This is a purely symbolic, wedge issue - especially in Missouri. Perhaps this would be an issue if we were in Texas or California. If anything, illegal immigrants are adding to the St. Louis economy through their labor, consumption, and capital investments.

But lets not get too political here. McKaskill is just as hawkish on immigration issues.

Nicole Allen an UMSL student, was killed by a drunk driving illegal alien.

Sergio Lopez an unlicensed illegal alien crashed his SUV into a Clayton restaurant injuring three people, all of which had to pay for his crime of coming to this country.

Deep Breath when you get hit by an illegal alien driving without insurance don’t come crying to me. These people cost us money. They don’t usually pay taxes, but use our services. They rip off other people’s identities to work. Some of them commit crimes. Some come to our country illegally and kill and rape people. How would you like to get raped by a person who isn’t supposed to be here? All of them are criminals, the minute they step foot on our soil they have committed a crime.

Now I have to waste my time choosing English or Spanish when I call my bank. I don’t like going to Lowe’s and seeing everything in Spanish also. Does Mexico have everything in English too? In Mexico can I go to a government office and get forms in English?

It’s bad enough companies have sent so many American jobs overseas, now the illegal aliens have to come here and take the rest. Then they send most of the money they make back home. How is that money stimulating the American economy? It’s not.

The jobs illegals work, are not jobs Americans want because they don’t pay enough. Why would I want to work in a field for $7 an hour, when 20 years later it hurts to get out of bed? It’s called back breaking work for a reason.

If Mexicans want to live better they should overthrow their corrupt government.

Everyone wants stuff cheap. This whole nation is a racing towards the bottom. The United States has sold out. If we were a company our bonds would be rated junk.

Illegal immigration is a legitimate issue, but as with many issues, politicians are using it as a wedge to divide people and create unnecessary melodrama. At best, the hysteria surrounding this issue is an over-reaction (how many MEXICAN terrorists have you heard about lately???) and at worst it exploits an underlying xenophobia that hs just gotten worse and worse under our current “leader.”

Unlike most, I plead some level of ignorance about all of the components of this-I don’t pretend to have all of the answers. I do know that some people seem to delight in bashing other nationalities and this issue seems to given them a certain level of legitimacy to do so…and that concerns me. I also realize that we do need to know who is in our country and for what purpose(s).

I have heard no reasonable debates on this so far–just histrionics and fear speech of the Fox News variety. It would be nice to hear some opposing viewpoints from literate and intelligent people rather than those moronic pundits and politicians.

Illegal immigration is a problem wherever it might exist.

When stories Like this one come along, I think it is more than a “wedge issue.” Take a look at what happened when congress tried to pass “comprehensive” amnesty, we the people blew up their telephone switchboards, flooded their faxes and emails in opposition to the amnesty bill, and it failed. This fall, NY governor tried to give drivers licenses to illegals, he stopped only due to the loud opposition to it. Senator Clinton has taken both sides of the issue and decided to stay (for now) on the one that polls better.

Build the fence, bust the employers and employees, deport the criminals.

Ok, Si Vis, let’s do as you suggest, “build the fence, bust the employers and employees, deport the criminals.” No problem.

Will you willingly speak out in favor of full funding of the INS and border patrol, pay the personal economic price when the cost of a chicken at the grocery store doubles, and work towards resolving the knotty problem of what to do with natural born minor citizens who have parents who are being deported?

Of course it’s a wedge issue. In order to get elected, politicians need an issue that everyone thinks they understand, but no one really does. They need a convenient bogeyman to hold up as an example to prove either how good they are, or how evil their opponent is. Immigration policy is the new Abortion policy: The politicians will posture on it to get elected or re elected, but they will do absolutely nothing about it while in office because getting there and staying there is the only thing that matters.

IF illegal immigration is a “wedge issue,” it is a wedge between the American people and an alliance between big business, the president, most Democrats and some Republicans. I agree with SVPPB.

“Build the fence, bust the employers and employees, deport the criminals.”

I would only add that any politician that refuses to listen to the majority of American CITIZENS needs to be thrown out of office, for good.

After several business trips to Mexico, it is very apparent to me that the problem with illegal entry into this country is that there is virtually no middle class in Mexico, compared to the overall population. There are poor, there are rich, and very little in between.

Who is on the side of illegal immigration? There are those who are looking for cheap labor, those looking for more voters, and the ruling class in Mexico. It is easy to see who comprises this unholy alliance, ignoring basic human decency to fulfill their selfish needs.

It is ironic that people in the U.S. are expected to care for these people but the government of the country from which they are coming could care less. The problem is Mexico and American so-called elites, not U.S. policies.

Build a fence, enforce the law, and penalize those who profit from this inhumane treatment of our fellow human beings, including the Mexican government.

“Will you willingly speak out in favor of full funding of the INS and border patrol,”

Yes, well you?

“pay the personal economic price when the cost of a chicken at the grocery store doubles,”

Think your exaggerating the cost a little, but a temporary price spike is to be expected.

“and work towards resolving the knotty problem of what to do with natural born minor citizens who have parents who are being deported?”

Tricky detail you present grasshopper….certainly one that will require alot of pandering to make go away, because that is what politicians do, pander. I got a couple ideas, and that is all they are, ideas:
They go with the parents. It would be wrong to split up families, so they go with the parents until they reach a certain age, then they can come back and enjoy their citizenship. Or they stay here, go with legal family members, church members of some maybe even adoption.

You got some ideas, or are happy just to complain?

Illegal Immigration is destroying this country everyday! It has to be stopped. All illegals need to be deported immediately and legal immigration should be stopped for a period of 5 years, to let things settle for this country and reencourage the “Melting Pot” which has become a joke.