Adam - what more needs to be said? This isn't Texas or Arizona or New Mexico, its New Jersey, thousands of miles away from those places. Yet it's still full of illegal aliens. People ask why many in the GOP have looked away from illegal immigration and this is exactly it...big business. Its wrong when democrats do it and its wrong when Republicans do it. I'm here b/c my Grandparents immigrated from Germany and Hungary, legally, in 1915. I've seen their names entered on the Ellis Island roles that are available online. My other family arrived in Hawaii legally from England and married into the Hawaiian Royal Family. We were there when the United States stole Hawaii from it's people, so I guess we were legal citizens on that side of the family too, from the beginning in a manner of speaking. So, I'm a huge believer in legal immigration...and here is the but...BUT modern, 21st century western nations DO NOT NEED immigration. If we allow it then it should be based on a carefully considered plan with clearly defined goals and objectives that provides something to us and is supported by the people. We cannot solve the problems of the world, full stop. We certainly cannot solve the problems of the third world by importing them to the United States any more than we could solve the problem of homeless people by inviting dozens of them into our own homes. We will simply turn our own home into what we removed them from, as third world immigration inevitably turns a modern, western nation into a third world nation. I cite California as the irrefutable example of that and rest my case.
This is a timely column from you on an issue that most people wouldn't think plagues New Jersey, far from our Southern border with Mexico and Latin America. There must be a better way than what's been going on for my entire lifetime and the extremes of both political parties.
Thank you, Adam, for this fair and thorough assessment. ICE, border patrol, and the other internal homeland security agencies are the new national heros, and deserve support. It's always disheartening to hear reports of various governors, mayors, and local law enforcement basically sabotaging and undermining their work. If anyone doesn't think this is a major problem, they're living in a bubble. What's sad, too, is the alarm people are now feeling, in the building awareness, may cause racial profiling or discrimination against the Latino community members who are here legitimately. America doesn't need more racial tension. Something else, I wonder how many illegals may try to enlist in the military to avoid deportation? My younger son enlisted in the Navy yesterday, and recently I had asked his recruiter if there was a sudden rush to enlist (by illegals). I served in the military thirty years ago and personally knew several Latinos who enlisted solely to get that green card. I wonder if that's still a thing or if current policies prohibit it? The recruiter kind of acted uncomfortable when I asked and acted like he didn't want to talk about it lol. Anyway, good work, Adam!
I’ve lived in SE Texas all of my 69 years. The systems in NJ were in place here before I started framing houses in the 70s. I worked hand-in-hand beside young men that waded across the river at night and went to work the next day doing anything they could that would buy a meal,a pair of work pants and a bag of used hand tools.
I know I’ve been fortunate to meet and work with the many that came here to be a part of our culture and even more fortunate to have not gotten caught up with the ones who come here to take advantage of it.
We need a wall. And we need doors in that wall. We need top-to-bottom immigration reform.
Here in LA illegals have driven out black people, Compton is 86% Latino now, same with Inglewood & Watts. I started noticing this about a decade ago when I would go out there for work, I was always under the impression that these communities were very black & they were not from what I saw. Mostly Spanish being spoken & not too many black folks. Nobody talks about it much but the Latino communities are not big on black people either, we like to think that only white people can be this way but that isn't true. There is plenty of that mentality to go around to everyone. The LA Times begrudgingly has covered some of it in articles about the remaining black folks in LA county who live in the fringes of it in places like Antelope Valley where there are huge warehouse facilities for jobs. Due to so many illegals coming here, the black community is almost gone in LA. I also learned that within a year of the civil rights laws becoming a thing, Democrats changed immigration laws. Some might say it was a coincidence but I don't believe so.
It's the same in restaurants all over, and I've known it since 1999, most of the workers have "fake" or "borrowed" SSNs that the employers don't bother to verify. This isn't news whatsoever.
I would be curious to know if the hotel and casino labor, mostly in kitchens and housekeeping, are employees or contractors.
I probably sound like a jerk by implying hotels and casinos, but it has to be true. Has to be. Where else do double-digit millions of people exist while functionally providing labor and generating economy? They're not living on the streets. I'm guessing the construction industry is full of illegal contract workers too. As long as they keep their heads down and stay out of trouble, nobody even knows.
If effectuated, and that's a big if, mass deportation will be an uppercut to American businesses on an order of magnitude that *no one* will see coming.
What's the ripple effect, maybe high schoolers getting jobs again? Who knows. But I'm leaning toward "ain't gonna happen."
Adam - what more needs to be said? This isn't Texas or Arizona or New Mexico, its New Jersey, thousands of miles away from those places. Yet it's still full of illegal aliens. People ask why many in the GOP have looked away from illegal immigration and this is exactly it...big business. Its wrong when democrats do it and its wrong when Republicans do it. I'm here b/c my Grandparents immigrated from Germany and Hungary, legally, in 1915. I've seen their names entered on the Ellis Island roles that are available online. My other family arrived in Hawaii legally from England and married into the Hawaiian Royal Family. We were there when the United States stole Hawaii from it's people, so I guess we were legal citizens on that side of the family too, from the beginning in a manner of speaking. So, I'm a huge believer in legal immigration...and here is the but...BUT modern, 21st century western nations DO NOT NEED immigration. If we allow it then it should be based on a carefully considered plan with clearly defined goals and objectives that provides something to us and is supported by the people. We cannot solve the problems of the world, full stop. We certainly cannot solve the problems of the third world by importing them to the United States any more than we could solve the problem of homeless people by inviting dozens of them into our own homes. We will simply turn our own home into what we removed them from, as third world immigration inevitably turns a modern, western nation into a third world nation. I cite California as the irrefutable example of that and rest my case.
This is a timely column from you on an issue that most people wouldn't think plagues New Jersey, far from our Southern border with Mexico and Latin America. There must be a better way than what's been going on for my entire lifetime and the extremes of both political parties.
Thank you, Adam, for this fair and thorough assessment. ICE, border patrol, and the other internal homeland security agencies are the new national heros, and deserve support. It's always disheartening to hear reports of various governors, mayors, and local law enforcement basically sabotaging and undermining their work. If anyone doesn't think this is a major problem, they're living in a bubble. What's sad, too, is the alarm people are now feeling, in the building awareness, may cause racial profiling or discrimination against the Latino community members who are here legitimately. America doesn't need more racial tension. Something else, I wonder how many illegals may try to enlist in the military to avoid deportation? My younger son enlisted in the Navy yesterday, and recently I had asked his recruiter if there was a sudden rush to enlist (by illegals). I served in the military thirty years ago and personally knew several Latinos who enlisted solely to get that green card. I wonder if that's still a thing or if current policies prohibit it? The recruiter kind of acted uncomfortable when I asked and acted like he didn't want to talk about it lol. Anyway, good work, Adam!
Thank you for your reply. That's interesting...I wonder if there will be an uptick. Interesting.
Thank you for reading once again!
Thank you for continuing to enlighten us.
You're welcome
I’ve lived in SE Texas all of my 69 years. The systems in NJ were in place here before I started framing houses in the 70s. I worked hand-in-hand beside young men that waded across the river at night and went to work the next day doing anything they could that would buy a meal,a pair of work pants and a bag of used hand tools.
I know I’ve been fortunate to meet and work with the many that came here to be a part of our culture and even more fortunate to have not gotten caught up with the ones who come here to take advantage of it.
We need a wall. And we need doors in that wall. We need top-to-bottom immigration reform.
Here in LA illegals have driven out black people, Compton is 86% Latino now, same with Inglewood & Watts. I started noticing this about a decade ago when I would go out there for work, I was always under the impression that these communities were very black & they were not from what I saw. Mostly Spanish being spoken & not too many black folks. Nobody talks about it much but the Latino communities are not big on black people either, we like to think that only white people can be this way but that isn't true. There is plenty of that mentality to go around to everyone. The LA Times begrudgingly has covered some of it in articles about the remaining black folks in LA county who live in the fringes of it in places like Antelope Valley where there are huge warehouse facilities for jobs. Due to so many illegals coming here, the black community is almost gone in LA. I also learned that within a year of the civil rights laws becoming a thing, Democrats changed immigration laws. Some might say it was a coincidence but I don't believe so.
It's the same in restaurants all over, and I've known it since 1999, most of the workers have "fake" or "borrowed" SSNs that the employers don't bother to verify. This isn't news whatsoever.
I would be curious to know if the hotel and casino labor, mostly in kitchens and housekeeping, are employees or contractors.
I'm now starting to grapple how large this problem is.
I probably sound like a jerk by implying hotels and casinos, but it has to be true. Has to be. Where else do double-digit millions of people exist while functionally providing labor and generating economy? They're not living on the streets. I'm guessing the construction industry is full of illegal contract workers too. As long as they keep their heads down and stay out of trouble, nobody even knows.
If effectuated, and that's a big if, mass deportation will be an uppercut to American businesses on an order of magnitude that *no one* will see coming.
What's the ripple effect, maybe high schoolers getting jobs again? Who knows. But I'm leaning toward "ain't gonna happen."