Reader comments
Illegal-immigration problem belongs to everyone

When is your organization going to face the issue that illegal means illegal. There are already laws on the book since I believe 1986 that the law spells it out in detail for how our business community are to act in the appropriate manner by following the Rule of Law. The legislators do not have to waist time coming up with new crafted ideas. The Department of Homeland Land Security and ICE needs to be supported. The legislators have access by just picking up the telephone and request how you would like Utah to cooperate. Many states are taking this action. And if our legislators are getting approval from the LDS on all legislation from the Church stop it because this is un-American.

Anyone is welcome to my home if they enter by the front door and respect the rules of my home, whether they be strangers, my friends, or the friends of members of my family. No one is allowed to just enter without first being admitted into the home by me or by a family member.

No one seems to think that my behavior strange. No one argues with my right to determine who enters my home and under what conditions they are allowed to enter.

Most who enter are guests that stay for a few hours. Some are invited to eat with us. Some have come to stay for longer periods of time until they could find another place to stay. Some have married my sons and daughters and, by so doing, have gained full rights to use the house and full access to its possessions.

The United States is also my home. The same rules apply. Knock before entering. Ask permission to enter. Agree to abide by the laws while here, then you'll be welcome.

Nonsense.
In neoconservative circles, our Mexican brothers and sisters are being viewed the way the Jews were in Fascist Europe.

How many sides are there, Mr. Florez, to ILLEGAL?

"Nonsense. In neoconservative circles, our Mexican brothers and sisters are being viewed the way the Jews were in Fascist Europe." - Anonymous

Which shows how ignorant you are. "Neoconservatives" are emphatically open borders. Bill Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard, is the classic neoconservative. He called amnesty opponents "yahoos." Another big neocon, Max Boot, has proposed giving citizenship to anyone and everyone who signs up to serve in the US military.


"Sen. Hickman might realize that if he took the time to talk with our own state employers such as farmers and growers; the construction, recreation and manufacturing industries; and service industries such as hotels and restaurants."

When I was a kid nearly all of these jobs, save the fruit pickers, was done by legal Americans. These industries don't support illegal immigration out of the goodness of their heart - they support it because it's cheap, servile labor.


"He also seems to fail to recognize the growing economy for local businesses that benefit from a growing consumer market."

Well in that case, Come One, Come All! That's a recipe for a Ponzi scheme (no wonder Utahns like illegals). When does it stop? When our population hits one billion? Two?

I agree with Mike's comments; sensible, legitimate and right. It's obvious that too many members of our state Government haven't delved into the problems that illegals bring to this state and country. Utah IS a sanctuary state. Now that Arizona and Oklahoma have enacted laws that prohibit hiring, providing drivers licenses, etc., to illegals, they are moving to Utah where they are welcomed with open arms. And, they have brought with them their criminal element. We have the largest Mexican Gang organization west of the Mississippi, excluding California. The illegal drug business flourishes in this state. The education process is pitiful because illegal students are mainstreamed and for the most part, refuse to learn English costing the taxpayers millions each year for interpreters. Nearly 50% of all babies born in some of our major hospitals are to illegal immigrants who are then enrolled into our welfare system. Only until we stop allowing babies, born of illegal mothers, citizenship in this country will some of this come to a halt. And, when arrested for the majority of major crimes in this state, these illegals should be incarcerated for the maximum, no plea bargaining. Send a message that the door isn't open.

When people think of fascism, they imagine Rows of goose-stepping storm troopers and puffy-chested dictators. What they don't see is the economic and political process that leads to the nightmare.
The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
The legal/illegal argument against Mexicans is merely a smokescreen for this nations' growing fascist direction amongst our Neocon types.

Florez gets close to the truth of the matter, and that is that the interests of capital and labor are quite different, even though they share the same society. To capital all labor (domestic and foreign) is a commodity with all of the considerations due a commodity. An understanding of the immigration issue must deal with the relationship between capital and labor, and that is neither an easy nor comfortable thing to do.

TO ANONYMOUS- Yeah, but I'm not a racist and I'm certainly NOT a neoconservative. I just believe in the rule of law. We are setting a legal precedent if we award American citizenship to an estimated 11 million illegal aliens just because many of their special interest groups tell us it's inhuman of us to enforce our laws which explicitly tell us to deport these exploiters . If our government will grant American citizenship to criminal illegal immigrants--if it will actually do THAT, then-- what will it NOT do?? This needs to be remembered.

I agree with Mike's analogy of "guests" to his "home" and tie them into Lew's comments also. Immigrants are welcome to come into our home through the front door, but that ignores that we have a large family and many doors. Other family members - as Lew (and the author) states that different family members have different agendas/purposes. Other family members are helping 'guests' in and worse, the whole family sits down to eat with them and greets them, pretending not to know. And yet, the whole family has known... the whole time. We've allowed them in because we all benefit by them being in 'our home' and there's lots of room and lots of work to be done. But now many want to reevaluate this 'relationship' but the family has to determine what 'our' common needs are and how do we come together on them, hence Lew's comments. We're all in this together, folks. Let's not fool ourselves.

Revising history
"History" as told by supporters of LULAC, MALDEF, MEChA, and La Raza almost invariably includes not only the claim that "Hispanics" were here "first," but that "Hispanics" were established in large numbers throughout the Southwest at the time the United States annexed that territory in 1848.

In fact, the Spanish Empire was unable to establish effective control over most of the land that today forms the seven States of the U.S. Southwest � Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. The Indian nations � Apache, Comanche, Hopi, Navajo, Paiute, Shoshone, Ute, etc. � not only militarily defeated the Spanish attempt to invade and colonize this land, but the Apaches and Comanches counter-attacked and raided deep into what is now Mexico. The Comanches raided as far south as Guatemala

TO ANONYMOUS- Remember that our immigration laws existed long before the illegal invasion from Latin America. We have one of the most liberal immigration policies in the world. No one wants to enact Nuremberg Laws--we just want to enforce the immigration laws already on our books--and for good reason!! Is that so unreasonable? Do you realize how stringent, how well-enforced Mexico's immigration laws are? People who employ the race card, with regard to the ILLEGAL immigrant issue realize that legally their position is untenable. Most thinking people aren't duped by that position.

To POLK- Thank you. I'm not surprised-- but remember Polk that for this much needed bit of educated clarification you will be roundly declared a neo nazi by many special interest groups. But console yourself with this thought: the Nazi's were once a special interest group too. Wow, Guatemala, huh??

I am not sure why one would label those who want rule of law to prevail a racist or "neoconservative" (whatever that really means)

We have a system here in our country that works very well. It produces opportunity and wealth for all who participate. We have harbored immigrants from every country in the world, taken them in and given them a home and opportunity. We have been able to accomodate everyone and continue on with our business.

Now we are faced with an influx of immigrants that are here illegally and taxing our system beyond breaking point. Are we racists, hatemongering, or facist to want to control this situation? I think not.

Seal the borders, fix our immigration system, enforce our laws and our problem will be greatly reduced. Doing these things will allow those from outside of our country to come here, become citizens, and participate in our great system. They will contribute and make us better. Thats how it has always worked.

Do we have the resolve and courage to do it?

If a white English-speaking American expresses displeasure over the prediction that his ethnic group (if present trends continue) is destined to lose its majority status, he will be called a �racist.�

But Hispanic activists publicly gloat over the increase of their ethnic group. Why isn�t that racist?

This multi-facted problem exceeds the capability of our somewhat impotent government.

Every time I read an article such as this one and then read the comments I come to same conclusion. 80-84% of the American Tax Paying citizens don't want ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. Two snap polls (results aren't tainted) on Channel 2 & 4 also indicate that SAME result. So why shouldn't our legislators, attorney general, governor and senators listen to the people. We are not racists, we are American Citizens who want our laws enforced. We welcome LEGAL IMMIGRATION. Some one coming here legally is screened for health, criminal background and general charactor and have a desire to assimilate and become a citizen of this country. Increase the legal quota, if necessary, but it must be done legally!!

The German government in the 1930's, due to a collapsing economy (devalued Deutsch Mark, unemployment, etc., and low industrial production) drafted The Reich Citizenship Law that put pressure on immigrants (especially the non-christian Jewish variety) to keep them out of the country.
Those who cannot see the fascist-like similarities of today's illegal immigration problem have already forgotten how far things got out of hand in The Fatherland.

Taxing our system, past the breaking point? I don't think so, grundle. A quick google search will lead you to some recent studies that show that non-citezen workers contribute more than they take. If you don't believe me, why don't you protest by refusing to pay for cheap produce, fast food, clean hotel rooms.......

It's not a question of anybody wanting illegal immigration or not, its the unrealistic expectation that anything short of gestapo-like raids on illegals (and how are we to know if they are legal or illegal - make them wear "L"s on their clothes?)
and building a Great Wall of China on our borders is going to solve the problem.