Should illegal aleins ever be allowed to participate in social programs?
By wlee9696
@wlee9696 (595)
United States
September 27, 2009 5:25am CST
I say no. They are illegal. They have committed a crime by just being here. 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. As for the illegals - they are sucking the very 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. The illegals have got to go. The legals are welcomed with open arms.
4 people like this
24 responses
@us2owls (1681)
• United States
27 Sep 09
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.
@MuncheeLee (132)
• United States
28 Sep 09
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.
1 person likes this
@indybaty (368)
• Panama
28 Sep 09
In Spain there is a serious economical crisis for many reasons, and one of them is because ilegal inmigrants were not just getting mininum wage jobs, but better jobs because some of them ended up performing better than the spanyards themselves.
Just letting heads up on that.
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
27 Sep 09
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.
1 person likes this
@IMEzekieL (498)
•
28 Sep 09
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.
1 person likes this
@greenfeathers (1206)
• United States
28 Sep 09
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!
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
27 Sep 09
I assume the Mayans and the Aztecs had a written language as did the Incas. Are you descended from either the Mayans, Aztecs, or Incas? If you did not, and if your ancestors did not prevent the Pilgrims on Plymouth Rock coming, then you have no way to talk. In order to be illegal, you have to break a law. If I know my history, the Indians often adopted people who were not Indian into their tribe, but I guess if you lived then, you would have killed them.
1 person likes this
@Ravenladyj (22902)
• United States
27 Sep 09
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...
@wlee9696 (595)
• United States
27 Sep 09
If something happens to someone who legally entered the country they would be entitled to help IF they have become citizens. If they aren't citizens then they need to go back to their country of origin and get help there.
You should have never been here until you could do so legally. You committed a crime. We don't need any more criminals, we have enough as it is. You disregarded the laws of our country in favor of what you wanted. Your husband could not have been paying taxes if he was not legally able to be in this country. You made the choice to break the law rather than completed the immigration process, no one made you do that. You could just as easily have completed the immigration process prior to entering the country.
Please tell me where an American can go and live off another country's government. Maybe we can send some of the illegal aliens there.
1 person likes this
@laglen (19759)
• United States
27 Sep 09
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.
@manong05 (5027)
• Philippines
28 Sep 09
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.
1 person likes this
@bitoffun (203)
• United States
28 Sep 09
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.
@rmorefield (941)
• United States
28 Sep 09
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.
1 person likes this
@gracefuldove (1668)
• Malaysia
28 Sep 09
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?
1 person likes this
@dominiqueen (69)
• United States
28 Sep 09
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.
@AndyDan (50)
• China
28 Sep 09
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.
1 person likes this
@oneidmnster (1384)
• United States
27 Sep 09
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?
1 person likes this
@quinnkl (1667)
• United States
29 Sep 09
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.
@wlee9696 (595)
• United States
30 Sep 09
There is lies the rub. They are getting all the benefits of a regular citizen. Yet many work "under the table for cash". So they don't even contribute their taxes. They committed a crime simply by entering the country - they need to be deported. They also do not need to be eligible for social programs. The US is a bleeding heart country - we want to care for everyone but the bottom line is we are broke and can't keep doing it.
@mikeysmom (2088)
• United States
27 Sep 09
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.
1 person likes this
@thegreatdebater (7316)
• United States
27 Sep 09
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.
@aerous (13434)
• Philippines
29 Sep 09
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!
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@aerous (13434)
• Philippines
30 Sep 09
In my views with your response is that you want America is for American only because you think those people wanted to find a green pasture in your land will grab the opportunity that should be for you and for American alone...Correct me If I'm mistaken in my opinion.
But friend, you should be broad your mind enough to understand those people. Like you they want to live with better living and don't so selfish enough? They are not blame because of their situation. They are victim of government malpractice and the lack of their government to provide them a suitable and sufficient income to make a good living.
If more American, is thinking like that. I think America, is not as powerful as that. Why? Because the power of America, is their kindness that is why they want to explore democracy in every nation. So that people will live in prosperity not selfishness...
@wlee9696 (595)
• United States
29 Sep 09
All of the social programs - medicaid, food stamps, heating assistance, child care assistance, WIC, section 8 housing, and the list goes on forever.
They need to find their dream another way. They do not deserve to get it at my expense (taxes). My family needs that money - I should not be forced to pay for someone else to illegally enter my country and live off my dollar. Yes I do blame them because they are to blame. All they have to do is enter legally - have a reliable means of support and pay their share of the taxes in order to be a member of American society and take advantage of the opportunities our country has created.
@wlee9696 (595)
• United States
30 Sep 09
If they are victims of their government then they need to stay in their country and work to make change happen. Running to our country and living off our tax dollars in the lazy way out. I am angry with my country for allowing things to progress this far, but I don't run to another country and live off their taxes. I stay and work to change the laws. They need to take their dreams and change their own country or legally immigrate to America. I do blame them for their choice to enter illegally with no way to support themselves. Perhaps we should send them all to your country to live. I would imagine your opinion would change quickly.
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@vandana7 (99882)
• India
28 Sep 09
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.
@wlee9696 (595)
• United States
28 Sep 09
All I ask is that aliens enter the country legally, with a visible means of support. Then they take measures to become citizens. We have too many citizens that need social programs to bleed the system dry on people who need to get help in their own countries. The whole native American thing and everyone being illegal - what a crock. Illegals are sucking the tax dollars down that could be serving legal citizens of our country. No they shouldn't be given anything but the very basic medical care needed for life threatening conditions - and promptly sent back to their own country. If I wanted to immigrate to another country - I have to apply, be accepted, have a job, etc.... It takes several months and I can't just cross the border and immediately be able to go live free on the tax payers dollars. People who want to immigrate to here need to do the same.
1 person likes this
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