Undocumented Irish Immigrants

[Ordie]

SAN FRANCISCO
Irish make their presence felt in fight over illegal immigration

150 from Bay Area to rally in D.C. for legalization efforts

Tyche Hendricks, Chronicle Staff Writer (thendricks@sfchronicle.com)
Friday, February 9, 2007
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/../c/pictures/2007/02/09_t/ba_irish02_0003_db_t.gif (http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/../cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2007/02/09/BAG7DO1K5D1.DTL&o=0&type=printable)


Irish immigrants and Irish Americans in the Bay Area are mobilizing for another round of activism in the debate over illegal immigration.
About 1,500 people turned out for an immigration reform rally in San Francisco last week, and 150 plan to head to Washington, D.C., next month to join a protest with the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform, a national group working to legalize undocumented immigrants.
Elaine, a San Francisco nanny who wouldn't give her last name because she lacks legal immigration status, plans to leave her 6-year-old son with her sister and fly to the nation's capital to join the call for comprehensive immigration reform on March 7.
She said she feels a sense of commonality with illegal immigrants from Mexico, who make up the majority of the estimated 12 million people living in the United States illegally.
"We're all in the same boat," she said. "The Irish are lucky because we speak English and we're white: We do get treated better. But we (undocumented immigrants) are all hard workers. We all want a better life."
Though the Irish are only a small slice of the country's illegal immigrant population, their outspoken activism has added another dimension to the public perception of illegal immigrants, said Angela Kelley, deputy director of the National Immigration Forum in Washington.
"They came last year with these white T-shirts that said 'Legalize the Irish,' and people kind of stopped and paused and looked twice at them on Capitol Hill," she said. "There's a substantial Asian population, a substantial Irish population; it's not just a Latino issue. They serve as a helpful reminder of how multifaceted the debate is. "
The Irish have a lot in common with other immigrant groups in America, said Margaret McPeake, co-director of the Irish Studies Program at New College of California in San Francisco. Irish Americans have a sense of their deep roots in the United States, combined with a sympathy for the difficult economic and political realities in Ireland that spurred the last big wave of immigration in the 1980s, she said.
"That understanding makes people willing to band together and see the Irish experience as part of a larger immigrant story," said McPeake.
Celine Kennelly, director of San Francisco's Irish Immigration Pastoral Center, estimates that 50,000 of the country's 150,000 Irish-born residents are illegal, with many thousands of them in the Bay Area. Most of them entered the country on a legitimate student, work or tourist visa and stayed after it expired.
"The immigration system absolutely needs to be fixed," said Kennelly. The undocumented Irish "have employed people, they've paid taxes, they've contributed favorably to society, they've tried every visa option and entered the 'green card' lottery every year. But it's becoming impossible to live here without a Social Security number and a driver's license. It's a pressured situation."
Elaine said she wants to become a legal permanent U.S. resident so she can build a stable life in her adopted city without fear of being picked up by immigration authorities. She also wants the laws to change so she take her son back to his homeland so he can stay connected to his grandparents and his Irish heritage.
"If everyone's quiet, nothing will happen," said Elaine. "I might as well speak out and feel like I've done something."
Kennelly said she's hopeful that, with Congress now in Democratic hands, it will pass an immigration bill this year that includes a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants and more legal avenues for foreign citizens to work in the United States.
"We're going to keep knocking on doors and letting people know this is a huge Irish issue," she said. "We need to have it addressed in a timely and proper manner."



Mexicans are not the only undocumented immigrants. 40% of all undocumented immigrants are visa overstays. Yet the INS only targets the Latino communites. Profiling?

[Calanen]

The Irish previously had the Morrison visa brought in to stop them from being undocumented, which is now the Greencard lottery. That's some pretty special lobbying power.

I had heard rumours of Irish and British illegals who were working building sites in San Diego as labourers. While I would have loved to stay in the USA, I was not going to do anything illegal. Being on the run your whole life, and always being scared about the knock on the door is no way to live.

[tyovan]

Why don't they want to go live in Ireland legally? Its been named as the best country in the world to live in... I would live there if I had the chance!

[SHAM]

Why don't they want to go live in Ireland legally? Its been named as the best country in the world to live in... I would live there if I had the chance!

They have no qualifications, they wouldnt make as much money in Ireland as they are making over there. Comparitive lifestyle for salary and qualifications.
They would struggle to find anything other than labouring or min wage jobs in Ireland.
Cost of living in Ireland is far higher, they would take a hammering on the exchange rate ontop of that to come home.
In short they would have spent all those years creating a good comfortable succesfull life for themselves state side, to come home to Ireland to nothing.
I've seen it happen.

[Firetxmi]

Kick em out! Send em all back! We don't need your illegal Black Pudding or Guinness! We need to put a wall up along all of our ocean borders to prevent these illegals from coming over!

Sorry, couldn't resist! :D

[tippex22]

Who is going to build your wall if the Irish get kicked out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...I've discovered a flaw in your plan.......hahaha ( Sarcasm is great ).

[Firetxmi]

Who is going to build your wall if the Irish get kicked out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why the illegal Norwegians of course! :D


( Sarcasm is great ).

Yes, Yes it is!

[Violet Fashion by Mindy]

A few reletives were illegals for a little while. Then they married yanks.

[Thor]

Why don't they want to go live in Ireland legally? Its been named as the best country in the world to live in... I would live there if I had the chance!
Source?


(Not suggesting that Ireland is a bad place)

[SHAM]

Source?


(Not suggesting that Ireland is a bad place)


I do believe it was 2004, and 2005 aswell apparently.
Dont know what the scoring is based on. Apparently its "quality of life assessment", it certainly wasnt value for money, which no doubt we would come bottom of the 10 for.
No matter where you or I or anyone lives, there going to believe its top, so who gives a toss what the economist thinks.



'TOP TEN COUNTRIES'
1 Ireland
2 Switzerland
3 Norway
4 Luxembourg
5 Sweden
6 Australia
7 Iceland
8 Italy
9 Denmark
10 Spain


The economist magazine.

Link to the 2005 report. Its a pdf.
http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/QUALITY_OF_LIFE.pdf

[chuckster]

This is an index, it really doesn't mean much in the real world. IMHO there's a bit of left wing bias in these indexes. If the USA places too high on one of their indexes, they tweak it a little more untill the USA shows up way down on the list.

[Loki77]

Norway is first...
..Oil-rich Norway, topped the U.N. Development Program's human development index, based on such criteria as life expectancy, education and income. Iceland was No. 2, followed by Australia, Ireland, Sweden, Canada, Japan and the United States.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index

[SHAM]

This is an index, it really doesn't mean much in the real world. IMHO there's a bit of left wing bias in these indexes. If the USA places too high on one of their indexes, they tweak it a little more untill the USA shows up way down on the list.

I would agree that it doesnt mean much, but i certainly think that it reflects the progress made in Ireland in a relatively short period of time.
Where we have gone from horses and carts on the streets literally, and the biggest industry being farming and fishing to where we are now.
9 out of 10 of the world's top pharmaceutical companies have operations here, as do 16 of the top 20 medical device companies and 7 out of the top 10 software designers.
In relation to leftest leaning and americas position, perhaps i would have a similar skeptisislm if Ireland was in the same position repeatedly.
But as you say, it doesnt mean much.

[Firetxmi]

IMHO there's a bit of left wing bias in these indexes. If the USA places too high on one of their indexes, they tweak it a little more untill the USA shows up way down on the list.

Anything to back that statement up, or is it just a hunch?

[sct1886]

"Mexicans are not the only undocumented immigrants. 40% of all undocumented immigrants are visa overstays. Yet the INS only targets the Latino communites. Profiling?"
Hell no it is not profiling and not prejudice. It is a reality that the US prisons are full of Latino illegalls. The greater percentage of crime in Mexifornia (California) are committed by Latino ILLEGALS. Even in rural towns where meat processing plants have large numbers of Latino illegals crime rates have soared. The simple answer is Americans are sick and tired of this crap, not prejudice. Wake up...

[Ordie]

"Mexicans are not the only undocumented immigrants. 40% of all undocumented immigrants are visa overstays. Yet the INS only targets the Latino communites. Profiling?"
Hell no it is not profiling and not prejudice. It is a reality that the US prisons are full of Latino illegalls. The greater percentage of crime in Mexifornia (California) are committed by Latino ILLEGALS. Even in rural towns where meat processing plants have large numbers of Latino illegals crime rates have soared. The simple answer is Americans are sick and tired of this crap, not prejudice. Wake up...

Is it not the case that Irish Undocumented Immigrants are crinimals as well? After all, isn't overstaying a visa period is a violation of federal laws?

[Rifleman]

Back in 2000 I would go to the shooting range and there would be this British dude shooting like there was no tomorrow. He was in the U.S. on a 6 month job assignment and was using his time to his full advantage...shooting.


Long story short he and his family (wife and 2 kids) are now U.S. citizens. He had no problems with the process and responds to such articles with the word...bullocks, which I assume means bull****.

Anyway to make a point, he had me join him at a job site, he owns his own company now, and he told me to go up and strike a conversation with the mexicans. I did so with no luck.

He gave me a pad of paper and a pen and told me to do it againg in writting...in english....holy crap!

These 4 guys from Mexico could read and write in perfect english but have the vocabulary of a 3 year old. I asked how heck that could be and was told that they are proud of their native language!

The day of his swearing in there were 550 people taking the oath from 64 countries, the majority from Mexico and The Phillipines. He was the only one from the UK, his wife and kids were sworn in 8 weeks later.

After talking to him there are some real knuckle-heads with no one to blame but themselves.

[SHAM]

Back in 2000 I would go to the shooting range and there would be this British dude shooting like there was no tomorrow. He was in the U.S. on a 6 month job assignment and was using his time to his full advantage...shooting.


Long story short he and his family (wife and 2 kids) are now U.S. citizens. He had no problems with the process and responds to such articles with the word...bullocks, which I assume means bull****.

Anyway to make a point, he had me join him at a job site, he owns his own company now, and he told me to go up and strike a conversation with the mexicans. I did so with no luck.

He gave me a pad of paper and a pen and told me to do it againg in writting...in english....holy crap!

These 4 guys from Mexico could read and write in perfect english but have the vocabulary of a 3 year old. I asked how heck that could be and was told that they are proud of their native language!

The day of his swearing in there were 550 people taking the oath from 64 countries, the majority from Mexico and The Phillipines. He was the only one from the UK, his wife and kids were sworn in 8 weeks later.

After talking to him there are some real knuckle-heads with no one to blame but themselves.

I love the irony, 6 month work visa.
Gets his citizenship and starts his own company.
Hires mexican ilegal aliens to make his american dream:)
P.S. its "bollox" and perhaps the mexicans could give you some written english lessons.

[sct1886]

Is it not the case that Irish Undocumented Immigrants are crinimals as well? After all, isn't overstaying a visa period is a violation of federal laws?
Yes, But we do not currently have millions in our jails and gang problems with Irish. It is self evident that there are good and bad amongst any race, but we are getting too many from the bottom of the barrel from the Latino countries. If you do not think there is a problem you don't get off your ship enough. A friend of Mexican descent was raped by a Mex. illegal. I witnessed a man hit by a Mex. illegal with no insurance, he is now a quadraplegic, the list goes on and on...

[sct1886]

BTW: Call the "Undocumented Irish Immigrants" for what they are Illegal Immigrants not this PC teminology $$$$

[SPROCKET]

What the hell is it with the, "I don't like my country, so I'm just going to sneak into yours and then demand that it be my right to stay regardless of immigration laws." attitude. Personally, articles like this make me think only one thing; mass deportation. Pack your **** up, go home and begin the immigration process just like hundreds of thousands other people have.
Of course the obvious solution is massive fines and jail time time for employers. Unfotunately, those with the gold make the rules, so that isn't going to happen anytime soon.

[Firetxmi]

So who is going to put time, sweat, and money into this border fence around our Atlantic and Pacific coastlines?

[Rifleman]

I love the irony, 6 month work visa.
Gets his citizenship and starts his own company.
Hires mexican ilegal aliens to make his american dream:)
P.S. its "bollox" and perhaps the mexicans could give you some written english lessons.

Well, they are not Mexican "illegal" aliens (notice the two L's). Will you be joining me in English 101? :)

His business model is very simple but I will not go into detail because it would offend some and I am trying to get up and running doing the same thing myself. It should be a good retirement gig.

[cbreedon]

P.S. its "bollox" and perhaps the mexicans could give you some written english lessons.


Bollocks is generally accepted as the correct spelling... although you can use bollox

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bollocks

Quite a useful and varied word..

P.S. deport ALL illegals regardless of nationality..

[tsuri]

This is an index, it really doesn't mean much in the real world. IMHO there's a bit of left wing bias in these indexes. If the USA places too high on one of their indexes, they tweak it a little more untill the USA shows up way down on the list.
Of course it is a left wing conspiracy. If the US score number 1, notorious communist pamphlets such as the "Economist" are known to doctor statistics to make sure they get a lower score. They even include all the statistical variables to mask their lies..


Norway is first...

Yes but one has to add that such statistics have a different real world value than one might assume. The differences between first world states are so low that it does not matter much if you live in Norway or Austria.


The US get what they deserve. Introduce an ID Card, register people´s adresses and tighten regulations for employers and illegal immigration gets reduced to a minimum.

[Calanen]

Why don't they want to go live in Ireland legally? Its been named as the best country in the world to live in... I would live there if I had the chance!

Nah, too cold and too expensive. Yes there is work there, but, in many ways the US is better if you live in California.

[Calanen]

Long story short he and his family (wife and 2 kids) are now U.S. citizens. He had no problems with the process and responds to such articles with the word...bullocks, which I assume means bull****.



It's not hard if you set up your own company in the USA, which takes a lot of money, and you then sponsor yourself. Or even better buy an existing US business. If you are someone like me who would not have sufficient money to do that, and is relying on being hired, it is very hard.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

It's not hard if you set up your own company in the USA, which takes a lot of money, and you then sponsor yourself. Or even better buy an existing US business. If you are someone like me who would not have sufficient money to do that, and is relying on being hired, it is very hard.I have my back door into the US sorted out <cough> <cough> Delaware <cough> brass plate <cough>

[Calanen]

I have my back door into the US sorted out <cough> <cough> Delaware <cough> brass plate <cough>

Heh yeah I guess that's possible, but the INS is onto that and if you have to show a large investment into the USA of funds etc. So, while some dodgy stuff may go on, its more difficult than it sounds...you have to show all the books and bank accounts. I guess they could be forged, but taking a powerful risk that you do get to stay in the USA, as a guest of the US Federal penitentiary system.

Im only for any legal ways however....

[sir-chimp]

So who is going to put time, sweat, and money into this border fence around our Atlantic and Pacific coastlines?

Yes yes its quite the stream isnt it.


Your a f_ucking idiot for even trying to draw a comparison.

Jesus christ how dumb can you be.

[Firetxmi]

Yes yes its quite the stream isnt it.


Your a f_ucking idiot for even trying to draw a comparison.

Jesus christ how dumb can you be.

:D Sorry, I thought it was painfully obvious, next time I will use my tags.

:D "How dumb can YOU be?"

[Calanen]

A border fence, is defeated by a ladder unless its like a huge castle wall. Even that that can be breached. Even if you built the great wall of China across the bottom half of the USA that only stops a mass military invasion, it does not stop someone with a grappling hook or a ladder.

If people are prepared to walk across the desert or swim across the Rio Grande or around from Tijuana onto Imperial Beach, then a wall or fence is only going to cost millions for little effect. Maybe a moat would be better...

[sir-chimp]

:D Sorry, I thought it was painfully obvious, next time I will use my tags.

:D "How dumb can YOU be?"

bulls_hit .

[Firetxmi]

bulls_hit .

Elaborate. Which part do you not believe?

You honestly think that I believe that a wall should be built on our coasts?

[tippex22]

Elaborate. Which part do you not believe?

You honestly think that I believe that a wall should be built on our coasts?
Damn it ..you mean you weren't serious about the fence ! Cause I was just about to give you the name's of a couple of lads in Galway who would have built you a lovely alantic fence for a few bob and a couple of work visas......no ! .....think about it and get back to me.
I REALLY LOVE sarcasm .

[~center~]

Illegal Immigrants are just that, illegal. I say give em all the boot and enforce the law! Doing anything less does nothing more than sully the efforts of the law abiding immigrants who are here legally. Do it by the book people otherwise I got no love for ye!

BTW my ancestors came to America from Ireland LEGALLY and have fought for this country in every major war since the revolution. So f@ck the illegal lot of ya.