Monday, July 17, 2006

The heat is on

The temperature is rising outside and so is the desperate state of the Irish undocumented. For them it is a summer of discontent all the hard work of the ILIR is now being stalled by the hearings but they seem to have a silver lining in the only cloud around this summer and that is that because the legalize the Irish t shirts have been seen at all the hearings and done interviews and educated people as to just how difficult it is to get a visa with the current immigration system in the United States, the hearings are turning into an opportunity to change minds I know I have been there.

The House hearings are trying to focus on the toll illegal immigrants inflict on border states without considering the practicalities of immigration reform or the benefits of controlled immigration. They need to not only secure the borders but to address the people already here and let them step out of the shadows and become full members of a free society that they are working in and contributing to.

The Irish in particular are making sure their voice is heard, that the Irish immigrants are undocumented and as the noose tightens around their neck in America they are fighting to stay they have worked too hard and waited too long to give in now. They just wait in a constant state of anxiety that nothing will happen to their families back in Ireland because a trip home to see them is a one way ticket and a bolt on the door of your American life. The face of the undocumented is every normal day to day face we all see our neighbors, our employees, our relatives, waitresses, bartenders, landscapers, kitchen porters and hotel workers. How can we say they are not welcome here and then ask them to mow our lawns.
Nina.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmm. Written by Nina? Methinks "Nina" is a nom de plume for an American landowner.

ILIR presence at the Senate hearings is 'preaching to the converted'.

Attend a few of the House meetings, if you are courageous enough to risk apprehension and detainment for violating American visa laws.

And please enlighten the American faction with a differing viewpoint as to the benefits America has derived from the presence of 11+ million illegals.

Anonymous said...

It's so difficult to a get a US visa with in the current immigration system because there is so much widespread abuse. If foreigner visitors would stop absconding on their tourist visas, and blatantly illegally crossing US borders, we would have an opportunity to reform the system.

The US immigration is what you have made of it. We Americans are fed up.

Anonymous said...

My cousin lived here undocumented for seven years. The pressures was too much and she moved home with her husband. They were a wonderful hardworking couple and America would be better of with than without them.

He held a high supervisory position in a huge theater construction project in Greenwich Village while working under a false name. When that project was completed, they packed up and returned to Ireland.

Our country should do what it can to hold on to hard-working go-getters like my cousin and her husband.

Anonymous said...

firstly all hearings refers to both house and senate secondly they abscond on the tourist visas because there is no way to get a work visa the system is broken first hense the visa violation if the would be original tourist wanted to stay and work in the States for awhile they can not Ireland gets no quota of greencards each fiscal year (since the dreaded 1965 immigration Act when Europe stopped recieving their visas) unlike say Australia who get ten thosand each year this is simply an unfair treatment of the Irish they over stay because there is no line for them to get in to recieve a work permit please read about the current immigration laws first before making sweeping statements if the Irish had the same deal as the Aussies this website would not even have to exist ten thosand every year would be fabulous and take care of the problem

Anonymous said...

I believe the arrangement with Australia is a reciprocal deal. 10,000 US visas for 10,000 Aussies, and conversely 10,000 Aussie visas for 10,000 Yanks. Let's work out a similar reciprocal deal with Ireland. I would go for that.

US immigration is too asymmetrical. The US accepts far more immigrants than any country in the world. If fact the US accepts as many as all other immigrant-receiving countries combined. There not coming here for the culture. If all countries who send immigrants to the US would accept the same number of Americans in exchange, what a sweet, peaceful, prosperous world this would be.

Anonymous said...

Durty Nelly
What you are saying is true the deal the Aussies have would suit the Irish just perfect. One point you made is misleading per head Ireland takes in more immigrants than any other country. The US would have to take in 8 million a year to be on the same par apart from that an America Irish deal would suit all
love to all
Joan

Anonymous said...

Joan, what Durty Nelly said wasn't misleading; "The US accepts far more immigrants than any country in the world" is a fact. He didn't say per capita, which is what you are implying. Besides, Canada has the most immigrants per head of any country in the world.

Anonymous said...

Dear anonymous
I am mearly saying with the right use of words we can confuse the truth and all look like mother treasa .Today I gave a begger a dollar everyone else gave him a quater their for I am the biggest
contributer to his every need ,that is on paper I give 75% more than any one else in reality it is harmless.Please up date your research about Canada
LOVE TO ALL
JOAN