Checking in from the great and mighty Pierre. Had to send one guy home. He begged me to help him and lie about his fake docs. I couldn't. I hate seeing this happen to people. He's not illegal because he wants to me. He's almost analphabetic (illiterate) and really I just think he doesn't know where to go to apply legally. I know, I know, not an excuse, but if you met the guy, he's just an old guy trying to support himself. Truth be told he's by far not the only illegal one. I hate seeing people spend all their money on a fake doc and work while a temp agency doesn't check carefully or looks the other way, then finally get caught, have to go home. This guy's lucky he wasn't arrested as was a guy in a court case I'm interpreting for. People are scared to death and when something really bad happens to them- robbed, raped, attacked, assaulted- here, they are even afraid to go to the police because they're afraid of being found out and getting deported. All that effort to stay here from some lousy $8/hour job and a rathole apartment, it must be BAD in a lot of places economically. (sigh) The best thing they have to keep them here is usually an anchor baby (sigh)- life is SO rough, and these are GOOD people, all they want to do is work. Let's show them how to get their legal papers. It would be a good thing if the gov't came up with a plan to say: OK, we KNOW you're illegal. We're giving you amnesty long enough to just GO to Immigration and get your work done legally. So many times they just don't know how to do that, and then when they do, the hoops they have to jump through are just too hard.
posted by Ann @ 9:39 AM
1 comments
1 Comments:
Living as I do in an area where illegal immigrants run rampant every day, I agree that something needs to be done to allow these people a new status. The idea of work permits is on the right track, but doesn't resolve enough of the issues. These people must be allowed into the country legally, somehow, allowed at least basic education while here, and not have to live under the constant threat of being caught and deported. It's no wonder they stick together, try to hide, and don't try to learn English and assimilate. Where has our arrogance taken us, as a country? After all, 99% of us had ancestors that were once new here too. There's got to be a solution to this problem that allows them to keep their dignity and contribute their skills, no matter how limited those skills may be. What has happened to "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free...."?
Aunt E.
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