Comey used a private e-mail account to conduct official FBI business

[pondwater]

Provided that their application for asylum is accepted, yes, that is what the law directs.  You are a big fan of following the law elsewhere, so I'd think you should be in favor of this.

I find it bizarre that the "limited government" crowd seems to believe that in the case of illegal immigration - a federal misdemeanor, not unlike depicting Smokey The Bear without official authorization - suspects should be treated like violent felons and treated as harshly as possible.  If you think illegal immigration should be changed to some sort of superfelony, then you should advocate for the law to be changed to reflect that.  But the current law (in a nation of immigrants) treats backdoor immigration from people who just want to live here peacefully and make a life for themselves as a minor offense, not the dire threat to the republic that you consider it.

So you're saying you're OK with open borders? Yes, no, flim flam doublespeak? You call arresting and deporting people being treated as harshly as possible? You're a silly little fella.

What about all the people already here illegally right now that have been living here for a long time in sanctuary cities. It seems in those cases you would be OK with rounding them up and catapulting their asses back over the border. What say you Sargent Spin?

[Spider-Dan]

Are you asking me what I would like our immigration laws to be?  I'm happy to explain, but you usually respond with something like, "tough cookies libs, that's not what the law says."

As for what I think should be done about the millions of misdemeanor offenders in this country now: I don't think we should move existing law enforcement off of pursuing felonies to apprehend low-level criminals, nor do I think we should spend huge sums of money hiring an enormous force to break down doors for minor offenses.  So if that means there are undocumented immigrants in this country that remain at large, I guess that's what you get if you don't want to live in a police state where people are being hunted down for misdemeanors.  cost of freedom, etc.

But maybe you disagree.  How should we go about creating an enforcement squad to go door-to-door snatching people put of their homes?  Are there any other misdemeanors that merit such a squad, or is this crime special?

[pondwater]

Are you asking me what I would like our immigration laws to be?  I'm happy to explain, but you usually respond with something like, "tough cookies libs, that's not what the law says."

As for what I think should be done about the millions of misdemeanor offenders in this country now: I don't think we should move existing law enforcement off of pursuing felonies to apprehend low-level criminals, nor do I think we should spend huge sums of money hiring an enormous force to break down doors for minor offenses.  So if that means there are undocumented immigrants in this country that remain at large, I guess that's what you get if you don't want to live in a police state where people are being hunted down for misdemeanors.  cost of freedom, etc.

But maybe you disagree.  How should we go about creating an enforcement squad to go door-to-door snatching people put of their homes?  Are there any other misdemeanors that merit such a squad, or is this crime special?

To me laws are laws. You seem to make a distinction between misdemeanors and felonies. Are you suggesting the misdemeanors don't matter? If so, should we just wipe all misdemeanors off the books? I mean if we're not going to enforce them, what's the point of having them?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I mean if we're not going to enforce them, what's the point of having them?

I assume you feel the same way about someone who does 56 mph in a 55 zone.  Guy deserves a ticket why have a law you don't enforce.

[pondwater]

I assume you feel the same way about someone who does 56 mph in a 55 zone.  Guy deserves a ticket why have a law you don't enforce.

That doesn't answer the question does it? So are you saying that misdemeanors don't matter?



And actually, I do feel the same way, the guy does deserve a ticket.

[Spider-Dan]

We have a distinction between different types of crimes for a reason.  If "laws are laws," should every crime have the same penalty?

The lengths you are willing to go to in order to justify this are amazing.  "Laws are laws"... except, apparently, the laws that describe how asylum works.

[Tenshot13]

Are we arguing semantics on misdemeanors? I don't think it's the levity of the crime that's the issue, it's because of the tax  dollars used for government assistance towards people that don't contribute to our society because they are illegally here. Correct me if I'm wrong but illegal aliens don't pay taxes.

[pondwater]

We have a distinction between different types of crimes for a reason.  If "laws are laws," should every crime have the same penalty?

The lengths you are willing to go to in order to justify this are amazing.  "Laws are laws"... except, apparently, the laws that describe how asylum works.

We're not talking about asylum right now. You must have a short memory.

What about all the people already here illegally right now that have been living here for a long time in sanctuary cities. It seems in those cases you would be OK with rounding them up and catapulting their asses back over the border.

Again, stay on point. We're talking about people illegally entering this country and using up our resources. So again I'll ask, do you think misdemeanors don't matter and we shouldn't enforce them? That's a pretty simple yes or no answer.

[Phishfan]

Correct me if I'm wrong but illegal aliens don't pay taxes.

Then you are corrected. They pay sales tax.

[Tenshot13]

Then you are corrected. They pay sales tax.

Stickler

[Phishfan]

I'll add to that and ask if that is really your big issue then why aren't you complaining about born here citizens who live without paying the same taxes? How many laborers are working under the table everyday and using the same resources while giving back just as little?

[Spider-Dan]

We're not talking about asylum right now.

We are talking about immigration, to which asylum is inseparably relevant.  The people who you are insisting need to be hunted down and thrown out of the country have the legal right to apply for asylum.  So again, "laws are laws" when it's time to kick down doors and snatch people out of their homes, but not when those exact same people want to apply for asylum.  Seems like you believe following the law is optional when convenient.

We're talking about people illegally entering this country and using up our resources. So again I'll ask, do you think misdemeanors don't matter and we shouldn't enforce them? That's a pretty simple yes or no answer.

You seem to love demanding that your questions be answered in exactly the fashion you insist.  I already gave you a paragraph-long answer explaining, in detail, my opinion on what should be done with these undocumented immigrants.  But you want a binary yes/no answer?  Fine.

Do I think misdemeanors don't matter and we shouldn't enforce them?
No.

Of course, your question is formatted in such a clownish fashion that even that simple "no" is incredibly ambiguous.  Do I mean "No, they don't matter," or "No, we shouldn't enforce them,"  or "No, I don't think that"?  Who can tell?  You wanted a "simple yes or no answer," you can't handle detailed responses, so you got your one-word answer and now you can shut up about spin and doublespeak.  Ask a useless question, get a useless answer.

Now that I have answered your question to exactly the parameters you set, my turn:

You said, "To me laws are laws." The process of applying for asylum is codified in law.  Should we follow the law as it pertains to immigrants applying for asylum?

[Spider-Dan]

Then you are corrected. They pay sales tax.

Not only that, but illegal immigrants pay all sorts of other taxes.  Bridge tolls are taxes.  Driver license fees are taxes.  Car registration fees are taxes.  There are taxes on phone lines and electric bills.  If your water, sewer, or garbage are billed to you by your local government, those are all taxes.  If you own property, you pay property taxes.

But most importantly: illegal immigrants pay billions of dollars in federal taxes each year.  They pay both income taxes and payroll taxes, and the latter is particularly ironic: undocumented immigrants pay billions every year into Social Security and Medicare, even though they are ineligible to withdraw from those programs.  It is literally the opposite of taking government assistance without contributing.

[Tenshot13]

I'll add to that and ask if that is really your big issue then why aren't you complaining about born here citizens who live without paying the same taxes? How many laborers are working under the table everyday and using the same resources while giving back just as little?

I do have an issue with that too.

[Tenshot13]

Not only that, but illegal immigrants pay all sorts of other taxes.  Bridge tolls are taxes.  Driver license fees are taxes.  Car registration fees are taxes.  There are taxes on phone lines and electric bills.  If your water, sewer, or garbage are billed to you by your local government, those are all taxes.  If you own property, you pay property taxes.

But most importantly: illegal immigrants pay billions of dollars in federal taxes each year.  They pay both income taxes and payroll taxes, and the latter is particularly ironic: undocumented immigrants pay billions every year into Social Security and Medicare, even though they are ineligible to withdraw from those programs.  It is literally the opposite of taking government assistance without contributing.

I believe something from Vox or HuffPo as much as Fox News from the other side, so bad example.  For arguments sake, let's say illegals do pay 10 billion in taxes annually. How much is spent on them? If you believe Trump, it's $113 billion. Another source says $85 billion and I've seen as low as $45 billion. It depends on what the agenda is from the source (got that straight from politifacts which leans left) , but the lowest of these amounts is still 4.5x the amount they're putting in. This sort of stuff happens all the time, criteria is changed to fit an agenda, so it's not out right lying.