Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Immigrants trying to do civic duty; registered to vote, now getting deported

Baraka_Guru · 10-17-2010, 08:20 AM

Deportation is incredibly harsh, especially in cases where there is confusion. The article points out that some volunteers will give out incorrect information when registering voters. That's a problem.

I think there should be a bigger push to inform people on electoral processes. At the same time, I think that the punishments should be made more reasonable. Ejecting migrant workers for voting instead of fining them is essentially disruptive and unnecessarily expensive, I imagine. It removes a gainfully employed individuals (and possibly the family) from the system, and at what cost otherwise? What is the cost to the employer and to the government?

Base the punishment in a fine and mandatory education on the system they fall under (green card, temporary worker or whatever). These people may be working towards citizenship, and to disrupt the process because of their desire to be a part of the political process (no matter how misinformed) could hurt America in the long run. One of the main benefits of immigration that leads to citizenship is that it can guarantee worker pools that might otherwise be unavailable or restrictive domestically.

Deportation seems too draconian.

10-17-2010, 08:20 AM	#2 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	Deportation is incredibly harsh, especially in cases where there is confusion. The article points out that some volunteers will give out incorrect information when registering voters. That's a problem. I think there should be a bigger push to inform people on electoral processes. At the same time, I think that the punishments should be made more reasonable. Ejecting migrant workers for voting instead of fining them is essentially disruptive and unnecessarily expensive, I imagine. It removes a gainfully employed individuals (and possibly the family) from the system, and at what cost otherwise? What is the cost to the employer and to the government? Base the punishment in a fine and mandatory education on the system they fall under (green card, temporary worker or whatever). These people may be working towards citizenship, and to disrupt the process because of their desire to be a part of the political process (no matter how misinformed) could hurt America in the long run. One of the main benefits of immigration that leads to citizenship is that it can guarantee worker pools that might otherwise be unavailable or restrictive domestically. Deportation seems too draconian. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 10-17-2010 at 08:23 AM..