High Audacity
That's what I call being in this country illegally and grousing that you can't vote in our elections. Jose Antonio Vargas carps in the LA Times that "undocumented" residents of the US who live in California can't vote in the state recall election.
P.S. I also can't vote in France because I'm not a citizen there, though back when times were good, I spent plenty of francs and then euros there!
After flipping through the voter information guide that was mailed to my home a few weeks ago, I started counting up the pivotal elections I've witnessed firsthand but could not participate in.The recall campaign against Gov. Gray Davis. The elections of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. All the local and state elections in all the cities where I've lived, from Washington to New York City to Los Angeles to Berkeley, my current home.
In my 28 years living as an undocumented immigrant in the United States -- where I graduated from public schools, where I've built a career, where I pay all kinds of taxes (and, yes, the Internal Revenue Service is more than willing to collect them) -- I've never voted in an election.
The California recall election is a reminder of the paradox, at once heartbreaking and numbing, that undocumented immigrants find ourselves in: Even though we are an integral part of California, we are mere bystanders, relegated to the sidelines while voters decide the fate of our state. And when you're undocumented, the fate of the state and the basic conditions of your life are often inescapable.
I have friends who've become citizens, who jumped through all the hoops and waited years. Why should non-citizens have any say in this country? In fact, it could be rather dangerous for us to give voting rights to just anybody who pays taxes here.
It's truly arrogant to demand to have a say in how a country is run when you are still here because nobody's caught and deported you yet. (At the link, you'll also see Vargas all, "How dare they?!" -- my wording -- about not having more taxpayer dollars shoveled toward people here illegally.)
And let me be clear: America is a nation of immigrants, and I love that and think we are far better for it. But if you want to immigrate here, wait your turn and get in legally -- or stay where you are.
Immigration is so very broken.
I've said it before, my husband lived in the States about 15 years, first as a student then working in his field, and he didn't even have a greencard when we left.
Vargas has a point that these illegal immigrants are essential to the economy... so why the hell aren't we making a legal way for them to come it?
At the same time I agree with Amy that if we have laws we need to enforce them and no, if you're there illegally or temporarily, you are not a citizen and don't get to vote.
NicoleK at September 14, 2021 1:14 AM
Congress needs to fix the immigration system with a comprehensive reform, but has done nothing and will continue to do nothing so long as illegal immigration remains a divisive wedge issue for elections.
Presidents can propose and advocate laws. Bush called for immigration reform, but did nothing. Obama called for immigration reform, but did nothing. Trump called for immigration reform, but did nothing. None of these presidents proposed any laws to Congress for immigration reform. Instead, they each issued executive orders that muddied the issue further.
Someone who has been here all, or most, of his life and is effectively more American than citizen of his ethnic homeland should have a path to becoming a legal American. And the requirements for such should include having been, and continuing to be, a productive member of American society.
Opening the doors to all comers with full social benefits will see the country go bankrupt quickly.
George W. Bush suggested, but went nowhere with, a guest worker program that would allow immigrants without green cards or visas to work for a period of time in the US with workplace and legal protections. Such a program had existed from 1942 to 1964. Bush caved to the politicians in Congress who preferred to have the illegal immigration issue as an open wedge issue for political campaigns.
Somewhere in between the open floodgates and the impermeable wall is the answer and we need to stop carping at each other and find it.
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It sounds like he was brought here as a child and might have qualified for DACA.
No word on what attempts he's made at becoming a legal American - just more carping about how hard it is to be illegal.
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First, Elder would not have power to change federal policy. He'd only be the governor of one state.
Second, US-born children of children of "undocumented immigrants" are US citizens, by the Fourteenth Amendment.
Third, Newsom alone is not responsible for the benefits illegal immigrants get in California. The legislature had a big hand in passing those bills (e.g., AB60 passed in 2013) and Elder would not have an easy time rescinding them.
There are many reasons Elder is not technically qualified to be governor, but his policies regarding illegal immigration are not one of them.
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Essential? So, without them, the economy shuts down? Illegal immigrants are less "essential" to the economy than many advocates would have you believe.
Does that mean we throw them out bodily? No. But we don't lionize them either. It means we need to develop a fair and rational immigration policy.
In that vein, I agree with you on developing a way for illegal aliens to become citizens, or at least resident aliens - especially the ones brought here as children and effectively disconnected from their ethnic homeland (i.e., no longer connected by language, culture, family, etc.).
However, we should not allow illegal immigrants to cut in line in front of legal ones. An amnesty and legalization program should include hoops as difficult to jump through as the ones through which we make legal immigrants jump and requirements just as stringent.
Conan the Grammarian at September 14, 2021 5:31 AM
Congress does not care about immigration law. Just as with the general public, convenience is their #1 consideration.
Here's the US Code they conspire to violate every day.
Radwaste at September 14, 2021 5:47 AM
undocumented immigrant
That implies he does not have a work visa. If that's true, then he can not legally work. He's either a) committing identity fraud by using someone else's taxpayer ID, b) working off book for cash.
In the first case, his employer is withholding taxes and paying into unemployment and worker's comp, but under someone else's TID. In the second case, they're not. For most people TID is your Social Security number.
Strange, Mexico requires citizenship to vote in their elections. And they require photo id, which they give out for free:
https://www.ine.mx/electoral-registry/
I R A Darth Aggie at September 14, 2021 8:40 AM
Just try to be an illegal immigrant in China--they keep track of every visitor and kick you out after a while. My friend had a successful restaurant but after 10 yrs he was kicked out. My other friends were teachers and were kicked out at retirement age.
cc at September 14, 2021 8:54 AM
And if he's working off book for cash, he's likely not paying income tax, worker's comp, unemployment insurance, or social security.
Either way, his, "...I pay all kinds of taxes (and, yes, the Internal Revenue Service is more than willing to collect them)" was not an accurate statement.
Somehow, his account of his unfair treatment as an "undocumented immigrant" does not quite square with reality.
Conan the Grammarian at September 14, 2021 9:05 AM
"Vargas has a point that these illegal immigrants are essential to the economy..." ~NicoleK
It says something when your economy requires criminality to function. It still says something even when you just think your economy requires criminals to survive.
They tried that 'day without an (illegal) immigrant' stuff here in Texas. They haven't tried is again since then. Unless you were downtown where the protests happened no one noticed. Turns out the economy doesn't run on illegal immigrant labor. At least not around here.
Ben at September 14, 2021 11:03 AM
He's outed himself as here illegally.
If the system worked the way it is supposed to, ICE would show up at his door in a day or two. And he'd be gone in about a week.
There really is no excuse for tolerating this sort of behavior, and even less for tolerating that kind of "How dare they" attitude.
ruralcounsel at September 14, 2021 11:28 AM
The only problem with immigration laws are we stopped really enforcing them years ago, that is what has led to these problems. It doesn't matter if new laws are made if they aren't actually enforced.
But what about people who entered illegally and have been working/living here illegally? Sorry, but if you've been a very successful bank robber we don't reward you, why should we with immigration?
We don't even know how many are here, 20 million 30 million, and growing like crazy during a pandemic.
Joe J at September 14, 2021 1:47 PM
Ugh. Ever since the ice wall melted and all those displaced Asians wandered down from Alaska this hemisphere hasn't been the same.
I blame my least-favorite politican.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at September 14, 2021 2:25 PM
Politican. Yeah, that's right. Politican. Ignore the red squiggly line and you can post lyk me.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at September 14, 2021 2:26 PM
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