Should illegal aleins ever be allowed to participate in social programs?

Well don't expect this to change since Mr. Obama has an aunt who is an illegal alien - living in the Boston area I believe - drawing welfare and anything else she can get for free. Shes been doing it for around 5 years now and was even seated with the guests of honor at his inauguration.

I agree with you wholeheartedly! If you are here legally, fine. If you are not, GO HOME!!! I know of so many border hospitals that are swamped with illegals that are caught at the border, then demand medical care. AND GET IT!! Excuse me....unless you are actively bleeding on my shoes, you get NOTHING! Those hospitals are losing MILLIONS just on the illegals. Where do you think they will make up the cost? I know of many people who are not legal, yet get healthcare. No social security number and don't speak english, but they are getting US BENEFITS! Some CITIZENS who need this help can't get it. Yet if you can't speak english, you get government benefits THROWN at you! The people that say the indians were here and we were illegal aliens....THERE WERE NO IMMIGRATION LAWS! And I seriously doubt you had those settlers that came to America popping out kids and sitting on their behinds while others gave them healthcare and food. We have traveled Europe and haven't seen ONE country where you can live illegally and get benefits.

They should be treated as what they are-illegals. Go back to what I said in the other post about child support. The treatment should be the same, only worse and stiff fines for anyone who even thinks about hiring one of them.

I believe they should be allowed, for these kind of programs are one of the best ways for them to get caught. Thus, getting rid of them would be possible.

Time for me to stick my neck out..Why all the fuss and bother about illegals? Because they're an easy target! They are someone we can point our fingers at and say 'you people!'..Before someone gets hostile let me state that I am not in favor of illegals bleeding our government resources. The point is that were we, by some happenstance, able to eliminate the illegal 'milking' here, that would not solve the problem. Nonetheless, all attention is being directed at the illegals. What of the natural born citizens who have never once put into the system but continue to 'milk', sometimes for generations..being taught by the previous generation the handicraft of Welfare? I don't disagree with you, but to solve the problem we need pursue a fuller picture than simply eliminating the illegal influence on government spending. Insofar as the illegal workplace goes..fines will not do the job. What needs be done is for these companies to be targeted and have their taxes raised to a level where the excess profits garnered by cheap, illegal hiring would be lost. If they are unable to profit from such hiring, logic says, they will cease such hiring! This whole thing overlooks one important aspect to make it work. We need a government that really gives a schit..And that can be the hardest problem to overcome... ENJOY!

first of all unless ur an indian u r illeagal here too! read ur history!n by the way im a citizen!

I am all for legal immigrants, but even then they should not be allowed to live off the government. If they can't support themselves and their family they need to go back to their country of origin. Its not as simple as that...not IMO anyway....what about the legals who are and do support themselves for lets say several yrs but then something happens and all of a sudden they need help until they can get back on their feet again? Just because their company downsized or their spouse who supported them passed away suddenly they should have to leave the country? Thats hardly fair IMO.. As for the illegals - they are sucking the very life out of America again I disagree...my children and I were here illegally for a few yrs with the last 2 of those yrs being the duration that our applications etc were in the works....How was our presence in the U.S sucking the life out of it? My husband works and pays his taxes..I wasnt working over here..we werent getting any assistance of any kind from the government and so on..So how exactly were we "sucking the life" out of America? Can an American go anywhere in the world - enter the country illegally - and live the rest of their life for free with no worries about food, housing, etc...? No they can't. LOL yes they can and they do...

I agree. I think they should ONLY be given emergency care. And absolutely nothing else. Oh yeah, and they should be fed while they are in jail awaiting deportation.

I think the very word "illegal" implies that they should not be entitled to avail of the services that were designed for legitimate citizens. Unless of course in emergency cases and for humanitarian reasons, they should be extended help as citizens of the world and then eventually sent back to their country of origin. The term "criminal" is rather a very strong word to describe them, they too are victims and are seeking to earn and live a descent life, an opportunity difficult to find from where they came from. Their only sin is that they fail to document their status properly which they should.

I`m not quite sure where I stand on this one. I don`t know any illegals personally. I do know that here in Florida the farms hire the illegals to pick the crop. They pay very very little. These people live very poor lives and have none of the things we have. And I also know that to become a citizen it takes a long time. And the test is very hard. I couldn`t even pass it. As far as all of us being illegal if we are not of Indian heritage, well if your born in the USA you are a citizen. I do agree that illegals shouldn`t be able to get things like food stamps, welfare, etc. That`s just not fair. I need food stamps and can`t get them, I need disability and still fighting for it, my hubby makes too much money but not enough to buy food. The whole system stinks. I don`t think illegals should go home, I think they should take the steps to become citizens. Everyone is welcome here. The countries they are coming from are very poor, I wouldn`t want to live there either.

You know what? I totally agree with you. And for the person that told you to read your history? I AM AS NATIVE AS THEY COME, HONEY. Now, with that being said...they should be sent back home. Quickly. I am a single mom of 4. My husband (the guy in the pic) was taken from us in January when I was about to have our 4th baby. For the past 2 years, he could not find work. He was a brick mason, and all of the jobs were being taken by people who weren't supposed to be here that would build a house for minimum wage. After he was gone, I had a you-know-what of a time getting health insurance. I was having health problems, and I could not work. So, here I am, sitting in the Social Services office begging them to help me out with Medicaid for my children and myself, and food stamps for a couple of months until I could have the baby and go back to work, health willing. Well, I FINALLY got the insurance, but do you think I got help with food? NO. Do you know why? It was because when my husband was here, he made too much money....even though he hadn't had an actual job in almost six months. It was because they just had way too many people that needed help before me. Did they care that my house had also just burned down? No. Did they care that I had 3 children to take care of? No. They told me to sell my car and take that money to buy food. Ok. That wouldn't have worked. I still owed $3000 on it, and I wouldn't have been able to sell it for enough to pay off the loan, buy a cheaper heap that would probably wrecked and killed my children, and also have enough money left over to buy food for a few months. Now, I live in a very small community. I could probably tell you all of the legal people who are getting these benefits. Believe me when I say that they don't add up to the crisis that the dept was making it out to be. But I couldn't tell you the name of a single person who was sitting in the waiting room with me. None of them spoke English. None of them had id's. None of them were supposed to be here. I can attest to this personally because I have a friend who works in that particular office and she complains every day about it. But she can't do anything. It's all about politics. Thankfully, my children and I are ok now. My family pulled together and helped us out. But it just makes me so angry that these people can come in here and take away from my children. From all of our children.

Illegals would not join the social programmes because they do not qualify. They should come in as naturalized citizens by due process of law. As such, only after the have become citizens will they be allowed to participate in social programs. What kind of social programs are these?

I say YES! Why? Because America belongs to the Native American Indians and unless you are one or a decendant of one then you are as well an alien. Before you sit there and judge anyone else make sure you know the history of America which you seem to think belongs to you and no else has a right to it.

Maybe you are right.Some illegal aliens experinced poor life in their country which directly results in their illegal entering other developing country.The only objective is to live in a good condition.So they break rules and enter other country no matter how big risk they are in.But what I want to say is illegal aliens also is a part of social programs.So impossible for you to forbid them to participate in social programs.

I agree with you,totally.Some people will argue that most illegals live their lives here as law abiding citizens.They are wrong.Every day they are here,they're breaking the law. Illegals bring down our neighborhoods,our cities and our health care system.Our prisons ar full of illegals.The only real taxes they pay are for the products they buy with the money they made illegally.Any of them that does pay taxes fro their jobs are doing so with someone elses social security number,which is another crime. All of these things are paid for by American citizens. Maybe,instead of bailing out crooked companies and trying to reform our health care system,he should start with our biggest problem,illegal immigration.With the billions he's spent and borrowed on his pet projects,he could have rounded up the illegals and sent them home. Anyone that says "what about the children?"Maybe they should have thought about them before they broke the law.There are plenty of Americans in prison for trying to make money illegally.Should we let them out just because they have kids?

To me it is simple. If it is illegal you can't do it, right? So if they are here illegally, they cannot benefit from things we do as legal citizens. I am sure there is a lot of gray area in there that I am not speaking of. But bottom line, illegal is illegal.

that would be a big NO. if people want to live in this country they need to go through proper channels and then become eligible for what we all WORK for in this country. it is not just a free for all as it has become.

Wlee, I agree that anyone who is breaking the law by being here should not have the same rights as those that have gone through the process. But, the problem that we have right now is that these illegals ARE going to the hospitals, and they are the onese that are costing us billions in health care. The problem is that no one wants to do anything about this problem that is costing the country so much money. The only way to get rid of the illegals is to get rid of the jobs. And, right now, no one wants to do that.

I don't what you are talking about social programs. You are not specifically describe what program they should not participating with... But my reaction in your discussion; Even do they illegal aliens they have the right to live with, too. They are only a victims of lapses of government...They want to live with simple living and feed their family a good way of life. They are only illegally enter in your country because of your country being the milk and butter of every individual. Your country give hopes for people seeking good way of living and don't blame them if they dreams to be in your country because they felt that more opportunities there and life is being free... Have a nice day!

Hi wlee9696, I was just reading something about Obama's housing sops on net, and one of them mentioned that some native Americans had left their well paying employment to take up active duty! Do legal immigrants ever fight for ur country? I am just curious to know how many ever enlist! Coming to social programs, yes illegal aliens do pose a threat to economy because they cant be planned for. But the choice is really, would u rather c them die in their country or would u rather let them have two square meals in urs. Social programs, definitely no! I wouldnt give that to legal aliens as well, unless one of their family members enlisted in armed forces.