Originally posted by ra
BS. America was built on legal immigration, of which we still have plenty. Telling illegal immigrants that it's OK to stay is a new idea. Those who go through the trouble of playing by the rules get a big slap in the face. If you sneak over a fence from Mexico you are free to treat the US as your own country, but if you fly in from Europe carrying a passport you are put through all kinds of paperwork and monitoring.
ra
Exactly. A squaddie of mine is going through this right now. He's a European student studying here. Without getting into the bureacratic BS, basically, his visa ran out. He's not finished with his degree yet -- I believe he's a year away. He's going home, and hoping that he hears from the government to get permission to come back and finish his studies. At best, he'll be back next fall, after missing two semesters.
Now, GWB sends the message that all he has to do is sneak in, and everything's fine. BS.
You want in? Get in legally. Do we need more low-wage folks here? Maybe. If we do, issue more green cards. Don't look the other way and tell them it's ok to sneak in while other, law abiding people sit across an ocean wishing they could be so fortunate.