I mean . . . you're obviously wearing alternately-colored glasses, considering your husband is not a legal immigrant - few of us are unbiased.

I think the reality is that a huge number of illegal immigrants are Hispanic, and thus any immigration policy will affect the Hispanic population more than others. This doesn't make the policy more or less valid - it seems like jobs and housing are two of the only realistic ways to attempt to regulate illegal immigrants form the 'supply-side', as it were, no?

I don't dispute that at all. I dispute the statement that SoCalGirl made about national policy not being directed at Hispanics.

It is directed at Hispanics, as it should be. Its not racism, its addressing the problem.

can't speak for Alpha Frog but no I didn't marry an illegal. However, we still had to do the long drawn out process for him to get a Green Card

Me neither - no problem with this at all.

Since Hispanics are our biggest miniroty, whether this is aimed at them or not, it will have a bigger overall effect on them as a group.

If enforced fairly, though, it will affect any undocumented person.

I guess the way I look at the whole situation is that "illegal" means just that and laws should be enforced. If a law is unfair (any law), get it changed. I know that's not easy, but the option is the kind of chaos that is present in our immigration system today.

People who are going through the process of attaining citizenship or getting the prescribed documents to live and/or work here are not "illegal," only the sometimes victims of what may be a difficult system.

It really does make me sad that a lot of illegal immigrants move here to better their life, and they really try. It's easy to say 'send them all back!' when you don't know what they'd be going back to.
The illegals that piss me off are the ones who don't work, who take advantage of the system and basically churn out babies while draining the government.
I'm legal and it's still really hard to get my citizenship. I'm aiming to get it before 2008 so I can help vote this administration out.

This administration will be out in January 2009 regardless of the 2008 election.

My parents got lucky when they got theirs because it was a major election year so they expedited everyone's oaperwork so that they could all become citizens and register to vote.

I misworded my post. What I meant was, so that I vote in someone who had NOTHING in common with this administration. Different policies etc.

This is true, but "SEND THEM BACK THEY TOOK ERR JUBS DERB" isn't really the issue - it's really more that enforcement of immigration laws is incredibly difficult, and so 'alternate' methods like housing regulations, etc are about the only way to make any changes short of blowing up the entire system (which I would be in favor of, but slow change is probably the better motif here).

"Councilman Sam Abed, who supported the measure, said it will improve the city's image and reputation, "and certainly our quality of life.""

This statement really bothered me. I thought they were taking a firm stance against Illegal immigrants because they are here illegally.

Too bad. Their problems are not my problems. Well.. they're not my problems until these people move here seeking a better life, a welfare check, free medical care, clogging our criminal justice system, etc.

An illegal alien is an illegal alien. If they're so much as driving on my state's roads without paying the appropriate taxes, they are creating more problems than they're solving. Cheap labor is not that huge of a benefit considering what it costs society in the long run.

I wonder if the Native Americans felt this way when the illegal "aliens" came, robbed them of their land, cleansed them out, and forced the rest into reservation [camps]. hmmmm.

I digress.

Can anybody provide a compelling reason why landlords should have a role in enforcing U.S. immigration laws? RC kind of touched on this, but I'm not convinced. Isn't this a case of the government being too lazy/incompetent to do its job and enforce its laws -- or, in the alternative, a futile attempt to do the impossible?