Why is "illegal" given such a bad connotation?

Question

Please read THOROUGHLY before responding:
It seems that putting illegal in front of immigrant simply starts a rebellion in the public. It used to be illegal to drink alcohol and now many people drink it, some in excess and some responsibly. Why is it so hard for a law to pass making "illegal" immigrants not illegal, given appropriate conditions? I'm mostly talking about people who don't want that law, even if there were an infinite amount of conditions.
I'm saying this because maybe a better visa system could be put in place, since the U.S. Dept. of State is currently working on visas for people of China from 01OCT2003, India from 01OCT2003, Mexico from 08JAN1995, Phillippines from 01OCT2003, and "All Charge-ability Areas Except Those Listed" (whatever that means) from 01OCT2003. Those dates apply only to select categories, so many more people are delayed for longer than those dates (over a decade).
Please stay on subject.

Answer 1

Some people just hate foreigners in general and since they cannot rant against the legals they rant against the illegals



Besides what you say, in the XIX century was illegal to help a slave to escape from his master.

In the 1960s, it was illegal for gays to gather in a place



Like king Henry VIII said: "the Great Seal of England has strange magic powers. It makes a royal whim become a LAW, and an innocent man become a criminal"



I have the feeling that that is the idea in the USA



In Germany, in 1938, Jews were declared criminals and were to be exterminated. That was the LAW

Those that say that ILLEGAL IS CRIMINAL, that good boy Hitler made a LAW saying that ALL JEWS WERE CRIMINALS.



I assume that you agree, since it was the LAW

Answer 2

I agree a better system needs to be put in place. However, due to the amount of people already here in the US, we have to first deal with the population that we currently have before we can figure out a new system to let more people in. I think the answer is not to deport each and every one of the illegals in this country, and the actual concept of doing it is not going to happen as much as some people would like to think it is. The many facets of illegals and what happens in our economy because of them (both good and bad, and sorry to all of you but the good outweighs the bad or they would ALL have been deported by now-infact immigration has slowed their raids and deportations from last year) stop the government from deporting them ALL. I think rather than deporting them all, there needs to be a system that looks at the whole picture of each individual before deciding if they should or shouldn't be deported. Looking at criminal past (if applicable), work history, if they own a home, children, english speaking level etc. before one is deported. Like said, appropriate conditions and investigations should be in place and with that we would keep about 50-60% of the 12-20 million illegals. Enough to not devestate the economy, but not too much which is overcrowding us.

Answer 3

The reason why illegal immigration is such a heated debate is because illegal immigration has a substantial economic impact on the country. For example illegal immigrants do not pay tax but their children go to school. This means their children qualify for the free lunch programs, busing, ESL support, and it requires that the classroom is larger. As a result this causes school districts to raise taxes higher than they would need to in order to fund the additional students that illegal immigration brings to their city. The same flow can be applied to health care, wages, and any other result that flows from illegal immigration. After you have thought about the different areas that are impacted by illegal immigration you begin to realize the devastating economic impact that illegal immigration brings.

Answer 4

really you just dont get it do you not at all.what part of illegal dont you understand.it has nothing to do with visas where did you come up with that!you correct its not a hispanic issue or chinese or arab or french or any other its a legal issue.we cant open our doors to every tom dick and harry who want to come here.the process is in place to filter out those who have no skills just because someone wants to come here and work is not a acceptable reason to do so.im all for legal immigration and guest worker temp visas but im also all for arresting and deporting those who are here illegally.heres a story for you .i come from a small rual area of wva.a local saw mill started hiring a lot of questionable immigrants .guess what the next thing you know thats all they were hiring a total of 60.locals couldnt get a job.the ot also stoped.the company didnt have to pay some federal taxes,was paying them less also.when they got arrested for false visas they just hired more.no they were one of the few employeers around.the county only had 8000 total people the mill hired about 300 people that means 60 young locals had to move at least 60 miles to the next town to even think about work or if they had familys they ended up on welfare.when a couple of the immigrants got in in trouble over a stabbing they just dissapeared same when a 14 year old kid got pregnet.o did i forget to mention that 2 or more were smuggling in cocaine and herion and selling it to young people.most were ok .most were good workers but do you see the true effects of immigration or are you hung up on liberal bs.and sob stories.

Answer 5

B/c "illegal" means that you've done something that is against the law. It doesn't matter how it was done, why it was done, or if the "legal"method is a long, drawn out, stupid process or not.



Maybe a better visa system should be in place, but we have what we have. If a person comes to the US and doesn't do it in a LEGAL manner (meaning following the rules) then they are ILLEGAL and should be sent back home. EVeryone should be following the rules regardless how ignorant they are. I think I should be able to drive my car as fast as I want, but there are these stupid speed limits that tell me I will get in trouble if caught speeding, so I don't speed anymore. Same with illegals. They have rules to follow if they want to come to the US, follow them run the risk of the consequences for being caught.

Answer 6

The people from the countries that you have mentioned are those that are waiting there turn to enter the US LEGALLY,and most will be the relatives of permanent residents or citizens already in the US.They are waiting because the US has an annual limit on the total number of immigrants it allows in each year. The spouses and children of those who are already there are in addition to the quota. The quota is the number that the US government thinks it can absorb each year.

ILLEGAL immigrants are those that have entered the country ILLEGALLY. That means they have broken the law..they are CRIMINALS. They are trying to queue jump and spoil it for the LEGAL immigrants that are following the law.

No country can have a system whewre anyone can just decide to enter it and live there. The ones that are waiting on the list the longest are the relatives that most other countries don't let in at all under THEIR immigration systems,The US is much more generous in that respect. They could be the adult maried brothers of a green card holder.They would NEVER get into any European country, or Canada or Australia, if they were that far related. In fact in the UK is one of the easier European countries to immigrate to, but any child or other relative over 18 has to apply to enter on their own merit,and is usually denied.If the US did not have its immigration laws,millions would be trying to get in every week, and soon every service, including schools, hospitals.transport, in the country would be overwhelmed, and within a few years the US would not have enough food, and then what?

Answer 7

Because they are criminals. People in the underground railroad back in the XIX century were criminals and unluckily we couldn't punish them for breaking the law. People don't want to let criminals today get away like that anymore. We are supposed to follow all laws regardless of how our morals, ethics, etc affect our views. So you see, people no longer view laws critically, they just take them for granted and obey them. If we ever fall into fascism I won't be surprised.

Answer 8

Please think this out.:

1) The illegals who slither across the border are not the good kind people you want to think they are.

.....a) If you are not wanted in your country you get a free trip to the US. Drug smugglers, murderers, rapists, child molesters are all routinely dumped or escape over the border.

.....b) A person has to make a conscious effort to cross the border and become a criminal. They know what they are doing is a criminal offense and they do it anyways.

.....c) they kill 10,000 people in the US every year almost half by murder

.....d) The VAST majority of crimes in my area are committed by "illegal immigrants"

.....e) Of all the "illegal immigrants" the majority also commit other crimes such as fraud, identity theft, tax evasion, etc.

2)Why does a visa take so long? Did it ever occur to you that with millions (12 to 30) of criminal invaders the number of "legal immigrants" we can let into this country is greatly reduced causing a backlog of legal visas. So how can you say make "illegal immigrants" legal and screw the people who want to be legal immigrants. Then complain that there are not enough slots available for legal immigrants!

3) Also, the laws heavily limit what illegals can do. The laws limit where they can be and the US is not on the list. Guess what? They are here anyways! That is why they are called illegal aliens or criminal invaders.

4) They CAN and DO get TINs (Tax Identification Numbers), which they can use to do and pay their taxes, instead of SSNs. For every $1 of taxes paid $17,000 tax dollars are used by illegal immigrants! NOT a good deal for the US tax payer!

5) They can and do get into college and I've never seen textbooks in other languages. I'm talking about immigrants in general, not just Mexicans and/or Hispanics. And believe it or not some can actually read and write in English!

6) Also, there is much BLM land out there, where we could have them work and make towns/cities and get their own resources. But if there were resources there we would beusing that land already! Did you think we were saving it for a rainy day?

7) No, I am not talking about amnesty, I am talking about improving the visa system so it encourages and recruits the best candidates. The visa system is the reason so many illegals are here, the majority would not be allowed to immigrate! This makes the process for good immigrants delayed way too long. At least part of the reason the system is broken is because too many illegals are here! With the present system we get the worst canidates and the best canidates get to wait till they are old and gray waiting for a legal slot to open up!

I have no problem helping them before they become criminals but the government and church groups seem to be hell bent on making as many illegals as possible and then saying that they are helping the "criminals" repent or something!

It's like the idiots who say only criminals are able to mow lawns and pick fruit! I can and have mowed my lawn and guess what? I have never been a criminal! I also have picked apples and collected maple sap! Like the less than 2% of illegals that work in agriculture!

Answer 9

The visa system is not a justification for illegal immigration. Yes, it needs reform and yes it needs to move faster, but that doesn't mean break the law.



If I have to wait 10 years for a new car and I go steal it (because it makes my life better, I can get to work), will that make it ok? After all, it's for a better life and it's the dealership's fault for making me wait 10 years.



Illegal is in front of immigrant for a reason.

Answer 10

I guess it's the word "ILLEGAL" that does it for people. It means, not lawful. Against common law. So, if you are here "illegally" then you are breaking the law. Robbers break the law. Murderers break the law, drug dealers break the law, prostitutes break the law, etc. etc.

I would put someone here illegally in that category. You can't trust them, they are lying to stay here. They are trying to evade authorities and they don't respect the law or they wouldn't be "illegal".

What's the benefits of having "illegals" around???? The same as having criminals around if you ask most folks.

Answer 11

It used to be illegal to drink alcohol and now many people drink it, some in excess and some responsibly and how does that relate to illegal aliens ? Can we not have our own nation without always referring back to when and now ? You want illegals here,example 9-11 was related to people who overstayed their visa's now we have 3000 dead so can I say we use to trust people but now we can't since we lost 3000 people.Why don't you go preach this over in Mexico. they have money. Why do you guys lay back and worship Mexico and never complain about what they are doing only its so hard there but you let Mexico be as corrupted as it may as they worship false Gods=Money=greed-

Answer 12

It only has a bad connotation for persons who are xenophobes and afraid of any body new or different whom they find threatening. The correct and human word would ne perhaps undocumented visitor, because no human being is illegal. And many so called illegals contribute a great deal to both the cultures and economies of many lands throughout the world.

Answer 13

"There is much BLM land out there, where we could have them work and make towns/cities and get their own resources."

LOL,the ranchers use that BLM to pasture livestock ,there is hardly any water! And definatley no water for human consumption.

"I'm trying to think in the U.S.'s best interests", Um our best interest is to not over populate our country with parasites there own country doesent want. We only have so many resources to go around as well,we have enough sence to stop overpopulating,why doesent illegals????????????????



"I'm thinking of that money as a supplement, not a complete aid, kind of like helping them help themselves." Apparently you dont know AMERICANS ALREADY SEND MILLIONS TO mEXICO AND SPEND BILLIONS ON ILLEGALS IN THE STATE,AND UMMMMMM,IM not seeing any improvement here????????????????

"One more thing, everyone emphasizes "lawbreakers" and everything," Thats just swell,so we might as well open the prison gates and let all the prisoners loose????

Answer 14

Barack Obama recently told a radical Hispanic rights group that their communities are being "terrorized" by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. The Democratic presidential nominee made his comments Sunday while addressing the annual convention of the National Council of La Raza in San Diego.



Obama has reached a new low in equating ICE raids with terrorism.



This just goes so far beyond the line of what we've come to expect in presidential politics, or any kind of politics, that it just has to represent a new low for somebody who wants to be the chief executive of this country.



Obama remains fully committed to giving an amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants in the United States.

Answer 15

Like most pro illegals that claim racism, live in the past and seem to get highly confused between legal and illegal immigration, you seem to only want people to obey laws you agree with.



That's ridiculous. Why foreigners hate Americans and our laws is strange. They seem to look for any excuse to justify breaking the law. How pedestrian.

Answer 16

First, the Amnesty of 1986 was an abject failure. It was supposedly going to end illegal migration into the US. It has only served to encourage more to come in hopes of a repeat amnesty and at a high cost to taxpayers.



http://www.cis.org/articles/1997/back197.htm



I am well-acquainted with a number of immigrants to the US. For some, it took quite some time for the application to be processed. For others, it was more expedient. It really depends on their qualifications. It can also depend on the assistance rendered by their own governments. Their common denominator, they applied for legal entry and waited their turn.



Illegal aliens, on the other hand, bypassed the legal route into the US, or upon denial of legal entry, sneaked in. Are they all bad people? No, of course not. That is a ridiculous assumption. However, it is an unknown factor because if they never applied, they have not been screened. Their criminal backgrounds are unknown, their medical history and risk factors are unknown. If they applied and were denied, what gives them the right to sneak in? Nothing.



There is a criminal element involved, that is a reasonable assumption beyond the illegal entry. Many illegal aliens are in US jails and prisons for violent crime, identity theft, etc. Many escape imprisonment by voluntarily deporting, and in many cases, sneaking in again. Many more are breaking our tax laws, using stolen identities, etc.



There are many millions of people who apply for immigration to the US. Not all are qualified and are denied. Many others are accepted. There is a legal path and it is simply wrong to bypass it completely or disdain it if denied entry. Rewarding an illegal action is never beneficial to society.

Answer 17

Illegal Aliens are people that have entered the country ILLEGALLY. They have broken the laws of country they have illegally entered. By breaking the law, they are CRIMINALS.

You do not reward a criminal, you put them in jail or prison. Illegal Aliens should consider themselves lucky if they are merely deported to their home country.

Answer 18

We dont need new laws we need to enforce what we have now. First deport every criminal illegal we find, put employers in prison for hiring them. Would not have to deport everyone a lot would leave when the could not find work. By the way good fences do work, every see a maximum security prison without one.

Answer 19

I'm not so sure if I follow what you mean. Are you are saying that the cure to illegal immigration is to make it legal. If so then you haven't solved the problem of people coming into the country who don't belong there (This can be for any number of reasons), all you've done is covered it over.



Immigration is legal and has no stigma attached to it, however illegal immigration is exactly what it suggests, immigrants illegally trying to gain access to a country. People who don't have the right to be in that country trying to gain access, illegal immigration.



Put it simply, with your logic if there was a spate of burglaries then you would make it legal to come into somebody else's house without permission. There you go, you've solved the problem of burglary's. Although all you've really done is covered it up.



I hope you understand my point, I haven't got the time to re-write and check it so I hope it makes sense...



In response to your edit....



Put simply, if you are going to be of benefit to a country beyond resonable doubt then in 99% of cases they with give you asilum, making you a legal immigrant.



Why you think that people who cannot prove they will be a benefit to a country should just be aloud in is beyond me. Why should everybody have the right just to come and go as they wish.



I'm British and have a criminal record, I'm not permitted to travel to the USA, ever. You must understand that countries have borders and limits for a reason. To be honest you sound like an upset spik that can't get your 50 cousins across. And there's a reason for it. If you were going to be a benefit for the country they would except you. Pond scum do not have the rights they think they do.

Answer 20

All I know is that some people call it illegal some call it a way to look for that American dream at all expense. According to the law any person that comes here illegally or looses his status becomes and illegal alien. but wasn't this country who many try to protect from immigrants founded by illegal aliens?

Answer 21

ok i am going to tell you like i tell everyone else illegal is illegal they broke are laws and they should be punished for it thrown on a bus and taken to there country of origin i am sick and tired of you ILLEGAL immigrant supporters we don't reward criminals

Answer 22

The correct term in ... illegal alien... NOT illegal immigrant and most of the folks who want the illegal aliens deported call them by their correct term in the English Language.... illegal alien.



If you use that term instead of the sillyness out of the Los Angles Times and Washington Post, we would know what you are talking about.

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The United States has to many people at this point. Illegal aliens, above the ..incredible.. numbers of immigrants that we allow, is simply foolish.



We are very upset about it, but we pay taxes. I gather you do not, but we do pay taxes, and the illegal aliens are costing some 300 billion a year in welfare payments. I do not want to pay that money. I do not want to pay that money, and most of the folks who are pro law enforcement do not feel it is justified to bow to the whims of the idiots attempting to force the illegal aliens down our throats.



Lets do go a little futher though. Provided amnesty, the illegal aliens would cost some 2.2 trillion dollars over the coming twenty years. You can bet your life that is not acceptable at all.

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And yet another point. Immigrants themselves are costing this country a bundle. The Congress is allowing those folks in willy nilly, and they are winding up in the social welfare programs designed for Americans. Some of them quite desperate to.

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Here is a bottom line for most of the people who ask that the law be enforced. The United States is going through, and will be going through, massive changes economically. We don't have the jobs for American Citizens, and after years, and years of abuse by Congress, we have managed to develop a huge supply of manual typewriter repair people. Business doesn't want the people graduating from our schools and they are demanding H1b's, and H2b's to bring millions of workers in from other countries. What in the world were they thinking of beside the bourbon?

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Illegal is a very, very bad connotation because it is n ow associated with a group of people who are in this country illegally collecting huge amounts of welfare we are paying for. Mexico should be taking care of their people... not the United States. Unfortunately though... Congress is representing the illegal aliens far more than the American People and THAT fact of life makes ... illegal... even uglier.

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Last point. Your essay wanders all over the place. You do finally provide us the question, but there are questions inside the main block. Perhaps if you supplied a link rather than your ..personal assertions.. and stayed on subject more tightly, we could stay on subject and answer more tightly.

Answer 23

The reason why illegal is a bad connotation is very simple. Regardless of whatever law, No human is illegal. period. The laws of whatever nation be damned. NO HUMAN ANYWHERE IS ILLEGAL.....EVER. That's why. The STD-ridden parasite above my post, where do YOUR ancestors come from? The problem is that we forget history far too easily, the rest of the world does not have such a convenient memory loss dilemma. If you destroy a bees nest, you then forfeit the right to complain when they come to your house. That is what we have done. You think I jest? Read Howard Zinn's "People's History of the United States"

Answer 24

Because it is against the law and illegal for a reason. Illegal immigration is bad for this country and it's citizens,it brings nothing but negative.

Answer 25

Over a billion people want to immigrate to the US. Obviously we cannot accept them all. It is citizens' right to choose who to admit to our country and who to deny. Thus our representatives have enacted laws.



Immigration-law violators are not welcome under any circumstances. They not only disrespect the rights of citizens, they disrespect our very founding principles of the rule of law, and that no one is above the law. Illegal aliens are lawbreakers, and that is the long and short of it. Allowing them to remain does not change the fact that these are people with fundamental disrespect for the law.



No excuses. No immigration-law violators should ever be allowed to remain in a country whose laws they violate.

Answer 26

Illegal means 'against the law'; the laws are made so that society can run smoothly and efficiently for the benefit of our citizens. People who are scofflaws are elevating self above society; if everyone acted in their own self interest, without regard for the community, chaos and savagery would ensue; the law of the jungle would prevail which means that you could be killed over something as simple as competing for a parking space in a mall. The lines are drawn by the law and if we ignore the law then the envelope would be pushed way beyond civil disobedience. That is why the laws must be enforced; the alternative is a compete and utter breakdown of civilized society.

Answer 27

U are right!!! They are making a wall just for immigrated people like me!! I am not from here but... While they are doin that wall they could give money to some country that are really poor!!! They are such a greedy and I hate it with all my heart but I like USA!! I hate the people that only thinks about themselves and not caring for the ones who needed!!!...W. Bush, he doesn't look good to being with because he is just stupid a*s that i hate him because he is the one who wanted to build that wall and not caring for others!!.. I am from Venezuela and half Chinese!!!... The Gasoline for cars is tooooooooooooo expensive that no ones wants to buy cars!!!!!.... I am sick sick to hear in the newspaper that they deported this family and that!!!....They need help etc!! What about the insure of health!!! Why they are doing such a bad things!!!... I don't like the laws from here but they only thing we could do is pray until they changed presidents because this is not my real problem!! But I am caring too much for the people that need food, water, clothes and they can't get to the USA!!!... I want to help them with all my might but I am in that condition and I will always pray that God gives some of his strength and eveything!!!... I really love to pray!!! I hope in the future some laws will change to betters one!!!...

Answer 28

It's hard to get in because we have too many "illegal ALIEN'S",that the system is overwhelmed.But it should be hard to gain entry and citizenship,this country is too full of do nothing ILLEGAL ALIEN'S.By the way , the very meaning of the word illegal is BAD.

Answer 29

God knows people in America don't want a law passed like that one. The illegal immigrants will continue to corrupt America. We allow anyone to come in here, pop out babies like machine guns, (bonus check for welfare, which means more money) and allow anyone born here to become automatic U.S. citizens. Think of the U.S. as a small jar. Think of the world as a massive glass container. The marbles represent the people...as long as you try to put more and more in from the large jar (represents the entire world), to the small jar (U.S.), eventually, it will start overflowing. That is what is happening...overpopulation is HUGE right now. The rate we are going at, we won't ever be able to build enough roads, houses, schools, hospitals, etc., the way we are growing. The economy is bashed every single year. I have no idea how much the budget is for illegals, but it has to be billions, even trillions of dollars. They come here, get free food, health care, rob from Social Security, live off of welfare. The more kids they have, the more checks they get, so why not have eight to ten kids? The financial burden is horrible...no telling how many trillions these illegals are costing us yearly. How do we stop this crisis? Well, just take the benefits away. If we didn't have all the FREE things to offer, they wouldn't be coming here. The education...HAVE ALL BOOKS IN ENGLISH. Don't let the illegals get college education...take them back to Mexico if they can't get citizenship (it's not like it's hard in the first place...it may be a long process, but not hard.) The unemployment rates will continue to rise because they come here, don't work or anything, get everything for FREE, so why should they work...they just get everything handed to them in the first place. If they get paid to sit on their butts eating burritos all day instead of working, why not? Bringing more people in to take jobs...BS! If a legal U.S. citizen needs a job bad enough, he/she will do whatever they have to do to get that extra money. If you can't handle the answer, don't ask the question.

Answer 30

Illegal has a negative denotation. Illegal aliens are trespassers at best, invaders at worst. It would be foolish for the US to give amnesty to 20 million mostly illiterate, non-English speaking people who have no respect for our laws. We could make heroin legal too, but that would be just as foolish.

Answer 31

An immigrant comes here legally, you are in reference to illegal invaders. Why do people not get the word ILLEGAL-meaning, breaking the Law!!! There could be no amount of conditions that would ever let me accept any kind of amnesty!! Why do you feel we should award criminals? They need to either self-deport or we will deport them! Nothing else will do!!!

Report and Deport!!

Answer 32

You're right. Laws have changed multiple times over the years to stay in focus with the times. That's why every law has subsections, addendum's etc. The current visa system as you noticed is extremely flawed and backlogged. Two things need to be done, update the current situation and fire everyone currently working there. They obviously aren't doing their jobs considering the backlogs.

Answer 33

the correct term is unauthorized immigrants or undocumented immigrants.

thanks.