Just wondering on how everyone feels about the immigration issues in the US? The majority of the talk has been about Mexicans (at least here in Central Florida).

I have mixed emotions about the immigration situation in the US. I reside in South Florida and I have friends or know people that are here illegally and it would be wrong of me to say send them back, on the flip side, Overall it will be impossible for the US gov't to try and help all the illegal immigrants that are here. We have over 1 million illegal immigrants, most of them have children that were born in the US and go to school here. What are we going to do? Send their parents back? At the same time if the gov't decides to help these immigrants that will just open the door for more immigrants to start coming to the US. I was not born in the US but am now a citizen who's filing for my husband and I feel that they should go through the same process as we have and not just get a free ride into the US system.

I personally think they should go through the same process as everyone else, Some people thinks that because they are from a particular Island they should be treated differently.

I must agree. As a naturalized US Citizen, I don't see why people from other countries feel that they do not need to go through the proper channels to obtain residency in the US. I am disturbed knowing that legal tax paying citizens and residents have to take care of many illegal immigrants who chose to come here and many times live worse than they would in their own countries. Who pays for the free clinics and the free lunches their children get at school?? Tax payers. I say send back all the illegal immigrants who come here and choose not to work, but immplement a process to assist the working class illegal immigrants to obtain residency.As for my own Jamaicans, let's try to invest in our own country before we give up and run to the US. Life is not always easier on foreign soil.

I think that you are very close minded and that why we have so much crime in the world today why would you like someone else to go true the same situation as you we should be all happy when we see some one strive we must not judge each others who know what those people going true mabey they dont have some one to file for them as you are filing for your husband and the us is not for you alone it's open to each an every one an in fact the works that these immergrant well come in the country and do most citizen not doing it not to offended you but we must tink before we leap you must remember that you was once an immergrant and the same way you were bless to become citizen the same way others would like the oppertunity let's be on the possitive side and not the negative side we must always look at situation in an different angle NO disrespect but some time we need a little wake up call.

Pinky, what are you talking about??? Yes we were once immigrants, but we came here legally!! There is a big difference!! We are legally filing for our family for them to have the opportunity that we have had. In regards to you saying that the US is "open to each and everyone", it clearly is not or we would not be having this issue! People could then go and come as they please if that were the case. There is no different angle to look at. This is a matter of legality. There is a process for legal entry into this country and there are some people who I guess don't feel that they need to abide by the rules. How would you feel if Jamaica were to let anybody who wanted to enter our country do so. You talk about crime, that's when you would see CRIME!!! Come on, let's be intelligent enough to know right from wrong!

I don't need a wake up call. I did not come to the US as an "illegal" alien. I came here with papers and completed the process to become a US citizen the right way. As I stated in my message, I have mix emotions about the issue. This does not make one a close minded person. Most of the illegal aliens that are here work for little or nothing and they have no intentions of leaving or even filing for residency. Are you aware that majority of the crimes that are being commited in the US are by illegal aliens? Look at all the the people getting deported back to the caribbean from the US and England for crimes committed. All these deportees are mainly illegal!!

EVERYONE OF US WERE AND STILL ARE IMMIGRANTS. THE ONLY TRUE AMERICANS ARE THE AMERICAN INDIANS"HOW ABOUT THAT".I MYSELF CAME TO THIS COUNTRY FROM CANADA WITH MY PERMANENT PAPERS BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I STILL REGARD MYSELF AS AN IMMIGRANT.

From a person who has sat on boths sides of this fence, on more than one occassion......

Why should cue jumpers be given special priviledge?
They know that they are in the country illegally and that there may be consquences to pay.....

Just because I stayed in the country illegally is not a good enough reason to put me ahead of all the people who filed the correct forms, payed the fees and hired a lawyer and then waited their turn

And that just seems fair to all.......

I understand the search for a better situation as well as families and lovers wishing to stay together.

On more that one occassion I left my birth country in search of something better only to find that when I was hiding from Immigration it was not a very good life. This life did not even allow me to even hold a decent job. Once my employer tried to be abusive because he thought I had no recourse.....and would not complain to anyone, little did he know

There, that feels better
These are just the thoughts of someone who has sat on both sides of this issue.

Let's start at the beginning.. there is no good system for legal immigration. And, furthermore, many of those entering the U.S. illegally don't even have passports or birth certificates. Most of these people are dirt poor. Did you know that the U.S. government requires $100USD for an appointment for just a tourist visa and residents from many countries are required to own land in order to get a visa? To get a working visa you have to have a job offer first. Now, how does someone accomplish that!? Before we criticize them for not entering the U.S. legally we need to recognize that legal immigration is not really an option in most cases. Let's fix that first.

Well said "Been there". It is good to get the perspective from someone who can relate.