Do I look Illegal?

[getthefacts]

I live in a small town in Massachusetts. People know me in different ways: as a classical guitar teacher and performer, as a journalist, as a parishioner, as a father and husband. But almost nobody thinks of me as an undocumented immigrant. Why would anyone? I’m a reliable guy, who is very active is his parish, chair of his condo board, politically active, beautiful family, speaks fluent English and, maybe best of all, looks Italian.

But although I’m not proud to say this, I am out of status and I have been living like this for the past five years. But let me set the record straight. I am no alien. Neither am I a criminal. It is true I did not comply with all immigration statutes, but all of these are civil statutes.

I came to the U.S. for the first time in the late 80’s. I was in Junior High. Although I spent my childhood in South America, I somehow always knew I would end up here. My mother moved to Illinois when she was young and left the country to rebuild her life after a failed marriage. She remarried and had other two kids. I remember hearing many stories about this country growing up and listening to Simon and Garfunkel, Joplin, Santana et al. We all moved to NYC in 1989. We stayed for a year and a half and then returned because she could not sponsor her two foreign children for a green card. At the time, the reasoning was that as a single mom, she did not meet the financial requirement to file an Affidavit of Support (meaning, she couldn’t afford to feed the four of us and we would become a charge on the system).
In 1995, we returned to NYC. In 1996, I applied for permanent residency and was denied. As I was already accepted into college, the university I would be attending suggested I applied for a student visa to stay legally while I found a way to apply for a green card.

The avenue for a green card never materialized. I could go into the details here, but it makes no sense. It is just too long and complicated a story. In short, at some point my work authorization expired. I applied for an extension, but was denied. Since I had bills to pay, including college tuition and rent, I chose to work unauthorized. I couldn’t afford not to. I even approached my principal to let her know USCIS did not extend my work authorization (I was a teacher then), and she told me that we never had that conversation.
Once my visa expired, I couldn’t petition for a new one unless I lied on the form (the form asks if the petitioner held unauthorized employment). I could not get myself to lie, even though most friends and even an attorney told me to go ahead, stating that USCIS would never find out and I would only make life miserable if I lost my status. You can call me naïve, but, as I said to my wife at the time, I would not let anything corrupt my sense of right and wrong. And I did not think, as I still don’t, that it was wrong to keep working. At the time, I already had a sense that I belonged here. I was married, expecting a child, and deeply involved in my community. I was not going to pack up and go.

Today, I live in limbo. I am a father of three beautiful American children. My mom is a naturalized American citizen. I have brothers and sisters who were born here. My wife is a permanent resident on her way to become a citizen (and this, by the way, is another nightmare story with a long 10 years of waiting. And that is because she did everything absolutely right). But in order for me to have a shot at becoming legal again, I would have to leave this country and my community behind for 10 years before I could qualify to apply for residency (a process which can take anywhere from three to six years average).

Now, today, I can’t express the anger as I heard a congressman explaining on TV how the police in Arizona would be able to identify illegal immigrants. “They dress like this, they use certain types of shoes and they have such and such behavior patterns”. How do we elect these people? Most would probably gasp if they knew how many undocumented immigrants have been living right across the street, sharing church pews, and even employing American born citizens in their businesses. We all still have the same image of these “illegals”. Why don’t we just call them wetbacks, like we used to?

Immigration reform is important to me and my family. I don’t want to live my life with this invisible ceiling holding my potential. I want to be able to think high, and dream far, without ropes to tie me down. I thought about leaving, but it is hard to leave family and friends, community and country behind. After all, this IS my nation, and I’m not letting anyone tell me otherwise.
Here at D.U. , I often read people describing reform as a shortcut. There are no shortcuts when talking about immigration law. Only when you don’t understand how the system works, you can make such absurd statements. And most people don’t understand or care to. I was amazed last month when I joined thousands in D.C. for the immigration rally. But I was also disappointed to come back home and see that the minuscule Tea Party rally held in front of Congress got more media attention. That Tea Party crowd could fit into two buses. Our march filled the mall. But the reality is, we are invisible.

And, in a twisted way, I do wish that the Arizona governor signs this ridiculous bill. Because then, I hope, people like me will decide that it is not worth to hide anymore. As we will go out by the thousands. And citizens with some good-sense will also understand that this has gone way too far and will start demanding a solution. And maybe then, President Obama will remember the promises he made as a candidate. The promises that made me believe in a new tomorrow. That is why I called and drove every single American citizen I knew - family and friends - to the polls on that Nov. 15th to make sure they voted.

I’m still looking forward to a bright future. I walk towards it and I hope to find more people to walk it with me.

[HipChick]

1. K&R ..well written

[TCJ70]

2. Without a picture...

...it's hard to tell.

[tavalon]

16. It's dangerous enough for him to write this

a picture would make it all the more likely he would be caught. As well, a picture is not the point. Racial profiling and the heinous process people go through to become legal residents is the point.

[readmoreoften]

54. WTF does that mean? What does an "illegal" look like?

Do people sprout wings when they get a green card?

[LetsgoWings13]

58. +1

[Tuesday Afternoon]

3. "... even an attorney ..."

I don't get that part. Was this lawyer going to help you with the process...?

[getthefacts]

4. The lawyer

told me she could not file the form herself (as she would be breaking the law), but told me to go ahead and do it. Very similar to the head of the Immigration Dept. here telling her house cleaner not to leave the country because of the risks. Nonsensical laws make people do nonsensical things...

[FarLeftFist]

5. I bet no illegal Russian immigrants will ever be rounded up in AZ

Only "Them Brown skin folks".

[Berserker]

6. I was born

here in America. I am white. I know for a fact that when I broke the law my ass was held accountable. I have been in jail both in the military and in civilian life. The color of my skin did not do a fucking thing to protect me so don't give me that fucking brown skin bullshit. If a person does illegal things he or she is held accountable as per the laws of this United States. If you are illegal you are illegal no mater what skin color you have. I feel for the original poster but the law states that he is illegal. He must abide by the law as you and I do.

[csziggy]

7. I was vicitimized by two different illegal aliens

Who were each in the country illegally. Both had worked in the country for years without proper papers. Both had committed felonies and been convicted for those felonies, but left off on probation while they continued to commit crimes. Both were white.

The Canadian had been convicted of writing over $100,000 worth of bad checks, but convinced the DA and the judge that he would repay the money. When he wrote %5000 worth of bad checks to me, I did some background checking on my own and found out that he had skipped out on a bankruptcy in Toronto and owed over a half million there. He was also a horse thief. I was the one who told the DA this - until then, his office believed that the money would be repaid to the victims. Meanwhile, he had also gotten contracts with the city, county, and state governments as well as a state university and the police department. He never did the work that the contracts were for, even though he was paid significant amounts to begin the work. None of the government agencies ever bothered to check to see if he was licensed to do business in the state, county or city - he was not.

The Swede had been convicted of felony stalking and making death threats. Again, he was let off with probation, even though he was in the country and working illegally. He paid a woman to marry him and beat her at regular intervals before she finally turned him into INS and got him deported during her divorce. He assaulted me, but convinced the cop that I had "provoked" him, so was never charged with that crime. That was right after the Swede had gotten his eviction notice and it took another four months to get him off my property for good - and even then he stole over a thousand dollars worth of things from me and did several hundred dollars damage to my facilities. The police would not take a report on those crimes, either.

You cannot tell me that a dark skinned illegal alien in this country illegally who had committed even one of those offenses would not have been locked up and deported. But because those two men were of Northern European descent, they were allowed to skate until their crimes reached a completely unacceptable behavior.

The color of skin should not matter, illegal or not. But it does.

[Llewlladdwr]

25. I can tell you that down here in Texas...

there are many dark skinned illegal aliens who have committed crimes similar to those you've described who are similarly out among the public.

Do you live around the Great Lakes? That may account for our differing experiences.

[csziggy]

26. No, I am in Florida

Plenty of illegals from countries all over the world. But the lighter skin toned ones tend to get probation for their offenses while the others are locked up with no bail awaiting deportation, even if they have done nothing more than a traffic violation.

[getthefacts]

9. Would you mind sharing what law you broke?

Thanks for the different view.

[Brewman_Jax]

11. The Minutemen aren't watching the Canadian border

things that make you say, hmmm...?

[panzerfaust]

37. They were. But - as you will recall - they self destructed this Spring

Minutemen watch U.S.-Canada border

Civilian volunteer Mark Forest of Oregon took a week off from work, left his wife and five kids at home in Salem and drove north to stand...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002538196_borderpatrol04m.html



Volunteers beginning watch near Canada line
Minutemen see threat in north...

http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2005/10/04/volunteers_beginning_watch_near_canada_line/

[Brewman_Jax]

39. Good point

and good articles, there.

[Little Star]

14. I don't understand the "I won't lie" bit. What? It's ok to break the

law though??? Anywho, I say he is lying by ommission. There is a lot of justification going on in the original OP. jmho

[SemiCharmedQuark]

23. LOL. My husband is British.

Going through immigration I can tell you for a FACT that this "The law is the law" nonsense is total bullshit. Nobody ever asked him for his papers when he applied for employment (and this is a good thing. Immigration kept putting his appointments back and back until his temp. residency card was indeed expired and it was no longer legal for him to work). Our incompetent lawyer forgot to tell him to apply for a SS card. The immigration judge said that he didn't care and he "trusted us". Several of our papers were filed incorrectly and we got second chances and now he has his permanent residency card.

My uncle's wife is from Mexico. She filed her papers incorrectly and she had her ass deported back to Mexico.

[EFerrari]

34. SCQ, your family is a UN committee meeting like mine is.

Maybe people have to be there to get it.

[EFerrari]

33. Massive fail. The AZ law is to harrass brown people, citizens or not.

[PSzymeczek]

43. Citizens are already being harassed in Arizona.

http://www.azfamily.com/video/featured-videos/Man-says-he-was-racially-targeted-forced-to-provide-birth-certificate-91769419.html

[EFerrari]

57. Thom did that story today. Disgusting.

That poor lady was in tears.

[Alameda]

64. Absolutely disgusting!!! I have a friend who is Mexican American

she was born here, in fact she is several generations a citizen, but still she gets harassed. It's time people realize all Americans are not white bread white. We come all colors, and many of us have accents of some sort of another.

[harmonicon]

46. yeah, that's how I see it too

People who don't have papers are already worried about being caught without papers, so this changes nothing for them (even though, once challenged, it will be proven unconstitutional - immigration is a federal matter). This Arizona law IS all about making hispanics, or those with spanish accents, second class citizens.

[Bluebear]

49. 'I have been in jail both in the military and in civilian life.' - I can imagine.

[Redemption Seeker]

8. K&R

[pampango]

10. "Rule of law" plus compassion = progressive; without compassion = conservative.

Well written. It's always good to read personal narratives of the impact of government policies. There are others, perhaps conflicting, but yours is a great read on how the immigration system actually works and how it affects real people. Good luck for you and your family staying intact. Thanks.

[old mark]

12. gtf: The immigration laws here are a mess, and enforcement is

very hit or miss. There MUST be some sort of individual thought process applied to each person in your situation - here for a long time, yet not able to continue a citizenship process. You obviously contribute a lot to our country and deserve to remain and become a citizen.
As the son of an immigrant, I fully support you and all the others in your situation.

All the best.

m

[Soylent Brice]

13. welcome to DU.

good luck to you and your family.
we appreciate you sharing this with us.

edit to add: a very late welcome to DU. just checked your profile.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

15. Why were you denied for LPR status in 1996?

Did you try to apply during the mini-amnesty in 2001? You can PM if you'd like. I'm an immigration professional and have been for the past 11 years. I'd like to see if there is a basis that would allow you to file a motion to re-open or get your case reconsidered.

My questions: when you made your various entries in the U.S. through the years were they lawful entries (with inspection, at the border or airport) pursuant to visas or vacation/business trips? Did you ever have a non-immigrant visa (you mentioned you worked as a teacher)? If so, which one? Did you violate any of the terms of those visas? Do you have a criminal record of any sort (except traffic)? Have you filed your taxes as a non-resident?

Have you considered trying to file a waiver of inadmissibility to avoid the 10-year bar? Where are you from originally (I ask because if you're from Mexico, the waiver of inadmissibility takes forever to be reviewed and the chances of a positive outcome are very very remote)?

Also, what does 'look Italian' look like? :) I'm Italian, fair skinned with dark blonde hair. My mom is Italian with blonde hair, blue eyes. Point is, there are Italians of all skin types and hair colors. I'm not sure I understand what 'looking Italian' means.

[mimitabby]

17. look Italian

hey, we all know what "look italian" looks like. Al Pacino, Sylvester Stallone. Dark brown hair big brown eyes, generally handsome...
Of course there are a lot of Italians who don't "look Italian"
I'm sure the OP has been mistaken for Italian a lot or he wouldn't say that.

[getthefacts]

29. Thank you for your offer

But the only thing on the horizon for me today would be Cancellation of Removal if USCIS decided to deport me. And, as you might know, the language on that is very specific and restricted. No unlawful entries, no criminal record, not from Mexico either (South American). And yes, many people ask me if I'm Italian. I'm sure my prominent snout reveals my heritage. :)

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

31. Ok. I understand if you don't want to provide details, but

what were the grounds on which your LPR was denied?

Anyway, I'm sorry about your situation. It took me forever to get a green card, and even then I aged out when I turned 21, due to a terribly uninformed lawyer. I then became a student in F-1 status for a very long time. In 1999 I finally obtained work authorization, but only because I married a US citizen. I was still waiting for my LPR then, because my priority date had not arrived yet, even if I bumped up categories when my dad became a dual U.S. citizen.

[getthefacts]

35. I don't mind providing details

It is just so time consuming that, quite honestly, I'm tired of doing it. I repeated this same story to many attorneys over the past years. As I said, I violated my visa by working unauthorized. They denied LPR on reasonable grounds (according to current law). I did not qualify under the category. But thank you again for your willingness to help. Today, once my wife becomes a citizen in about five years, I'd get a shot as you know at applying for a waiver, etc... But it still would take almost a decade before I became a citizen myself.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[redqueen]

19. K&R

It's disgusting that racists post here and refer to people as "illegals".

[csziggy]

27. I apologize for using the term "illegals". It is a short cut and lazy

Rather than write out, "Swedish man here on an tourist visa who was working illegally and who paid a woman to marry him two days before INS was getting ready to deport his ass."

Or "Canadian who simply ignored every law applying to him, never got a visa, never did anything to stay in the country legally, never got the applicable licenses for his business, never paid one cent of taxes, but managed to slide through the legal system until he had victimized over thirty local people and businesses to the tune of over a quarter of a million dollars. Not to mention ripping off several government entities, including the police department."

(In fact the last is what gives me a laugh - he was supposedly an air conditioning contractor and hired to replace the A/C for the PD. They spent $40,000 and a summer without A/C before they realized their missing contractor had been finally convicted for multiple felony bad checks and thrown into prison. At the time they awarded him the contract, he had already been convicted, placed on probation and had a warrant issued for his arrest for failure to show for court and for additional felony bad checks.)

[UndertheOcean]

20. Bravo ! n/t

[JDPriestly]

21. getthefacts, talk to an immigration attorney.

Do it immediately.

Your situation is unusual. Do you think that we should simply let everyone and anyone who, like you, wants to live in the U.S. come here, get a job and live?

If you do, do you think that the American border should simply be opened to all who are willing to commit no crimes?

And if you think that, do you think that we should do away with national boundaries altogether for any purpose concerning the movement of people?

Do you think nations should exist at all?

If not, what would you put in their place in so far as government is concerned?

If you have open immigration for all, how do you define a nation?

If you think immigration to the U.S. should be based on some criteria, what do you think they should be?

I realize that I am asking too many questions, but this is a complicated matter. Laws have to apply universally to everyone. The facts of your situation arouse sympathy in a way, but then in another way, it seems that you just liked it here and thought you should be able to be here without any regard for anyone else.

As I said, you, personally, need to see an immigration attorney asap. And if the first attorney can't help you, find another one.

[WinterParkDonkey]

22. Just a few suggestions.....

I would IMMEDIATELY seek professional help from a qualified immigration attorney. If all the facts are as you said, I would also IMMEDIATELY contact the US Representative from your area and seek their help. If necessary, go with your spouse and children. I know that many people on DU are anti-religious, but many religious denominations have immigration or citizenship commitees or agencies that they work with that can also help you out of this mess. It took my grandfather 42 years -- yes 42 years -- to become an American citizens and this was after he married and had two grown sons in the US Military serving their country. The country he was born in no longer existed and he had no papers. Just be totally honest and keep trying. God Bless You.

[getthefacts]

28. Unfortunately, my situation is NOT unusual

And yes, I have talked to many reputable attorneys. I don't know what yours question refer to, since I made no mention of an open border policy or willingness to open up the country to criminals. Maybe you should also refer your questions about the government to the tea partiers who scream Socialist every time President Obama makes a speech.

[Major Hogwash]

30. You are so right, your situation is not unusual at all.

People who have never gone to college don't know how frustrating it is to get registered for college courses. There is always some excuse like not enough seats in that particular room, that hour was cancelled, take that course next semester, the computer is down at this time and we cannot process your request, maybe some students may drop that class later so perhaps you can get in to take that course then, and the infamous this course is offered both semesters so don't worry about when you get to take it.

Applying for citizenship here is about 10 times more frustrating that just going to college, so most people don't realize what a boondoggle it really is. It is unnecessary to be told 100 times how easy it is work through the process when you have been through the meat grinder for the last 5 years, and they are not done yet. Most people do not have the patience for that kind of thing. Sometimes it takes 3 times longer to get one's citizenship here than it does to graduate from college.

There is hope. But, living on hope is very taxing.
That is not exactly what this country was founded for, to just live on hope. We need results, too.

[treestar]

36. It should include anyone brought here as a minor child

OP's mother brought him as a child - being illegal is not on him.

[UndertheOcean]

24. In this country , without papers you are nothing. n/t

[barbtries]

32. good luck getthefacts

and welcome to DU.

i hope posting this doesn't come back to bite you and blow up your life.

immigration's a complicated issue which i have not studied in depth. i know how i feel about aliens: they're here trying to improve their lives, i don't judge them for that, i can't blame them for that. we are after all a nation of immigrants primarily and i know for sure that my own ancestors came here for the same reason: to improve their lives.

i hope reform goes forward and you and the thousands more like you will be able to get out from under that cloud.

[Taitertots]

38. The rules shouldn't apply to you?

We set these rules because America doesn't want unlimited immigration. Respect our country by following the rules we created. If you have no intention of following our laws you should just go home.

What is the long and complicated reason you failed to meet the requirements for a green card?

[getthefacts]

41. Unfortunately,

Sometimes you have rules that do not make sense. That is why our forefathers created a system of checks and balances, to make sure we repeal incoherent stuff like separate but equal, Dred Scott, Proposition 8, etc. If you think all laws passed by congressman like the ones who are now debating what an illegal looks like on the cable news, make sense, you need to review your history.

And as I said before, this IS my home. And I respect it everyday by working hard, paying taxes, serving my community and my family.

[skepticscott]

47. The fact that laws may not make sense to you

doesn't mean they don't apply to you or that you have the unrestricted right to violate them at your whim and expect no consequences. If you don't like the rules, work to change them. If you choose to violate them, then accept responsibility for that.

[getthefacts]

65. I AM working to change these laws

I supported our president because I believe he has the guts to take on the hard issues. I made phone calls and drove people to the polls and I'm proud to say that I made a difference on his election even though I could not vote.

I have been in marches, I have helped in citizenship programs and I have been writing about it for a long time in local publications. Not for my benefit only, but because I believe it is our moral obligation as a country to have an immigration policy that actually encourages people to follow the law. As I said in a previous post, when the head of the INS in Boston is jailed for trying to protect her undocumented house cleaner, something is wrong. Of course the easy thing to do is to call her a law breaker and put her in jail, while ignoring the bigger issue.

I don't believe, neither have I stated, that I have the right to violate laws and expect no consequences and I think the tone of your statement is uncalled for. If leaving the house every morning without knowing if I will be back to see the children at night is not consequential enough, I don't know what is. I lost count of the times that I had to explain to my 8-year old that we could not leave the country because daddy did not have papers. Or that I could not travel to see a dying relative. Trust me. I know what the consequences are. But ultimately, I believe in this country. I chose not to leave it not because it was the easy decision. On the contrary. I'm reminded every day how hard that decision was. But ultimately, I know who I am and what my values are. And today, in this forum, I can feel that many are standing right by my side.

Now will you join me in working to change these laws? Do you agree with what is going on in Arizona? Do you think our current immigration system is working?

[skepticscott]

67. This is not about you being the victim

The proper and moral thing to do would have been to leave the country legally when your right to remain legally had expired. Then you wouldn't have needed "papers". Everything that has happened since, and all of the limitations you are subject to now are a result of your remaining in this country illegally, and are entirely on your head. You could still have "believed in this country" and worked to return, but you seemed to feel that there was something special about you that entitled you to stay in violation of the law.

[getthefacts]

68. Thank you for views.

I appreciate someone who is passionate about this issue as much as I am, even though we are on different sides of the argument.

Although we, as Americans, write the laws to protect our sovereignty, we should shy away from such laws as the Chinese Exclusion Act, the “One Drop” rule, which prevented non-whites of becoming citizens, Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066, etc. Laws sometimes are meant to be broken. I'm sure you don't agree with every law in the book.

Although this particular posting is about me, the issue of immigration is not. I know many stories of people hurt by an immigration system that is filled with flaws. And these are not people who tried to come in through the improper channels. They did everything in their power to immigrate legally. Again, it is our moral obligation to have a system that mirrors the values we spouse. And a few changes would make that happen: flexible quotas that would float with the needs of the economy, a better priority system for family categories, a stronger employment verification system to discourage hiring, and the upgrade of the filing system to prevent the unnecessary delays that make many fall out of status from one day to the other. Believe me, there are many people in this country who wake up one day to find out they are illegal after waiting years in line because of INS or attorney’s screw ups.

You are probably right about my sense of entitlement. I do feel I earned the right to be an American. And nothing is going to change that.

You have a right to believe the status quo is fine. But would you please answer my questions? Are you in favor of what is happening in AZ? What solutions do you propose to the current immigration crisis?

Thanks.

[Texasgal]

42. If the rules were not so damn complicated

we wouldn't HAVE this problem!

Try looking into citizenship and I GUARANTEE that you will have your mind blown. The process is confusing and laborious. I, myself could not imagine the hoops one must jump through to follow the law.

Google is your friend.

[skepticscott]

51. And yet

many immigrants manage to become citizens every year. They're not lawyers and they're not geniuses, but somehow, then manage to overcome the difficulties legally. However do they manage it?

[Texasgal]

52. Do you have any idea how long it takes them?

Do you have any idea all the hoops they have had to jump?

[skepticscott]

55. The difficulty is not the issue

the issue is that becoming a legal citizen and resident is not impossible, and that people who chose to violate the law rather than obey it are acting out of convenience and expediency.

[Texasgal]

56. NO. That is the issue.

It may not be impossible,but it sure is difficult.

Why do you think we have so many illegals here? If it was so easy don't you think they woukld go the regular route?

Really.

[KonaKane]

61. The difficulty absolutely IS the issue, Sir.

As well as the expense. I can tell you have never worked in immigration or with immigrants to know how fucked up the system really is. It takes waaaaaayyy too long. It's waaaaaayyy too expensive. It's beaurocratic and unwieldy. It needs to be torn down and rebuilt, in a nutshell. I've worked with immigrants for 15 years and can tell you that our system sucks.

[skepticscott]

66. Again, none of which is relevant

The fact that the law is difficult to comply with does not, in this case, justify deliberate defiance of it. No one is required to become a citizen, and no immigrant, illegal or otherwise, has a fundamental right to do so. That right is granted by the citizens of this country, under rules that we alone get to decide. Immigration laws exist for the benefit of US citizens, and our only concern should be if those laws are preventing people who we might wish to be citizens from becoming so, but not barring those who we would not wish to be citizens. If immigrants feel that the difficulty of the process is not worth it to them, they are certainly free to seek citizenship elsewhere.

[lunamagica]

63. The vast majority of immigrants who get to become citizens manage to do so

through marriage, immediate family connections, wealth, or a highly specialized degree.

for anyone who doesn't meet any of the above mentioned criteria (poor, average of below education, without American relatives) it is in fact, impossible to become a legal resident or citizen

[Daphne08]

40. As far as I'm concerned, you're an American.

Anyone who has mastered the language as you have and who obviously loves this country as you do is an American.

I would agree with one of the above posters that you should probably find a good immigration attorney and hope for some sort of amnesty.

Oh, and welcome to DU.

[crushx]

44. Anyone who is committed enough to learn english is an American in my mind

[harmonicon]

50. so almost everyone from...

The UK, Ireland, Kenya, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, etc. who speak English as a first language is an American? I don't think most of them would like that.

[getthefacts]

69. Thank you for your words of encouragement.

Thank you.

[harmonicon]

48. language, schmanguage

The US doesn't - and I hope never will - have an official language. In the US, "the language" doesn't exist. As far as I'm concerned, that's one of the few great things our country has left.

[skepticscott]

45. Apparently you did let something corrupt your sense of right and wrong

Or you wouldn't have decided to stay in this country in violation of our laws. The fact that staying here illegally was more convenient to you than leaving is not changed by any of your flowery words.

[harmonicon]

53. Hey, man, good luck to you!

I'd like to apologize for all of the stupid bigots here on DU, but there's no point - they're probably the majority in the US, not an exception. I'm afraid I might find myself in a similar situation to yours in a few years here in the UK. Right now I'm on a valid visa, will likely get another for two years later this year or next (might have to fly back to the US for a month or two to do it, unfortunately, and with a cost of hundreds of pounds on top of that), and after that, I have no idea. Immigration policy seems to change here from year to year, and watching the three main political parties debate this evening made me feel even more uneasy.

[LetsgoWings13]

59. just a couple of contradictions in your story

[eyeofdelphi]

60. good luck

i feel for you and really hope one day in the very near future you will get citizenship.
we all need to remember that unless your 100% native american, you are only in this country because one of your ancestors immigrated here, maybe legally, maybe not. i personally cannot trace how my family got here or if it was legal, and neither can most americans.

this is the quote that is on the plaque of the Statue of Liberty (and i think it's beautiful):

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

[agentS]

62. Immigration processes in this country are a joke

No wonder we have so many people in legal limbo here and so many 'illegals' (what an insulting term).

We need to fix/streamline these processes so people aren't waiting years for answers that take 5 hours at most to resolves.

[Matariki]

70. Too bad there's no 'exchange' residency program

I would LOVE to live in Itaty. I lived for a year in Rome attending my University's branch there.

If I tried to move there I'm sure I'd have the same legality problems. Too bad we can't just 'swap'!

[skepticscott]

71. Is it not true that

a country’s system of laws is one of their defining characteristics and that one of the fundamental qualifications for becoming a citizen of this or any country is respect for and adherence to the laws of that country, even those that you may not understand or agree with? Is it not true that when you visit or live in another country, you implicitly agree to abide by and be bound by their laws, even though they may be different than where you came from?

[LetsgoWings13]

72. I am going to school to become a police officer, and the one thing they always drill in your head is

that no one is above the law. If you break the law then you have to face to consequences.