Comments on: Sharp Rise In Deaths Along Arizona Border

Tightened Border Security Drives Illegal Migrants Towards Riskier Desert Routes

[Krazcarl]

I''m the village idiot on this I always thought they drove over for a visit and didn''t go back. But I hear they pay ungodly anounts of cash to rascals that parade them through the wilderness to cross or nightime boat trips think I''d take the boat. What do you do when the guide takes a wizz break and doesn''t come back and your stuck in the woods with no or little cash they try lost and confused so the problem isn''t us it''s the mexicans problem of allowing this illegal activity. Most of these guys got jobs lined up before they leave that''s the problem on our end if we pull busness permits and heavy fines there would be no problem the solution is easy.

[arnoldbowers]

YOU g17mtjag must not be an American.the illegal do not have a right to cross the borders of our country & take the benefits we have earned through our labor. Seal iour ID''s and ruin our credit. No we like they can move from one state to another as long as it is within our country. Just think gw bush moved from Conn. to Texas he evens claims to be a Texan he is not but that is what he claims he is a deserter and does not claim that though he like the foreign illegal aliens lie and steal thing that do not belong to them.
When you reach the golden years&have nothing saved due 2 the fact your tax have eaten up all your income &savings due to the illegal aliens using them illegal at the clinics and hospitals birthing their illegal alien babies, free food, WIC, housing faster than you can pay them then&only then you will regret ever having said the things you have here.
The Americans over seas working have the governments permission which is different than being illegal aliens the best of good byes from Frank Bowers of Austin, TX

[carolrhill]

These people are illegal so what do they expect. They cross into our borders at their own risk.
What does at "At Your Own Risk" mean anyway. Is the UNITED STATES supposed to watch for everyone who cross our border or what. They cross when nobody is there so they are on their own. Right Right!!!

[arnoldbowers]

I really wish this g17mtjag person would think of what, if he is an American, he is saying in his 2 post here. First the Americans that are in foreign countries are there with that governments permission and there are a couple million of them at that not a thousand or so as he spoke of (Gee we have nearly 500,000 in Iraq alone not to mention the other countries that gw bush has sent them to rob them of their minerals) England, Japan, Germany the list is long and their children and spouses are with them legally. The fact is they are not taking free medicine, housing, school, transportation, reduced electric, free birthing clinics and other social services we have in this country for our citizens not an illegal alien.
Another mis understood fact is yes we Americans who are citizens can and do leave one state and move to another just like the mexicans in mexico leave one state and move to another with any problem. That is not the problem nor is it a problem. (good exapmole meay don''t like gw bush but he move here from Conn. The PROBLEM IS they are leaving their country and coming here with out our federal government permission. They are stealing our social services. Stealing our ID''s and using them illegal. The best of good byes frank bowers of austin, tx

[g17mtjag]

(I try writing better)

I didn''t forget the word illegal. As I mentioned, 7 million US citizens live and work in countries outside of the United States. Most do that legally. Some do it illegally. The ones who do it legally do so because the laws of the other countries are written to allow them to do so.

Given that we are the ones who control what our laws allow, it is our obligation to write laws that do what is needed.

Personally, I think Bush''''s guestworker program and proposed laws were a good idea.

Others want to simply further restrict the supply of legal immigration and want to ignore the reasons for it on both sides.

Yes, American business wants and needs more labor.

[g17mtjag]

I didn''t forget the work illegal. As I mentioned, 7 million US citizens live and work in countries outside of the United States. Most do that legally. Some do it illegally. The ones who do it legally do so because the laws of the other countries are written to allow them to do so.

Given that we are the ones who control what our laws allow, it is our obligation to write laws that do what is needed.

Personally, I think Bush''s guestworked program and proposed laws were a good idea.

Other apparently want to simply further restrict the supply of legal immigration and want to ignore the reasons for it on both sides.

Yes, American business wants and needs more labor.

[cjw3cma]

Those who have died are illegals trying to cross into the USA. So many posters seem to forget that the term illegal is the most important word in these stories. If they would follow the rules for legal entry they may still be alive. But they continue to break the rules and if they die, that was their choice.

I lived in San Diego for over 50 years and left there because of the influence of the immigrants over the local governments - bending over backwards to support illegals with US taxpayer funds.

It''s a shame.

[g17mtjag]

A lot of Mexico is very poor, but not all of it. Much of Mexico is wealthier than many parts of the US. And some of Mexico is very wealthy.

Most, but not all, of the mexican immigrants to the US are poor.

That does not mean there is any reason to be indignant. Every single one of us will leave one job to take another job that pays better. Most of us will move from one state to another or one city to another in search of better paying jobs.

Mexico is the nieghbor of a country that is wealthier and more powerful. It is no surprise that many people from a poorer country leave family and home to look for work in a richer country.

It may surprise you to know that the poorest among those and the ones who arrive illegally routinely pay far more money for the journey than any of us would traveling by air to other countries. A typical airline ticket for you or I, or someone coming here legally by plane from Mexico will cost about $600.

A typical illegal immigrant pays (an illegal) border smuggler about $3,000 for the crossing. That''s more money than many of us can afford for travel.

[myidoncbs]

Funny how the repugs are blaming Congress for the border problem. Don''t they know that Bush likes all them illegals? They provide the cheap labor that his business buddies all want.

BTW, they don''t risk their lives to come here just to get whatever they can "for free". Conditions in Mexico really are so bad that it seems worth risking their lives. And *that''s* just the way Bush wants to keep it!

[g17mtjag]

About 7 million US citizens live and work abroad in other countries.

Should they be required to give up their US citizenship and forced to become citizens of the country they live in, or returned to the US?

Millions more Americans in addition to that send their money (as opposed to their labor) to other countries, and enrich themselves with the return on those investments. Should that be restricted?

American investment in Mexico has forced millions of Mexican farmers out of business while making US agribusiness companies ADM and Monsanto richer.

Should the foreign operations of these American companies be limited?

Mexico has over the centuries including the 20th and 21st centuries absorbed immigrants from China, Korea, Germany, Britain, France, Russia, and other countries all over Asia, Europe, Africa, and North and South America.

The US is by no means the only country that both absorbs immigrants, and sends its own citizens out to work in other countries.

Consider that US citizens benefit from both legal and illegal emigration to many countries. It is necessary for each country including our own to develop immigration policies and laws that respect the economic, political, and security realities they face.

Our country faces a shortage of both skilled and unskilled labor and must continue to grow and develop. That some immigrants work for sub-standard wages should be addressed by US national wage standards that we enforce regardless of immigrant status.