Jim wrote on Oct 17, 2007 10:28 PM:Until American citizenship is worthy enough to stop illegal immigration, the subject is mute to me, what anybody has to say about it.

There is wrote on Oct 18, 2007 5:55 AM:No point discussing those topics in the East County. This generation and probably the next need to pass on before the dawn of reason emerges in those skulls.

Let me see wrote on Oct 18, 2007 7:05 AM:if I have this straight. If ILLEGAL immigration is a crime as we have been told by our Federal, State and City Governments. And if these same people do nothing about it, then aren't they criminals too and need to be arrested? Or is ILLEGAL entry a Federal crime that they choose to look the other way? If so, then why chase the bank robbers and the child rapists that have crossed state lines with the victim? You can't have it both ways, ILLEGAL immigration is on our laws as a crime.

EscoWatchdog! wrote on Oct 18, 2007 7:12 AM:Excellent learning opportunity. Thank you! We need to dialogue and get facts and other point of views instead of the anti-everything view of migrants and the Middle East. Great job Palomar!

It isn't just the border states wrote on Oct 18, 2007 7:33 AM:problem any more. Go to google select news, then search on ILLEGAL ALIENS. And your goverment is saying 12 million are here. How about 100 million are here?

Entering another wrote on Oct 18, 2007 7:42 AM:country illegally makes them criminals. And as far as I know, but I am not a lawyer, CRIMINALS are considered a race! So where is all this racist comments coming from?

I'm tired wrote on Oct 18, 2007 7:50 AM:Alright, enough already! Most Americans will not quibble with the fact that illegal border jumpers man many of our low-level, low-paying jobs in this country and are important to the economy. What is driving a majority of those that want to close our borders crazy is this government's inability (or lack of desire?) to enforce the immigration laws of this country. It only takes one individual focused on causing death and destruction in one of our major cities walking into this country through the desert (South) or woods (North). The elected officials of this country need to enforce our laws so that its' citizens are not put in danger or taxpayer supported services are not used by those that don't pay their fair share into the kitty. Hold all the seminars you want but this will always be the root of the immigration problem in the USA.

Patriot wrote on Oct 18, 2007 8:00 AM:It's too simplistic to boil the illegal immigration debate down to economics. There are national health and security implications when we allow anonymous people into the country carrying diseases such as TB or people with criminal intent and contempt for the country who would do us harm.

Dan wrote on Oct 18, 2007 8:49 AM:One way for the academic community to soften the destructive effects of illegal immigration would be to teach an extra class without compensation. If illegals are enrolled in our colleges, there must be extra resources used for them.

Let me see has it wrong wrote on Oct 18, 2007 9:32 AM:If a law on the books is not enforced, the ones not enforcing it do not become criminals. Rather, the law ceases to be a law. What you suggest is similar to the end of "Enemy of the State" - who's monitoring the monitors? Look folks, illegal immigration is here to stay, and it will ebb and flow as the economy ebbs and flows. For this government to do anything about it requires serious planning, serious investment, and serious maintenance. the wall idea is pure folly since it will have the short term effect of keeping new illegals out, and old illegals in, and in 5 or so years will be rendered completely obsolete. So far, no one has proposed any sensible long term approaches, and the current political climate will not allow a long term approach, so get used to it. It's here to stay.

Greg wrote on Oct 18, 2007 9:50 AM:You talk about Americans once again not wanting to do the low-skilled jobs. That is just ridiculous. They don't want to do those jobs because the pay stinks! You raise the pay and I bet even the homeless would be there picking those strawberries. That won't happen because American businesses are greedy and they want slaves.

If as the author wrote on Oct 18, 2007 10:44 AM:suggest these two items are hot button topics, then how come all of our politicans are avoiding the illegal immigration issue at all cost? Could it be they are scared that if the truth comes out how many we have here, there will either be the AMERICAN citizens going to war with the politicans or the AMERICANS will have had enough and say no more of OUR money will go to taxes until they clean up THEIR mess! After all just as Jorge Bush said you can't expect the IRS to go after 100 million non paying AMERICAN citizens for not paying their taxes can you?

Blame business AND unions wrote on Oct 18, 2007 11:06 AM:The problem here is that immigration lawas are not enforced. Why not? Businesses (read: Republicans) want a large supply of cheap labor so they don't have to pay living wages and offer benefits. Labor unions (read: Democrats) want to increase their rolls with low skilled dues paying members. (I've never heard that one must be a citizen to join a union, but I'm sure someone will correct me if wrong). So who's to blame? BOTH PARTIES. Solution? Enforce the laws, thus denying jobs to all illegals. Business will be forced to raise wages for low skilled jobs to attract enough workers. Prices will rise (at least temporarily) and some (possibly many) businesses will go under. But others will rise to replace them as they come up with novel ways to get those jobs done. That's how a free market works...it's time to see if Republicans really believe in it or not.

Pluto wrote on Oct 18, 2007 11:20 AM:I attended the immigration talk yesterday, and was blown away by how complex the issue is. It's very sad that so many people (openly & proudly) seize on one little aspect or another and close their minds to the rest. Patriot@8am says it's simplistic to boil it down to economics, but his issues are even more simplistic. I attended Ruben Navarette's talk this morning, and it was also complex and wonderful. There is so much to learn if your mind is open. EscoWatchdog!@7:12am got it right - "Great job Palomar". And thanks!

I know this is a stupid wrote on Oct 18, 2007 12:24 PM:question, but can anyone tell me these people that want to give illegals drivers license. If they can't speak any english, are we suppose to believe that they can read road sighs? I see cars all of the time go right through stop signs.

Shaky Jake wrote on Oct 18, 2007 12:31 PM:Our economic policies drive undocumented workers here. Calling them criminals is the arguement of the simple minded. Whether they are legal or not is irrelevant. We need to alter the conditions that force people to leave their families, risk their lives and live under a cloud of suspicion just to survive in the global economy. This is not a local or regional issue. It is an international issue. NAFTA and the WTO need to be abolished.

Patriot wrote on Oct 18, 2007 12:45 PM:I'm so very sad I couldn't attend this seminar. I was too busy working yesterday to pay taxes to pay for someone else's illegal cheap labor and the family of that cheap labor. I wonder how many new illegal aliens this country added while people were talking at this seminar.

Not a stupid question wrote on Oct 18, 2007 12:56 PM:Politicians want to give illegals drivers licenses to encourage them to stay, find a path to citizenship, and vote. They claim it will make our roads safer. They also point out that illegal entry is an infraction comparable to a traffic ticket. By that reasoning we should expect illegal alien drivers to obey traffic laws much the way they obey immigration laws.

To Shaky Jake wrote on Oct 18, 2007 1:11 PM:Likewise, our political policies draw them here. We offer government services to them. We excuse employers who hire them. We require government to communicate to them in their own language. We discourage local law enforcement agencies from turning them in.

Gimme a break, wrote on Oct 18, 2007 1:32 PM:I would not, and am not impressed by a group of liberal scholars preaching/discussing their instituionally supported beliefs to idealistic students that don't have a grasp on the realities of life that comes only with the experiences of many years of real world living. I didn't see the name of one actual working person that was asked to contibute their point of view, only institutionally trained minds without opposing points of view, and that is called preaching to the choir. I was once young, idealistic and liberal in my thinking, until I figured out that this combination is socially lethal to our way of life. I also know that if I don't speak up against this liberal/idealistic thinking and let it run ramplant, all we have worked for as a country will be given away without a fight. I will not let that happen, I am ready for the battle and will fight it with my final breath. This is not hate speaking, this is the realization those that do not have, will take what you have, if you let them.

What? wrote on Oct 18, 2007 2:08 PM:ARRRGGGG!!!!! Finished typing a post and clicked post and got a link error!!!!!!

What? wrote on Oct 18, 2007 2:18 PM:One more try. The causes of illegal immigration are as simple as economics. Economics, however, is a very complex subject. The bottom line is that immigrants can earn far more here than in their corrupt countries of origin. We, by which I mean our goverment, has set the number of legal immigrants that can come here based on how many we can absorb with out driving down wages and driving up the costs of civil services. When tens or hundreds of thousands of people by pass this system and immigrate illegally the system breaks down. Wages drop and the return on our tax dollars disapears.

What? wrote on Oct 18, 2007 2:24 PM:The soloution is much simpler than economics. Enforce our immigration laws. Something we have failed to do for the last twenty to thirty years. Not just at the border. The wall is a silly idea that will just change the routes but not the number of illegal immigrants. We need interior enforcement. We need so much interior enforcement that staying home and fixing the corrupt government and two class buisness systems at there will be easier than coming here to make a new life.

steveHarmonica wrote on Oct 18, 2007 2:56 PM: Men 16 and over: (June, 2000 – June, 2007) Increase in civilian noninstitutional population = 5,858,000 Increase Employment (Jobs men:) = 241,134 Women 16 and over: (June, 2000 – June, 2007) Increase in civilian noninstitutional population = 9,063,000 Increase Employment (Jobs women:) = 4,254,265

U.S. POPClock Projection wrote on Oct 18, 2007 3:43 PM:According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the resident population of the United States, projected to 10/18/07 at 22:42 GMT (EST+5) is 303,156,158. http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html

sKIP wrote on Oct 18, 2007 3:44 PM:Arizona Governor Napolitano estimates that they are receiving 4,000 Illegal Aliens per day in Arizona alone. Good grief!

This Says It All wrote on Oct 18, 2007 3:45 PM:Taxpayers and lower-skilled workers are hurt by illegal immigrants by the public services they require and by driving down wages for low-skilled jobs.

Shaky Jake wrote on Oct 18, 2007 4:42 PM:They are not DRAWN here. They are forced here out of necessity. None of the political policies mentioned above would be enough to attract these workers if they had a thriving job market in their own countries. Those jobs are being stolen by our transnational corporations, who replace them with machines or pay unregulated slave wages.

you got it wrote on Oct 21, 2007 2:34 PM:yep...i agree