[{"msgID":"233","topic":"Immigration","message":"Illegal immigrants account for a substantial percentage of the crime in our country. According to the Heritage Foundation, \"\"a little more than two-thirds (202,000) of those booked in Texas jails were later confirmed as illegal immigrants by the federal government. According to the Texas report, over the course of their criminal careers those illegal immigrants were charged with committing 494,000 criminal offenses.\"\" \/  \/ Further, illegal immigrants using the resources of our country, produced by those who are citizens or migrated legally to this country, takes away resources from those who are entitled to them (as citizens or legal migrants). According to the New York Times, in 2018, 8 million illegal immigrants were working in the U.S. The U.S. has always been a safe haven for immigrants. However, there are immigration processes put in place to ensure everyone coming into the country is safe. These procedures exist for the security of our nation, and when these procedures are bypassed, those violators should not be rewarded by using America's resources. Instead, illegal immigrants should be encouraged to go through the legal process of migration. The U.S. can do this by creating re-entrance programs, where illegal immigrants are deported, but are given the chance to reenter by being guided through the process of migration.","count":"8","completed":"5"},{"msgID":"418","topic":"Immigration","message":"I believe that immigrants are the backbone of this country, and that illegal immigrants come illegally because the system is broken so that normal people can't immigrate. I am an immigrant myself, and the process to get the green card is much more difficult and expensive than people think, and many immigrants, who are hardworking people, do not have the means to go through this process. Of course, some people may get fortunate and have a nice immigration officer, but in general the system does not work. I do not believe in illegal immigration, but I do believe in fixing the legal immigration system so that people do not have to come illegally in the first place. In the meantime, dreamers and other hardworking immigrants should have a path to citizenship, as many of these people are more American than they are from their country of origin, as they have been gone for a long time. Deportation to their countries could also be very dangerous, as gangs could extort them for the money they made here, and some cartels are even known to take children for the gangs. We should have a strong border so these gang members cannot enter, but a permeable legal system so that anyone who wants to come and work is able to do so, regardless of socioeconomic status. Many of my friends are immigrants, some of them illegal, and I do not think that it is right that they, hardworking and studious, should be sent back when they are benefiting the country by adding to the economy. ","count":"8","completed":"5"},{"msgID":"138","topic":"Immigration","message":"Not a native-born American myself, I feel like Americans are being too generous in letting illegal immigrants stay within the boarder. I understand how bad the situations are in many countries that are facing warfare, but there are other ways these refugees could be protected. More people are taking advantage of America's sympathy and remain in the state ILLEGALLY while they can totally make a living in their own places. This is unfair for taxpayers and bad to economy. Every country has its capacity, and I think America has exceeded that limit.","count":"8","completed":"5"},{"msgID":"27","topic":"Immigration","message":"As a undocumented student here at Georgetown, I often felt unsure about my role here on campus. Coming from a humble background and a community very different from the one on campus, I questioned if I belonged or deserved to be here. I was fortunate to have people that believed in me and to have been provided opportunities that so many people are not fortunate to receive. The current system we have in the United States is clearly favorable towards a particular demographic, but I still believe in the American Dream. Immigrants come to this country in hopes of a better life. They aren't rapist or criminals, they're people. Our nation is best when we accept each other and try to find commonalities instead of differences. The basic idea of the American Dream is having the opportunity to reach your goal regardless of your background, to reward those who work hard, and to give hope to those who feel marginalized or neglected. I have found my place on campus and I now understand that I am meant to bring a new perspective to dialogues. My perspective is not inferior in anyway to those of my peers.  ","count":"8","completed":"6"}]