July 02, 2005

Immigration: Screw You for Trying to Do It Right

You have a better one-line description of current immigration law? Because after reading this, I don't:

I have done my research, contacted several immigration attorneys and got the same answer. For my aunt to stay, she will have to immediately go back to Korea and then wait for a minimum of 10 years (as long as 12) while she is processed. She's 61 now. To wait that long will mean she will be unable to enjoy what our country has to offer, she will be unable to see her young nephew grow. I have to tell you, March was the first time in 23 years that my mom and aunt had seen one another. I had never, ever met her. It was 30 years since my dad had seen her last. To wait another 10 years would be torture. She is independent. Would not get social security as she never worked here, and would not be dependent upon the resources of the state. She simply wants to spend her later years with her sister.

. . .

The failure of immigration in the country is that for those wanting to come to America legally, the process is so time consuming and difficult that it makes it an impossibiity. . . . Meanwhile, we are overrun with illegal immigrants that our country chooses to largely ignore because afterall "undocumented individuals have rights too" WTF? They get to trample my rights as a citizen because they are minorities. I got news for ya! I have been a minority all my life. I have never asked for a handout, never asked for a break, never asked for a group right that I wasn't already entitled to under the Constitution. What I ask for is fairness. The system is not fair.

No. It isn't. And when you look at what it takes to get here legally, it's not hard to figure why so many don't bother with the formalities. I'd be swimming the Rio Grande myself if I were stuck in Mexico with little work and less pay. I'm not kidding. I might blame the current system we got, but I'm not blaming the people who'd rather try to beat it than starve.

When the system grants amnesty to those who provide cheap labor, but penalizes a 61 year-old woman and her family for wanting to dot all the i's and cross all the t's--for wanting to do it right--something's backwards.

Posted by Ilyka at July 2, 2005 01:54 AM in hell is other people | TrackBack
Comments

Thank you! Nice to see I'm not alone in my thinking out there. In fact, now, when she goes back after her visit, we won't be able to see her again for over a year (she overstayed this time Ha Ha! 6 months instead of 3). What a lovely system. Thank you for linking me.

Posted by: oddybobo at July 2, 2005 04:13 PM

That is a disgrace. Sadly not a surprise but a disgrace. We need real reform in this country with regards to immigration.

Posted by: esther at July 2, 2005 04:33 PM

Has this person seen an immigration attorney?

They MAY be able to come up with something legal which will allow his/her (sorry, not sure) Aunt to stay in the U.S. while processing.

It's been a while since I worked for immigration attorneys and last I heard, the Immigration Reform screwed a lot of things up -- but it's worth a shot. Most reputable firms won't charge a thing for a consultation.

Ask me to tell you sometime about a U. S. CITIZEN (naturalized) whom we had to defend to keep from losing it, retroactively, because of the stupid "reform" bill. *GRR* Seems to me that those that want to do the right thing are the ones that are punished. It ain't fair!

Posted by: Margi at July 3, 2005 01:08 AM

There are a whole shitload of hoops to jump through to get to stay here legally. It cost us hundreds of dollars and years of effort to get my Lovely Wife permanent resident status.

Posted by: Jim at July 6, 2005 10:31 PM