I think what surprised me the most was the when Trump asked the audience during Hannity’s town hall, the heartier response was for allowing them to remain. Many wanted them all deported, but the majority wanted the more “compassionate” route.
I think there are consequences when one breaks the law. It may take some time for them to unfold (think Cosby), but eventually it will catch up. Oh, except if your name is Clinton.
Compassion does not always have to entail a huge mandatory expense for the benefactor(s). You can be compassionate while still firmly holding to basic tenets like WORK, PAY YOUR OWN WAY and SELF SUPPORTING —— and CONTRIBUTING.
I think what surprised me the most was the when Trump asked the audience during Hannity’s town hall, the heartier response was for allowing them to remain. Many wanted them all deported, but the majority wanted the more “compassionate” route.
There should have been a followup question of “ including law breakers, drug dealers, rapists etc “
As each of those go, those on the other end of the spectrum (tax paying, self sufficient, demonstrative effort to integrate into American society by English language and the like) get green cards with no chance of citizenship or, at the very least, a much longer path than they would have had if they'd come legally.
IOW, you make the expulsion of the chaff the key for allowing the wheat to stay. The burden is on the illegals to show how they are a benefit to the country, it isn't on the country to prove otherwise.
This is a compassionate policy, but it has to start with the comprehensive position of deporting all who are here illegally and enforcing the law. Exceptions are introduced only once it is shown that the law is being enforced.
I heard the audience “vote” opposite of what you saw and heard. The ship ‘em out crowd was much bigger and louder than the soft on illegals crowd at that town hall.
At any rate, what the town hall showed was that Trump dropped a huge wedge issue into his own base.
Yeah, that surprised me too. I don’t understand it as they are breaking the law by being here illegally. They may obey our other laws, but they are breaking that law.
I think Trump has a big heart. I don’t think he wants to deliberately cause pain. It’s such a difficult situation, though. Questions to ponder:
If you are going to let people stay, how long do they have to have been here? Five years? Then why not four?
If kids were brought here and grew up here and only know America, do you send them back?
If you are going to let people stay, are these just people who crossed the border and would be going back to bad lives or does this include people who have overstayed their visas?
If someone has a family with kids who have been raised here or were born here, do you let the parents stay to keep the family intact, especially if they are working and not causing trouble?
It’s a difficult situation. I don’t think there is a one size fits all approach. If Trump goes that route, it could give him some wiggle room with both sides.
If you give some form of amnesty, even if it isn’t citizenship, what do we do years from now when we have more illegals in this country? Even if Trump does everything right with the border and visa system, some people will still come in illegally. It’s just reality. Hopefully many less, but still, there will be some who slip through the cracks. Do they get citizenship then eventually?
The bottom line is that if Trump were to give them legalization without amnesty, what would happen is that the Democrats would come along within the decade running on the platform that these people are part of our country and should be made citizens. A Democrat President, likely helped by Republicans, would get it done. Then you have millions of votes. Do you think these people will be grateful to Trump for letting them stay? If we look at Hispanics who are citizens, the majority vote Democrat. Would that change if Trump made the millions of illegal immigrants who are Hispanic legal? I doubt it. I think they would still vote majority Democrat. I also think that the Hispanics who would be given citizenship by Democrats will also vote majority Democrat. This means that it will be very difficult for the Republicans to ever win an election. It’s suicide of a party. It may be politically incorrect to say, but I think it’s true.
Truthfully the percentage of the 11-20 million illegals who have been here 15-20 years and have followed the law blah, blah,blah is likely 2-3 million. If we get rid of all but those few color me happy.