{"id":5167,"date":"2025-06-02T20:12:23","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T03:12:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coldstreams.com\/travel\/?p=5167"},"modified":"2025-10-12T11:00:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T18:00:37","slug":"immigration-legal-or-illegal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coldstreams.com\/travel\/2025\/06\/02\/immigration-legal-or-illegal\/","title":{"rendered":"Immigration: Legal or illegal?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u2018Before he locks us up\u2019: Oregon couple will return to Mexico to avoid Trump\u2019s deportation threat – oregonlive.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a sympathetic news report implying immigration enforcement is unjust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The family is in the U.S. illegally; he has three DUI offenses and was deported in 2009; they returned anyway in 2010. Having lived here for decades, the story implies she has not learned to speak English. 3 of the 4 kids also came to the U.S., illegally, says the report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is baffling – and implies there should be no rules on immigration because it’s a sad story. Or something. The implication is that anyone who entered the U.S. illegally should be permitted to stay – even if they committed offenses and were previously deported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This story is confusing and unclear what it is trying to accomplish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another<\/strong>: Feeling hopeless in custody, many drop claims to remain in the US, leave voluntarily | Oregon \/ Northwest | centraloregondaily.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I have written elsewhere, I view ICE enforcement as heavy handed and much of it unnecessary. On the other hand, there should be consequences for entering a country and staying without permission. Those consequences could vary considerably including a path to legal status after perhaps agreeing to a penalty for staying in the country without permission. Currently, our media’s approach is that if you enter the country legally on a valid visa and overstay that visa, you should be allowed to stay in the U.S. forever – thus, no consequences for staying without permission. That is, in effect, open borders, which does not seem right either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. under prior administrations permitted this situation to develop over decades. The current administration’s approach seems messy, heavy handed, and often unnecessarily cruel. There needs to be another way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A U.S. citizen who stays in most other countries without permission is subject to being detained and\/or deported from that country.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related stories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n