The Official Outrage Over Obama Immigration Reform thread

[teddy k 35]

Yeah that's right getting f'ed again by this worthless government who only cares about making money off our backs to give to someone else who does not deserve it while we struggle to support our familys here and abroad who are waiting too go thru this process legally, and now to wait longer to get processed cuz the government is bogged down with cases, we should be given priority over everyone else. Makes me mad ad hell.but what can we do we're only tax paying fools for this joke of a president so everyone get ready for more lies why our cases are stuck somewheres.

[yuna628 9,528]

It's times like this that make me remember my great grandma who came to this country by applying legally (a different sort of hell back then), then had to come here via a long boat journey to Ellis Island while pregnant and caring for the babies who had been orphaned when their mothers died of dysentery on the voyage. Her American husband was desperate get her here obviously, but even then they did it the right way. Now that I'm on this journey I see so much wrong with our immigration system just as much as I see wrong with systems elsewhere. America likes to pride ourselves on being better, when all we are doing is sinking to new lows. No one is serious about reforming or fixing anything. There's such ridiculous delays at service centers, mounds of paperwork and redundancy, a broken website, lack of information or assistance, the expense, and the pain of each and every one of us still waiting as we continue to be apart. And we're all trying to do it the right way.. if it can be called the right way. Where those that do it sneakily, those that do it from desperation (however sympathetic I am) get put to the front of the line and given a pat on the back. I'm not mad or outraged.. its past the time for that I'm sick at heart.

[lostinblue 1,989]

[rlogan 2,036]

For over ten years, the official immigration website showed a local office address in Fairbanks at the Airport when it did not exist. Desperate people went to the airport from bush Alaska by expensive airfare, just hoping to meet a live person to help them. We drove 40 miles. There is no office there, it has been closed for over ten years and the room immigration lists at the airport does not exist. The airport manager decided their policy would be to send people to the customs office on the other side of the airport.

So for over ten years people like us went looking for a nonexistent room, gave up and went to the manager, were sent to customs, who informed us they had nothing to do with immigration and were sick of people asking them about it. You have to ring a buzzer. They raise a metal door. Then they tell every one of us the same thing. How could this go on for over ten years?

So these people, people like us, end up staying overnight in hotels and trying to meet with their congressional representatives just to get a phone number for a person. We have done four 900 mile round trips to Anchorage for fingerprints alone. Because two of those were trips in vain because their own equipment and personnel could not take prints the FBI would accept. Yet, they won't allow the FBI to take the prints.

My wife couldn't get a social security card for two years because this office was so incredibly incompetent. Oh yes, and a trip to the USA cancelled and re-scheduled. I had to come here without her.

After those idiots took her fingerprints wrong TWICE, there was no apology, no acknowledgement how all that travel with two kids was an imposition. This ####### was patronizing instead - how glad we should be to travel on such a pleasant day. Oh, like you mean a day when we could be enjoying ourselves on our own front porch instead of having to drive over seven hours, stay overnight, and drive back again. Oh boy!

This is the service legal immigrants get. Threatening letters about being out of status, hurry up and get that appointment before we send you home, but catch-22: there are no appointments. Nobody tou can call. F-U.

Edited November 21, 2014 by rlogan

[OriZ 3,157]

If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor.

Wait, what?

[B_J 2,752]

I know I'm not as upset about all of this as I should be. I've read the transcript of the speech and I see what is being offered and what isn't. But here's the part that really bothers me:

Every time there is a speech about immigration or immigration reform, whoever it is always talks about how bad it is to rip families apart. It's so very important that families stay together - mother, father, brothers, sisters.

My wife and I have been married three years now and it's been great. BUT, she misses her family. She always will. But that was part of the deal with immigrating here. She knew she was leaving her family. Plus, it is more difficult being that she's from the Philippines. Her family will not be able to get a tourist visa to come visit. We will eventually bring her mother over; but petitioning her brothers and sisters is pointless. I believe the wait is 20+ years. So, none of her family, except her mother, will ever be able to come visit. No time together with the family on Christmas or Thanksgiving. We live in a city that is very popular with tourists; we would love to have our niece and two nephews come visit. It will never, ever happen. Nobody will ever see in person what she shows them in pictures. She lives here with me, and we're happy, but it would mean so much if her brothers and sisters could come over, even for just one day, to visit us - see our home and our city. But they never will. This loneliness is, without a doubt, the most difficult part about immigration. It is difficult for me; I can only imagine how difficult it is for her.

But, this separation is a necessary part of immigration. We knew that, when she came here, she would be leaving everyone else behind. It was simply what we had to do and it was a choice we made.

I am just so very frustrated whenever I hear one of these speeches. All this effort to make sure that some families stay together; but not the families of those that paid the price ( literally and figuratively ) and did this all the legal way. Where is the fairness in that?

[PantomimeGoose 59]

Agreed. My husband and I are most likely about to get an interview for our removal of conditions, and I will most likely have to take a leave of absence from my PhD, which I have been commuting to so we don't go into debt. And the government sits there saying that everything must be done to keep families together, and to help students who are high achievers struggling for a better life.

I guess that doesn't apply to my family, and my education.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I know I'm not as upset about all of this as I should be. I've read the transcript of the speech and I see what is being offered and what isn't. But here's the part that really bothers me:

Every time there is a speech about immigration or immigration reform, whoever it is always talks about how bad it is to rip families apart. It's so very important that families stay together - mother, father, brothers, sisters.

My wife and I have been married three years now and it's been great. BUT, she misses her family. She always will. But that was part of the deal with immigrating here. She knew she was leaving her family. Plus, it is more difficult being that she's from the Philippines. Her family will not be able to get a tourist visa to come visit. We will eventually bring her mother over; but petitioning her brothers and sisters is pointless. I believe the wait is 20+ years. So, none of her family, except her mother, will ever be able to come visit. No time together with the family on Christmas or Thanksgiving. We live in a city that is very popular with tourists; we would love to have our niece and two nephews come visit. It will never, ever happen. Nobody will ever see in person what she shows them in pictures. She lives here with me, and we're happy, but it would mean so much if her brothers and sisters could come over, even for just one day, to visit us - see our home and our city. But they never will. This loneliness is, without a doubt, the most difficult part about immigration. It is difficult for me; I can only imagine how difficult it is for her.

But, this separation is a necessary part of immigration. We knew that, when she came here, she would be leaving everyone else behind. It was simply what we had to do and it was a choice we made.

I am just so very frustrated whenever I hear one of these speeches. All this effort to make sure that some families stay together; but not the families of those that paid the price ( literally and figuratively ) and did this all the legal way. Where is the fairness in that?

Let me start by saying that my wife is in the same boat as yours. She's away from her family as well and that was her choice and she lives with that. But when they're talking about not wanting to rip families apart, the reference is not to extended families but to parents and their children. That's the family that the President talked about last night as well. If we believe in the sanctity of the family, if we want to promote children being raised by both their parents then it is right to do what we can not to tear these families apart.

[B_J 2,752]

Let me start by saying that my wife is in the same boat as yours. She's away from her family as well and that was her choice and she lives with that. But when they're talking about not wanting to rip families apart, the reference is not to extended families but to parents and their children. That's the family that the President talked about last night as well. If we believe in the sanctity of the family, if we want to promote children being raised by both their parents then it is right to do what we can not to tear these families apart.

I understand that, but if you also throw in the incredible difficulty in getting a tourist visa from the Philippines and the 20+ year wait to petition siblings; it is frustrating.

[Stinkerpotsam 5]

Like Yuna said above, I'm past the point of anger and indignation - I'm heartsick.

Not only was this decision a slap in the face to all of us that have gone through the paperwork, costs, not to mention the humilation of interviews and in our case being accused of "not being a real couple" and having to get proof from friends and family, but it's a double slap when I see people celebrating this news in life and worst of all Facebook...

Our own friends and family that are so caught up in the politics of it all and don't even realize what goes on behind the scenes of this process and the time it takes. How this swipe of a pen will now clog up the offices that are already overloaded and have cost good people years of their lives waiting to be with THEIR loved ones. Not to mention I heard that there may be a huge cost reduction for the illelegals? Could this be true as well???

Sad day.

[MyLittlePony 340]

Free rewards for illegals who break USA laws everyday and a boot in the balls for America.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Let me start by saying that my wife is in the same boat as yours. She's away from her family as well and that was her choice and she lives with that. But when they're talking about not wanting to rip families apart, the reference is not to extended families but to parents and their children. That's the family that the President talked about last night as well. If we believe in the sanctity of the family, if we want to promote children being raised by both their parents then it is right to do what we can not to tear these families apart.

Obama lovin', illegal immigrant supportin', American hatin', LWNJ. We should let all of the criminals out of prison too since that breaks up families too.

[bowens44 213]

Not outraged at all. Not even a little. This is long overdue.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Not outraged at all. Not even a little. This is long overdue.

The President violates the Constitution to protect people who violate US law.

[decocker 7,198]

Obama lovin', illegal immigrant supportin', American hatin', LWNJ. We should let all of the criminals out of prison too since that breaks up families too.

well, if you want to be technical, there's lots of people in jail right now that shouldn't be.