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October 25, 2003
Most Important Question
Everything I've seen written so far about Thursday's immigration raid completely misses the most important question.
Federal officials said yesterday that the leading nation of origin for the janitors caught in Thursday's raids was Mexico, with 90. The Czech Republic was second with 35, followed by Mongolia with 22, Brazil with 20. Uzbekistan, Poland, Russia, Georgia and Lithuania each had about a dozen.
Everyone is ranting about our porous border with Mexico. Granted that's a problem. But look at the numbers. Only 90 of the illegal immigrants came from Mexico, and 20 from Brazil. The rest, some 117 or so, came from Eastern Europe & Russia.
How the hell did those people get here? It's unlikely they waded the Rio Grande. And if they, with hopes of a better life, got here apparently so easily, how many others are here with other plans?
That's the question to which we should be demanding an answer.
Posted by Rita at October 25, 2003 06:53 AM
Comments
Andy was just telling me a story the other night about a relative of a friend (or whatever) from England who has lived here illegally for 30-some years and has worked, bought a home, put her kids through school, etc. just like a regular citizen. What?!? How the heck does that stuff happen? Sure, thirty years ago it was probably easier to fake a SSN but, what, once you're in they don't check you out ever again? I had the same thought you did - look how easy it is for (presumably) poor, downtrodden immigrants to set up shop in the US. Just imagine how much easier it is when you have a terrorist organization bankrolling ya.
Shudder to think.
Posted by: picklejuice at October 25, 2003 12:01 PM
I'm just astounded that they managed to find that many Mongolians outside of Mongolia... There might be a movie in there somewhere...
Posted by: Paul Jané at October 25, 2003 02:41 PM
I know what you mean Natalie. Doesn't make you feel very safe does it?
Paul, what's even more astounding is that 5 of the Mongolians were arrested in Berryville....a little town northeast of here. I wouldn't have thought anyone in Berryville even knew where Mongolia is located. I can't begin to imagine how people from Mongolia ended up there.
But I would really like to know.
Posted by: Rita at October 25, 2003 03:15 PM
Our northern border is every bit as porous as our southern border.
Posted by: Ralph Gizzip at October 25, 2003 07:59 PM
You pose a damned good question.
Posted by: Jim - Parkway Rest Stop at October 25, 2003 08:15 PM
Well said, Rita.
All you have to do is come up with enough money and you can come to America....for whatever reason!
Wouldn't it be nice to think that the only cleansing other nations would like to engage in is the kind that's supposedly happening at WalMart?
Posted by: Da Goddess at October 25, 2003 11:05 PM
Ralph, that was my first thought. Though Mike tells me there's a booming business smuggling Asians in through Mexico.
Apparently money still talks, which is pretty scary when you think about the terrorists' bankrolls.
Posted by: Rita at October 26, 2003 07:42 AM