CNN.com: German teen jailed for visa violation.
Here’s the story of an 18 year-old teen who legitimately thought he was a citizen of the U.S. He’s been here for 8 years and his step-grandfather supposedly filled out the necessary paperwork for him to be here legally. When the teen can’t find the legal documents, he contacts immigration to get a copy. Immigration determines this kid is in the U.S. illegally, should be jailed and deported soonest.
My favorite quote from the story:
Immigration officials are obligated to follow the law that clearly states that anyone who doesn’t follow visa rules must be detained immediately and deported within 90 days, said Greg Palmore, spokesman for the agency.
Really? Why is it that the U.S. government jumps through hoops to let illegal immigrants from south of the border stay in the U.S., essentially turning a blind eye to their presence, but has to jail a German teen for breaking the same law.
If we as a nation are going to blindly apply the law, it should be blindly applied in all cases. If U.S. immigration decides to jail and deport Europeans, African, Middle Easterners and Asians because they don’t have documentation, then every effort should be made to do the same for the umpteen million Central and South American illegal aliens.
I do think that the teen in question will eventually be allowed to stay in the U.S. Even the bureaucracy of the U.S. government can only be so stupid and legalistic. But this episode does serve to highlight the injustice of our current immigration policies. Those who love and admire the U.S. AND respect the laws of the U.S. are barred from entry, while those who ignore and disregard U.S. laws enter freely and are encouraged to stay.
Thankfully, illegal immigration is becoming more of a hot-button political issue. Hopefully the powers that be in the U.S. will have the political courage to take steps to enforce the laws in place, encouraging legal immigration and doing everything in their power to discourage illegal immigration.
