The Big Question: Should immigrants (illegal or not) receive the same rights that natural born Americans have?
554420
Legal immigrants should have all the rights of a natural born citizen. Illegal immigrants should not.Think of it this way. The immigration office that an immigrant goes to when they first come here is like a military issue facility. They get issued their green card, their other papers, and their rights. People who bypass that facility, get none of these.
176161
This is the big problem with the Mexican argument for legalizing illegals in the US... they say that we are an immigrant nation BUT what they don´t consider is that, for example, my German, Irish, Russian and French ancestors came to the US and became AMERICANS... they learned English, didn´t send all the money they made back to their home country and didn´t consider themselves still of their original country... these illegals and otherwise legal immigrants still root for Mexico in soccer games!  They don´t consider themselves Americans but want our rights and our benefits, at our expense!!! This is not fair to us.  We have nothing to gain.  They are not entitled to the rights of US citizens - they are breaking the law.
272472
Of course not.  If you come to the U.S. illegally you should be deported, prosecuted, or both.  Those protesting for immigrant rights forget that those folks that are here have only one right - to go home or go to prison.  Since when do you get rights when you commit an illegal act?  The only right you have is to a speedy trial.  Instead, those coming to the U.S. illegally are protesting.  It's like you're coming through immigration control at the airport and they won't let you in and so you protest and complain that you don't have the right to stay.  YEAH!  Dude, you're illegal - you don't get to come in!  Those that are protesting are basically arguing that they should be allowed to stay and use our resources (welfare, schools, hospitals, etc.) - even though they're here illegally  I don't get this logic!!\n\nI do believe the U.S. needs to do more to help the Mexican economy but that should not be manifested in an open boarder where Mexicans or others can come into our country illegally and use our resources.  This phenomenon is in part responsible for driving the California economy into the tank.  I can tell you, if it means paying double for fruits in vegetables to have a carefully monitored boarder so those that are coming into our country belong here then I'm willing to pay!
861724
This is a non bias answer. No you should not be charged for this , but our government actually give these people more rights than they give Americans so what does that say about our government????? Basically it is hurray for the illegals that actually get over here and get in our system and they, the government will actually help them get thier citizenship. I say run over them all......!
433274
I think if you are a naturalized citizen you should be able to have all the rights of a citizen born in that country, especially if you're a better player than the born citizen.
956928
Of course.  We should have the same rights and privelages as any other tax paying citizen.
395291
I believe that the illegal immigrants that are already here, should have the right to become citizens.  I have recently just got back from Mexico by myself because my husband was not granted his Visa.  It is really bad when people live the right way and pay taxes are punished because they have been in the United States for more than a year.  It is not right to sent all the illegal immigrants back to Mexico just because you think they have no rights.  The Mexicans just come here to better their life for thier famileis.  I have been married for 4 years and have 2 children with my husband.  He is now in Mexico and we have to wait untill he gets a waiver to come back the right way.  He has been here since he was 16 and has no life in Mexico.  His life is here with me and our children.
862307
Assuming you are here legally, yes.  If you are here illegally, you are technically "here", according to the law, so it wouldn't have to.  But if you actually took your case to court, you'd get the same rights as everyone else, out of the "generosity" of the American left.
221388
Basicall Illegal Immigrants are ILLEGAL.  Why should US waive any rights to them and let them work in the US?  They committed a crime and they're being rewarded for doing it? And in return, the good American citizens are being punished by having to support them on welfare, medical, education?
238143
because the law says that anyone born in the united states is a natural born citizen. How is it that your ancestors came and had babies here making them citizens? Same thing.
639422
It is not a matter of what people "think" who belongs here, but it is a matter of law. If you were born in America, you are a citizen, therefore you belong here. If someone has come here illegally, then that is a different story. YOU were born here so you are entitled to all the rights and privileges of a US citizen.
725694
no your not rascist for wanting your family to have the same rights as the "others". in fact you should have more rights if you were born and bred in the country but unfortunatley here in britain that is not the case we actually have less rights whilst recieving less benefits if we become unemployed or sick as opposed to the imigrants (alot of which are illegal) who get much more of OUR money that we worked for which they take
451533
I feel that anyone who wasn't born in the US or who wasn't born to parents who have citizenship in the US must be required to apply for immigration.  Residing in the country without a valid visa or US citizenship is ILLEGAL, and nullfies all rights which any liberals might seek to provide law breakers of any nationality.
598524
If they are American citizens then they have rights that they can exercise. If they are illegal then they are here at their own risk. And the employers of illegal aliens should be punished. But yes I feel sorry for them too.
384138
They need to become citizens so they can pay taxes instead of getting away with not paying them.  It isn't fair.  I've read so many articles where they've interviewed several of the illegal immigrants, one gentlemen has been here for 15 years and hasn't paid a penny in taxes!!! Then he went and had a kid, so he gets tons of benefits for the kid at  the taxpayers expense!!!  I say, make them legal and take their money!!!!!!!  If they want rights and privledges, they are going to have to pay for them, just like all of us U.S. citizens have to.
192731
There is a difference between being an immigrant and being an Illegal Immigrant.  All of them are required to pay taxes by the same laws that we live under.  You say they don't pay taxes, yes they can not get out of paying sales taxes, gasoline taxes, property taxes through their rent and vehicles.  There are two types of Illegal Alien's those who have sneaked into the country and those who came here legally and for whatever reason they have become illegal for some reason.  I feel that these are two very different cases and should be treated as such.  Many of those that came here legally and became illegal after being in the country for a period of time are just victims of a system of beuacracy that runs to slow.  These cases should be allowed to remain in the country until the INS makes a final determination on their case.\n\nWhile we have many other of those that have come to this country illegally that are abusing our system, we also are taking advantage of them as well.  We pay them less than minimum wage work them long hours in jobs that Americans will not do. While we would like to get them out of the picture they are also a very important part of our economy.  They may take American Jobs, they also take jobs Americans won't take.  They do them for less than an American will work for.  Many of these jobs would not exist as profitable for the employer without being paid for at a reduced rate.\n\nI am not arguing that we should just turn our back on the problem, rather I would like to see the system work without anyone getting abused, which is exactly what we are doing to these people now.  Everyone needs to wake up to the fact that we have created this problem and it has grown larger than the institution that we have to control it and both sides of this problem are getting abused in a different way.  Something needs to be worked out to have the manpower to eliminate the problem and then it needs to be done with integraty and dignity for all of those involved.  Then we as Americans will have to decide how to do the jobs that they are doing for us.  Americans have overcome much greater obsticles in our history and it is time to do it again.
330270
Of course.  A legal has every right and we should support them.\nAn illegal is a criminal by definition.  Go through the process of becoming legitimate or don't come to the U.S.\nGiven the sheer numbers of illegals, it would be impossible to deport them all, but they should pay a fine for breaking the law of the land and they should go through the process of becoming legal.  It would take a line of buses from San Diego to Alaska to haul them all out at onece.  Its just not realistic to ship them all out.  Also, given how involved they are in our economy, our economic system would suffer and be threatened with collapse if that many people were suddenly jerked out of it.