President Bush keeps saying that the illegals aren't taking...

We have a lot of illegal immigrants here as well and more just got arrested here just a couple of days ago so at least our country is doing something about it which hopefully will help prevent situations from happening like what your stepson is going through. Hopefully many or all of the illegals will get caught and the jobs and pay will be back to normal for all of our people. That is terrible that his pay was undercut by so much. I am sure there are other people who are going through the same thing as your stepson.

Since the Hurricanes here in Louisiana we have been overrun with Mexicans. Don't know if they are illegal are not. But I don't know if much of this basic labor work would get done if it wasn't for them. I once saw an interview with the President of Mexico and his attitude is that Texas was taken illegally from Mexico so he feels his people have every right to be here.

This problem is occurring all around the country. I wish the politicians who make the laws were as afraid of p!ss!ing off the voters as they are of upsetting foreigners. "Illegals aren't taking any jobs that Americans are willing to do." There are three points I'd like to make here: 1) Illegals -- doesn't that say it all? They are here illegally, they are breaking the law, they should not be taking any jobs. 2) Taking jobs -- my brother in law worked for 30 years as a carpenter here in town. At almost 60 years of age, he had to go back to school to learn a new trade, in part because the construction field is overrun with illegals and he couldn't find enough work to support his family. 3)Jobs American are willing to do -- maybe its not that they don't want to do them, but that they don't want to do a job that used to pay 25.00 an hour for the 10.00 an hour the illegals will accept. Send the illegals back to their countries and see how quickly they are replaced by legitimate Americans who want and need to work. True, we may have to look to high schoolers to take the minimum wage, fast food jobs. But, hey, maybe that will help keep them out of trouble.

It is a shame but when I hear about cases like this I wonder how many times companies who hire illegals are fined or other. If companies would stop hiring them, which is also illegal, then atleast the problem would be solved on a small scale one company at a time. My borther in law and I used to be contractors out in Sacramento California and we never had to deal with bidding wars with companies that hired illegal immigrants so I can't really say anything in regards to that. I have been to a warehouse job where the warehouse hired 90% Latino immigrants and they protested about wages and work hours. The police came and it was like there they were but no one did a thing. What I am most regretful about is that I was the victim of identity theft. I am a Mexican American born and rasied in the US so I was probably more at risk for people who steal social numbers. I find creditors calling me night and day about cell phones and its a vicious cycle that gets me nowhere. I work with them on one phone account to prove that its fraud and then I have five more phones under my name. So in that regard I do have the experience to state that its not just the illegal immigrants that are mucking up the system but the companies that put business before legality. Our own Government officials squabble over the issue with no real intention of correcting the problem of even admitting they are working on a solution. Its heartbreaking for American citizans like myself that have worked hard all their lives and abided by the law and end up having to suffer because my government who asks so much of me does so little for me when I need them. Go figure.

That is the problem that the whole country is facing. It's not so much that Americans don't want the job. It's American's won't do the job for the pay offered. If you look at the Agriculture industry, lets say the Citrus industry. A farmer is not going to pay an American 12.00 an hour + health insurance, + sick time+ vactation + overtime+ social security+unemployment insurance+ taxes jut to pick oranges. Of course he can pay a migrant much less without all the aggravation. If that farmer was forced to pay an American for the work, he would not absorb the cost of labor. That cost would be passed to the consumer with much higer prices than what we are paying now. So, it's a tough issue. I'm like everyone else. I see the problem, but can't really come up with a solution that will please everyone.

I do not believe anyone should come here illegally. If they are from Mexico (or anywhere else) they should come here legally and then I would have no problem with them holding jobs here. The fact is, most hard field jobs wouldn't be done if it wasn't for immigrants. I do not see many American's lining up to pick fruit or work in the sun all day picking vegetables. You can say whatever you want but it's just not happening. American's expect too much for too little. Mexican's are use to working hard for very little. That's not their fault, it's the business man's fault for hiring them or only offering very little pay which turns the American's away. I think the blame is being placed on the wrong people. Immigrants come here for a better life and are willing to do whatever it takes to make a buck. I'm not sure why you are so angry at them. If you are just angry at illegals, that's fine but it sounds like you are angry at Mexican's in general and I think that is wrong. There are alot of Mexican's that have come here the right way and have worked their butts off every day for very little money and they still aren't complaining about how America pays their employees. Show me hundreds of American's willing to pick produce or stand in the sun all day for min. wage and I'll show you plenty of jobs for those American's. They just do not want them. Also, last time I checked - this country originally belonged to the Native Indians and most of our founding fathers came here illegally and TOOK that land from those Indians. So that makes you no better than the Mexicans unless you are Native Indian. Are you rushing out to give up your land to the poor Indians who have been banished to a small chunk of land your government felt nice enough to give them? Most of us are in this country because someone way back in our bloodline came to this country as an immigrant - for a better life. Why are you so quick to take away that right from the Mexican's now? Sorry but I don't get it and I could talk for hours about it but it won't make a difference.

I think a lot do, not so long ago before Christmas I believe they busted a huge amount of illegal immigrant workers at a turkey plant in Greeley, it was all over the nation that they did this, not just our state I think, and the families who were left behind had the audacity to cry about how unfair it was to them??!!! These people were using other people's SSN's!!!!! No wonder we have an identity theft issue here in this country!!!

you may agree with me that all the citizens of America or their forefathers are all migrants. America does not have it's originality in citizenship. It is a process of immigration going on in America and the terms used may be legal or illegal but the immigration would go on continuing ! It is a Natural Law to provide scope for the low cost to replace the high cost goods and services. Try to give the right knowlege to your relative to bear with it and continue the works.

Melting pot of the world? I think the pot has melted. I can't believe our polititions aren't doing more to protect our country. What are they afraid of? Surely they see many problems will correct themselves by deporting the Illegal immigrants back to were they came from. I truly don't see enough being done to seek out the illegals and send them back. We the people are the ones that need to take a stand and make this happen. If someone thought I was doing something illegal in my home they police would surely be here in a heart beat knocking down my door to stop anything illegal yet they aren't doing anything to look into complaints about illegal immigrants being here. The same goes for those being allowed to come here on work visas. Why give out these visas when there aren't enough jobs to go around for the American people? Looks like we Americans need to do more to choose the right Person to represent us in office. Wake up the Politicians and make them see they work for us the people. Best of luck to your son and all those dealing with these problems.

They are doing this everywhere and taking jobs americans are working at and offering to work for a lower wage. It happened to some school bus drivers My brother knows and he is worried he will be bumped next though he has been at the job for seven years.

Illegals are doing jobs that Americans don't want to do. Like deliver newspapers or mow lawns.

And this is another reason to toughen up on the illegal immigration problem. We need to send them back and make sure that they come here legally. There is no need for any type of temp workers program that will ultimately lead to loopholes and a bigger problem. While Americans as a whole do seem to have jobs that they are "unwilling" to do, I can't say that this is true. Given a chance, most, I would underline MOST, Americans will take any job if it keeps them off the streets.

Sorry to hear that but I also lost a job over a month ago over that same thing and it makes it hard on a person when it come to there income being taken away from , so I work a little harder to hold on to the jobs I do have an dit starting to look up until summer rolls around then it will be the same thing again.

If Bush paid attention he would have seen that Colorado proved him wrong. When the Federal government did a raid a meat plant here they took almost 300 illegal workers. The next day there were almost 1000 American legal citizens lined up to get a job. So don't tell me we aren't willing to work hard to earn our money.

Well, that sounds really serious and I hope it does not last for very long since they are trying to send all those imigrants back. I hope things will work out for him.

I'd also agree that is very untrue. Perhaps they are only taking jobs that rich people, like President Bush, would not want to do! As for the "common people", they take plenty of jobs that Americans are totally willing to do! And even if they don't actually take all of the jobs, they ask for such a low wage that when you go in and ask for something higher the employer will laugh in your face. It is terrible!

I want to know what the jobs are that the President says we won't do.......I've cleaned hotel rooms, swept floors, worked as a laborer in a factory, managed apartments, and did home child care for people...Americans will do any job that and Illegal will do the only problem is the Illegal will do it much cheaper than us......I say to the President americans will do the job if they are paid a realistic wage.....Not slave wages......

Oh yes I bet that there are a lot of illegals taking the job of Americans. Oh that is dreadful but this is happening in my country as well that the illegals do take away jobs from our people as well. There are just too many illegals it makes you wonder what the immigration is doing.

It all boils down to simple economics. People hire cheap labourers to maximize their profits. Add that to the fact that everyone from the third world country wants a job in the states, as they earn more their per day than a whole month back home. Level of competition for jobs increases, income tax going unreported therefore uncollected, face value of the US already dropping...uh oh..

I'm not so certain. I wouldn't say that exactly.