2 ms·

It isn't so crazy, a US citizenship is worth quite a lot of money. It is pretty obvious that just walking in and settling in the US will lead to that sooner or

by roenxi 2y ago

It isn't so crazy, a US citizenship is worth quite a lot of money. It is pretty obvious that just walking in and settling in the US will lead to that sooner or later - based on the stats I've seen the sheer volume of people involved makes any sort of expulsion program infeasible. I personally would consider this as an option if I wanted to migrate to the US. Probably wouldn't take it; I don't like risk or rule dodging. But there is something to be said for it. From a distance it looks like a relatively low-risk high-reward approach to migration and I can imagine even if it is a terrible choice a bunch of people in the global middle class would take it out of confusion and optimism.

School-Cotton 2y ago
What makes you think citizenship is inevitable just because mass deportation is impossible? It seems more likely that people will just be in an irregular state forever (as has always been the case for a lot of illegal immigrants in the U.S. even before the present wave).
- roenxi 2y ago
  Something like 3% of the population of the US are illegal immigrants. I'd be happy to gamble on that being too many people to expel. And although maybe there wouldn't be an official citizenship you'd get all the benefits of living in the US with confidence your kids would be full citizens. Thinking it through I doubt it'd be for me - but there must be a lot of people in South East Asia for whom it'd look like a reasonable gamble at ~$100k. That wouldn't make up the bulk of the migrants, obviously, but there is a value proposition to justify the money.
  - School-Cotton 2y ago
    So it basically sounds like you completely agree with me? I was not disputing that expelling all the illegal immigrants in the US is probably impossible. I was disputing that they'd become citizens. > you'd get all the benefits of living in the US There are more benefits to US citizenship than "not being deported". Illegal immigrants certainly don't have all the same benefits a citizen (or even legal immigrant) has.
    - roenxi 2y ago
      > There are more benefits to US citizenship than "not being deported". Illegal immigrants certainly don't have all the same benefits a citizen (or even legal immigrant) has. Which ones do you think are material?
      - School-Cotton 2y ago
        Being able to leave the country and come back easily Being able to work in legit, not under the table jobs Access to social benefits
- foogazi 2y ago
  Their US born children would be US citizens - a parent would do anything for their kids right ?

by roenxi 2y ago

School-Cotton 2y ago

What makes you think citizenship is inevitable just because mass deportation is impossible? It seems more likely that people will just be in an irregular state forever (as has always been the case for a lot of illegal immigrants in the U.S. even before the present wave).

roenxi 2y ago
Something like 3% of the population of the US are illegal immigrants. I'd be happy to gamble on that being too many people to expel. And although maybe there wouldn't be an official citizenship you'd get all the benefits of living in the US with confidence your kids would be full citizens. Thinking it through I doubt it'd be for me - but there must be a lot of people in South East Asia for whom it'd look like a reasonable gamble at ~$100k. That wouldn't make up the bulk of the migrants, obviously, but there is a value proposition to justify the money.
- School-Cotton 2y ago
  So it basically sounds like you completely agree with me? I was not disputing that expelling all the illegal immigrants in the US is probably impossible. I was disputing that they'd become citizens. > you'd get all the benefits of living in the US There are more benefits to US citizenship than "not being deported". Illegal immigrants certainly don't have all the same benefits a citizen (or even legal immigrant) has.
  - roenxi 2y ago
    > There are more benefits to US citizenship than "not being deported". Illegal immigrants certainly don't have all the same benefits a citizen (or even legal immigrant) has. Which ones do you think are material?
    - School-Cotton 2y ago
      Being able to leave the country and come back easily Being able to work in legit, not under the table jobs Access to social benefits
foogazi 2y ago
Their US born children would be US citizens - a parent would do anything for their kids right ?