(06-24-2019, 10:31 AM)JaguarKick Wrote:

(06-23-2019, 05:38 PM)americus 2.0 Wrote: I wish they were as concerned about the welfare of their own countrymen. I have some liberal friends who are unapologetic about how they regard migrants and refugees over their fellow Americans. 

It's a good thing I can overlook their political leanings and keep the friendships. I think that's mostly because politics doesn't consume their lives like it does a lot of folks.

I think it's interesting that so many make the argument that we can't accept and care for immigrants because we still have veterans and homeless people in the U.S. that we haven't cared for.  That's been a problem for decades that neither side has addressed nor has plans to address--it's just a convenient argument one side makes currently to deflect.

There IS a humanitarian crisis at our border, but it's been manufactured by this administration.  The guy is using people as bargaining chips to make Democrats come to the table to meet his demands.  It's gross.  We need to streamline our immigration process, because most studies show that immigration actually contributes to our economy, rather than taking from it.  Illegal immigration wouldn't be an issue if it weren't so difficult to enter the U.S. legally.  Most immigrants I've been in contact with as an educator (there have been a lot of them, both legal and illegal) legitimately intend to work hard and contribute.  There are absolutely those few who are looking for a free ride (speaking candidly, they do come from very specific countries), but that isn't all that different from native citizens.  And studies show that U.S. citizens are actually more likely to commit a crime than illegal immigrants, meaning there's more of a danger from your fellow Americans than there is from immigrants.

All this to say, manufacturing xenophobia is and always has been an effective tactic, but it's entirely unwarranted.  Borders must have some security, but the entirety of our immigration system needs an overhaul.