5 ms·

"The illegal entry of non-nationals into the United States is a misdemeanor according to the Immigration and Nationality Act, which prohibits non-nationals from

"The illegal entry of non-nationals into the United States is a misdemeanor according to the Immigration and Nationality Act, which prohibits non-nationals from entering or attempting to enter the United States at any time or place which has not been designated by an immigration officer, and also prohibits non-nationals from eluding inspection by immigration officers" Even though it's nice to know the specifics, really, it's absurd. A nation will not exist unless in the 21st century unless it manages its borders reasonably.

sangnoir 10y ago
Thanks - I probably read a headline somewhere that entering the US illegally is not a felony and did not consider that it could still be a crime - a misdemeanour as you said.
tptacek 10y ago
A nation will not exist in the 21st century unless its demographics support its citizenry. Our population is aging, with insufficient service sector workers just to provide labor for the next generation of retirees, let alone fund their public pensions. There's a term for the 21st Century nations in Europe that are especially good at enforcing their own borders: "demographic crisis".
- defen 10y ago
  Has importing an ethnically distinct underclass to perform labor & service jobs to fund the retirement of an aging population ever actually worked out well anywhere?
  - tptacek 10y ago
    I'm Irish. Our immigration story in the US worked out pretty well. You're the one bringing the term "underclass" into the discussion. I'm a Democrat: I think what we need is a path to citizenship for people who have proven themselves productive members of our society. What I don't see is a rebuttal to my argument, which is that demography strongly suggests immigration is a net economic benefit to the country.
    - defen 10y ago
      > Our immigration story in the US worked out pretty well. There are a great many accomplished, upstanding US citizens of Irish descent today, but let's not forget that mass Irish immigration also brought machine politics & race riots to the USA in the short-to-medium term. "Underclass" isn't meant as a moral judgment, I'm just talking about the people who work low-wage, low-prestige jobs with little job security. The USA already has fairly bad ethnic stratification of income; I don't want us to turn into Brazil or Mexico in that regard. As a moral or practical matter, I don't think deporting families is a good idea. I do think we have to find a way to stop digging a hole. Let the people who are here now assimilate - it's harder now, with modern communication and transportation technology, because it's so much easier to live in an enclave. Find ways to encourage people who are already here to have more kids if there is a concern about future workers.

sangnoir 10y ago

Thanks - I probably read a headline somewhere that entering the US illegally is not a felony and did not consider that it could still be a crime - a misdemeanour as you said.

tptacek 10y ago

A nation will not exist in the 21st century unless its demographics support its citizenry. Our population is aging, with insufficient service sector workers just to provide labor for the next generation of retirees, let alone fund their public pensions. There's a term for the 21st Century nations in Europe that are especially good at enforcing their own borders: "demographic crisis".

defen 10y ago
Has importing an ethnically distinct underclass to perform labor & service jobs to fund the retirement of an aging population ever actually worked out well anywhere?
- tptacek 10y ago
  I'm Irish. Our immigration story in the US worked out pretty well. You're the one bringing the term "underclass" into the discussion. I'm a Democrat: I think what we need is a path to citizenship for people who have proven themselves productive members of our society. What I don't see is a rebuttal to my argument, which is that demography strongly suggests immigration is a net economic benefit to the country.
  - defen 10y ago
    > Our immigration story in the US worked out pretty well. There are a great many accomplished, upstanding US citizens of Irish descent today, but let's not forget that mass Irish immigration also brought machine politics & race riots to the USA in the short-to-medium term. "Underclass" isn't meant as a moral judgment, I'm just talking about the people who work low-wage, low-prestige jobs with little job security. The USA already has fairly bad ethnic stratification of income; I don't want us to turn into Brazil or Mexico in that regard. As a moral or practical matter, I don't think deporting families is a good idea. I do think we have to find a way to stop digging a hole. Let the people who are here now assimilate - it's harder now, with modern communication and transportation technology, because it's so much easier to live in an enclave. Find ways to encourage people who are already here to have more kids if there is a concern about future workers.