Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich was born on June 17, 1943 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Gingrich attended Emory University and received his Ph.D. from Tulane University. In the 1970s he taught history and geography at West Georgia College. While teaching at West Georgia he ran for United States House of Representatives several times until he won in November of 1978. In his past he wrote books such as Contract with America among others but he is most famous for winning Time “Man of the Year” in 1995 after he ended the 40 years of Democratic majority control. Recently Gingrich resigned from Speaker of the House, his former position, and has since begun to run for President of the United States.

Gingrich has been no stranger to the mainstream political media attracting enough attention for people to say he has "been a lightning rod for controversy ever since he steered his party to the majority in 1994 and took control of the speaker's gavel." In 2008 he was considered by many to be the top contender for the Republican nomination for president along with Herman Cain. Since then, those who had touted Gingrich's resilience were soon vindicated. After then-front-runner Herman Cain was damaged by allegations that he had sexually harassed employees during his tenure as head of the National Restaurant Association, Gingrich gained support, and quickly became a contender in the race. By December of 2011, Gingrich was leading in the national polls.

Gingrich is very open about his views on illegal immigration and he is a strong supporter of strong tightened border between us and Mexico. His views advocate doing anything and everything possible to stop illegal immigration and to use everything he has at his disposal, including militarizing the border, something that President Bush was heavily opposed to. Due to the level of drug smuggling along the border the possibility for corruption is large and if you can’t trust the man next to you then it’s very hard to do your job. While this theory has gained the support of many, others feel that he become too radical and may resort to just spending billions of dollars to fix the problem and most, including me, feel that just throwing money at the border will not get our country anywhere. Newt Gingrich is continuing to campaign across America boasting a strong border everywhere he goes gaining and losing support. Whether Gingrich’s views get him into the White House has yet to be seen.

Hide and Seek With a 72 Hour Head Start.

               Illegal immigrants are flocking into our country at a rate of almost two people every minute. Statistics like this were unheard of decades ago when many immigration policies were made which is why so many of them are out of date and not suitable for the challenges illegal immigration is posing today. One of the laws that is receiving most attention and really has nobody on its side is the 72 hour deportation notice. This rule states that when an immigrant who is staying for a specified period of time overstays he’s selected time period, he has 72 to leave or he will be deported back to his original country. Once an immigrant has received this notice it is very rare that he or she will comply with it instead or running. I don’t recommend actually asking a fugitive but if you run into one, ask him or her if they could do with a 72 hour head start. If an immigrant has a car and 72 hours they could relocate and assimilate into any part of the United States.

               This law has been opposed by basically everyone except for a small group of Hispanic Americans because they feel it’s unlawful to forcefully remove a person without giving them a period of time to collect their things or to get ready to go back to Mexico. To this I would say that it is also unlawful for illegal immigrants to overstay their due when they are in our country. If the 72 hour notice is repealed this will give local authorities a much better window to make an arrest and would give immigrants a very small window, if any, to run away and hide. The 72 hour law is being heavily debated in UK currently and hopefully if the UK repeals the law, then the United States will follow suit assuming the UK shows improvements on deporting their immigrants.

               The 72 hour deportation law is an antiquated and out of date law that was implemented to show that the United States is trying to be “fair” or “kind” to its immigrants. I feel that this rule shouldn’t even be debated on, instead, we should quickly act dispose of this rule and any other loopholes that illegal immigrants are using in order to expose and exploit our nation’s security. Removing this law should be the start of a new, nationwide, and tightening of immigration and reform laws.  

A Crash Course in Border Patrol

In my last protest I talked about putting the National Guard along the border, this post will take place on the opposite end of the spectrum which argues that civilians should be put along the border to defend our country from illegal immigration. It seems the border control just can’t seem to get any respect because in Arizona, a group calling itself the Minuteman Project believes they can do the border patrols job even better. They have stationed dozens of civilian men and women along the Mexican border in a controversial effort to track down undocumented immigrants. The leader of this organization, James Gilchrist, says the project has around 450 volunteers that are able and willing to defend our Nations Border. Gilchirst claims they aided in the arrest of 146 undocumented immigrants and that they can cover the 23 miles Northeast of Nogales, AZ that they have set up camp in.  

This act has sparked many debates about whether or not we should deploy volunteer civilians to the border or if these people are heroes defending our country or vigilantes trying to pass the time. People like James Gilchrist and the Minuteman Project agree that it’s time for people like you and me to stand up and go protect our own borders and join in the effort. People on the other side of this argument agree that putting civilians along the border is a terrible idea because now we aren’t just putting illegal aliens in danger; we are also throwing civilians into the equation which is guaranteed to complicate the problem.

The U.S. and Mexican governments have labeled these people as vigilantes but some say that they are “Peaceful protestors” protesting the government’s ineptitude for stopping illegal immigration. In my eyes it’s clear that these people aren’t doing anything other than getting in the way of the people that actually know what they are doing. They claim they are defending our country from people who are coming here to commit crimes, but we all know that most immigrants come here for family and to get jobs. The only serious crimes are being committed by the vigilantes along the border. What is essentially happening is that we are putting a bunch Texans with guns along the border and screaming “Alamo.” They run in and “detain” people at gunpoint believing they are defending their county. People are going to get seriously hurt and some could be killed. The bottom line in this argument is that untrained citizens are very bad at doing things that require training for what I hope would be rather obvious reasons.  As I have stated in previous blog posts the people that have the power to stop illegal immigrations are Congress.

Soldiers on the border

With the illegal immigration showing no signs of slowing down one must ask if the United States Border Patrol is doing enough.  Up until recently the borders were never an issue and the border patrol was not asked to do nearly as much as they have been recently. The United States Border Patrol brings in over 100,000 illegal immigrants every year. A decade ago these numbers would be staggering and nobody would argue that they aren’t doing enough but now more and more illegal aliens are pouring into the United States and the border patrol is overwhelmed which has led to the militarization of the U.S. Mexico Border.

In 2006 the Bush administration deployed 10,000 National Guard troops to reinforce the border, a decision that I still agree with and a decision that seemed like it would solve the problem along the border but still illegal immigration is rising, many people feel the answer is to deploy even more troops to the border. The argument here is: “Is this the job of our National Guard?” Many people think it is because they are protecting the American people and preserving the sanctity of our nation’s borders. Others say we have our border patrol for a reason and that we should reinforce them and leave the rest to Congress. I do believe that this is one of our National Guards jobs but I’m still opposed to militarization because there are much more important problems to consider.

One of these problems is the threat of invasion from foreign countries. It’s no surprise that The United States is not liked by many countries on this planet we call home and if the unlikely scenario of a foreign country invading the U.S. takes place while our troops are along the border we will be almost defenseless. I was sure to say the word “unlikely” because there are very few countries that would attempt such a thing but the true purpose of our National Guard is to be prepared for things like this and they aren’t prepared if they are along the border. The other reason I feel we shouldn’t militarize the border is because Congress has the power to stop illegal immigration and that is where our efforts should be focused on. When Congress can figure out a way to make becoming a U.S. citizen quicker and easier, then this argument will not be necessary at all.

How the Gingrinch stole Christmas

               This title is actually misleading depending on your stance on illegal immigration. For approximately 3.5 million illegal immigrants he would be saving Christmas and a whole lot more. Gingrich decided to stray form the views of his fellow Republican candidates by saying that he would strongly consider giving legal status for illegal immigrants who had been in the country for many years, had strong family ties here, children/grandchildren, and most importantly in my opinion, no criminal record.

The Pew Center decided to calculate how many illegal immigrants might meet Mr. Gingrich’s standards and they came up with approximately about 35 percent of the estimated 10 million illegal immigrants in the United States have been here for 15 years or more. This is troubling because we clearly are having problems deporting illegal aliens but that’s another story. About 46 percent of adult illegal immigrants, so about 4.6 million people, are parents of minor children, the center found. This would mean that we would be holding on to a large amount of our illegal friends. Making all of them U.S. citizens would take time and who’s to say that the other illegals don’t just continue what they’re doing after this plan is executed.

This is all assuming you believe the words of a politician and who wouldn’t?! After that you have to realize that the centers investigation didn’t exactly match up with the actual words that came out of Mr. Gingrich’s mouth. Those words being: “If you’ve been here for 25 years, and you got three kids and two grandkids, you’ve been paying taxes and obeying the law, you belong to a local church, I don’t think we are going to separate you from your family, uproot you forcefully and kick you out.” Now the Pew claims they didn’t have enough information to figure out how many aliens had been here for 25 years. To hassle the churches for information isn’t exactly the best thing to do morally and the number of Latinos that attend church several times a month is very high anyways. I think Mr. Gingrich is putting on his own experiment to see whether or not taking a positive side on illegal immigration will help him in the polls coming up. Since Obamas attempts to crack down on illegal immigration many in the Latino community are crying out for a president that will support them and their illegal friends. While I agree with Gingrich’s plan I don’t think he’ll stick to it and if he does I think the criteria for citizenship will be must more strict.

Survival.

The human is a remarkable machine, a machine that can go without food for three weeks and go without a single drop of water for three days. When compared to the rest of the animal kingdom our bodies are fragile however we are able to survive for decades assuming accidents are avoided and our bodies are taken care of. It isn’t the body that isn’t what is remarkable, but it is the spirit where we locate the true potential for survival. You see if you place a person in the middle of any town in the United States and said; “Survive” they would not only keep their already bleak situation from deteriorating, but they would most likely improve the conditions they are in. This is why illegal immigration is such a problem in the United States, because people can survive on the minimal rights that we give them.

You see, when a person crosses the border odds are that they have a family friend or know someone who is already in America. Here they can find a place to sleep and a roof over their heads. People rent out apartments and invite their illegal relatives and friends over to live with them. They use food stamps to help obtain food and drinks so that now they have all they need to live on. Illegal immigrants are used to rough conditions and if any average person is willing to sacrifice a few rights and live in a more poverty stricken lifestyle then there are many ways for a person to get bye. As previously stated in my last post certain states allow illegal immigrants to obtain a drivers license and a car. Now the immigrant has a house, food, water, a car, and an income when he finds a job, all the makings for a reasonable lifestyle in America.

When we look at it from this point of view all that is necessary is to take away a few of these necessities and then life becomes unbearable and would make coming to the United States much more difficult decision to make. By eliminating these rights we are essentially taking away things they need to live which is some ways could be considered a form of murder if people want to go that far. This is a decision that cannot be considered a “good” or “bad” decision until it is already made.

The Great Wall of America

In July of 2008 Congress decided to erect a Wall that would span 2,200 mile across the America-Mexico border. This wall would cost 2.2 billion dollars (roughly) so about a million dollars per mile of fence put up. Since the fence was put up, illegal immigration has declined but many people believe it is the first step to sealing our country off from the world. People fear that what now is an iron fence will soon become a steel curtain like the one that fell over Russia before The Cold War. Protests over the fence have taken place all over Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona saying that the fence will alienate our neighbors to the South. All of this however is pure speculation and is just another reason Hispanic Americans want to tear it down.

Building a fence isn’t going to stop people from getting in, The Immigration and Naturalization Service released a quote that says “Illegal immigration keeps people from getting out of the country.” As strange as this sounds, it’s the truth. Illegal immigrants often times don’t bring their families over the border because they are likely to be separated based on the condition of the children. Illegal immigrants usually cross by themselves, get a job and send money back into Mexico to support their family, and then they leave. The fence has made that task much harder to do because of the way it was erected. With support beams built on the Mexican side getting over from Mexico is still very physically demanding but slightly easier.

Although we have made getting into the states more demanding physically, when your family is depending on you there is little that a fence can do to keep you out. Instead, people are begging to believe that we need to stop them motivationally. As in, make the risk must greater than the reward for illegally crossing the border. Take away any rights that are given to humans, not just citizens. Things like applying for a loan, or food stamps. Many states are beginning to make it a requirement for you to bring your visa to the DMV when you go get your driver’s license or license plate. I believe this is a very good idea but this will not go over very well among the Hispanic American population because essentially we are saying that Illegal Aliens aren’t people. That is something that Congress will never hear the end of and something that we as Americans will have to put up with. Is all of this worth it to slow down illegal immigration? Do we have the right to decide who is human and who isn’t?

What should we call them?

Illegal Alien, or undocumented immigrant? While the difference is subtle it’s enough to stir controversy among the Hispanic population that is threatening to be taken into court. People in America use the term “illegal alien” to describe someone in our country who has violated our immigration laws, not to demean someone, but rather because it is the correct, and legally recognized, term. Even though it is legally recognized as the proper title for this group of people many legal immigrants feel that this is a derogatory phrase for these people. The immigrants have engaged in a political correctness campaign spear headed by the argument that “A person can’t be deemed illegal.” The term illegal immigration blurs the distinction between legally admitted immigrants and those who have illegally sneaked into the country or have violated our immigration laws in some way. These people are even threating to take this crusade for “political correctness” into legal journals and in the courts.

In the article “Illegal Alien or ‘"Undocumented Immigrant,"’ written by FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform) they quote illegal immigration activist Elizabeth Hull, who says; “An alien's unauthorized presence in the United States is not a crime under the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952 …. Thus many people find the term undocumented alien preferable to illegal alien, since the former avoid the implication that one's unauthorized presence in the United States is a crime.”

While she does bring up a valid point, where the Immigration and Naturalization Act does not condemn crossing the border, the Constitution states that as a nation we must protect ourselves from foreign invaders and that is why crossing the border is a crime. This is also the reason why many feel that it should be considered a felony because it is a direct violation of The United States Constitution. While I have stated before I don’t feel that illegal immigration is a felony I do feel that it is none the less illegal which is why these people deserve to be called illegal immigrants. If they want their name changed I’m sure criminal or lawbreaker fits too but I’m sure they’d campaign against that as well. I think the easiest way to avoid being called an illegal immigrant is to just simply not come here illegally. Isn’t that a radical thought?

Ya now you want them back

When Alabama began to enforce the Arizona SB 1070 bill it has had a large effect on illegals and many have been taken into custody because of this law. While this is a good thing for Alabama taxpayers this is proving to be a bad thing for Alabama farmers. Last month over 100 farmers held an assembly about 35 miles outside of Birmingham and said that many of their Hispanic laborers are packing up and leaving. This is causing a large drop in production for these farmers because they don't have workers to run their farms. 10,000 illegal workers, each making about $5,000 a year, are estimated to leave, according to a report released this week by the University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research.

Alabama government came up with the idea to put convicted criminals to work on these farms
which at the time, to me, seemed like a good idea. However, the government didn’t take into account the drive and the effort that the illegal immigrants have and these criminals don’t. Farmers say they show little respect and they rarely get the job done on time and when it is done on time it is very poor quality.

This is a perfect example of the argument for illegal immigration that these immigrants take the jobs that Americans simply won’t do. I’ll admit that bending over in the sweltering Alabama heat farming for $5,000 isn’t something I would look forward to doing but I feel if my family was starving to death I would do anything for a little extra money. Another place that is being drastically affected by Alabama and its harsh immigration laws are the school districts. Superintendents are reporting a large drop in Hispanic children at the schools. However, this problem is not being ignored; a senator in Texas is taking this to the federal level with a solution that would allow the entrance of 500,000 Mexican labor workers that would help keep the agricultural business alive. Like all bills that benefit our country there is always a drawback. The drawback here is that the farmers themselves would be required to pay extra for the housing and living expenses for these laborers.

Farmers are the only people in Alabama that want illegals in their state and this is because it would save them money. The farmers have four options and hiring illegal immigrants is not one of them. There first option is that they can support the senator from Texas and his bill that would help them to keep their workers but they’d have to pay them a little more. The second option is for them to go back to having criminals work on the farms for very little pay but also very little production. The third option is they hire actual Americans that will obviously demand a much higher pay than the Hispanic laborers. The fourth and final option is for them to go out of business and of all these options I feel there is no reason why they won’t back this bill being proposed by Representative Lamar Smith. This shows that Hispanic workers are trapped in a love hate relationship with Americans. One side loves their work ethic, the other hates them for not coming here legally and when one side gets it way the other pouts and whines. However the bill being presented could provide a middle ground that both sides will have to come to terms with in order to keep Alabama’s agriculture alive.

No need for weed?

We are all well aware of my stand regarding the legalization of marijuana, but I felt I should show both sides of the argument to my readers. The biggest reason against non-legalization of marijuana is that there is no difference when you’re talking about being killed or maimed by a drunk driver or a driver under the influence of marijuana. There is no doubt that the number of traffic accidents will go up if marijuana is deemed legal. Another issue is that unlike cigarettes, you can get high off someone else’s smoke. This would mean there probably would be designated areas for people to smoke because it I doubt it will be allowed in public places.

Another argument that seems to be less known is that marijuana is a gateway drug, which is why it is illegal and alcohol is not. The more people use marijuana on a daily basis, the more likely they are to advance to cocaine, crack, meth, or other drugs that will send their future spiraling out of control. Also, how many successful parents do you know that consistently smoke weed on a regular basis? If more people smoke weed then our country overall becomes less responsible. One of the most more terrifying consequences is that (although it has not yet been infallibly proven) enough research studies have concluded that marijuana use in youth causes some degree of chromosome damage which even years on down the line significantly increase their offspring's chances of developing childhood leukemia. Although not conclusive, many people feel that the risk is too much.
As I said earlier I am for the legalization of marijuana because WE NEED MORE MONEY! As I said in my last post America has to stop ignoring the debt that we’ve just swept under our rug that is Washington D.C. Legalizing marijuana means that it can be taxed like no other. Many people quit smoking because they wake up one day and there’s no money in their bank account. Yes there are people with enough money to sit back and get high for the rest of their lives but if they have made that much money then I say they’ve deserved that luxury. By legalizing marijuana drug cartels will lose an alarming percentage of their profits and as a result they would become much weaker and much more vulnerable to the Mexican government. It is clear that legalizing marijuana would create a few problems for America, but the problems it will solve, in my opinion, will greatly outweigh the problems that will be created.

The DREAM Act

The DREAM Act is a bill would provide permanent residency to a select group of illegal alien-students of “good moral character” who graduate from US high schools, arrived in the US as minors, and lived in the country continuously for at least five years prior to the bill's enactment.  The word “DREAM” is an acronym for “Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors” and was reintroduced to the senate on May 1^st, 2011.  This is a bill that I actually agree with for a change. The bill states that illegal immigrants will be able to obtain a temporary six year residency if they have: "acquired a degree from an institution of higher education in the United States or has completed at least 2 years, in good standing, in a program for a bachelor's degree or higher degree in the United States." When you combine the “’Good moral character”’ and the “’degree from an institution of higher education in the United States” you come out with what seems to be a responsible, promising, good-natured, English speaking immigrant, one that would probably make our nation a better place.                                          

The area I don’t agree with and never will agree with is that they will allow in-state tuition to these people. Statistics have shown that people of color are more likely to receive a scholarship to a university over an equal Caucasian citizen. Because they have this advantage I feel they don’t deserve in-state tuition, and because they obviously aren’t from that state, let alone our country.  While I can whine about that trait all I want it still won’t change the fact that this bill is a step in the right direction. The bill is going to "reduce deficits by about $1.4 billion over the 2011-2020 period and increase government revenues by $2.3 billion over the next 10 years." If you live in America then hopefully you’re well aware of our trillion dollar debt crisis that we just seem to overlook. If America can start passing more and more acts like this, eventually we will begin to climb out of this mile deep hole we have dug ourselves. It will not happen overnight and it will not happen over the next year and probably not in this decade. Personally I don’t think will come out of debt in my lifetime. But if America is willing to make sacrifices and make hard decisions then I’m sure eventually, we will solve this debt crisis and it all starts with bills like The DREAM Act.

Breeding criminals in prison

In the Tucson courthouse, in June 2011, a group of 70 illegal aliens or so trot into the room and fill up the 12 seat jury booth and the 16 row wooden benches that are usually reserved for the public. One reporter who was able to get in described it as the scene saying; “The courtroom is expansive, with a regally high ceiling, and is filled with the pungent smell of dried sweat.” In just over an hour all 70 men will plead guilty to crossing the border illegally. They will then be sent to a jail of the court’s decision often still in the boots they crossed the border in. This scene basically sums up the burden that is illegal immigration on our judicial system. When asked about how he feels regarding the illegal immigration system, Chicago federal Judge Ruben Castillo, said; “There is a use of criminal justice resources that doesn't make sense ... Are we just running numbers so it appears we're doing more on immigration and drug offenses or are we doing anything worthwhile?" One must ask, does he have a point?

Here they will overcrowd the prisons with and overwhelm the system that helps them rehabilitate and keeps the guards safe. The overwhelming the judicial system prevents Americans from receiving a swift trail that they are so promised in The Bill of Rights. Statistics released this week revealed that Hispanics now comprise nearly half of all people sentenced for federal felony crimes, a number swollen by immigration offenses. In comparison, Hispanics last year made up 16 percent of the total U.S. population. They will also most likely be assimilated into one of the many Latino gangs that inhabit these prisons. As the number of Latinos in prisons increase, so will the tensions between other races in these prisons.

A man seeking a better life in America illegally immigrates and is caught along the way. All he wanted was to crawl out of poverty and now he is in jail. In order to stay safe he joins a gang and here he discovers the money that the gangs rake in from the contemptible drug trade that plagues our country. From here, odds are he ends up doing hard time in prison, or hard time 6 feet beneath the earth. This scenario plays out routinely and is in no way, shape, or form, fair to the naïve man who just wanted a better life. We are pooling our resources to actually create more criminals from other countries instead of stopping our own.

Here's what I think

In this blog we’ve seen what people think should be done to stop illegal immigration. Its time I give you my idea. My take. My opinion. My words on what I would do to stop this burden on our extraordinary nation. I would start by addressing the illegal immigrants that are on our side of the border. I would separate those who have committed a felony from those who haven't. I would have a mass deportation of those who have committed a felony. For those who haven’t committed a felony I would give them the choice of deportation, or military service to gain access into our nation. They would be required to serve a minimum of 2 years in The National Guard or The Army. Here they would get an education and learn English which would set them up for a successful life in the states.

In order to prevent people from illegally immigrating, I would legalize marijuana. This would cut take power from the drug lords in Mexico and slow down the smuggling business and make the border far less violent place. By decreasing the violence along the border people would be far more willing to stay in Mexico. I would obviously direct more funding to the United States Border Patrol, and I would require the Arizona SB 1070 bill to be passed in all Border States. Yes this would cause civil unrest but this is the best way to find illegal immigrants in our nation. Immigrants have to stay a certain period of time in a state to qualify for in-state-tuition for universities.

In order for this plan to work we would need a debt fee country (which will never happen) and a general population that can realize that change on this scale doesn’t happen overnight (Again, never going to happen.) A mass deportation would take years and the civil unrest would be a very big problem. Hopefully many immigrants would be deported and then the bill would be lifted once it begins to get fewer results. Finally, I would take a small percentage of government spending and I would use it to create an easier way for people to become United States citizens. This part would be left up to a person much smarter than me and hopefully my plan, in a perfect world, would work. However, if our government ever starts taking advice from a junior in high school, then I think that means we have much bigger issues than illegal immigration.

Just another reason to legalize marijuana

The Mexican Drug War is centered, obviously, around drugs. One of the drugs being smuggled into the United States is marijuana, a drug that is grown all throughout Mexico. So why don’t we just legalize marijuana? Doing so would cut the money drug dealers make significantly. The reason these cartels are so dangerous is because they’re so well-funded. If Mexico itself legalized marijuana the money the cartels would lose would be even more substantial. Unfortunately, when the debate came up, Mexican President Felipe Calderon responded by calling it "an unacceptable option." However, Calderon's predecessor, Vicente Fox, went even further, writing on his blog that "we should consider legalizing the production, sale, and distribution of drugs." Fox is not alone in this discussion, the former presidents of Brazil and Colombia, a country where drugs are a massive problem as well, agree with Fox. People have begun to compare our time period to that of the prohibition, comparing weed to alcohol, and the cartels to men like Al Capone.  

Much of the facts being stated in this post are form Gary Johnsons blog; Huff Post Politics. Gary Johnson, the governor of New Mexico has stated that by legalizing marijuana the drugs being smuggled across will reduce by 70%. Whether or not this is true has yet to be determined but obviously crime would decrease in large quantities. People against marijuana say that violence will stay the same, they feel that drug cartel violence will be replaced by crime committed to people that are high on marijuana. They also fear that because we legalize marijuana we will start to legalize other drugs until nothing is illegal and everyone is strung up on something.

I for one don’t feel that it will go that far and I can’t find any logical reason to not legalize marijuana, at least none that outweigh the benefits that will come from its legalization. The bottom line is that if we legalize marijuana we will cut a huge percentage of the funding the cartels receive. If the cartels have less money, the Mexican government can get the drug war under control. If we get the drug war under control then the death toll in Mexico will plummet. If the death toll plummets and crime falls, people will stop illegally immigrate into the United States. That ladies and gentlemen is the sole reason why we should legalize marijuana in the United States.

Illegal Education

To say that the city of Nogales, Arizona is by the border would be an understatement. Nogales is ON the border, it is a large city that has been divided into two smaller cities by the U.S. Mexico Border. The Mexican education system is underfunded and in total disarray because government spending is being used to try and stop the drug war. This lack of education greatly affects the city of Nogales because people living on the Mexican side of the border are only a few miles at most from an education that is far superior to any they have in Mexico. This is causing people on the Mexico side of Nogales to simply walk across the border to the local American school then just stroll back across the border like nothing happened. But something did happen, no matter how short they stay in our country, the second they stepped foot onto American soil they are illegally crossing the border.
When you venture across the border on a Monday morning you are almost guaranteed to see middle scholars in their uniforms. While this may seem like an insignificant detail, if u look closer your will see that some of these students have American middle school uniforms. If they wear red, they probably attend A.J. Mitchel Middle School. If they wear green, they most likely attend Vasquez De Coronado Middle School. Both of these feed into Nogales High School and all of these schools are suffering because of illegal immigration. Parents walk their children across the border to the bus stop, drop them off, and then go back to their daily routine in Mexico. The Nogales Police Department is underfunded and doesn’t have the manpower to stop this disgrace to our nation. Now the word disgrace may seem a little harsh, and yes I think that Nogales Police Department has bigger concerns, but this seemingly harmless act has major repercussions on the Nogales school district. Keep in mind these parents aren’t paying taxes for education so schools are educating these immigrants for free. This is resulting in underfunding for the schools and it is taking away from the education of American students.
A boy gets in trouble during class for acting out and is sent to the counselor’s office. The counselor asks to see the boy’s parents. The boy tells the counselor that his parents can’t come because they live in Mexico. The counselor tells the boy he can’t go back to class until the counselor speaks with the boy’s parents. The boy drops out. As unfortunate as this scenario is, it is not uncommon in Nogales. In order to stop this Mexican government has to regroup and reestablish what its priorities are, hopefully then they will pay more attention to the lack of funding for their education system and then illegal immigration will surely drop dramatically.

People smugglers

In border terminology, a coyote is a shady character who guides illegal immigrants through the desert into Mexico by leading them on foot or transporting them in the back of a large vehicle. Coyotes are said to charge large prices for the ride over then also charge their own “hidden fees” along the way because the illegals have no other alternative if the coyote is not satisfied. Throughout the border these men are known as ruthless and exploitative, but recent evidence has shown that this is not always the case.

At the Berlin Film Festival in 2009, Spanish filmmaker Chema Rodriguez, made a film called; “coyote.” In this film, a man goes undercover with a large group of illegal aliens to see what they go through day to day, the results were unexpected. Throughout the journey, Maco, the Coyote leading Rodriguez proved to be a supportive leader and in the film he says that he “never abandons his people.” Throughout the journey described as; "one of the most dangerous scenes in the world," Maco is seen teaching the immigrants bits and pieces of the English language and Spanish history. Maco believes that he is helping his working for a good cause despite the fact that what he’s doing is illegal.

This is clearly a heartwarming story that will hopefully make us think twice before we judge people on their looks, but unfortunately, Maco is a rare case. Immigrants everywhere are being lied to and manipulated by ruthless human smugglers who will most likely drain the immigrants of all their money before abandoning them in the middle of the Desert. Border patrol officials are being bribed by the day and unfortunately there are few ways to prevent this. The United States Border Patrol is clearly the least appreciated form of law enforcement considering the amount of work they do. If we can show more support for the men and women who help keep our borders safe I believe they will be much more loyal to our country and as a result, human trafficking will be drastically reduced.

Why dont they just come here legally?

Living in Arizona and having to deal with all the issues and prejudice against illegal immigration I head this sentence a lot; “Why don’t they just come here legally?” When I was in middle school that made sense, you were an American citizen, you didn’t have to live in fear, you could be paid minimum wage instead of under the table, all of these reasons made illegal immigration seem so meaningless to me. I don’t see how crossing the Sonoran Desert avoiding poisonous critters, enduring obnoxiously harsh weather, getting past border patrol, just so you can work for $5.00 an hour for a year, then get deported back to Mexico. However, when you look at both sides of the story you can see that they would rather come here legally as well and they would be love nothing more than to become legal citizens. However the truth shows that it is not nearly as easy as one would think.

When I moved to Iowa I had to retake driver’s education to get my Iowa license, when I completed the mind numbing course I had to go to the DMV stand in line for 3 hours to meet the cranky employee who told me wait another 3 hours but this time I got to sit. People assume that in order to get a green card you wait in line and go through a similar process; I was one of these misconstrued people who envisioned this process a lot like getting your driver’s license at the DMV. If you ran that scenario past a Mexican trying to get his or her green card they would be thrilled about it because in truth, getting your green card is much more difficult.

There are three main ways to obtain your green card. The first is a Family-based immigration that involves you having a legal, American born citizen as a relative that can get permission (through a petition) to have you come across the border. Once you have obtained yours, you can petition for your spouse and children to come across. This was is the most popular but let’s be honest, do you have any relatives that are legal citizens in other countries? Probably not and so most Mexicans do not qualify for this method of entry.

The second option for those seeking a green card is through an Employment-based immigration. This is the second most popular way to get a green card but is nowhere near as popular as the first method. This involves you getting a job offer from a company or business in America and you future boss must be willing to sponsor you on entry. Unfortunately for most people residing in Mexico is that there isn’t a very high demand for “legal” Hispanic workers.

The last and least popular way to gain access to the states is through a Humanitarian-based immigration. This one means you’re fleeing persecution from you native country and you have to prove that you are truly living in fear of being persecuted for your race, religion, political opinion, etc. An extremely small group of people qualify for this means of entry and there are very few ways to prove your honesty being persecuted.

While there are other small ways of entry i.e. a diversity lottery, only a very minuscule percentage of people get in this way. Even if you have qualified for a green card there is no line to stand in to get the actual card. You have to go through long arduous process that takes years to complete and even after you have completed your paperwork your still at the mercy of the Immigration and Naturalization Service which is more worried about getting Hispanics out of our country than in. Unless Congress is pressured to develop a new procedure, people will have to wait years for their opportunity at a better life. When your family is starving NOW, how long would you wait?

El Chapo

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel that has been terrorizing the streets of Ciudad Juarez for the last decade. Guzman was born to a poor family on April 4^th, 1957 outside of Badiraguato to a family of 7. His dad smuggled cocaine into the United States for the Sinaloa Cartel. When Guzman was in his 20’s he was placed in charge of transporting drugs from the Sierra to the cities and border and overseeing shipments. He worked his way up the criminal ladder until he was the #2 man in the Sinaloa Cartel, when the leader was arrested; Guzman was placed in charge of the whole Sinaloa Cartel.  Guzman was captured in 1993 and sentenced to 20 years, 9 months in prison for drug trafficking, criminal association and bribery charges. However, later that year, Guzman escaped the maximum security prison. Police say he was able to escape because he had an influence over everyone in the prison including its director. Police also assume that many of the officers were on his payroll and took part in his escape. In total, police say that 78 people were implicated in his escape plan. Once he had made his way out of the prison, he got back into the hands of the Sinaloa Cartel and went into hiding where he still is today.

Guzman clearly is one of the most powerful men in Mexico and in my opinion, has more power than the Mexican President himself. Any man that can break out of prison with the help of 78 prison officials clearly has a very big influence. After the assassination of Osama Bin Laden, El Chapo became the most wanted person on the FBI and Interpol’s most wanted list. In my opinion, which I am honored to have here in America, he shouldn’t be. Assassinating this man will only create a power vacuum and the gang members will fight for that power the only way they know how and that is murder. I feel that we should not focus on one man, but perhaps a group of men, the old adage goes “In order to kill a snake you have to cut off the head.” This adage I feel doesn’t fit this situation because the rest of the snake isn’t going to kill everything that tries to become its head (obviously.) I am not one of those people that has jumped on the “government hate bandwagon” and I feel that OUR will resolve this problem the best way possible. I don’t think that the Mexican government has the money or power to stop these cartels which leads us to the question: Should the United States declare war on the drug cartels?

The Social media

Last week, the mangled bodies of a young man and woman were hung from a highway bridge in Nuevo Laredo along with a sign that read: "This is what happens to people who post funny things on the Internet. Pay attention." The two people each ran their own blogs, the first was Frontera Al Rojo Vivo — loosely translated as The Raw Border, which is run by a newspaper company and is used to distribute information throughout Mexico. The other was Blog del Narco, a blog that openly speaks out against the cartels and allows anyone to post on the blog.  This site shows graphic pictures of gruesome crimes committed by the cartels and is open to anyone with a computer. In the article “Mexican Drug Cartels Now Menace Social Media” on http://www.npr.org, John Burnett says “Blog del Narco, like the popular Mexican tabloids, has learned that savagery sells. You can log on, and see photos of severed heads and disfigured bodies next to ads for GM Truck Month, Geico Auto Insurance, Volvo, AT&T and Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner.” Both people were killed because of their views, and neither had any gang affiliation whatsoever.   

This is one of the many crimes the drug cartels in Mexico are committing in order to gain control over the social media network. Bloggers, journalists, news anchors, and radio DJ’s in Mexico often receive death threats if they attempt to speak out against the cartels. If these threats are not heeded, these people usually become another statistic in the death toll of this drug war. I fear if the cartels are able to gain control over the social network, they can uses these sites for recruiting and silencing everyone that is attempting to speak out against them. Civilians are calling for change because of the horrific crimes they find out about through bogs and internet sites. I think if the cartels ran these sites, they filter out all the negative news that would cause unrest throughout the city. This would mean less pressure on the government to crack down on the cartels and would make “business” much easier for them. 

In past decades, Mexican Drug Cartels have fought their wars by using intimidation and fear by committing appalling crimes, these atrocities however, have back fired in the past by causing civil unrest and have developed a rightfully earned hatred toward the gangs. It’s clear that the cartels want to end all of that and most likely will if the Mexican government does not intervene soon.

Ciudad Juarez Death Toll

In 2010, Ciudad Juarez (Juarez City) had a total death toll of over 3,000. 3,000 mothers, sons, brothers, sisters, fathers, daughters, uncles, and aunts had their lives brutally cut short. In 2008 the number stood at 1,623, and then it climbed to 2,763 all as a result of the Mexican Drug War being raged just minutes south of our border. Gangs like the Juarez Cartel and The Zetas are fighting over control of the drug trade and all of them try to "one up" the other in terms of how brutal they can be. More than 28,000 people have died because of the drug war throughout Mexico in the four years since President Felipe Calderon launched an offensive against drug cartels when he took office in December 2006 and declared war on the cartels of Mexico.

 The total murder rate in Juarez has become the highest in the world surpassing everything in Afghanistan and other countries that are actually at war. As I’ve stated before, this is clearly one of the reasons why illegal immigration has skyrocketed in the last 4 years. The Juarez Cartel, which is responsible for a majority of these brutal killings, is run by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, whose wife recently gave birth in a Los Angeles hospital, has become the most wanted person in Mexico. Many fear that if this man is not caught the violence in Mexico will not stop and it will eventually spread to states like Texas or Arizona. If this is the case, then the violence in Juarez should be considered a matter of national security.

The violence in Juarez shows the lack of government authority in Mexico, cities that are in the middle of war are statistically safer than Juarez. President Caulderon assures his doubters that Mexico is winning the war against these cartels but in truth there are no winners in this war. The fact that a country like Mexico can completely implode should be taken as a warning that all countries would be wise to heed. Drugs in Mexico have turned mothers against sons and brothers against brothers, who’s to say this can’t happen to any other country? While it is unlikely to happen to the United States, countries with a weaker central government could easily spiral into a civil war over drugs like Mexico already has. The death toll in Juarez is the highest in the world, as scary as that statement sounds the fact that it is only going to get worse is even scarier.

Mexicans to America or Americans to Mexico?

On Saturday, October 1st, while campaigning in Hampton, New Hampshire, presidential candidate Rick Perry says that he is open to sending U.S. troops to Mexico to help fight the drug war along the border. Perry has been accused of being to light on illegal aliens and illegal immigration as a whole., Perry resoponds to said critics by saying that he has the most credibility and experience on the issue. This action shows that Perry is clearly trying to disprove these doubters by fighting back against the drug cartels that have plagued the Mexican border and are a large reason for people in Mexico to try to cross the border.

Since Mexican President Felipe Cauleron declared war on organized drug gangs in 2006 over 30,000 lives have been claimed by this war. Cities have been turned into killing zones especially across the border. These killing zones are literally just over the fence in places like Tijuana, which shares its borders with San Diego, or Juarez which borders Houston to the South. This plan would most likely slow the drug trade significantly but it could also start another war that the U.S. doesn't need. By sending American troops to fight alongside corrupt Mexican troops that are most likely working for the drug cartels would only put our soldiers in danger.

To me it doesn't make sense starting another war when we already have troops in Afghanistan. I feel like this statement was more of a publicity stunt than a promise. The U.S. has never fought a war in the Western Hemisphere and I doubt that a majority of the general population would want to start one. I think that Perry knows this as well and he is just trying to send a message to his critics that say he isnt hard enough on illegal immigration considering this is one of the large reasons people are not voting for him. While it is a nice thought; America helping its less fortunate neighbor out, it clearly would not be a beneficial plan to the U.S. and it would most likely just create more jobs for American and Mexican gravediggers.

Ok they're here, now what?

If the borders were to be made airtight and completely secured tomorrow, America would still have to deal with the approximately 8,000,000 illegal aliens that have already crossed the border. There are two main arguments as to what should be done with these illegal aliens. Both arguments are on opposite ends of the spectrum and have divided many parts of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).

The first argument is that America should undertake a mass deportation of all illegal immigrants. The plan would round up all illegals and send them back to Mexico completely cleaning out all illegal immigration. However, this plan would require an exceptional deployment of resources that are in very short supply. This in turn would worsen the current problems plaguing our detention systems that are already overcrowded as it is. Immigration courts would be overwhelmed and would likely result in human rights and due process violations all across America. Let's not forget the effect a mass deportation strategy would cripple our delicate economic growth and would also send a bad image to our neighbors in Mexico. This plan would cost the American taxpayer $285 billion dollars which is approximately $922 for each citizen. Unfortunately for this argument it is not a feasible choice economically or physically.

The second argument is that these illegal immigrants should be given the means to obtain legal status. This argument is based largely on the reason that it would give America a good image, and that it is "the right thing to do." Unfortunately just because one option makes you look good does not make it the best option. Many of the people that would become citizens are drug dealers and felons that would harm the people living in our country. This argument is being voiced largely by the devout religions citizens of America. These citizens openly quote people like Pope John Paul II who said "Significant gesture would certainly be one in which reconciliation, a genuine dimension of the Jubilee, is expressed in a form of amnesty for a broad group of immigrants who suffer the tragedy of precariousness and uncertainty more than others, namely, illegal immigrants." While the Pope is right as to the fact that this gesture would send a great image of America to surrounding countries, it doesnt mean it is the best thing to do.  Religion and Government are not meant to be mixed and when we do we abandon the branches of our government that make it the great system it is. Life isn't fair and we can't just give everyone a second chance.

While these two arguments alone, in my opinion, are not the best alternatives, a new argument has been arising that brings both of these two options together. The deportation of all immigrants that have committed a felony and the rest should be given the means to become legal citizens. This would hopefully get rid of the immigrants that would damage our society and give legal status to the immigrants that would supposedly benefit America. While this plan is better than the other two, in my opinion, it still would be even more expensive to weed out all of the felons out of the 8,000,000 and deporting all of those would be dangerous and expenssive. Unfortunately for us there is no easy solution to this problem were faced with, the only thing that is clear about this issue is that it won't be solved soon.

Governor Rick Perry

When we looked at Sheriff Joe Arpaio we saw someone who would do anything to stop illegal immigration. On the other end of the spectrum we see Governor Rick Perry, a man being accused of being to "soft" on illegal immigration. Perry was born in March 4, 1950 to a rural family in western Texas, he became governor in 1999 and currently running for President of the United States. On September 22, at a presidential debate in Orlando, many of Perry's competitors called him a "magnet" for illegal immigration. One of the strongest arguments for this point is the Texas Dream Act which allows children of illegal immigrants that attend high school for three years to obtain state college tuition. Perry supports and defends the bill by saying of the 181 lawmakers in texas only 4 voted against it.

70% of illegal aliens come through Mexico, It is estimated that only 4% of illegal aliens are apprehended and prosecuted in Texas making it one of the most insecure states along the boarder. Arizona was the target for over half the illegal immigrants attempting to corss the border, however that number has sharply declined with the questionable methods of Joe Arpaio. Now immigrants are being drawn to Texas because of the low chance they will be sent back or prosecuted. While the number of illegal aliens in Texas increases every year, Perry still defends his actions. When asked about the Texas Dream Act he said “We put our Texas Ranger recon teams there now,” he said. “But if you are saying we shouldn’t educate those children, I don’t think you have a heart. We need to be educating these children because they become a drag on our society.”

Unfortunately most chilidren of illegal immigrants grow up illeterate and some never learn english because they have no motivation to go to high school or obtain an education. This act encourages them to get a high school degree so they can make college affordable and hopefully help them to lead better lives. While the parents may work in a sweatshop for the rest of their lives the hope is that their children will be able to contribute to our society with a college degree. There is no question that Perry has good intentions but these intentions will ultimately lead to more people crossing the border. It isnt Americas fault that the Mexican education system isnt very good. Illegal aliens our taking american jobs and now will be taking spot in our nations colleges from american students. In my opinion, I feel that we need to focus on OUR education for OUR children.

Sherrif Joe Arpiao

He has been called “Americas Toughest Sheriff” and has declared war on illegal immigration despite the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau revoking his authority to arrest people on immigration violations. His name is Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Born June 14th, 1932 in Springfield Massachusetts, Sheriff Joe Arpaio led a though life from birth. His mother died in childbirth and his father ran an Italian grocery store, at age 18 he joined the Army just before the start of the Korean War. After the war he became a police officer in D.C. and Las Vegas and later in 1993 he was elected the Sheriff of Maricopa County Arizona. Sheriff Joe has been accused of racism and police brutality by many Hispanic Americans but no charges have been brought up against him.

In 2005 he declared war on illegal immigration and has since claimed to have arrested 30,000 illegal immigrants even though he does not have the authority. When asked about why he continues to disobey the federal government he responded with ‘I’m not going to bend to the federal government, I’m going to do my job. I don’t report to the federal government, I report to the people.” On July 24th, of 2009, Arpaio did a sweep of the entire eastern part of the metro Phoenix are and arrested 74 people, mainly on traffic violations like not using their blinker or having a taillight out. Of the 74 people arrested only 25 of them were illegal immigrants. This ignited a wave of angry protest that accused Arpaio of racial profiling; Arpaio defends his actions by saying he had probable cause. 

Since 2005 when Arpaio declared the so called “War on Immigration,” he has been receiving criticism and protests against him, while immigration is sharply declining in Arizona.  Whether you agree with his methods, you can’t deny that Arpaio get results and he continues to be reelected as Maricopa Counties Sheriff so it’s clear a majority of the county agrees or supports him. The time will come when Arpaio steps down and a new Sheriff will be elected. Odds are very good that this Sheriff won’t be as radical or strict on illegal immigration as Arpaio so I feel that illegal immigration will rise. What we have to ask ourselves is this; is this the only way we can stop illegal immigration? I think we can all agree that if every county along the border had Sheriff Joe Arpaio immigration wouldn’t be as big of an issue as it now but would it be a worthwhile place to live if you were a legal Hispanic American?                                                                                                  

Arizona SB 1070

On April 23, 2010 Governor of Arizona Jan Brewer signed the Arizona Senate Bill 1070, also known as "The Arizona SB 1070." This anti-immigration bill is the strictest in recent U.S. history and is receiving publicity across the nation. The law will require all illegal aliens over the age of 14 who remain in the United States for longer than 30 days to register with the U.S. government, and to have registration documents in their possession at all times. If an illegal alien is caught without his/her documents on them it is considered a misdemeanor that will go on the persons personal record. The bill also states that an officer can make a lawful arrest on a person if there is reasonable suspicion that that person is an illegal alien.

After only a week of being signed protests began in over 70 cities across the U.S. claiming that the bill encourages "Racial Profiling." Others say that race is the only thing that investigators have to go on when looking for illegal immigrants. Polls have shown that a majorty of the United States support the bill but boycotts have already started in Arizona, some people are trying to boycott the state of Arizona. Mexican President Felipe Cauleron has spoken out against the bill saying that "the Mexican government condemns the approval of the law." Others like Sheriff Joe Arpaio, one of the bills supporters, believes that the bill will make immigrants scared that other states will follow suit and accept the law.

This law has clearly meet a lot of resistance from the hispanic population of America and will probably only get worse.  The bill has received criticizim by President Barak Obama himself who says that it will "undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as the trust between police and our communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe." President Obama does bring up a good point that not only will the hispanic population be discriminated but so will police officers. While this could very well be considered racial profiling is it as way to drastically reduce illegal immigration through Arizona without putting our border patrol at risk. This will also make it easier to monitor illegal immigrants in Arizona, a state with one of the largest population of illegall aliens. At first glance the bill significantly reduces illegal immigration without putting lives at risk or costing the U.S. a lot of money. However, when we read deeper into the bill and see what that it will divide the state of Arizona and if passed through the nation, could ultimately divide the country.

Issues with money

The Federal American Immigration Reform (FAIR) released a study that estimated that illegal immigration causes a $113 billion dollar drain on the United States taxpayers per year. This money, that could be used to strengthen a declining U.S. education system or improve the quality of major highways, is being used to support illegal immigrants. This same study revealed that houses headed by illegal aliens cost the U.S. Government $28 billion dollars and only paid $9 billion dollars in taxes. This obnoxiously large fiscal deficite is tightening the U.S. budget and decreasing funding for other area of our nation. Immigrants take advantage of american healthcare, child support, education, and other benefits that come by being a legal citizen of our great nation.

Illegal alien are also unbalacing the local economies in the southwest by accepting lower wages. It is impossible for honest companies to compete with companies that are accepting illegal immigrants and paying them less that minimum wage. Becuase they are illegal aliens the minimum wage law does not apply to them, so they can find jobs easier and beat out american citizens. Buisiness's that hire legal citizens are forced to compete with companies that undercut their prices by hiring illegal aliens. This forces the honest buisiness to close creating a larger unemployment rating. A way the government is attacking this problem is requiring certain companies to perform backround checks on people they hire. These companies have already proved their dishonest, and rather than admit to hiring illegal aliens, would rather falsify the documents the government gives them.

Many people feel that these immigrants should be givin legal status through an amnesty, this will force the dishonest companies to pay their workers and keep them from undercutting prices. On the other hand this will pertetuate illegal immigration and encourage people to illegally migrate because they will get legal status, people on this side of the fence believe that the U.S. should be more aggresive defending its boarders and send a message to everyone that the U.S. will not tolerate illegal migration. This statement is obviously easier said that done and immigrants will always find ways to get over, under, around, or through the fence that separates the United States from the poverty stricken world to the south. No matter what the american government does, illegal immigration will always, and forever be, a major fiscal burden on the everday american taxpayer.

Is it a crime to want a better life?

The United States in an effort to enhance their public image has recently taken steaps to embrace illegal immigrants and attempt to help them create a better life for themselves. While this may be a touching story, is this how America should be treating these people? According to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) illegal immigration is a crime, and what should be done with these criminals? Many people say it should go under their record as a misdemeanor,  "Nobody is being harmed," most of the people are only searching for better lives and on most cases when caught, illegal immigrants go into custody with little resistance.

However, just becuase nobody is being physically harmed does not make this a victimless crime. Funding to better the lives of people that dont even live here and are trying to do so illegally cost money that some argue should be put into our schooldistrics and our cities. These people argue that these illegal immigrants should be charged for their crimes and not let back into the united states. While this would scare immigrants off what would happen to the ones who still attempt to cross the border? The argument against charging immigrants would be that it will enhance the violence along the border, immigrants who are caught will resist which is putting the lives of the United States Border Patrol in danger. Lets not forget that there are people crossing the border intending to harm people on the otherside, already dangerous drug cartels will become even more dangerous with the inhanced threat of incarseration.

The issue with deciding wether to charge illegal immigrants with a misdemeanor or felony boils down to the United State's willingness to risk the lives of its men and women. If we are then we should charge these illegals with felonys and reduce the number of immigrants atempting to come to the U.S. but we should be willing to pay the price for it as well. If we dont want to see a very small number of our border patrol killed in action then the U.S. should charge the immigrants with a misdemeanor but we should be prepared for little progress on stopping immigration. If the U.S. wants to help a percentage of these immigrants make better lives for themselves, then we should be prepared to devote resources, that are already in short supply, people that are commiting a crime by entering the united states illegally.