Hmmmmm. These posted comments are curious. Coloradodog makes a few good arguments about the importance of language and cultural assimilation while taking steps to do what s/he can to improve things. S/he also raises concerns that seem to have no solid solutions, only perpetual frustrations. USAPDX, however, is worrisome. First, whom ever you are, I believe you spelled "exampt" wrong. It's EXEMPT. Not to worry, this is a common predicament for many foreigners. So, too, are the other types of grammatical errors your response demonstrates. Are you a person born in this country? Either way, as long as you pay taxes, being English-proficient at the 3rd grade level is sufficient. Second, where do Californians go for medication they can't afford? Mexico. And those who live along our northern international borders? Canada...right after we've seen free Canadian doctors because we can't afford health care here. You see, we border-hop ourselves, taking advantage of other people's health care systems. But we come back; we only want the drugs--often those we can't buy here without a prescription, a.k.a: illegal.

Now, I seem to remember US History demonstrating that white men murdered their way across the Atlantic and this entire nation until they pretty much got all the land they wanted--or ran out. The Indians and Mexicans (and some French, I think) didn't have a chance to question the intruder's immigration status. Even if they did, they would have been killed or put on Reservations, anyway. Tell me why, with such a proud history as this, are we so disturbed by uncontrolled immigration, especially from one of the very nations we ran off years ago? We showed 'em how! If ILLEGALS should go home, that means an awful lot of us folks whose families came here without processing on Ellis Island better pack-up and leave. Personally, my grandfather was smuggled in illegally by his parents seeking a better life. But wait, they were blond, blue-eyed WHITE people and came across the Canadian border after sailing from Denmark. That makes it OK. People visa-jumping from Canada today aren't bothered so much. I wonder why this is? Oh, wait...it might be the WHITE thing again.

And what's more....If you have a problem with migrants and migrant employers, better smile when you pay $5.00 for a pint of strawberries, or much more the next time you want a salad or some grapes. And when you pay $3.99 for your next Walmart or Target t-shirt, think of the Americans who enslave thousands of poor people, some trafficked onto our US shores, for the purpose of exploiting their labor in sweatshops overseas as well as in San Francisco, New York and Chicago. We are ALL guilty of buying into systems that encourage and sustain undocumented workers.

My friend, I pray you and your family never feel the sting of poverty or loneliness of separation to the degree that would force you to go where people like you make them feel unwelcome, and take jobs no one else would consider having.

What of the families who are torn apart in Mexico when their men take off to the US and leave them in without husbands/fathers here?

What of Mexican laws that would imprison me, make me pay a huge fine and deport me if I am caught illegally here?

What of the good, white, Republican "Christians" who have illegal immigrants mow their lawns (a la Mitt Romney) while demonizing them and using them as another Rovian wedge issue to win elections?

What of Americans who look the other way at corporations in the US who entice, employ and exploit these workers?

What of the humanity of this issue that does not see it involves real people whose real lives are affected by this problem on both sides of the borders?

American can't enforce the immigration laws it already has. What makes one think any reform would change this fact?

Mexico and the Church needs to figure out how to take care of its own here. My contribution is to teach them English so if they do go, legally or illegally, at least they can assimilate instead of relying on their huge extended families in the US to not learn the language or the cultural differences that cause so many problems there for them and Americans both (simple things like not playing loud music at night, not throwing their trash in the street and putting used toilet paper in the bowl instead of throwing it on the floor like they do here for lack of adequate plumbing to accommodate it).

America needs to figure out what to do regarding the incredible corruption and hypocrisy surrounding this issue there.

To all the immigrants that followed USA law and became citizens, I welcome you in your new country and hope you have a happy full life. To all you that sneaked into the USA are criminal by the first step in violation of USA law and are NOT welcomed. You are a libility to the American tax payers as well to our country that your actions are pulling AMERICA down. The root of the problem of ILLEGALS in the USA is their ILLEGAL EMPLOYERS that give jobs to you instead of American account they pay ILLEGALS scab wages. Then there are the dogooder groups that speakout POLITALLY for you illegals and turn around and claim TAX EXAMPT where as they have violated the tax exampt law's rules which means STEALING by not pay their tax which is the price for total FREE SPEECH in the USA. With the number of violations, the Tax EXAMPT law should be repealed. The day is coming where AMERICAN will draw a line on ILLEGALS and vote out thoes that support them in goverment. For short ILLEGALS, JUST GO HOME.