Obama Criticism of Arizona Immigration Law Ignores Federal Incompetence

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It’s about time one of the southern borders states did something about the flood of illegal aliens pouring into the US daily. Those Mexican and Mexican-American group of protestors have everything to lose; with upwards of 500,000 illegals in Arizona of course they are gonna complain the loudest. The fact that local police MIGHT be questioning those of Mexican descent makes perfect sense as there are NOT scores of blonde hair blue-eyed people of Scandinavian descent coming in illegally thru Mexico… DUH ! This is a “States Rights Issue” since the State Government of Arizona has to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars in welfare benefits to a group of people that not entitled to such assistance. The Federal Government has basically DONE NOTHING to address the issue of protecting our borders and the US citizens that live in cites along those borders (in particular the US southern border with Mexico). Tens of millions of Americans are extremely happy that at least one state has had the political will, supported by vote of over 70% of the legal citizens of that state to step up to the plate and take the heat for the rest of us.

Foul Ball of FL 8:08AM April 30, 2010

Our freedom and liberties are being threatened and taken away.
You can not walk the streets of one of these united states without carrying your papers or you could go to jail.
ALERT - you need to carry a passport or birth certificate if you enter Arizona.
We used to complain that you now need a passport to enter Canada, but now you need a passport to enter Arizona like a foreign country.
This is being done by an unelected Republican governor who is famous for stripping 100,000 people of voting rights without any proof and valid basis. Arizona Republican depend on stripping minorities of voting rights to stay in power. This is a first step to apartheid in the US. The hatemongers are using race and hate to intimidate and scare Americans to turn on each other, while they give away the store to multinationals.
Time to stop the Republican/Bund party, again!

Richard of MT 1:29PM April 28, 2010

Working-class Americans and legal immigrants suffer most from illegal immigration - competition for jobs, wages, housing, health care, etc. With a huge pool of desperate workers from Mexico and elsewhere, many employers here keep wages down and don't care about health and safety. That's why CESAR CHAVEZ was against illegal immigration.
Changing illegal status to legal invites more illegal entry - it sends a message to millions of people in the world that they just have to get in, avoid detection, and wait for the next amnesty. It allows third-world rich to keep dumping their poor here where American taxpayers pay for their health care, education, housing, etc.

Marie J of CA 5:45PM April 27, 2010

There is a tidal wave coming against this invasion in spite of the pro-illegal immigration corporate strangle hold on our media and govt.
AMERICANS are fed up, plain and simple. All of this goes back to Bush Sr. (notice how that family always has it's dirty hands in anything destructive to Americans) when he set NAFTA in motion...soon followed by Clinton (neither party gives a damn about the wishes of Americans)
The vast majority of AZ illegal aliens will flee to already broken California (compounding our already 3-5 million) and it will be the straw that broke the back. We were fed in '94.
Now we are boiling with anger.

GIo of CA 5:16PM April 27, 2010

I am glad to finally after my 30 years of complaining about illegals over running OUR (YES IT STILL IS OUR'S AMIGO)country, see someone do something postive.
I lived in Arizona for 18 years. It became like living in Mexico with grafitti all over the walls everywhere, crime out of control, legals and illegals pretended that they speaky "no inglesih"! Free welfare, free foodstamps, free doctors, hospitals, free Social Security for momma and papa, all children born (at taxpayers expense) are automatically CITIZENS, and no taxes to pay! What a deal!
They should beat the crap out of all of them and make them walk back to the border, then tell them they have 15 seconds to see if they can out run a bullet!
We all need a little target practice (I think we're gonna need it in the not too distant future the way things are in D.C.).
Everyone just take turns going to the border with lots of ammo and if you see a moving target, just pop it! That's what they are doing to us on "OUR" streets!
Keep all of them and their "stinking" drugs in Mexico where they belong!
BOYCOTT all advertiser's with the liberal press -- they will get the message -- QUICKLY! DO NOT BUY ANYTHING ADVERTIZED IN THE LIBERAL'S PRESS, NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINE'S, INTERNET, TELEVISION, AND RADIO.

James of KY 2:19PM April 27, 2010

Libertarians know that this is just more government intrusion and a dramatic loss of personal freedoms that is essentially totalitarian police state. Arizonans will have to raise taxes to enforce their own laws, and too often they raise some heavy sales taxes on visitors. This is just more of a race war that's been going on down there for awhile and this appears to be another voter suppression tactic. If a state hates itself and its own so much, I'm not about to get in their way or help them self-destruct.

Louis of CO 2:10PM April 27, 2010

My U.S. citizen husband and I (a Cdn citizen) waited in line for two years for me to immigrate legally into the U.S. and we married within 3 days after crossing the border. We had great difficulty trying to raise the funds to obtain a green card for myself since my husband's sole income is Social Insecurity. He worked until he was 74 years old and then because of health issues he had to finally retire. At the same time I was enrolled in a Women's Health Check program which is when our problems began. I specifically stated that I DID NOT have a green card but was enrolled in the program and breast cancer was found. The medical center where I was a patient submitted the forms for emergency medicaid and within days I was contacted by an incredibly rude nurse in Boise that my application for emergency medicaid HAD BEEN DENIED. Although I did not have a green card I had had a medical by an approved civil surgeon each year which is a loophole in the immigration rules. Once I had the medical we would always be back at square one but this past year(2009) we actually had the fees for the green card and I was in the process of completing the steps to obtain the green card. In the meantime I contacted Gov Otter and he assigned a Mary Kirn to assist us. I also tried to find a lawyer but was unable to find a single firm or lawyer willing to represent me. Mary Kirn advised my husband and myself to perjure ourselves while the accountant at the surgeon's office advised us that since I wasn't covered by medicaid we would have to have the full $30,000 up front or the masectomy would not be performed. Since the accountant contacted me less than 24 hours after my phone call from Boise I filed a complaint with DHHS about violation of my privacy rights. I received a phone call from an employee of DHHS who was located in eastern WA who informed me that I had been eligible for the program which detected the cancer(nice to know since we had been receiving bills for thousands of dollars for the mammograms and biopsy and referrals to specialists) but I wasn't eligible for treatment, she also agreed that my privacy rights had been violated but they weren't going to investigate because I wasn't eligible for medicaid. Her parting words to me were "Go back to Canada" which was ironic since I had never mentioned I was from Canada. I had broken no laws, I had not worked, I had made teddy bears for people with cancer free of charge and yet as someone who had legally entered the country now I was beign told to leave, while those who broke the law could stay and receive as many benefits as possible. Where was my due process as guaranteed under the 14th Amendment? I waited in line and paid thousands, I contributed to the economy of the U.S. when my home in Canada sold by using the money for the downpayment on a home, for a vehicle which we could afford and for appliances and furnishings for the home and yet both the federal and state governments were complicit in dividing a family.

Vicki of ID 1:50AM April 27, 2010

Reagan already granted amnesty & laws were passed to prevent more illegal immigration back in the 80"s. Somehow certain cities proclaim themselves as sanctuary cities and invite illegal aliens to break the law. Laws are broken, not enforced, and now we have a ton of illegal immigrants who feel entitled, have no desire to assimilate, and burden the taxpayers.
People all over the world want to play by the rules and come here, but they can't because of this mess. Enforce the laws for everyone, black or brown or white, politician or common citizen!

Jeannie in FL of FL 12:51AM April 27, 2010

Since the leftists are threatening to boycott Arizona, and the illegals are going to be deported, I think Arizona will be a great place to vacation. No nuts or lawbreakers and it will be quiet and restful. Let's all support these good people.

Hannah Katz of CA 10:44PM April 26, 2010

Illegal immigration has become a national calamity thanks to the failures of one congress after another since 1990. It's time to hold our elected officials' feet to the fire, and the holding should begin with this year's November elections.
Sunday, Mitch McConnell said on one of the Sunday talk shows that there's no time now. Interesting. He's been in his current position as a senator from Kentucky since 1984 and he's not up for reelection for 6 more years. Of course he doesn't have time. He doesn't have to have time. Others do, though. It's time to demand of those up for election or reelection that they commit to solid legislation on the illegal immigration problem or they're toast come November.
What do I suggest "solid legislation" be since what was passed in 1986 has been skillfully ignored by all who should be responsible for its enforcement? First, it will provide amnesty for those here retroactive to 2010 or will allow those who choose to return home unobstructed exit. Second, it will provide for the safety of both those who stay (and, thus, become eligible for citizenship) and those who leave. Third, a fail-proof identification system will be established for those who remain and for those who come in legally. Fourth, law enforcement at all levels will enforce the law our legislators, in their newfound wisdom (feet to the fire), pass immediately after all swearings-in in 2011.
Although there's almost daily evidence to the contrary, America is an humane and good country bent on doing what is right for their citizens (not just what is Right). We do not torment, torture, or otherwise harm the lives of those who buy into America's dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We do not condone slavery disguised as "cheap labor" and most certainly do not sink to retribution disguised as justice. Whatever mistakes have been made in the matter of illegal immigration are solely the responsibility of legislators too long allowing problems to build, law enforcement too unable or unwilling to remedy through swift action, and voters too willing to be duped by those they lift to high office through their votes.
Now to Erbe's not-too-heady suggestions. "Mr. Obama's claim that the feds can do better is simply not true" is shoot-from-the-hip nonsense. Certainly they can do better. I've just shown the way. Key to it is putting feet to the fire. Even Mitch McConnell understands that kind of logic although putting enactment of it in the hands of voters ALWAYS opens the door to bad outcomes (like Mitch McConnell?).
And as for her thinking that countries where births are too frequent for the economic base to handle--well, Bonnie, that's a problem here in many parts of the U.S.A. Just look, for a minute, at the dollars redistributed from the feds to states not quite able to gin up the revenue their populations require. Poor countries are poor countries, birth control an answer to all but the Right.

Ron W. Smith of UT 7:41PM April 26, 2010