Feds arrest 64 in raids

Let’s see here. Hmmm…arresting immigrants in Michigan so that we can give Michiganders the job. Figure it out. We have the highest unemployment rate in the country. We are letting illegals take jobs that Michiganders could get.

It is good to see our U.S. laws finally being enforced across America. Not only was ICE right in detaining the illegal aliens, but the owners of El Azteco should be arrested for violation of U.S. laws and hiring illegal aliens. It is hard to believe the owner did not know they were not legal, and if they followed proper documentation procedures, they should have discovered they were not legal residents. Sorry illegals and El Azteco owners — you were were breaking the law, and as a legal US citizen and tax payer, this is exactly what we need our government doing more of. Your workers are more than welcome to come back should the apply via the legal, proper channels.

It shouldn’t be about citizenship… Remember, people other than citizens have the right to work in this country. People with green cards, work visas, etc. also have the full right to work in this country. I’m sick and tired of people just assuming that only people with US citizenship have the right to do anything.

For some people, getting citizenship is very, very hard. The US government has very strict quotas for some countries (mostly in Latin America) that prohibit good people from getting their citizenship. My mom has been applying for citizenship for well over 10 years, she’s been in this country with a permanent resident green card for over 35 years, and has been holding jobs, paying taxes, and raising us since then. But because the US government’s quota for Chile is only 1,500 a year, she waits on the list… and waits… and waits…

The only question I have for those against what is happening to the illegals is this: What do you think happens in those countries (i.e. Mexico etc.) if you are caught illegally in their country? Do you really think you’re simply allowed to leave or get a free pass? Additionally, look at how Mexico treats immigrants from other Central American countries. It’s as bad as some totalitarian regimes. So again, why must the United States be completely different than what your own country does? Considering all we do is detain you until we deport you versus beating you and throwing you in prison for who knows how many years, I’d say you get much better treatment than if I tried to illegally enter and live in Latin America.

Sad thing is, I know who Inconvenient Facts is and while I vehemently disagree with him (or her) on most things, I have to agree with him on his points here aside from the political jabs thrown in.

Also, let’s not forget that 40 of these 64 had warrants out for their arrest. We don’t know what the warrants are for, but keep this in mind before you cry them a river.

I think what we all really want to know is: What does Jason van Dyke think of this?

Dear INCONVENIENT FACTS,

You state “4. ILLEGALS create HUGE, unknown downstream costs in Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare.”

How can you call the costs huge is they are unknown???

It’s always good to hear about a raid to round up the ILLEGAL ALIENS. These ILLEGAL ALIENS are one of the worst things that ever happend to America!

With the Arizona State Illegal Immigration Law upheld in the courts last month, there is no excuse for any State not to have a State law to get rid of the ILLEGAL ALIENS.

I believe the American taxpayers are fed up with the suckling of these ILLEGAL ALIENS. Just sucking us dry from the BILLIONS upon BILLIONS sent out of this Country every year, not to mention the BILLIONS upon BILLIONS the ILLEGAL ALIENS and their ANCHORS suck up every year.

The problems they are causing WILL NOT go away until each and every ILLEGAL ALIEN is out of this Country and back in their own country where they belong. Then, and only then, will these problems go away. America has a lot of problems right now, and ILLEGAL ALIENS do not have to be one of them.

Actually Inconvenient Facts illegal immigrants that pay taxes cause a surplus to government programs such as social security because they pay those taxes, but never end collecting the benefits from those programs. So no illegals don’t have downstream costs in the programs you mentioned but actually benefit them.

Not that I support illegal immigrants though I just thought I’d straighten that up for you.

Think!, please don’t get started on that “they are taking our jobs” crap. They are taking the jobs because your Michiganders are lazy and don’t want to work. If it wasn’t for immigrants, this country wouldn’t even exist. Remember, your family was once a immigrant family too. People in MI don’t want to work and all they do is sit around on the couch collecting unemployment, go out and work if you don’t want immigrants take the jobs. Difference is, Americans in MI don’t want to work because they are lazy, immigrants come here to work and they work extremely hard. Who do you think the employer will favor? Hiring a person who doesn’t work and works exactly hours assigned and not a minute more, or a person will work for their money and can work all day and night.

For all you inconvenient facts and Delaware bobs. Have you guys really forgotten where you came from. Your forefathers crossed an ocean, took over a country that wasn’t theirs, and killed thousands of Indians. You act like illegal immigrants are doing something that is horrible but guess what your forefathers did the same thing except they massacred thousands in the process. I’m not saying that I support it, cause I don’t, but don’t act like illegal immigrants are bad people just because they are here to work.

Serves them right. I was physically accosted by the El Azteco Manager. He came running out of the restaurant chasing me and screaming. The food is gross, they’re inflexible and overpriced. The niche cult following just likes the margaritas and upper level deck. Hopefully the ‘legal’ workers will go back to Mexico with the illegals. Close El Azteco for good and open up a prime location in East Lansing.

This is what this discussion board sounds like. “Waaaah they’re taking my job at El Azteco, waaaaaah, they, they’re stealing my money.” Quit your whining and get your heads out of your a$$es. Did you read the article? They pay their taxes, they’ve contributed to our failing economy for 18 years, where as the locals are too lazy to work hard enough to make any impact to keep a job for 18 years. They’re here to stay, they’re obviously not exporting anything out of Michigan.

All you whiners need to ask yourself when was the last time you worked so hard for this country. I strongly doubt any of you have done half as much. Immigrants are a fundamental part of our country, whether it’s the economy, culture, politics, society, etc. It’s one of the only things keeping us ahead of Europe (in certain cases, like they’re plummeting population). Get your facts straight, think logically and not with your “off the hip, American apple-pie nonsense”. Use that noggin of yours and stop being part of the problem.

PEACE!

Actually Inconvenient Facts illegal immigrants that pay taxes cause a surplus to government programs such as social security because they pay those taxes, but never end collecting the benefits from those programs.

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Dear Idiot: You are just blathering crap fed to you by the PRO-ILLEGAL ALIEN mob. For every study you BLATHER, others have theirs. THIS IS CERTAIN: government budgets have been STRAINED by this INVASION OF ILLEGALS!!!

—-

I’m not saying that I support it, cause I don’t, but don’t act like illegal immigrants are bad people just because they are here to work.

—-

Dear Idiot 2: Mexico is EXPORTING POVERTY to the USA — not high-value immigrants like MDs or PC programmers. That is why poverty is GROWING in the USA — INVASION BY ILLEGALS!!!

Stupidity is alive and well at MSU.

I worked for El Azteco West for seven years with wonderful, hard-working staff people. Their country of birth was no impediment to my respect and the lasting friendships I formed there. I assisted staff members who were learning English and who were working to attain U.S. citizenship, a process which often takes years. I am an American citizen and I am proud to work have had the opportunity to work with people from other countries who have a strong work ethic, and the opportunity to learn about other cultures was an invaluable part of my life. I think we all need to embrace the idea of a world economy, a world culture, a world where we are united by the ideals of peace and tolerance. This country with its imaginary boundaries was once filled with native peoples before European colonialism, and our out-dated imperialist attitudes create nothing but strife and discord.
I now have a career I enjoy and a home I love, but I never take for granted the opportunities I was presented with simply from the luck of the locale of my birth. Please show some civility and grace and take some time to reflect on what it means to be a human being, and stop focusing on what it means to be an “American.”

“All you whiners need to ask yourself when was the last time you worked so hard for this country.”
Wait… How exactly is making greasy sub-par Mexican food working “so hard for this country”?

“I strongly doubt any of you have done half as much.”
Absurd, and baseless, personal attack.

“Immigrants are a fundamental part of our country.”
I have no problem with immigrants or immigration. My great-grandparents all immigrated here from Ireland. But they did it legally.

To all of those spouting off their IAH 201 revisionist history garbage about where are forefathers came from and how they took this land from the natives, it simply doesn’t change the fact that these current people ARE BREAKING THE LAW! These are laws enacted by the nation occupying this land and therefore must be enforced. And additionally, the argument that these people are merely doing the jobs that Americans don’t want is completely absurd. The fact of the matter is these illegal immigrants are destroying the pay scale on several of these jobs. Construction workers used to earn a very decent living but when you’ve got someone willing to work for pennies on the dollar who do you think is going to get the job? The guy who is used to getting $15-30 an hour plus benefits or the illegal immigrant who will work for $10 an hour and no benefits?
And yes they are a huge drain on several services, the primary one being health care. As I just mentioned, they don’t have benefits, thus when they need medical care they go to the emergency room or other clinics and oftentimes wind up not paying for the treatment. Another hidden cost is the expense of having to print every stupid little sign or note at government offices in two different languages.

And again, why aren’t the people of Mexico and Latin working on pulling themselves up by the bootstraps and making their country prosperous? If the people are so industrious, surely they ought to be able to come up with some indispensible product that the world needs.

As a former Ez-Azteco West employee,let me at least say this:
if nothing else, all the above comments have provided a very entertaining read during lunch.
Now get off your high horses and don’t forget to vote.

Republican1 you are a complete idiot, these rats that sneak into our country mostly from the south are no good for this nation. They broke the law, snubbed their nose at us and deserve far worse treatment as far as I am concerned. One has posted how they tried to get a job at this crap hole and were turned away because they only spoke ENGLISH??, IN AMERICA?? The owner needs to be fined to the point of broke then put in jail, then Americans with out jobs should be given baseball bats to beat him with. No foreign illegal should EVER get a job before a citizen of this country, not 1 red cent should be allowed to be sent to other countries by illegal alien job thief’s.If cought the owners who hire these rats should be charged with treson against Americans. Illegal alians are nothing but trash. If it were up to me, the army, navy, marines would be flooded at the border to keep uneducated illiterate idiots from the south from crossing. The air force would be responsible to make sure. It is only commin sence to keep these rats and burros from gainning axces. You illegal lovers can go with them, DEPORT and rip familys apart, that is great,it serves them rite, they deserve it. I am very happy when I read about that, MORE, I want MORE

1)Immigration laws need to be enforced

2)Stop saying “liberal” like it’s a criticism. On one end you have the Ivy League, followed by the Big Ten, Pac 10, …. on the other you have Bob Jones U and Liberty University. Guess which school you’d rather go to?

3)The Republicans haven’t exactly grown a backbone and done anything about illegal immigration. In fact what exactly has Bush ® done to help Bill Richardson (D)‘s requests from New Mexico? Nothing.

4)Being humane is always a good call. Arrest and deport, but it doesn’t take much to not be a doooosh about it. You didn’t earn being born an American. It was luck, another person has worse luck, and while laws should be enforced, you don’t have to pretend like you’re some great law abiding citizen for simply being born not having to be that desperate for work.

5)El Azteco rules!

I don’t think anyone here really knows the effects of Illegal Immigration. Go find some studies and stop blowing hot air. One person said above that Illegal Immigration is the worst thing that happened to this country? In what ways? I bet on those same standards, if you weren’t so biased against Illegal Immigrants, you would realize the FEDERAL RESERVE is probably the worst thing that happened to this country. The ILLEGAL BANK has been hurting America, REMOVE that.

http://michiganmessenger.com/6999/immigration-raids-net-64-in-lansing

This was the first story on the arrests in the Lansing area, and you will notice that no local law enforcement appears to have been notified about the operations.

Replying to GGG:

Actually I also was a dishwasher at school, in the dorms, likely the same as you. I’m not implying all dishwashers are alcoholics/crackheads/etc. I’m saying all the American born dishwashers we were able to get at El Azteco fit that mold, and if wasn’t for foreign born workers willing to step in and cover their shifts there would be no clean dishes.

The reason its easy to pay-in to the social security system but not to withdraw is because the Social Security Administration does little verification of those paying in. All you need is a social security number and they’ll accept payment. The SSN may be a fake or belong to someone else. Either way the payments will go into the general fund or be credited to the person who actually owns the SSN. When it comes time to withdraw from the system, the Social Security Admin actually verifies the validity of the SSN and payee.

Yes undocumented immigrants use tax money and cost America through trips to the emergency room and education expenses for their children. But they use a lot less than they contribute, so overall there is a positive contribution to the system.

Conservative politicians in this country LOVE illegal workers because its a free ride for them. They can blame them for everything while reaping the rewards of them being here. Conservative politicians will never really try to get rid of illegal workers, they just occassionally push operations like this during election cycles to have the appearance of “BEING TOUGH ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.” Its red meat for their right-wing constituents who are too ignorant to understand that they are being played for fools.

“For some people, getting citizenship is very, very hard. The US government has very strict quotas for some countries (mostly in Latin America) that prohibit good people from getting their citizenship. My mom has been applying for citizenship for well over 10 years, she’s been in this country with a permanent resident green card for over 35 years, and has been holding jobs, paying taxes, and raising us since then. But because the US government’s quota for Chile is only 1,500 a year, she waits on the list… and waits… and waits…”

On the contrary, family reunification policies FAVOR immigrants from Latin America. 15-20 percent of ALL LEGAL IMMIGRANTS COME FROM ONE COUNTRY, MEXICO, and we had roughly 1 million legal immigrants last year. Hispanics in general account for almost half of all immigration, and Asians for most of the other half. In short, if Nick K.‘s mother has to wait, it’s because there are so many OTHER applicants from Latin American countries. And Nick K., there is no “cap” for legal permanent residents to apply for citizenship. You take your tests, file your application, pay your fees and get processed. The cap applies only to those trying to get green cards and even then, the parents of U.S. citizens are subject to a cap.

“Actually Inconvenient Facts illegal immigrants that pay taxes cause a surplus to government programs such as social security because they pay those taxes, but never end collecting the benefits from those programs. So no illegals don’t have downstream costs in the programs you mentioned but actually benefit them.”

The TOTAL funds in the Suspense Fund where SS taxes paid under fraudulent IDs go doesn’t cover more than one year’s SS payment obligations which run around $600 BILLION. And now, the trend is for illegals to use STOLEN social security numbers, so the money isn’t going into the Suspense Fund, but it being charged to the owner of the account. He/she may be in for an unwelcome visit from the IRS because of these undeclared earnings and may have trouble collecting SS benefits in the future. Another trend is to use the SS numbers of infants and kids. How long before THAT theft will show up? ID theft is growing and costs us billions each year.

This is obviously just more hatred and ethnic cleansing of Mexicans from the US. Long history, check out my site…

http://mexicanexpulsions.blogspot.com/

Illegals should be deported. They are invading and ruining our country. I would love to see our government actually do their job and enforce our laws instead of giving billions to Wall Street bankers.
I actually tried to start a group in 1980 at MSU. If you care about the issue, I would suggest going to www.numbersusa.com or www.fairus.com.
GO GREEN!

actually there was a bunch of Mexicans that snuck over the border last year and were caught in the wildfires, many died, BUT the ones still alive were rushed to AMERICAN hospitals in San Diego (I think), the one that had the least $$ spent on him ran up a bill or $160,000.00, then he moved to Oregon, got a job in a restaurant (again) is driving WITHOUT a license, and WITHOUT INSURANCE, and is sending his $$$ back to Mexico. AND NOT PAYING A FREAKING DIME OF HIS HOSPITAL BILL.
ARE any of you chalking up the $$ from Medicaid for their Anchor babies???? See the minute they get pregnant they can apply for Medicaid (something denied to our legal US Citizen daughter with MS) and their baby is PAID FOR BY YOU!!! Then their Legal American Citizen child is eligible for food stamps, medicaid, free schooling, and subsidized housing. Some have MANY anchor babies, all for the “hue and cry of they are breaking up the family”, no were not, you can take them with you when you return to your home country.

Steve is correct, go to www.numbersusa.com, or www.fairus.org, get your eyes opened to the costs of illegal immigration.
There is a case in front of the Supreme court now about an illegal alien that swears he didn’t know the Social Security number he was using belonged to someone else.
BUT HE did know it wasn’t HIS.
Here’s the problem for all you sob sisters.
In the Aug. 2007 edition of the Newspaper in southern Washington State, there was an illegal alien from Mexico that snuck over the border (why sneak if it is legal) in 1980, and lived in “fear” until the ONE TIME ONLY 1986 amnesty. He was working in a restaurant in San Diego. When he was given amnesty he moved to Southern Washington state and started a chain of restaurants called Muchas Gracious, which he will only sell his franchises to to ONLY LATINOS, (let McDonalds try that), his franchises sold for 100 thousand, and he personally had about 30 restaurants of his own. Only trouble is this article was written in 2007, and HE STILL NEEDS IN INTREPRETER, 27 years later, successful in America and he can’t speak the language of the country that he became a citizen of. That’s the problem with giving amnesty, they aren’t held to the same rules that LEGAL IMMIGRANTS are.
I’m sorry, but shopping at the store and feeling like I’m in Mexico in my own country SUCKS!
NO OTHER country in the world lets illegal aliens pop out babies that are instant citizens.
TRY that BS in Mexico, (if you feel safe with all the kidnapping and violence with the Drug cartels).

By allowing this we are CHEAPENING OUR CITIZENSHIP. AND driving down wages for Legal American blue collar workers.
DID you know that most of the illegal aliens can’t even read or write Spanish???? That’s a fact Jack.

So… KY man and the truth is…. soooo.. it’s all the “AMIGOS” taking our jobs in the US? Huh? Are you actually turning a blind eye to OUTSOURCING? This all sounds too familiar… remember how the Chinese were taking the jobs in Cali during the Gold Rush? Yeah, they were targeted then… and now… Hispanics. And as for the statistics… for example in sturgis, mich. … are they being mentioned because of the fear that the majority will eventually be the minority? Bottom line… one of the races that continues to increase is the hispanic race… legally or illegally they are increasing. So, are these numbers out of fear?????

Wow, how Sturgis came into this discussion is weird..but that is my hometown and I work there, so I’m very very familiar with things. Let’s just say the numbers quoted are the truth. And what no one can really figure out is why Sturgis, Michigan, a small industrial town surrounded by farms is such a popular spot for immigrants. The town has been stagnant for 30 years! And everything in town is now completely bi-lingual. They’ve had to hire at least 2 ESL teachers just to teach all Latino kids who don’t know English just so they can attend school! Over half of the Mexicans in town don’t have a license and they’ll flee if they get in an accident. It’s not fear of these numbers but it’s the affect they are having. I’ve watched my hometown deteriorate into a bunch of shitty houses in what used to be nice neighborhoods. I’ve seen wages in the town completely stagnate to the point that if you get a job making over $10 an hour you’ve got a good job. Yet they keep coming and there aren’t that many jobs for them. They don’t work in fast food places, they don’t work in the factories left, they don’t work in the retail stores. Why are they there?

i love you dave co

here here msu. I used to love my hometown, now I need to speak spanish to fit in or get a decent job. I work at a video store and a mexican woman ad her 8 kids came in to open an account and she was offended that I couldn’t speak spanish!!! She acually threw up her hans and walked out! they never pay their late fees anyway…..

I WILL GIVE YOU ALL THE BENIFIT THAT YOU REALLY BELIEVE WHAT YOU WRITE BUT THE TRUTH IS THAT NONE OF YOU WERE THERE, NONE OF YOU WORKED NEXT THESE PEOPLE EVERYDAY, NONE OF YOU PROBABLY KNEW THESE PEOPLE EXCEPT EX- EL AZTECO EMPLOYEE. YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE FROM OR HOW THEY GOT HERE. YOU DO NOT EVEN KNOW IF ALL THE FACTS IN THIS ARTICAL ARE RIGHT.

NO MORE SANCTUARY CITIES OR STATES PROTECTING MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS

1. The number of illegal aliens already here – an estimated 37 million according to the Tucson sector Border Patrol union local 2544 (with an additional half-million coming every year) a massive financial impact on our economy by importing the worlds poor.

2. The Americans who are losing jobs to cheap immigrant labor. In a 1996 study, a Rice University economist estimated that illegal aliens were then displacing 730,000 American workers a year.

3. The costs to taxpayer for welfare, emergency medical services, education, law enforcement and incarceration for “illegal immigrants” and their dependents -and thousands of State, county welfare is estimated at more than a Trillion dollars.

SIGN UP FOR THE SAVE ACT at www.numbersusa.com.

SIGN JUDICIAL WATCH, A LEGAL ORGANIZATIONS PETITION, to stop Sanctuary Cities & States. www.sanctuarybusters.org/?source

So they were restrained . . . they did something illegal!!! Give the jobs to LEGAL citizens!!! They were in this country for way too long not to have applied for citizenship. And a fundraiser, you’ve got to be kidding!! How about take that $5 and go down to the local shelter for the homeless who can’t get jobs!!!

I am losing faith in every part of mankind. How can you act like these people are diseased and evil? Why do we all feel like we have to own something? I was glad to have met these people! They were people like you and me just trying to live a decent life. It makes me sick that people are so judgemental because they are worried about money and land and citizenship. I wish the world was more worried about being friendly to each other and not write so many hate letters that really aren’t affecting your everyday lives.