforce - and if he had done his homework, he would know the real answer - absolutely nothing. The fact is that the vast majority of those "jobs Americans won't do" are done by American citizens or immigrants who are here legally. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, a Latino advocacy group, LEGAL citizens and immigrants do 76% of agricultural jobs (cabbage pickers), 86% of construction, 83% of house and building cleaning jobs, and 88% of food production. If the illegals were to disappear, then (Heaven forbid) employers would have to hire people at a lawful wage to make up the difference. We also would have far less people in the prison population and peddling drugs on our streets, but I guess Jeff doesn't want to talk about that.
Hmmm
I am sorry if i offended all the Native Americans with my statement, Becuase thats what you all must be. We are ALL Immigrants at some level. Did Your ancestors have a Visa when they pushed the indians out of there home, and spread disease to wipe them out?I am just saying that the Cowboy way will not work on this issue. America NEEDS Mexican workers.It will not survive without them. I am not saying that ALL Mexicans are cabbage pickers.I am saying that alot of cabbage pickers ARE mexican. And just so you Know, I do Have a clue. And a free thinking thought process. I am not another Sheep who follows the herd.And I'm also not a gung ho redneck with too much pride to admit when something needs a closer look.Kerry has her good points, but her thing is Rile people up.I'm sure she apprecitaes you coming to her rescue,But she's a big girl.Just MHO( my honest opinion-op/ed).
Stick your head in the sand
Wow if the majority of America was like superjeff our laws would only be enforced some of the time. Heck we should start rewarding illegal aliens with free health care, free schools, free everything.... Wait a minute we already do that! What a freakin joke. So much for 200 years of fighting for freedom. We give it away to criminals who screw up our economy, take our tax dollars, and spit out babies in record numbers. Viva America. Our "leaders" let this happen and our industry and businesses took advantage of the cheaper than dirt labor. It seems to be the new American way. Sad to say.
Whats up with this newspaper. Do they delete postings they don't agree with? ...whatever
Not a clue
Jeez jsuperjeff... why is it so hard for you to speak the truth. It is the mexicans that are invading the US. That's not being hate monger, that's telling the truth.
I like the way you say they are like most American's in that they are law abiding people. Yet several lines prior you called them illegal. If they are illegal, then they cannot be like most law abiding Americans,now can they? You know they are breaking the laws. You haven't a clue, do you?
Thank You Ms. Dougherty!
It IS about obeying the law. The federal government mandates education and health care for all, but because the federal government fails to enforce its own immigration laws, states and local governments are having to pay the price for uncontrolled illegal immigration.
They are illegal aliens.
I have lived and worked in many countries, including Mexico, and I learned Spanish. I was always careful to obey their laws and respect their cultures. I don't see myself as racist or nativist, just realistic.
Missed the point
Jsuperjeff missed the point of this column completely, and unfortunately probably reflects the mode of thinking of a lot of others out there. The column is not about Mexicans, but is about those in this country illegally regardless of their country of origin. They are breaking the law, and we are paying to educate their children, provide healthcare, and other benefits that they are afforded while in our country illegally (note: this does mean breaking the law). This should not be a racial debate, but a law-and-order debate. If you allow for those in this country illegally to remain here and support them, why bother calling the police when someone breaks into your home and steals items from your house. It's basically the same thing, except illegal aliens are doing it with your tax dollars. Remember that when you next complain about tax increases. The money has to come from somewhere.
Thes people perform a
Thes people perform a service to America? So basically you support amnesty for all criminals, or just those you feel are perpetuators of victimless crimes? Of course when you consider illegal immigrants, you generally do not consider the real victims of their crime, the many of those immigrant wanna-be's that have to wait years to get a legal pass into this country because their own counrtymen have no consideration for the laws of the U.S. (as well as most other civilized countries in the world). If they don't care about one law, who's to say that any others matter to them? The so-called service they provide could also easily be fulfilled by any number of legal immigrants. Let's also not fail to mention the fact that you are more stereotypical and bigotted towards them than Kerry was in her OP-ED (BTW the OP stands for OPINION). You basically just stated that all illegals are cabbage pickers and hotel custodians, that they only do jobs that real Americans (legal imjmigrants included) do not want to do and they do it for less money than the law allows. No, Kerry's so called hate mongering was just a simple opinion based stating of the fact that if you are in this country ille
It would help if we had Immigration laws worthy of respect
The number of Mexican workers we allow to come to the United States legally is unrealistically low. Further, we favor those with certain skills over others. It is easy for a Mexican engineer or physician, or nurse, to come here legally, but it is nearly impossible for a roofer, agricultural worker or other manual laborer to work legally in the US.
Realistically, the labor market needs the later more than the former and a lot more of the manual laborers want to come here. In the face of that reality, an underground system has developed that tolerates both bad laws and ignoring those laws.
What we should do is to create a guest worker program that matches the need for labor with those available to do it and provides a way to legally meet those needs. Once our laws are based in the reality of the marketplace, getting people to respect them will be much easier.
Kerry's law of the west
Jeez Kerry,just substitute Black, Jew, homeless, poor,or different in any place you insinuated mexicans.You truly are a hate monger. Do you have any idea how crippled the United States would be if we blinked and all the illegal Immigrants were gone in a flash? The Price of produce alone would skyrocket because it would rot in the fields. These people do a service to america.The Majority of them are like Americans in that they are law abiding people.There are More American criminals in the USA than there are Mexicans.There are probably more American criminals in mexico than there are mexicans criminals.Thats where they always head to in the movies!Be careful what you wish for.You may just get it.And i bet you are the type of person who smiles in their face when they are bringing you a plate of combo #3 at your favorite mexican restaurant,all the time hating them in the back of your mind.
It's time for us to speak with our votes.
Never mind party lines, if an elected official goes against our wishes we should use our votes to remove them. I am no longer voting "party lines" because they are so blurred you can't tell one from another. I am basing my votes on the incumbents history, if they did not voice my opinions and believes, I vote against them. As far as which government is responsible to remove illegal aliens go. Who is the Federal Gov't? WE the PEOPLE are. Who is the State Gov't? WE the PEOPLE are. Who is the Local Gov't? WE the PEOPLE are! It is ALL level of our governments responsibility to remove the ILLEGAL ALIENS from OUR country.
Stay home and fix your country!
If you can move into your neighbors house across the creek why bother to fix yours? As long as the illegals can easily find greener pastors they will not fix the probelems in their own country. Mexico, for example, is a rich in natural resources.
A peaceful uprising is needed to over throw the corruption. Also the cartels need to be placed out of business. Dont think your ounce of pot has consequences?