Immigration

It seems to me that the mindset of most people opposed to any relief for the masses of undocumented workers --- some estimates indicate as many as 11 million or more --- in the United States from other places in the world --- mostly, I guess, from places south of the United States like Mexico, Central America, and South America --- is to view it completely from their own personal perspectives as citizens of the United States. What does it mean to me as a citizen to have them here? How am I as a citizen affected? Is having them here in my best interest? Citizens responding to articles I have read have little compassion or empathy for the people who have been here undocumented for long periods of time. "You are illegally here." They don't analyze the conditions and circumstances that caused the individuals to come to the United States to begin with. Furthermore, they don't take note of the circumstances the undocumented immigrants would be cast into if deported.

Citizens don't seem to want to take any responsibility for the fact that our government --- we the people --- made a mess of our immigration laws and our enforcement of them. We did not secure our borders. They are not secure today. Many people don't want to recognize that we didn't enforce our laws or protect our borders even though there was a previous major reform intended to fix the problem. The law and the lack of enforcement had the overall effect of encouraging and, perhaps, even enticing those without documentation to cross the borders or to overstay their visas in violation of the laws and regulations on the books. We the people don't want to pay for the enforcement of the laws necessary to keep the immigrants out. Furthermore, the powerful and rich have their own motivations relative to allowing porous borders. With money and power, you get much of what you want.