Illegal Immigrant Students Protest at McCain Office By: Julia Preston

Link to article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/us/18dream.html?ref=us

Just yesterday, Monday May 17th, five immigrant students held a sit-in protest at John McCain's office in Arizona. They were protesting against the fact that they were threatened to be deported back to their home countries. Three of the protestors were illegal immigrants who had tresspassed therefore they might be deported. The immigrants were atteneding schools within the country and had paid for tuition. They were on their way to obtaining a degree until recently when John McCain had changed his position on the Dream Act. The Dream Act is a bill that would help support illegal immigrant students to remain in the country to complete their schooling and obtain a degree despite the fact that they might be in this country illegally. The students held the protest in hopes to bring back attention to this problem as well as the new Arizona law that had been set in place. The new law allows police force to "randomly" select people in the public and check for legal residency by checking identification. Students as well as many other people within the public, mainly illegal immigrants, are against this new law because they fear it might bring about racial profiling.

The article itself is not meant to argue for a certain side but instead to address a controversial issue. The subject though is hugely controversial because it is discussing points about illegal immigration and deporting students of illegal immigrants or is one. The article is very recent, since it just occurred yesterday afternoon. It consists of facts of recent immigration laws that have been set in place as well as future outlooks into where immigration control is leading to. The article is from the New York Times so it reaches to a huge variety within the public, such as politicians, adults, lawyers, students etc. I believe that the author addresses the issue within a reasonable tone to state the issue but not take sides.

Even though this article is not meant for "taking sides," the issue itself clearly presents itself as to either supporting one side or the other. I am firmly on the side believing that illegal immigration is a HUGE problem. It has gotten way out of hand and needs to be controlled. I feel really angry that these illegal immigrants believe that they can just come into the country and go into our schools and learn. Do they not realize that it is us, the TRUE citizens of the United States paying for their illegal education with our hard earned tax money??? The U.S. has become too lenient with immigration laws. True people such as my mother had to wait almost 10 years to obtain her true citizenship and these illegal immigrants today think that they can just walk in and get a citizenship or use the benefits of being an American citizen just because they go to school here? I agree completely with the new Arizona law that allows police to check for identification. There is nothing wrong with checking a person if they are a legal citizen. People need to understand that the state is only doing this to protect our own citizens from having to pay for these illegal people who are stealing from us!!!! The cold fact is, what people are pretty much agreeing to right now about the new Arizona law, is that you are letting the thief (illegal immigrant) steal from you openly and then protecting them! How ridiculous is that???

I truly believe that the U.S. needs to enforce stricter laws to deal with illegal immigration because if something isn't done soon, we might as well just put up a huge sign around our borders saying "Come on in whenever you like to reap the benefits of being a U.S. citizen even if you're not one!"