DU this poll: Should illegal immigrants be treated as felons?

[Barrett808]

Right-hand pane, about halfway down the page, under DAILY POLL:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com

Currently 64.4% YES!

[Iris]

1. My God.

Is there no end to the cruelty of people? FELONS? An illegal immigrant is as bad as a rapist or murderer? What is WRONG with people?

[mike_c]

2. done and kicked....

eom

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. No, illegal immigrants shouldn't be treated as felons

but certain residents of Washington DC living in government housing should be.

[otohara]

4. Holy Hateful People

Wow, I'm shocked

[biscotti]

5. done

immigrants should be treated as felons?
61.2%
Yes

36.6%
No

2.3%
Not sure

Total Votes: 399

[flamingyouth]

6. I just saw that

On the freaking P-I website??? - :wtf:

[expatriot]

7. what's the xenophobes moral justification?

I know that we can't have open borders, I know that we need an immigration policy that is enforced, etc. But I know these things with a heavy heart, for I cannot provide any moral justification as to why I should live in this land of milk and honey, having been born in the lap of opportunity and prosperity and at the same time deny entry into this land to my brothers and sisters who were born in less prosperous worlds.

[kestrel91316]

15. So you think it's ok for ALL the rest of the world's poor (let's see,

just how many BILLION is that?) to come here? We can't accomodate billions. We MUST be able to decide who enters and lives in the US. It's basic math.

I am all for regulated, controlled immigration. I do NOT approve of people violating US law to come here to make money to send home to build a home back there, and develop no attachment to US society and culture. I do not approve of people violating US law to come to New Orleans and take all the restoration jobs so the DISPLACED POOR BLACKS of NOLA still have no jobs. I do not approve of BUTTING IN LINE. I guess I am kind of weird about stuff like this.......

[expatriot]

19. did you not read what I wrote?

I know we can't have open borders. I know we need to enforce those borders. I just don't know where xenophobes get off with their moral zealotry. Where do they get off on thinking they have a natural right to the land of prosperity? Just because they were born here? Wooo...

I mean I hear people talk about "illegals" down here in on the border with such disdain and contempt and then when asked what they would do if they were in their situation, they admit that they'd be doing the exact same thing... and then the next second their speaking with disdain and contempt and hatred again.

As for US society and culture, they ARE part of the US society and culture. Things change. So what if in a hundred years the predominate language in the United States is Spanish? It won't be any skin off of my back. I am monolingual English but have been meaning to learn Spanish for some time.

I have to go to work now.

[Iris]

20. Right. And to lump them in with felons is just plan immoral.

[rock]

8. Not to start a ruckus but

What should you call someone that comits a crime? Sould we consider immigrants that come into the country illegally as comtting a crime?

[Bridget Burke]

11. Why should that "crime" become a felony?

Most people here don't want to open the borders completely. (Actually, it's The Border--we know what kind of "illegal immigrant" is meant.) But we object to these harsh new rules.

Of course, if they become Felons, they can become prison labor. Earning even less money, being given no chance to become part of our country & driving down wages for "The American Worker" even further.

[Redbear]

17. There are many "illegal" things that are not criminalized.

A few examples:

Marriage that does not meet legal requirements is illegal, but it is not a crime. The marriage is just invalid.


Building a fence two feet on to your neighbors property is illegal, but not a crime.

Using a sample of "She Blinded Me With Science" without Thomas Dobly's permission is illegal, but not a crime.


The question is do we consider people who cross the border looking for work more like these folks or more like rapists?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

18. For some people, there's no such thing as excessive punishment.

It seems to be some kind of perverted fetish.

[Iris]

25. you are so right, Commie Pinko Dirtbag!

[reichstag911]

9. Only after Republicans are. n/t

[willows]

10. civil violation

It's now a civil violation..
I'm not sure where I stand really though.
There is one thing where I can understand protesting that you're doing jobs American citizens aren't doing, that need to be done.
Therefore a work visa.
Which would make everything nice and legal, if you came for , under, and because of that work visa.

But the majority of the protestors, and 11million? of people involved in this are illegal immigrants.
Standing law says that.
That's a prosecutable offense, no?
Doesn't it subvert U.S. Policy to extend the right to protest to non-citizens, to allow any illegals to congregate en masse to not be charged as they should; as illegal immigrants?

I'm going to post something...

[Bridget Burke]

14. "Extend the right to protest"?

We ALL have the right to protest, unless laws are broken by that protest. Civil Disobedience can be a useful tactic, but that's not the topic here.

Do you think the protesters should be arrested en masse & made to prove their immigration status? Not everybody born in the USA carries their birth certificate at all times.

I'm sure you will soon let us know where you stand. Somehow, I can guess.

[Cobalt Violet]

12. Done.

[Richard D]

13. done

56.8%
Yes

40.8%
No

2.4%
Not sure

Total Votes: 586

[novalib]

16. Voted (n/t)

[Barrett808]

21. Currently 54.3% Yes, 42.0% No, with 1090 votes

We're definitely turning it around.

[Squeech]

22. Done

Now 52.9% yes.

[BlooInBloo]

23. I apologize for my city/region :(

[Radio_Guy]

24. Up to 44.4% no

Come on DUers. Make your voices heard!

[Don Claybrook]

26. YES! Charge every last one of them with felonies!

And then give every last damned one of them a court-appointed attorney. After several months or just a few years in a detention facility, each of them can have their (first) day in court. Then we can start the appeals process.

I've been waiting for something more ridiculous than the War on Some Drugs to begin clogging our court system and I think the haters have finally hit on a solution.

[Barrett808]

27. We turned it around! 43.9% Yes, 52.2% No, with 2408 votes. n/t

[bigwillq]

28. Done

Do you think illegal immigrants should be treated as felons?
43.8%
Yes

52.3%
No

4.0%
Not sure

Total Votes: 2419

[Xenotime]

29. it was their land before it was ours. They shouldn't be illegal..

[PsN2Wind]

30. The use of a Social Security card

that is not yours or not issued to you by the SSA is a felony. So, I believe it's safe to say that most of the illegals working in this country are felons.

[KAT119]

31. DONE

[Barrett808]

32. 41.8% Yes, 54.4% No, with 3343 votes. n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

33. Done. How about we treat the Corps who hire illegals for slave wages

as felons?

[Barrett808]

34. 41.0% Yes, 54.7% No, with 4375 votes n/t