The Hispanic Vote

Fantine said:

Unbelievably, 48% of Hispanic voters supported Trump in the 2024 election.

Months later, only 35% approve of him. While I am sorry that this dawning of awareness did not happen earlier, I understand it completely.

Whether the Hispanic voter is an immigrant, a first-generation American, or possibly a second-generation American, I am sure that they realize exactly what life conditions they were fleeing, or how desperate they were.

Very few "waited in line." Most were grandfathered in under Reagan's amnesty. They themselves (or their parents) did exactly what many undocumented immigrants do today, and they were not punished.

And what about the Cubans? They know what it was like to be a refugee fleeing communism. I wonder what they think about Trump's lies about the Haitian refugees--"they're eating the dogs!" I wonder what they think about refugee status being cancelled--when the refugees have no home to return to?

I can empathize because my grandparents fled poverty in Ireland...but that was in the early 20th century. How must these immigrants (or first-generation) or refugees must feel--with the hunger, fear, and uncertainty embedded in their vestigial memories? They understand what a president born with a platinum spoon in his mouth doesn't. They know the truth. And that knowledge should forever disaqualify the people with ICE on their shirts and their leaders with ICE in their veins.

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Yeah unfortunately there are many people hiding their racism under the guise of law. Reminds me a lot of the Pharisees that Jesus rebuked for holding their traditions above God’s commandments. Their lack of compassion was usually the very reason He rebuked them.

ralliann said:

No we don't want to incentivize illegal entry. Either they can self deport and their chances of legal immigration remain, or they can get caught and have no chance to immigrate.

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It would be a one time thing for those who have been here a certain amount of time (a certain number of years). That doesn't create incentive since it doesn't apply to new instances.

And as I said, it would need to be in concert with other things, good border control and a more efficient system. Border crossings have dropped considerably, but the system issue is a significant fix.

BNR32FAN said:

Yeah unfortunately there are many people hiding their racism under the guise of law. Reminds me a lot of the Pharisees that Jesus rebuked for holding their traditions above God’s commandments. Their lack of compassion was usually the very reason He rebuked them.

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It's amazing to me how some talk about illegal immigration. Yes, they are breaking the law. But how we treat those found guilty of breaking the law matters a lot. If we do not treat them in a humane way, regardless of their crime, we undercut the very justice we think we're upholding. And for Christians to support unjust treatment of lawbreakers is wild. It's like some alternative universe where goodness is evil and evil is good. I honestly don't understand the thought process.

public hermit said:

It's amazing to me how some talk about illegal immigration. Yes, they are breaking the law. But how we treat those found guilty of breaking the law matters a lot. If we do not treat them in a humane way, regardless of their crime, we undercut the very justice we think we're upholding. And for Christians to support unjust treatment of lawbreakers is wild. It's like some alternative universe where goodness is evil and evil is good. I honestly don't understand the thought process.

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What is unchristian is all the suffering that has happened from beginning to end with this lawless influx. There are still thousands of children missing, and how many suffered before they even made it here and died. We need to do all we can to stop this from happening again. And those whom are still in slavery right now.

public hermit said:

Yeah, I would think there should be proper limitations.

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Yes, take advantage to self deport. money in their pocket and transport paid....

public hermit said:

And perhaps there should be a probation period where major criminal offense nullify the amnesty?

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They can choose to ,wait in their own country, like all other immigrants do. Other wise they choose to lose this advantage for good

ralliann said:

What is unchristian is all the suffering that has happened from beginning to end with this lawless influx. There are still thousands of children missing, and how many suffered before they even made it here and died. We need to do all we can to stop this from happening again. And those whom are still in slavery right now.

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By all means, let's address all forms of injustice wherever they occur. I agree, but I'm not sure how that relates to what I said.

public hermit said:

By all means, let's address all forms of injustice wherever they occur. I agree, but I'm not sure how that relates to what I said.

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We should not create situations where these forms can occur.

Fantine said:

Many groups of all races vote against their self-interests. Sometimes because they believe lies.
When I vote against myself interest, it is almost always due to kindness. I believe in the common good. We have been economically fortunate in many ways, but it doesn't make me get worked up in a lather of greed and selfishness. I am willing to pay a little more taxes so other people can live a little better.

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Have you actually paid any more in taxes since they came into America? Because I sure haven’t?

dogs4thewin said:

The reality is that in this broken world situations will occur. They have since the begining of time and wil until Christ ces back.

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We should do our best to do our part to mitigate, not instigate.

public hermit said:

It's amazing to me how some talk about illegal immigration. Yes, they are breaking the law. But how we treat those found guilty of breaking the law matters a lot. If we do not treat them in a humane way, regardless of their crime, we undercut the very justice we think we're upholding. And for Christians to support unjust treatment of lawbreakers is wild. It's like some alternative universe where goodness is evil and evil is good. I honestly don't understand the thought process.

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The message that I got from Jesus’ ministry is that compassion trumps ordinances. No pun intended.

dogs4thewin said:

not everyone who came over here illegally has done anyting like that though. There ae millons here that otherwise have no record ( and frankly even those who do deserve a certain level of human respect and to be treated like a human because they are, but most here ilegally have done NOTHING like discribed above and so do not need to be treated as such.

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If we really wanted to reduce gang violence, and sex and drug trafficking it would make more sense to start by going after the largest demographic first which would be American citizens. But that’s not the goal of Trump’s administration. Their focus is primarily aimed towards immigrants, not criminals in general.

public hermit said:

It's amazing to me how some talk about illegal immigration. Yes, they are breaking the law. But how we treat those found guilty of breaking the law matters a lot. If we do not treat them in a humane way, regardless of their crime, we undercut the very justice we think we're upholding. And for Christians to support unjust treatment of lawbreakers is wild. It's like some alternative universe where goodness is evil and evil is good. I honestly don't understand the thought process.

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“I want you to have compassion, not offer sacrifices.”

Vambram said:

The hyperbole of what you are suggesting of actually happening really did not happen. However, the majority of the American voters in 31 states voted in President Donald Trump with one of the top priorities being the deportation of immigrants who are NOT legal here in the USA.

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I have consistently stated that I do not support President Trump’s immigration policy. However, I accept the outcome of the election, as it is evident that a significant portion of Americans elected him largely due to his stance on immigration. Recognizing this mandate, I support President Trump in implementing these policies, despite my personal reservations.

Understanding President Trump’s Immigration Policy and Its Impact

During his campaign, President Trump committed to deporting individuals who entered or remained in the United States without legal authorization. Supporters at the GOP convention demonstrated backing for this approach with signs advocating “mass deportation.”

Current Policy Assessment

Is mass deportation an official policy of the Trump administration? Advisors such as Stephen Miller, along with other proponents of stringent immigration enforcement, support the removal of all undocumented immigrants.

President Trump’s own statements have varied; he has, at times, indicated that only those convicted of serious crimes should face deportation, while at other moments he has called for broader actions, including mass deportations, though he occasionally refers to hardworking undocumented immigrants in positive terms.

Major donors to the administration also express differing views—while generally supporting strict immigration measures, some advocate for exceptions in sectors such as agriculture, restaurants, and meat processing.

There are diverse perspectives among supporters of the administration's immigration strategy. Some endorse the deportation of all individuals present without legal status, whereas others believe enforcement should focus on those involved in drug trafficking, human trafficking, or other serious offenses.

Practical Considerations

Presently, only approximately 0.59% of undocumented immigrants have been apprehended. At this pace, fewer than 6% are projected to be deported by the end of President Trump's term. It remains unclear whether the administration aims to remove only 5% to 7% of the undocumented population.

Economic Implications

Over four million undocumented immigrants are employed in the U.S. food industry, spanning roles in agriculture, meat processing, grocery stores, and restaurants. An additional one million work in construction. To date, there appears to be no comprehensive policy outlining how these positions would be filled, or how supply demands would be maintained, should these workers be removed.

While the Secretary of Agriculture has suggested technological solutions could replace agricultural labor, current advancements are limited to certain crops such as peanuts and corn; artificial intelligence technology capable of harvesting delicate produce like tomatoes or peaches is not expected for at least 15 years.

Thus, questions remain regarding potential plans or policies to substitute approximately ten million undocumented workers with American citizens. The removal of an estimated fifteen million individuals from the workforce would significantly impact both local and national economies. It is unclear what support mechanisms, if any, are planned for local economies dependent on immigrant labor, or how the national economy would adjust following such deportations.

Conclusion

Currently, there is no clear immigration policy. Even top officials cannot agree on who should be deported, how to define criminals, or the number of people to be deported in four years. Questions remain about who would replace these workers and the economic impact of removing 15 million people. The situation is chaotic: some advocate deporting all unauthorized residents, others only violent criminals, while critics call it a political show with no substantive solutions.

public hermit said:

It would be a one time thing for those who have been here a certain amount of time (a certain number of years). That doesn't create incentive since it doesn't apply to new instances.

And as I said, it would need to be in concert with other things, good border control and a more efficient system. Border crossings have dropped considerably, but the system issue is a significant fix.

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Nothing will change unless we update the 8 USC 1158: Asylum law.


"Any alien who is physically present in the United States or who arrives in the United States (whether or not at a designated port of arrival and including an alien who is brought to the United States after having been interdicted in international or United States waters), irrespective of such alien's status, may apply for asylum in accordance with this section or, where applicable, section 1225(b) of this title."

Anyone who crosses into the US illegally and requests asylum at the border has a legal right to remain in the country until a court decides on their application.

A major reason for the large number of undocumented immigrants in the USA is that court decisions take 10-12 years. By then, asylum seekers have already integrated into society and often choose to remain hidden rather than return.

The asylum law should be revised to require that individuals seeking asylum in the United States apply at the nearest U.S. embassy they reside. Exceptions may be made for those located in active war zones or who are facing immediate physical harm.