39 Comments

• seanomelb | Feb 25, 2013, 07:20 PM EST

  Nothing wrong with having a different view Smyrnian but you never explain how you would treat 11million "illegals" and your only anwer is to send them back or leave them as some sort of subculture with no rights. A path to citizenship with penalties is a reasonable answer to this problem and would be a boon for the economy(it's not rocket science). Having a different view is fine but you offer no answers to the problem leaving you open to ridicule.

• Smyrnian | Feb 25, 2013, 02:02 PM EST

  SeanO - please refrain from labeling and trying to demean others who simply have a different view. Have a little respect. As for giving a free pass to illegals who are breaking the law, I am against it whether these people are Irish, Uzbeki or Mexican. Grow up SeanO and learn your manners.

• seanomelb | Feb 25, 2013, 06:49 AM EST

  I can just imagine the logistics of marching 11 million men,women and children across teh rio grande. Seanmor can lead the parade with peterson and smyrnian dragging up the rear somewhere near the canadian border. Enclosed one bottle of reality for each the bigots.

• peterson | Feb 24, 2013, 08:20 PM EST

  The USA lets these illegals vote which is wrong and Obama lets them get welfare goods and free medical care. How dumb can they get ? No wonder the U.S has to borrow money from China !!

• Seanmor | Feb 24, 2013, 03:29 PM EST

  saraindc: Having been a U.S. citizen for over 50 years I wish to extend to you a hearty Céad Míle Fáile to you to the ranks of American citizenship. Go raibh míle maith agat for abiding by all the complicated rules, paying your taxes and obeying all the laws. You and others like you are a credit to the whole Irish nation and a blessing to the U.S.A. When I emigrated from Ireland as a teenager, I needed a sponsor, proof that I was in perfect health and without any police record. Then having been granted a permanent visa, I had to register as a resident alien every January, includuing the 4 years I served in the Marine Corps. Those of us who 'jumped thru all the hoops' haven't had the least support from the politicians, prelates and journalists who are vigorously campaigning for full amnesty and easy citizenship for the 12 million ILLEGAL aliens who UNLAWFULLY entered the U.S. Many of us, especially if we are from Ireland, are made to feel that it is we who who were granted easy citizenship. Slán leat anois agus go n-éirí an bóthar leatsa sa tír seo.

• Smyrnian | Feb 24, 2013, 02:33 PM EST

  Saraindc - very well said indeed! I went through the same process as yourself and did it right, proper and legal. I have no patience for pandering to illegal lawbreakers.

• saraindc | Feb 24, 2013, 12:54 PM EST

  its a mess! I waited 5 years in Ireland to get a legal Green Card through the US Lottery program. I could have done as my cousin did and come illegally but I don't see value in doing that (nor do i tempt fate and luck). She got here 5 years earlier but I at least am now here legally, i paid my taxes right away, i worked for the same employer, i became part of the community and I applied for Citizenship legally and am now an American Citizen. Yes it took longer for my dream to come true but at least I look back and know i followed the rules and the laws and good things came to me. I do understand why people are angry about the whole illegal situation and whatever they do, I believe they are right in saying that people who are illegal go to the back of the line and they should have to act and behave as if they just got a visa to work here, that is not a right to citizenship. They should have to go through the same hoops as someone applying for a J1 visa - it allows you work but does not put you on a citizenship road. If they work their J1 and then find an employer who is willing to continue to sponsor them to greencard, fair enough, that's what people I know had to do - its fair and it's legal. You don't get a pass because you broke the rules. Even I have an issue with that - i had to do it properly, so should every illegal in the USA

• Smyrnian | Feb 23, 2013, 10:43 PM EST

  Staker has it right. Well said, Staker!

• Maureen Hawkins | Feb 23, 2013, 08:13 PM EST

  staker42, when you came to the US, the immigration laws favoured Northern European immigrants; if you really want undocumented aliens to face the same reception you did, grant them favoured status. By the way, if you are referring to Mexico as "something you left which obviously was a failure," you've blown it. Recent statistics show that more people are emigrating from the US than vice-versa. Basically, it's the US that is "a failure"; that's why emigrated to Canada--but now your compatriots are influencing our Tory Prime Minister to try to make Canada the same kind of failure the US has become. Go home & take your Tea Party with you!

• Maureen Hawkins | Feb 23, 2013, 08:01 PM EST

  The "majority of US citizens: are NOT Republicans. What a misleading lede!

• staker42 | Feb 23, 2013, 07:55 PM EST

  Redhand32. What a pedantic fool

• seanomelb | Feb 23, 2013, 05:59 PM EST

  Seanmor you need to rid yourself of that self inflicted bagge ou carry around. The 11 million are her and deporting them is not an option even your god O'Reiily understands. Keeping them in a state of "non existence" is stupid. It's about time you and ou racist friends on this site took your collective heads out of the sound and in some cases out of your ar#e.

• redhand32 | Feb 23, 2013, 04:51 PM EST

  Know Nothingism v. 2.0: My guess is that a fair number of these nit wits are the angry white guys of "pro-life" US Republican Irish-America. I would like to meet up with these knuckle-draggers and show them the Know Nothing screed back in the day when the 1840s-after Know-Nothings, the "real" Americans wanted the same final solution for their ancestors. Evan the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (hardly the liberal establishment) has come out strongly against draconian, silly if it wasn't serious proposals like that. The USCCB came out against the phony pro-lifers and immigration policy cretins such as Paul Ryan, etc. Yet, the right wing nut Irish-American slice of the US Republican fruitcake inside the Fox "news"/Rush Limbaugh bubble awaits feverishly further simple instructions on this and other complex issues.

• anglo-norman | Feb 23, 2013, 03:00 PM EST

  Obozo has a chip on his shoulder I think.

• gobdawpaddy | Feb 23, 2013, 02:56 PM EST

  Staker42, I agree with your sentiments (except your reference to President Obama). Young Irish people recently leaving the failure that is Ireland, do believe that they are owed something and so many of them have no respect. This is a result of them seldom hearing the word NO growing up in the fairy tale that was Ireland's 'Celtic Tiger'.

• Pittsburghkid | Feb 23, 2013, 01:34 PM EST

  When one country sends millions of it's citizens across the border to another country, it is call an invasion. The invaders claim the land is theirs, because of a war over 150 years ago. This is an invasion with the purpose to reclaim land. Mexico wants to over run the Southwest, and reclaim the land. This is a class problem of not seeing the forest for the trees. I'm not against immigration policies, but America immigration policies are against Western Europeans, and favor third world.

• staker42 | Feb 23, 2013, 12:32 PM EST

  I want immigrants coming to this country to go through the same process as I did coming from Ireland some 50 years ago. It seems as though many countries and I include Ireland feel that America owes them something. Guess what America owes you nothing. Come here legally respect our laws speak our language and stop trying to remake America into something you left which obviously was a failure. Unfortunately we have someone in the White house who doesn't understand what made America great and it is not his politics or philosophy

• Seanmor | Feb 23, 2013, 10:44 AM EST

  gobdaw: I doubt if you would dare use the "n" word to describe Africans immigrants or their descendents in this country. Do you also find unacceptable those of us who are always completely sober and have HONORABLY served in the U.S. military without ever tasting a drop of booze? Another question: By 'Ireland' do you mean the Southern Irish state or the Emeramld Isle as a whole?

• Seanmor | Feb 23, 2013, 09:44 AM EST

  Obama speaks of a clear(easy)path for citizenship for 11 million ILLEGal aliens.I wish such a path had been available to me and the 8 other legal immigrants from my local parish in Ireland after we had HONORABLY served in the U.S. military, spoke flueat English and never violated any laws.

• gobdawpaddy | Feb 23, 2013, 06:20 AM EST

  So do I! Sick and tired of encountering young, drunk Paddies who think that their animal behavior is acceptable in civilization, in the same way it is acceptable in Ireland.

• seanomelb | Feb 23, 2013, 02:04 AM EST

  JMC it is not feasible to return 11 million people what's your answer to the proiblem??? you wanted to state latinos or blacks when referring to your High school drop outs but you did not have the courage of your convictions. I rest my case.

• kerry214 | Feb 23, 2013, 01:47 AM EST

  And you wonder why the GOP is called the "Stupid Party

• jmccarten | Feb 22, 2013, 10:49 PM EST

  Seanomelb, again ignore the facts and resort to name calling.

• bunchesofun | Feb 22, 2013, 07:33 PM EST

  They are NOT "undocumented workers" they are "ILLEGAL ALIENS" who broke the law to live in our country illegally. They should be deported making room for those who have been waiting years to be able to immigrate LEGALLY to our country.

• seanomelb | Feb 22, 2013, 06:51 PM EST

  Us liberal types find it hard to understamd why you teaparty types elect politicians who refuse to raise the minimum wage to $9 dollars an hour and would rather see private health insurers deny health care to whomesoever they please especially in an ongoing illness. or why you condone the marginalisation of minorities and disenfranchising them for no other reason other than for your bigoted racist white supremacy tenets.JMC quotes high school dropouts, teen pregnancy and domestic violence which we all know exists or is trying some sort of subterfuge and only wishing me to put a black in front of teen pregnancy.high school dropouts and crime. I'm ahead of your bigotry JMC and the gutless approach yuo have.

• seanomelb | Feb 22, 2013, 06:42 PM EST

  IC need to upgrade their site

• anglo-norman | Feb 22, 2013, 06:13 PM EST

  I bet aussiesean made a vow to the Queen when he got his australian citizenship..

• jmccarten | Feb 22, 2013, 06:10 PM EST

  seanomelb, typical liberal, as usual you have no facts to back up your argument, just slurs and false charges of "racism". How about checking, crime rates, percentage of teen pregnancies, average income, single parent households, high school dropout rates, cases of domestic violence. I have, you would be shocked at what you find.

• seanomelb | Feb 22, 2013, 05:20 PM EST

  Ignorance is bliss to the racist teaparty fools below. Crawl back into your trailers and kick your one channel telly to get it working. Grab a bottle of Jack and swoon over liar Hannity and Rush Bimbo.

• 89west | Feb 22, 2013, 04:40 PM EST

  The Roman Empire suffered from the same malady before their decline and fall!

• anglo-norman | Feb 22, 2013, 03:50 PM EST

  illegals are killing this country. They broke the law so yes they are criminals...

• FastEddy | Feb 22, 2013, 01:58 PM EST

  "Make that: "Majority of Citizen voters favor deportation of undocumented immigrants ..." ... Don't Ya' think? What part of the laws of the land don't you guys get? Undocumented illegals ARE illegals because they feloniously broke the laws of this land = Should be automatic deportation, for sure. ... Unemployment of actual, real US citizens is now above 8% to 16%, depending which demofascist/g'ment report you believe.

• jmccarten | Feb 22, 2013, 01:54 PM EST

  How ironic our liberal President Obama ordered the Justice Department to only deport illegal aliens who have been convicted of a felony or other serious crimes. Well, so many of them commit drug crimes he has been forced to deport more people that George Bush ever did. The Irish immigrants I have seen here in America are all well educated hard working folks. I hope the provision for allowing persons with special skills to immigrate first will go into effect with the new immigration bill passes. More nurses and computer techs not some barely literate idiot from who knows where.

• antoman | Feb 22, 2013, 12:04 PM EST

  Surely this doesn't apply to us Irish? I mean, we're Irish.

• jamieLM | Feb 22, 2013, 10:11 AM EST

  Stevenstar: what a stupid, idiotic thing to say. They don't have to come here in the first place and they're welcome to leave at any time. If "most them would probably leave anyways", we wouldn't have a problem with millions of undocumented immigrants. Why don't you concern yourself with Ireland's immigration problems? @ I agree with wjb1tex. The U.S. has legal immigration, but has allowed illegal immigration to go on for years. Now we have to decide on the conditions to be met for all the undocumented immigrants in the country who want to stay. I don't think we can realistically unring the bell for those who are already here, except for deporting the criminals.

• Seanmor | Feb 22, 2013, 09:46 AM EST

  Those who knowingly violated our immigration laws by entering the U.S. ILLEGALLY should be required to pay some penalty for their UNLAWFUL behaviuor. To give them full amnesty and fast citizenship, even if they speak little or no English and show no desire to assililate, would be grossly unfair to those of us who complied with all the immigration laws and HONORABLY served in the military before we were allowed to be naturalized.

• WoundedKnee | Feb 22, 2013, 09:34 AM EST

  "Majority of Republicans favor deportation of undocumented immigrants". So do I, and I'm not a Republican.

• STEVENSTAR | Feb 22, 2013, 09:06 AM EST

  WELL JUST DO IT THEN .. BECAUSE GIVEN THE CHANCE MOST OF THEM WOULD PROBABLY LEAVE ANYWAYS ...

• wjb1tex | Feb 22, 2013, 08:32 AM EST

  It depends on how the question is asked. I also think they should be deported. But, I know that is unrealistic so I am in favor of some path to allow them to stay with some of the conditions being considered.