A Nation of Immigrants: Part 2

[H2O Man]

(Note: This is from an ILIR news release.I think immigration is an important issue. This is a follow-up to my largely ignored first post on the topic from this morning.)

The Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform is continuing to battle on behalf of undocumented Irish immigrants in the United States.

On Monday February 4, ILIR Vice-Chairman Ciaran Staunton and ILIR volunteer Micheal McMahon will be interviewed live on Newstalk's George Hook show discussing the plight of the undocumented Irish. (4.30pm to 7.00pm Irish time, 11.30am to 1.00pm US)

The show will be broadcast live on Newstalk in Ireland at 106 to 108fm or on the internet (or at :

www.newstalk.ie

Please ask your friends and families in Ireland to call in to the show and/or send an email....

Postscript; what a difference a few weeks make - last night's debate between Senators Clinton and Obama showed a real improvement in the political rhetoric on immigration. Their thoughtful responses, coupled with Senator McCain's demonstrated support for undocumented immigrants, shows how totally the anti-immigrant campaign is imploding across the US. Also, there was more bad news on the jobs front in Ireland this week; total job losses in Ireland for January are now running about 1500.

[Warpy]

1. For a long time, the illegal Irish were going home

as IT and pharmaceuticals meant that Ireland finally had a decent economy.

When I left Boston, the largest group of illegals in the area were from Ireland. Second were the Portuguese: Portugal, Brazil and the Azores.

Too many people in this country think all illegals are brown people from Mexico. It just isn't so, and reflects a terrible prejudice on their part.

Personally, I'd like to see illegals who can prove they've been here for five years, working, paying taxes, and staying clean to have an expedited process to obtain a green card. I would not like citizenship extended, ever, since they broke the law to get here. Any of their children born here would have dual citizenship until the age of 18.

Nothing else makes a whole lot of sense except starting to enforce the law against scumbucket employers who exploit them at substandard wages.

[H2O Man]

2. Right.

It's a bigger issue than the rabid republicans pretend.

I agree 100% about starting with the employers who exploit immigrant workers.