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Nearly half of the 12 million-plus illegal aliens in America arrived legally with temporary, non-immigrant visas, according to the Center for Immigration Studies.
Currently there are an estimated 50,000 Irish men and women living in the United States undocumented. With Irish emigration on the rise, more and more Irish citizens are opting to stay here in the U.S. illegally.
The majority of these immigrants are working under false social security numbers and contributing to their communities. However the face the constant threat of deportation.
Read More immigration stories here
We decided to hit the streets of NYC and ask the question: Do you think undocumented immigrants should be deported from the US or do you think they should be permitted to remain here?
Read More: Should I stay or should I go? --Undocumented Irish talk about missing family life
Read More: Is it correct to use the term “illegal immigrant” rather than undocumented? – POLL
Here’s the video, filmed on Pier 17, in Manhattan, New York:
8 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Donegal6 | Oct 26, 2012, 12:56 AM EDT
Yes it is perfectly Ok to break the US law as your first act in this country by coming in illegally AND I think you should gert all the benefits that the taxpayers money can provide for you and the rest of the planet that want to walk across the border. There is enough money here to provide free everything to everyone...hold on...wait aminute.. two people are talking at once... what did you say? You said the US is broke and has to borrow from other countries to put gas in our jet fighters and to buy bayonets? Well then how are we supposed to provide cradle to grave everything to everyone on the planet? And what about the fools trying to do it the right way and getting screwed. Take a trip ti Mexico and walk across the border. Eventually the US wuill truly be a third world country. Osama bin Ladin got it right. Bankrupt the infidels.
Searlit | Oct 25, 2012, 11:07 PM EDT
If they've committed violent crimes they should be deported. If they came here with a visa and it ran out, they should be given residency, as long as they haven't been arrested. These same rules should apply to any undocumented. You can't really compare the rest of undocumented groups to the people streaming in from the southern border though because your talking millions compared to tens of thousands. There has to be some fairness.
allentown | Oct 25, 2012, 01:17 PM EDT
It is simple---------------if you are illegal, you are going home and let an unemployed American have the job. If a child is involved, it is the responsibility of the parents. E-Verify (Employee Verification) will be made mandatory and employers will be sanctioned for hiring illegals. No work and most illegals will self deport, or live off their relatives and friends.
allentown | Oct 25, 2012, 12:00 PM EDT
If they can recite the oath of citizenship and embrace the culture and traditions leave them alone, if not kick their butts out
joan1954 | Oct 25, 2012, 10:48 AM EDT
Since the problem seems to concern our southern border which I know is fact, if the Irish were to come southward into Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana I think they wouldn't have the problem finding jobs because of their English language skills.
Seanmor | Oct 24, 2012, 05:55 PM EDT
There is more than one reason why the 50,000 undocumented English-speaking, healthy, educated, law-abiding young Irish who are now in the U.S.should NOT be categorized with the millions of those who ILLEGALLy crossed the southern border, speak little or no English, and in many cases are dependent on government assistance at the expense of U.S. taxpayers. Irish natives have played significant roles in this country for about 2½ centuries. The National Archives has a list of the 39 signeers of the Declaration of Independence, including 4 Irish natives: Pierce Butler (Carlow), James McHenery (Antrim), William Patterson (Antrim) and Thomas Fitzsimmmons (county not shown). Since more than 10% of the signitories of the famous document came from Ireland, immigrants from that country should still be welcome here.
aloistmartin | Oct 24, 2012, 04:29 PM EDT
All Organized Labor cares about are their Final Contracts ! The Cold Hard Economic Fact of the Matter is, Unemployed Protestants, ( Neo-Nazi`s ? ) and Immigrant Minorities, are easier to exploit, than Intelligent, Socially Minded, Slavs or Roman Catholics. Merkel is simply playing the Old Ronald Reagan Globalization Card ..."Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Springfield9 | Oct 24, 2012, 02:21 PM EDT
It's between 16,000,000 and 20,000,000 (according to the FED). Sorting them out is easy. Do you have something we need? Are you literate? If the answer is yes on both - keeper. If the answer is either we don't need you OR you are not literate - Adios.