3192
3193

Like someone posted above stated, the current immigration system is the best of both worlds for some business owners and all Republicans.

They get to employ people at very low wages, and keep those employees scared with the threat of deportation.

And Republicans get to use it as a wedge issue.

This is why there will never be any real immigration reform in the US. Neither group has any incentive to change the status quo.

3194

All undergirded by the republican’s tribal trait: Immunity to Hypocrisy.

3195

Sorry for the wall of tweets post but really feeling the anger today

3196

I really need to remember to not read this thread first thing in the morning.

3197
3198

I generally wouldn’t put that up there in the top 10 worst things Trump does surrounding immigration.

Taken on its own, it’s not really unreasonable to want immigrants to work rather than receive government benefits. Certainly, most immigrants are extremely hard working. In the case of illegal immigrants, they can’t actually receive such benefits anyway (despite what far right folks complain about). I’m skeptical that this will actually impact the immigrant population much.

The group that would need to be protected from this kind of thing, would be asylum seekers.

3199

Here’s a thought. For the people who are willing to pay $10,000 to a coyote to get them across the border, why don’t we just say if you show up at the border with $10,000 you get a fastpass to the front of the line? If they have $10k, and relatives in the US, they won’t be a burden at all. (Not like they are anyway, immigrants by and large will work any job they can get).

3200

Honestly, I’m not that concerned about immigrants being a burden on society. Although, if it can be established in law that they aren’t going to get government benefits until they are citizens, it would take some wind out of the sails of the anti-immigrant folks… and really, the folks we’re talking about are coming from places where it’s way harder to live, so I suspect they’ll thrive anyway.

The flip side of that is that tons of the anti-immigrant folks won’t believe it anyway. They say things like, “These people are collecting food stamps and everything!” despite the fact that illegal immigrants literally cannot collect food stamps…or they say, “They’re using up resources at schools!” but the fact is that they pay into the system just like every other person, via property taxes, etc.

The reality is, immigrants are not a drain on society. They’re a benefit, as demonstrated by tons of studies.

3201

This was my first thought too. This doesn’t seem that bad to me. I don’t know too many immigrants on government benefits. The ones that I do, they work two jobs and get paid in cash, and then file for benefits on top of that. And I won’t shed a tear for these people not getting green cards.

3202

Don’t green card holders pay taxes? Why shouldn’t they be allowed to get government benefits if they don’t become citizens for whatever reason?

This whole thing is just another way for Trump to shit on immigrants and get his base all fired up. Trump himself likely pays zero taxes so maybe he should be put on a list as well.

3203

I would feel differently if 2009 wasn’t in the rear view mirror.

3204

One issue about this that is problematic is that the majority of the money we spend in this country based on low income is health care, not other forms of assistance (for example, Medicaid spends about 5X the money that Food Stamps does). And a lot of working class folks get either Medicaid or ACA subsidies (and ACA subsidies would count as an income based assistance, is my understanding). And that’s just a reality of our borked health care system.

3205

Oh wow, yeah, that’s a great point about the ACA. I hadn’t thought about that. Counting that against people trying to get green cards seems really wrong. Health care is super expensive without those subsidies.

3206

Most of the people, citizens or not, who receive these benefits work. It isn’t that they don’t work, it’s that they don’t get paid enough.

3207

How does someone in Guatamala get $10k anyway. That has to be a huge amount to save. And is it per person? I get the wanting to come to the US part but if you can actually put that kind of money together why not find a nice place somewhere south of the border?

3208

Can you buy property in the US and be here illegally? But yea, they do pay sales taxes, even if using a stolen SSN they are paying payroll taxes that for the most part they will never get back.

And I think the only freebie they may get is emergency health care.

3209

Even if they are renting, they are paying someone else who is in turn paying property taxes. If undocumented residents who rent don’t count as people who pay for public schools, citizens who rent don’t either.

3210

Is it plausible that it mostly comes from relatives in the US?

3211

That was thought.