Both sides see win on immigration law in appeals court ruling

Opposing sides in litigation over Alabama’s and Georgia’s new immigration laws are declaring victory after federal judges decided to prohibit enactment of some controversial provisions, such as schools asking for a child’s legal status in the U.S., and let others, like the “show me your papers” portion, proceed.

A three-judge federal panel at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta issued its ruling on Monday. The judges enjoined part of Alabama’s law, known as section 28, that requires children attending public schools to show proof of their legal status in the country, a provision that immigration advocates said was intimidating immigrant students and their families (a 1982 Supreme Court case guarantees access to public schools for all children, regardless of status).

“ … section 28 operates to place undocumented children, and their families, in an impossible dilemma: Either admit your unlawful status outright or concede it through silence,” the court said in its decision. “We are of the mind that an increased likelihood of deportation or harassment upon enrollment in school significantly deters undocumented children from enrolling in and attending school, in contravention of their rights under Plyler (the Supreme Court case).”


The court let stand part of Alabama’s law allowing authorities to inquire about the legal status of some people suspected of criminal activity, but it ordered injunctions to block provisions that would make an undocumented immigrant’s failure to carry a registration document a crime and to bar state courts from enforcing contacts with such immigrants, The Birmingham News reported.

“We are pleased that this ruling has sent a strong message to Alabama and other states that they cannot enact hate-filled laws to try to drive an entire class of people from their borders,” Mary Bauer, legal director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said in a statement. “We are thrilled that students returning to schools this week will return to safer and more welcoming environments. We will continue to challenge the provisions left in place because, as we have already seen in Alabama, these laws cannot be enforced without racial profiling.” 

Immigrants confront author of anti-immigrant laws

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said he believed the “essence” of the law had been upheld with the court “recognizing” the state’s “authority to inquire on immigration status in certain circumstances” and to allow the public records transaction provision to “continue to be enforced,” he said in a statement. 

"This law is needed because the federal government has refused to enforce its own policies. The federal government has also failed to approach immigration reform in a comprehensive manner,” he said. "The core of Alabama's immigration law remains that if you live or work in the state, you should do so legally.  It is time now to move past court battles and focus on enforcement of Alabama's law."

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The judges upheld the controversial “show me your papers” part of Georgia’s law, under which state and local police can investigate the immigration status of suspects and detain undocumented immigrants, but blocked one part that would punish those who transport or shelter undocumented immigrants while committing other crimes, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Republican state Rep. Matt Ramsey, who wrote the law, welcomed that the judges maintained parts of it.

“Just as we were pleased when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld one of the centerpieces of the Arizona law that provides law enforcement officials the ability to investigate the immigration status of criminal suspects,” he told the newspaper, “we are pleased that the 11th Circuit has upheld a similar provision in our Georgia law.”

'No papers, no fear': Undocumented immigrants declare on bus tour

But Omar Jadwat, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union said the court had left the door open to further challenges against that provision, which they would continue to fight.

“The court today rejected many parts of Alabama and Georgia’s anti-immigrant laws, including attempts to criminalize everyday interactions with undocumented immigrants and Alabama’s callous attempt to deprive some children of their constitutional right to education,” Jadwat, of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, said in a statement.

The U.S. Justice Department and civil rights and immigrant rights advocacy groups filed the lawsuits, media reported.

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I think it is reasonable to ask for citizenship related documentation for children to enroll in school. It could economically assist districts with the economic burden of providing specialized education. If a child is a citizen of Mexico or China or Sweeden and their parents are not here on a work visa's then the state should be able to bill their home country for the cost associated with their education and welfare assistance.

I think it is reasonable for the countries that pretend we have some revolving door policy to take over a bit of a the economic burden. Perhaps if they were paying these costs they would make some effort to improve upon their own economic future.

  • 33 votes
#1 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 6:10 PM EDT

I totally agree with you. Why should we as taxpayers foot this bill? This should be paid by our group back in Washington who refuse to secure our borders.

  • 24 votes
#1.2 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:37 PM EDT

So in how many languages do I need to say - if you're here illegally, you have no rights, you are not a citizen and get the F**K OUT!

  • 23 votes
#1.3 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:38 PM EDT

We are helping people hide children from law enforcement, whether they are children that belong to those they are staying with or abducted children being held against their will. Children believe adults and their have been many cases where a child has gotten in a car because the driver or someone told them their parents have been in an accident and you need to come with me/us. We need these children to be registered and documented so we know they are safe. We shouldn't find out 20 years later that the child doesn't belong to the so called parent. Stop fighting the right thing to do.

  • 4 votes
#1.4 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:00 PM EDT

I am just so damn frustrated at the federal government for not enforcing and protecting this country from illegal immigrants and the MANY CRIMES that they commit. I cannot for the life of me figure out why the feds won't allow the states to check the status of a suspected illegal immigrant. If a cop pulls me over, I have to show identification. If for some reason, I have committed a federal crime, the local law enforcement have the right to arrest me for that FEDERAL crime. Why is it so different for them to arrest an illegal immigrant???

I would just love for someone in the federal government to answer that question for me. It seems to me that they have alternative motives for not enforcing the immigration laws we already have on the books. Every time a state tries to do something about the HUGE problem of illegal immigration and the crimes that are committed from it, the federal government does everything they can to stop the state from enforcing the laws already on the books, or from trying to bring laws to the books that will alleviate the problems caused from illegal immigration. I am sick to death of this problem not being fixed. They keep saying that we need to fix a broken system by coming up with new laws, but they refuse to even enforce the laws that we already have.

COME ON, SOMEONE IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PLEASE EXPLAIN THIS TO ME AND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. WE ARE TIRED OF YOUR BULL@!$%# EXCUSES. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!!!!

  • 22 votes
#1.5 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:12 PM EDT

Floyd, I see your frustrated, it shows in your caps lock statement, But really you need to think this through a bit more before lashing out. If your skin was darker and you had a Latin look would it be OK to stop you in your travels with the "show me your papers" law in the hands of Billy Bob hillbilly in Bum Freak Mississippi? Thats the essence of what the federal judiciary found in this case...NOTHING MORE. No one has a right to suspect you of a crime if you've done nothing to precede an action as such. Meaning that no crime had been committed for you to be stopped for in the 1st place and approached for said documentation. That is profiling and in all 50 states federally illegal...peace

  • 3 votes
#1.6 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:42 PM EDT

It is ridiculous that the courts want to grant more rights to illegals than legal Americans have. If I get pulled over by a cop I am expected to produce my license, registration, and proof of insurance on the spot. If I do not have proper ID, I am subject to immediate arrest for driving without a license. However, when it comes to illegals, the liberals and the courts want to make it so that they can fail to produce any ID and simply be allowed to drive away without even proving who they are. This is absurd. In this day and age, no one should be driving around without proper ID on them and if they do not have it then they are breaking the law and should be arrested. If you are an American you can be detained until you can prove who you are but they do not want illegals subject to this same rule because many of these illegals walk around with absolutely no identification at all. They do not have any to produce. Right now, they end up giving the police a fake name and address and disappear, never even answering the citation for the driving infraction they were pulled over to start with. This is because the feds have barred the states from holding these people on immigration violations and yet the feds refuse to come and get them and take them into federal custody. What it amounts to is that because the feds refuse to enforce their own laws the states are being precluded from enforcing theirs. This needs to stop. It is time to stop treating these illegals with kid gloves and treat them like what they are, criminals who have violated our laws by entering this country illegally. They should be held without bail pending deportation to prevent them from simply disappearing if they are released pending a hearing. Since most have no ID it is impossible to even know for certain who these people are and this makes them an extreme flight risk if they are released from custody.

  • 12 votes
#1.7 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:57 PM EDT

A lot of these folks don't know the difference between law and court precedent. If they drive they are expected to follow the same laws as you and I. If they profile Hispanic I guess they must produce documentation of citizenship. I guess all the high and mighty haters carry their passport all the time? Also one of our most cherished safeguards is called probable cause which is thrown by the wayside here. You give up your rights so the Nazis in Ga and Al can abuse you. Not Me. I can't think of one Mexican that ever done anything to me.

  • 2 votes
#1.8 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:29 PM EDT

Alex -- Most people who are here illegally do pay taxes, unless they are forced by their employers into a cash pay system where they get sub-minimum wage. The only thing that these illegals don't do after taxes are withheld is file for a refund. So, the government gets more than it is entitled to and the worker gets screwed but does not show up in the system.

  • 1 vote
#1.9 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 12:30 AM EDT

Unbelievable. This has to stop @ some point, the sooner the better. Vote wise people.

  • 7 votes
#1.10 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 1:26 AM EDT

@Jeff - I have had the opportunity to do quite a bit of travelling in Europe, Asia, South America, and the Middle East, to include parts of Africa. In each and every country, I was REQUIRED to carry with me my passport and visa. Being a caucasian and travelling through Europe, I was stopped a number of times and asked to show my visa. Now, Europe is mostly caucasian, so I certainly don't believe it is a question of being RACIALLY motivated, more than it is enforcing Immigration Laws.

With that said, when I was in the middle east, I sure the hell don't look Persian, Middle Eastern, or even Jewish. Did I take offense to being asked for my papers? NOPE sure didn't. But that is the difference you see. I obey the law, I support the request of law enforcement to ask for my identification. Now, if I was illegally in those countries, my attitude might be different because I am BREAKING THEIR LAWS. This mentality that our constitutional rights apply to anyone regardless of their country of origin is assinine. NO WHERE in the US CONSTITUTION does it say anything about illegal immigrants. In fact, when I read the constitution it talks about the CITIZENS of the United States. It specifically says in MANY of the provisions of that document, starting with the

PREAMBLE - Important parts are bolded here - "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Article 4, Section 2 - The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States

Article 4, Section 4 - The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion...

1st Amendment - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble (The People as forementioned in the Preamble).

2nd Amendment - A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

4th Amendment - The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures,

5th Amendment - No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprivedof life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. (NOTICE HERE it mentions NO PERSON - applying to anyone the DUE PROCESS OF LAW - thus trial, tribunal, hearing, ect. Meaning you break the law you get to have a court date or go through a legal process, thus deportation hearings for illegals)

9th Amendment - The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. (this one is really interesting. The RIGHTS of the People, thats CITIZENS of the United States SHALL NOT BE DENIED).

10th Amendment - The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

11th Amendment - The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State. (this one SHOULD RATTLE YOUR CAGE. I will let you grasp the concept of this one... But the language is PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD)

14th Amendment - All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

The REST of the Amendments say "The right of citizens of the United States" and are pretty self explanatory...

But for the life of me, I DON'T SEE anything that says FOREIGN NATIONALS, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, shall have Constitutional Rights.

  • 7 votes
#1.11 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 4:14 AM EDT

Most of you people forget that it is the mexicans that have a large voting block. So to get elected again I will do what I have to get thier vote. So if you want to stop getting nailed by the politicians go out and vote. You do not even have to vote for any one turn in a blank ballot all they know is someone turned in a blank ballot and like I tell my daughter a middle class women voted.

  • 1 vote
#1.13 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 5:53 AM EDT

No stinking badges to show, Gringos!

  • 1 vote
#1.14 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 7:54 AM EDT

Foreign invaders are not entitled to the same rights as US citizens.

  • 5 votes
#1.15 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 7:55 AM EDT

jeffery..."No one has a right to suspect you of a crime if you've done nothing to precede an action as such."

Sorry, but ICE and Border Patrol agents can stop anyone, anywhere at anytime if they suspect they're in the country illegally.

See, it's OK if Obama's Feds do it, just not the states.

  • 3 votes
#1.16 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 8:22 AM EDT

It's way past time to stop being so politically correct! The feds need to stop worrying about hurting feelings and DO THEIR JOB!!! The only ones being hurt are the tax-paying American citizens. It has to stop...NOW. Illegal aliens are not undocumented dem...ooops citizens. And if you think that is cruel..you can take them into your home and sponser them for citizenship.

Another thing, we have to change the law about "anchor babies." If you have a child in the US, it is a citizen of whatever country you are from. No more welfare for illegals. They can crawl back across the border they snuck over in the first place. I am at the point I have no sympathy anymore. The more they get for free, the more they demand. Yes, I mean demand...look at that busload thumbing their nose at all of America.

PLEASE!! Vote this administration out and take back out country!!!

  • 5 votes
#1.17 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 8:23 AM EDT

okie...apparently you haven't read this:

Illegals get $4.2 Billion using fraudulent Tax Claims…

The Internal Revenue Service allowed undocumented workers to collect $4.2 billion in refundable tax credits last year, a new audit says, almost quadruple the sum five years ago.

Wage earners who do not have Social Security numbers and are not authorized to work in the United States can use what the IRS calls individual taxpayer identification numbers. Often these result in fraudulent claims on tax returns, auditors found.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/post/undocumented-workers-got-billions-from-irs-in-tax-credits-audit-finds/2011/03/23/gIQAhtaKvJ_blog.html?hpid=z3

  • 5 votes
#1.18 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 8:26 AM EDT
Reply

Under what Constitution of the United States does our courts hold that illegal have any rights other then to be sent home.

  • 33 votes
Reply#2 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 6:14 PM EDT

This is considered a fairly liberal board and yet even here the vast majority of posts about illegal immigrants are hostile and consist of various ways to get them to go home. Just imagine how much more hostile it is in conservative forums. And STILL Congress refuses to stop them consuming our social services.

I'm beginning to wonder if Congress represents any Americans at all.

  • 25 votes
#2.1 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 6:37 PM EDT

apparently the Plyler law which was passed in 1982 allows illegals to take part in our education system. If we want that to change then we had better get that law removed. Or accept that our dollars are there to educate people from other nations, even when they have no legal status, otherwise.

  • 15 votes
#2.2 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:07 PM EDT

@ AG99,

It's not easy electing a politician that won't talk about what he is running on. It's great they want to create jobs but how about telling us how or great you want to do away with the Affordable Health Care Act and replace it but how about telling us what you want to replace it with. Obama got into the Presidency by making promises, some he hasn't been able to keep, but what really frustrates me about Obama is his lack of enforcing the laws we have for immigration. If he had run on his immigration policies I would hope he would have lost but then again the only thing the Republican Party had to offer was more wars. We are tired of wars that don't solve a thing. Republican's seem to think wars solve everything. With unemployment at 8.3% you would think our President would be more desperate to find jobs for American's rather than inviting another 12 million and growing group of illegal foreigners into this country to fill jobs we don't have. Our President seems to think what we need is 12 million people working for minimum wage or less most get paid cash. How is that supposed to help the 30 million people already here out of work. Why isn't Congress doing something about our immigration laws being broken? It's because it's an election year and they too don't want to upset anyone group that will give them votes. In the mean time we go with out jobs and what jobs we do get we give to illegals. We suffer with schools some even new schools we can't afford to operate so they sit empty, but we have millions of illegal's we can afford to teach, feed, house and medicate. Did I mention we have kids that can't go to collage but we are sending illegal children to collage instead? I'd like to know what would happen if the majority of American's didn't vote for either of these fools and decided to have a election later with a new candidate, one in January. I'd like to see one step up and throw this President out of the white house but he will have to be someone other than Romney/Ryan those two like I said before don't have a clue what needs to be done and so far have only been able to say what has been done.

  • 3 votes
#2.3 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:30 PM EDT

The Bill of Rights applies to all persons present in the United States, whether legally or illegally.

    #2.4 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 12:32 AM EDT

    You are wrong joe. The constitution and all amendments was written for CITIZENS of the US.

    • 1 vote
    #2.5 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 8:28 AM EDT

    The US judges seem to be non-american. They keep ruling as if they are illegal aliens themselves.

    • 2 votes
    #2.6 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 9:10 AM EDT

    To many of you out there are so fill with hate that you can't settle you fears without having someone to hate. Illegal immigration has been allowed by your elected officials for so long that until the economy fail no one paid attention to it. Even now the only reason your elected officials or those trying to get into office are using it as a campaign rally to get your votes through fear mongering of the big bad illegals trying to take over your country, and spend your tax dollars, that is if you own property, make over $33000, and pay any taxes, which most of you commenting on this site do not. I paid over $12,900 in federal taxes, $7890 in property taxes last year, but I am not afraid of the illegal immigrants, like Republicans candidates and congress is trying to scare me to get my vote.

    What I am afraid of is if the Republicans controlled by the TEA-Party take control of this government and put that big business fake politician vulture/venture capitalist, Mormon Bishop into office then, most of your jobs want be taken away by illegals inside the country, but foreigners working for the out sourcing firms that Mitt Romney/ Paul Ryan will sell this country out to for their puppet masters, I.e ''Koch bro, Rove, Trump, Sheldon, Bain Corp, trillionares hidden assets, etc, etc. It's all smoke and mirrors, and misinformation, directed at the middle class, and low income ignorant voters to continue to get them to vote for the party of "NO"

    People you are living in a world of high tech and super information management, School yourselves before you fool yourselves. Check out this site ( ) and stop listening to all the fear mongering from the crazies inside this political system, don't let these same people take over this government and outsource America to the point that even the illegals have stopped coming here, now what will Jan (crazy lady) Brewer do now since Arizona was not over run by illegals trying to steal all those jobs you produced in the desert state, or illegally Rape her old Republican ass (Oh vomit in my mouth just thinking of this ??? )

    Check out this site >

    ""BUNCH OF DUMB ASS FEAR MONGERING FOOLS""WAR FIGHTER OUT""HOOAHhhhhhhhh""""""""""

      #2.7 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:17 AM EDT

      "To many of you out there are so fill with hate..."

      "What I am afraid of is if the Republicans controlled by the TEA-Party take control of this government and put that big business fake politician vulture/venture capitalist, Mormon Bishop..."

      You are indeed one who knows hate.

      • 1 vote
      #2.8 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 11:41 AM EDT
      Reply

      "We are pleased that this ruling has sent a strong message to Alabama and other states that they cannot enact hate-filled laws to try to drive an entire class of people from their borders,"

      There here illegally and there not Citizens of the United States so how are they being driven from "Their Borders"?

      Why is it hate filled to want to protect our borders and make sure only U.S. Citizens are receiving benefits that they have paid for?

      You have to love the Spin.

      "The court today rejected many parts of Alabama and Georgia's anti-immigrant laws, including attempts to criminalize everyday interactions with undocumented immigrants and Alabama's callous attempt to deprive some children of their constitutional right to education,"

      There not "Anti-Immigration" laws their Anti- "ILLEGAL" immigration laws.

      If I remember correctly aiding and abetting a criminal makes you an accessory.

      • 23 votes
      Reply#3 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 6:15 PM EDT

      David -

      I gotta assume it is the usual poor reporting -

      or, maybe all accessories to criminal activity just got a pass if the perpetrator is illegal? WTH?

      • 4 votes
      #3.1 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 6:52 PM EDT

      This Mary Bauer seems to be under the impression that the citizens of this country do not welcome newcomers from Mexico. Actually, we do, for the most part welcome immigrants from anywhere. But it is not too much to expect them to follow legal procedure to get here and only those who arrive in a less than legal manner need feel the anger of citizens at their use of our system to better themselves.

      I do wish they would go home and fix their own nation. Fix it in any way they wish and if socialism is their way, that is their right. However, to attempt to change my system of government, and to expect me to like it is way over the top. For any citizens, be it Mary Bauer or anyone else to see that as profiling then she is way over her head when it comes to understanding why most of us are angry.

      • 6 votes
      #3.2 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:14 PM EDT
      Reply

      This is a good start, the children should not pay the price for the lack of comprehensive immigration reform.

      The congress has failed the nation, while they think of ways to stop the president, people in the nation waite for action on real national issues.

        Reply#4 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 6:24 PM EDT

        the supreme court has failed the nation for allowing illegals to steal our tax supported benefits. Send the children home with their families and let their countries educate them. It is not our responsibility to have to pay for this especially when you look at the number of people who are losing their homes due to unpaid taxes. School taxes are out of hand paying for bilingual teachers to teach English to these children, feeding them and many times for these same children to just drop out and join gangs so they can steal from us some more. I am in total agreement of making all parents prove the children are born citizens. If not then fork over the money to educate your child. NOT MY JOB TO DO SO

        • 17 votes
        #4.1 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 6:43 PM EDT

        Thank you. Illegal is illegal regardless of age or nationality. It is true that this congress and especillly this president have done nothing to help the law abiding citizens and immigrants of this country and have instead opened the hand out lines to the illegals. I say fire them all and start over.

        • 13 votes
        #4.2 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:13 PM EDT

        The children should not pay what price? They need an education, yes. If they go home, they can get teachers in Mexico as they can here and it can be taught in Spanish or any other language. But no American citizen should be required to pay for the education of anyone who is not here legally. Why is that so hard for any liberal to understand? No disrespect intended, but the lack of common sense is seriously in doubt.

        I do not think most of these kids join gangs so that is not the question, in my mind. But their being allowed to attend school via this law from 1982 is wrong. #4.2 HowStupidAreYou, I agree with you but the Bush administration also admitted millions of illegals and dropped the penalties, so our elected officials simply do not follow the law they passed nor do they listen to their constituants. Liberal or Conservative. Someone's feet must be held to the fire.

        • 11 votes
        #4.3 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:18 PM EDT
        Reply

        "“We are pleased that this ruling has sent a strong message to Alabama and other states that they cannot enact hate-filled laws to try to drive an entire class of people from their borders,”

        An entire class of people that disenfranchise everyone who came here legally, and is trying to do so. They don't pay for that education through taxes, so why should they be given it. Free emergency healthcare is a human right for an illegal, no other hand outs should be given. Go back to wherever you or your parents came from, and fill out the paper work like everyone else...or better yet, try making your own country a better place to live.

        • 17 votes
        Reply#5 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 6:24 PM EDT

        #5, These laws are not "hate filled". For anyone to say this shows their lack of understanding of their fellow Americans. Legal Mexicans are always welcome, and always have been. No one read here has said any differently. But ILLEGALS, ILLEGALS, do not and should not have access to our benefits. Can those liberals read and see the difference? If not, then they had better pay better attention.

        • 14 votes
        #5.1 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:28 PM EDT
        Reply

        it appears the supreme court is not with the times in understanding the high costs with educating illegal children. All illegals steal what ever benefits they can to better themselves not our nation. The costs of the illegals to each and every taxpayer just increases every year with no end in sight. It is time to over rule our supreme court and ask for the papers anyway. Enough is enough it is time to take care of our own FIRST! If that is racial profiling then so be it

        • 19 votes
        Reply#6 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 6:33 PM EDT

        The High Court is filled with liberals who were given their position by a Democratic president. They owe their allegience to that political party, not to the citizens as a whole. That is why they ignore and can ignore the wishes of the electorate. They have their position for life soas to avoid any appearance of favoritism. How is that working for us???

        • 5 votes
        #6.1 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:35 PM EDT

        The court leans conservative (not liberal) but why allow facts to get in the way.

        • 2 votes
        #6.2 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:19 PM EDT

        Yeah Ken...It was REAL conservative when our President recently thumbed his nose AGAIN at our constitution with his Exec. Order for the AMNESTY of what will be MILLIONS...solely for the Hispanic vote...even the illegals know that! Not to mention suing Az for attempting to secure their borders. He's made a bad situation FAR worse.

        HE and HIS... OWN all the illegal crap going on now in this awful economy...taking our jobs and resources away....pushing us down further.

        I live in a sanctuary City almost unrecognizable from the past...first hand knowledge of it rapidly getting even worse under him. Scary stuff. It WILL trickle beyond sanctuary cities if allowed to continue. Don't think it will never affect everyone!

        • 8 votes
        #6.3 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:40 PM EDT
        Comment author avatarAndrae Bookervia Facebook

        Their is no amnesty by obama, reagan however granted amnesty to millions of illegals...however I would have to agree that obama's executive order was pandering to illegals. Dems want the illegals votes/Repubs. want the cheap labor if either party was serious we would be convicting employers for hiring illegals!

        • 3 votes
        #6.4 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:29 PM EDT

        JUst wait until ObamyCare takes hold.You are going to see these losers come out of the woodwork.The federal governnment estimates there are 10 milllion illegals in the country.I know that is wrong because 9,900,000 come into Mexifornia from 1986 to 2006.Given their estimate only 100,000 illegals populate the rest of the country.I think not.I think there are about 30-40 million illegals here.I think once ObamyCare take effect,you will see another 30 million registering for ObamyCare within the nest 10 years.tHat will bring the total to around 60 million or about 8% of population.Add that percentage to the 49% who never pay currently pay taxes and you end up with 56% of the non working or working but paying no taxes living off the remining 44% of population who work and pay taxes.It's going to be like a constipated elephant.Big struggling groans and little production.The working class will cease to exist.Taxes will rise,only on those who have to pay taxes.Services will be expanded because once someone goes on the dole in Amreica,it becomes impossible to get them off welfare or sister programs!

        • 2 votes
        #6.5 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:07 PM EDT
        Reply

        I am totally in agreement with the deportation of Illegals but I also have a problem with the policy of demanding documentation of everyone "You vill show me your papers" comes to mind. This is how Adolph Hitler came into power, by stirring up hatred of Jews and Gypsies. Like I said, I am all for enforcing our immigration laws and not allowing children of Illegal Aliens free passes, but I also remember that those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it

        • 2 votes
        Reply#7 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 6:39 PM EDT

        #7 phoneman267. Why should you have a problem with the policy of showing papers? I have to show my driver's license every day for some reason to someone. If someone is here with a working visa or school visa, or any other form of documentation, why should they not show it when asked? It is part of the system that they claim to desire for themselves.

        If no papers then go home and apply for same. Come here legally and no one will send you home. You will still have to show papers, just like the rest of us; and you will have them Hurrah!!

        • 6 votes
        #7.2 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:32 PM EDT

        You lack 1 fact; having a drivers license is NOT proof of citizenship. I LMAO when people report how they don't mind showing their 'papers' but if you had to show papers that proved your citizenship most wouldn't be able to.

        Ironic isn't it. You ask someone else to prove they are a citizen when you yourself cannot prove it if you needed to. Not all, mind you but if I had to guess I'd say most couldn't prove it.

          #7.3 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:23 PM EDT

          Judi -- You have to show your driver's license every day? Where do you live? I have had to show mine once in the past two years and that was to rent a car. And as Ken points out, a driver's license is not a proof of citizenship or even legal residence.

            #7.4 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 12:39 AM EDT

            Judi, et al - It's not about having to show identification when stopped for probable cause. It's about being stopped for driving while looking Hispanic (or whatever ethnicity you want to harass).

              #7.5 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 3:07 AM EDT

              Border Patrol agents stop people every day because of the way they look. I cannot understand the double standard of it's OK for the Feds to profile and stop people for no other reason than they think you might be in the country illegally, but if state or local law enforcement do it, it's OMG!!!...THE HORROR!!

                #7.6 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 8:47 AM EDT
                Reply

                The real education the children of illegal immigrants are receiving is that disobeying the law has no consequences and, in fact, usually provides benefits. The schools have no way of teaching them otherwise since our courts tell them differently.

                • 16 votes
                Reply#8 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:00 PM EDT

                I've been showing my identification, of some sort or another for decades. In the 1950's in elementary school you had to have an excuse signed by a parent, and that was to go on a field trip to a local bakery. Foreign nationals seem quite willing to petition this country's courts to tell this country what they should do...why instead don't they petition their home country's courts to tell them what to do. Do you really think that if I went to Central America and petitioned their courts for their interests, their country would pay me any heed? Oh to be sure, they'd take my money, but I can't imagine I'd hold much sway in their political forums. I'm not sure that I have all that much sway in my own nation's political forums, and I'm familiar with them.

                The question to ask oneself is, " What would Beethoven do? " He'd qualify as a foreign national if he chose to immigrate and it leaves religious beliefs out of the problem.

                • 2 votes
                Reply#10 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:28 PM EDT

                “We are of the mind that an increased likelihood of deportation or harassment upon enrollment in school significantly deters undocumented children from enrolling in and attending school, in contravention of their rights under Plyler (the Supreme Court case).”

                THAT'S THE WHOLE DAMN POINT!!

                They're illegal. They have no damn rights as far as this country goes. Why should my taxes that support public schools also support illegal children getting an education they do not deserve? If the schools don't have to teach the illegals, then class sizes get smaller and teachers can do a better job of teaching OUR children.

                • 12 votes
                Reply#11 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:40 PM EDT

                Anthony Boone #11 You are preaching to the choir, here. Most of us agree with you. The problem, the issue is that the liberal courts do not and they call the shots. Somehow they got a law passed back in 1982, that we missed. It allows that very thing to happen. We must get the law removed from the books in order to get our schools back.

                Getting the judges to agree means getting conservative lawmakers in office. It means, in some cases waiting for a judge to die, or retire. Or in the case of state and local judges, get them removed via the ballot box. It means paying attention to what is going on in your community and seeing that liberal members of your community do not subvert what you want.

                It is hard work to be an American and harder still to fix what we have allowed to be broken.

                • 5 votes
                #11.1 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:46 PM EDT
                Reply

                I resent the legal "latino americans" who are all for the illegals.Reminds me of another group we don't need here. People have human rights,they have no civil rights.It is evident that most americans on both sides of the aisle want illegals out

                • 5 votes
                Reply#12 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:56 PM EDT

                #12 pained1 I think we had better all get together, then and let every politician know of our wishes because it surely does not look as though they are aware of our wishes. While I do not wish to impune anyone, it is, in fact, the liberal judges who are pushing the issue. If both sides are against it most of the liberals are silent on the issue. All I hear from are conservatives.

                • 4 votes
                #12.1 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 7:58 PM EDT
                Reply

                Our own government continues to ignore its own people and we as the people of the united states continue to allow them to do this. These elected officials have twisted the system to fit there agenda and again the little people do not count or have any say in any of it yet come election time all these officials want our votes to keep them in there office to continue to do what we don't want them to do. They give us promises of what they will do once in office or if reelected promising to listen to what the people really want done about many issues and they all know that immigration reform is tops on that list as it effects so many different aspects of life for the average person, jobs, housing, education, languish, and so on. Every time an illegal immigrant gets a job here in the US they also are taking a job away from native citizen who needs it just as much if not more so that they can live normal lives like they should be able to do but our elected officials continue to not listen to what the people who elected them into office want and really need. These elected officials know these people from different countries are breaking our laws but they allow this to happen and just turn there heads and do whatever they want to do that benefits them or there buddies with the big bucks.

                Our system of government is so broken its beyond comprehension, we need to put these elected officials out on there butts without any benefits for there future because they have taken away ours, its that simple but sadly its also just a dream because they my friends hold all the cards and we have only 2 and they are the jokers.

                I wish we could find people that are connected to the real people of the US (the little people) to elect to office that would listen to the people and do there best while in office to help our country in all ways, help its citizens to prosper and better themselves. We used to be the best country in the world and I can understand why others would want to come here but when our own countries elected officials allow people to break our laws to try to become citizens its just wrong and its tearing the country apart and maybe that is indeed what they want. This isn't about a persons nationality or religion its about doing it the proper and legal way of our country but because of the people we have in government it has became a highly heated problem that will continue to cause so many problems because the government does not listen to its people. I used to look forward to election time because I thought I was doing my part for our country but now I hate it, I can't wait for it all to be over, Doesn't matter who or what party wins as they are all corrupt and we as the little people cannot do squat about it next to a civil war.

                I feel for the younger crowd as they are going to get stuck with so much that could have been prevented, hopefully some of the younger crowd is paying attention and get involved before it gets even worse.

                • 4 votes
                Reply#13 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:52 PM EDT

                End the IRS amnesty for wealthy tax cheats; amnesty for American undocumented immigrants who love our country.

                Mitt: you retroactively filed Massachusetts to run for governor; now you hide your tax returns because they have ammunition that can be used against you. Tax cheat Amnesty, was it?

                • 1 vote
                Reply#14 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:13 PM EDT

                And what does Mitt's tax returns have to do with illegals??? Talk about a liberal 1 track mind!

                  #14.1 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 8:46 AM EDT
                  Reply

                  What a pity, immigrants using and abusing us, and using our own laws to do so. My parents were foreign, yet both legally came here, welcoming our nation, speaking our language, learning and adopting our ways. This bs stuff of mama poppin out one while in America is freaking ridiculous. And who said we have to feed the world? That we have to educate ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, when we can't even balance the damn checkbook? WITH, where are the adults?

                  • 3 votes
                  Reply#15 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:15 PM EDT

                  there wont be borders when the american union kicks in.

                  • 1 vote
                  Reply#16 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:20 PM EDT

                  The Government could care less what the people want.

                  • 2 votes
                  Reply#17 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:26 PM EDT

                  Illegals only have two legal choices in this country be executed or be deported and all assets seized..This is the LAW...

                  • 2 votes
                  Reply#18 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 9:58 PM EDT

                  I get so sick and tired of reading you people rail against illegal immigration on some chat/blgo site but do nothing else. It is obvious that the massess are against tax payers continually footing the bill to deal with people who do not belong here, and have no rights, but don't get off their azzes and do something about it. We allow those who support open borders to dictate the rhetoric. If we ALL stood up and told Obama, and all the other illegal apologists how we want it taken care of, they would have no choice but to fix it...but most just talk. Shame on us America. We deserve what we get. RISE UP!!

                  • 3 votes
                  Reply#19 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:17 PM EDT

                  You are 100% right!

                    #19.1 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:21 PM EDT

                    I did something. When California passed its Dream Act to give free college educations to illegal immigrants, I volunteered to gather signatures for a referendum that would have overturned that legislation. I spent multiple days talking to people at the farmer's markets and outside of the local post offices, explaining how our state couldn't afford this level of generosity. I gathered over 100 signatures and recruited other people to gather signatures, too. We only had 90 days to organize the volunteer effort and collect over half a million signatures. Unfortunately, time ran out -- at the pace we were going, we would likely have gathered enough signatures if we'd had just two more weeks.

                    For the record, I am a liberal democrat. On a personal level, I am empathetic toward the people who I have come to know who who have immigrated to our country illegally. I have become friendly with some of those families at my children's school and found them to be nice, hardworking people. However, I do believe our country needs to be able to set limits on how many people immigrate to this country each year. Our federal and state governments need to be realistic about the financial burden of having an increasingly large population of illegal immigrants.

                    My state's legislators decided to offer free college educations to illegal immigrants at the same time that those legislators were discussing shortening the school year for all K-12 students because of state budget problems. To me, those priorities seemed wrong, so I stood up and took action.

                    • 2 votes
                    #19.2 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:35 PM EDT

                    I write/email my reps and let them know where I stand on the issue.

                    I'm also a member of NumbersUSA, a lobby that's for America, instead of illegals.

                      #19.3 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 8:53 AM EDT
                      Reply

                      Our educational systems are facing enough financial problems without the additional burden of educating illegal aliens. Our children should come first!

                      • 2 votes
                      Reply#20 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:19 PM EDT

                      America!! Stop with your constant complaining and DO SOMETHING!! We have the power...use it!!

                      • 1 vote
                      Reply#21 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:24 PM EDT

                      ACLU's Immigrants' Rights not ACLU's Illegal Immigrants' Rights....!!!

                        Reply#22 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:03 PM EDT

                        I wonder how many of you been hassled by Georgia law? You don't want to grant them more power. Adolph is proud of this bunch I promise you. The only experience with Alabama was a night in jail in Birmingham in 1980. I remember those guy's in Smiths Station that stole Mikey's sack. Be secure in the knowledge they won't get you. Fools. All you haters are programmed by republicrooks to help them fill those private prisons. Your letting them take your rights. We are not at war with these folks. I want freedom to come and go at my will. Unmolested. Undocumented. These laws will be used on anybody they want to hassle. I have been on hundreds of construction sites with all kinds of folks on them. Easy to be manipulated by the haters. Throw off the yoke reject this red herring. It is a scam played on you.

                          Reply#23 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:08 PM EDT

                          Illegal is Illegal. If you're legal and don't break any law, don't worry about it.

                            #23.1 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:13 PM EDT

                            Here in dog patch Ga illegal is in the eye of the beholder. When you go by Krispy Kreme be sure you go under the limit. If you go in let Adolph go ahead.

                              #23.2 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:34 PM EDT

                              " I want freedom to come and go at my will. Unmolested. Undocumented"

                              This statement personifies the illegals mind set. Talk about arrogance! And you forgot to say you want it all for free, too!

                                #23.3 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 8:55 AM EDT
                                Reply

                                I don't understand why the government is even having discussions about the ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION problem. They are ILLEGAL. They are breaking the law. They should have no driver's licenses, no free medical care, no employment. They need to be rounded up and shipped back to wherever they came from and make their own damn countries livable rather than coming here and ruining ours.

                                • 4 votes
                                Reply#24 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:18 PM EDT

                                Here in Mexifornia,especially in the international,santuary city of Mexico City Norte' (Los Angeles),we are about to hit bottom.We have spent and continue to spend so much on entitlements and retirement salaries and benefits,there is almost nothing left.By the year 2020,25% of the gross income of the city will go entirely to retirement salaries and benefits.That fugure is expected to continue to rise.One of the largest enclaves of welfare recipients in the country live in MCN(LA). or LA County.There is no hope that those figures will go down because the government will do everything in its power to make sure any illegal gets some form of entitlement.I can't pay my water and power bill because its was $1400.last month.When I inquired why it was so high,a supervisor told me it was because so many people don't pay, the cost has to be spread amongst those that do.Entitlements include eveything down to loan a toy where a kid whose parents or him are on welfare can borrow a toy.Don't think of a toy as some tonka toy,We are talking about video games.After all what respectful illegal on welfare can be expected to live without video war games or other expensive videos.The neighborhoods these people live in are turned into extentions of Mexico.The first thing to go is the grass.The next thing that happens is chickens are brought in.I have been to many neighborhoods where Mexican have over taken it and without a single exception,there will be chicken.But have a barking dog or have a dog without a license and you will get a ticket or your animal will be taken.As long as your animals are in the food chain,no problem.They are dirty people.They do not take care of property,their or anyones.! The cost associated with their crime is enormous.The cost assciated with the schooling of their kids is enormous.They dont carry insurance.One hits you,they get out and run away.You are stuck paying your $1000 deductible to get your car fixed.Their kids refuse to learn english or anything in school.Only 49% of all kids that start high schools in LAUSD, graduate.They will leave school ,go out into the work force and find out no one is oging to hire them to be their dentist.They go back to night school which is a giant scam.Adult aducation accounts for over 50% of education cost in MCN.When most go back,they are functional illiterates.Daytime teachers use nighttime classes to build up their retirement income.Rather than demanding kids learn enough to read and write before graduating,they sit on their hands knowing half of those kids will be back looking for a GED degree! We are doomed!It's endless.One get tired of trying to hold back the perverbial waters only to find out the tide is still rising.This same thing has just started to effect citizens in other states,thus the outcry today!

                                • 2 votes
                                Reply#25 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:32 PM EDT

                                We lived in Redwood City 67to69. Bay Area. Four hours north? Something like that. I can look at my school pictures and a lot of my classmates were Latino. I didn't consider such things as a nine year old. I didn't know much about live chickens until we moved to rural Ga. Hogs or cows either. Power bills here are figured by a price per Kilowatt hour. Those who don't pay don't get power. Koreans eat dogs. Pakistanis and Indians that own all the hotels and Minute Markets get five years tax free and ten grand. I can't figure why they are so rude. Our schools here are fighting an uphill battle also. Our republicrook Gov gave 38million to Delta every year. Fired more than four thousand teachers and is cutting schools by 110million this year. I prefer to make sure all children eat and go to school. We can pay for this it is small potatoes next to the seventy two grand they pay the CCa to incarcerate one illegal for a year before they send him back.

                                  #25.1 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 12:00 AM EDT

                                  mas098...your story is scary proof of what is professed to come from our indiscretion:

                                  www.youtube.com/watch?v=muw22wTePqQ

                                  This video is shocking and one should note, it only deals with our excessive LEGAL immigration.

                                    #25.2 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 9:00 AM EDT
                                    Reply

                                    For the apparent massive number of third grade limited educated people who have responded to this article, here are some facts:

                                    a) Economic activity produced by illegal immigrant spending employs about 5% of the total US workforce.

                                    b) Illegal immigrants occupy over 3 million dwellings, or just under 4% of the total number of homes in the US.

                                    c) UCLA research indicates immigrants produce $150 billion of economic activity equivalent to spending stimulus every year.

                                    d) Approximately 0.5 million dwellings have become permanently vacant as a result of a reduction in the illegal immigrant population.

                                    e) The reduced demand for housing created permanent unemployment for hundreds of thousands of building contractors, realtors, and mortgage brokers.

                                    f) Economic decline caused by reduced spending by illegal immigrants in the US occurred at the same time as a rise in unemployment of approximately 1 million legal US workers that provide goods and services for the illegal immigrant population.

                                    g) Nearly every dollar earned by illegal immigrants is spent immediately, and the average wage for US citizens is $10.25/hour with an average of 34 hours per week. This means that approximately 8 million US jobs are dependent upon economic activity produced by illegal immigrant activities within the US.

                                    • 3 votes
                                    Reply#26 - Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:32 PM EDT

                                    So, if I rob a bank and pay taxes, buy a house with the proceeds it's ok with you? I don't need to go to jail?

                                    You just don't get it, do you?

                                      #26.1 - Wed Aug 22, 2012 8:27 AM EDT
                                      Reply
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