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  1. How can our overreaching government allow Mexico or any other
    country sue
    the State of Georgia, even though predominant Mexican illegal immigrant
    citizens are ignoring our sovereignty laws? This is a farce, of our
    constitutional rights, when the Obama administration as part of the
    open border
    zealots, allowing this humiliation on the majority of American people.
    laws are being implemented in States, thus Arizona Alabama; if Georgia
    to save the welfare money and public services from being drained by
    nationals? We can only save America from these abhorrent undertakings
    meddling from Special Interest groups, by making Barack Obama a
    one-term president and throwing out his growing leftist policies. In
    cases, that includes to some degree Republicans have ignored the laws
    down to us in the US Constitution. Our rights are dwindling away under
    this administration. Emerging from the Republican Party is the TEA
    PARTY, that
    are millions of average Americans of every color and religion, joining
    in a
    national fight against Activist judges and the dark side of the Liberal


    This is now the perfect time to insist on mandated policing laws.
    are offering this action of using E-Verify and Secure Communities, for
    reduction of illegal aliens amongst us? Already upheld by the Supreme
    both federal applications can start to track foreigners, who are
    stealing jobs
    and Secure communities to identify all criminal aliens once they are in
    the clutches
    of the local police. We must also stand with Georgia and Arizona who
    enacted enforcement laws, sadly being reduced by the Obama’s leftist
    colleagues. Georgia, not the richest State is overrun by foreigners,
    who have
    illegally settled there and are involved in bleeding their public
    benefits. Why
    is it so different for Georgia to check the immigration status of
    people, when
    I have been stopped countless times and asked for my vehicle
    registration and
    driving license?  Why is this federal case, when all it is about
    being “politically Correct” that has become a virulent policy, which
    we are, forced to conform too. Anything to pin on the  moderates as 
    racial profiling case and denying the people , to follow the “Rule of
    Law”  not the  made up stuff, played on us by  Leftist
    judges making up their own States statutes or federal interpretations,
    courts such as the 9th Circuit in San Francisco.

    Another issue that needs to be explained is our government
    activist groups, who wish to see the demise of America, by overrunning
    nation without a shot. There whole idea is a swarming mechanism,
    bringing in as
    many foreign nationals from South of the border with impunity. Taxpayer
    fortunately being alerted, that  they are forced by federal law, to
    to illegal aliens for low income housing, child care, free health
    treatment and
    education for all their millions of children. We are like moths to a
    flame drawing into America, the rejected from foreign governments. Yet
    Americans and those here legally, don’t have the availability of free
    care, as the debt collectors and credit laws, but chase us down like
    rats to
    pay  Even while Americans are desperately trying to consolidate a home
    loans, refinance vehicles, illegal aliens collect welfare money, food
    and in some States unemployment benefits. Every day more poverty finds
    a way
    through our mostly vulnerable border, while companies are sealing our
    fate by
    moving overseas or across our border, outsourcing jobs in other lands?

    US NOW.

    A reflection of our insanity is the statement of NumbersUSA website,
    according to Judicial Watch, federal funding for the radical
    former NCLR Vice President Cecilia Munoz as White House Director of
    Affairs. Since joining the Administration in 2009, La Raza’s funding
    Department headed by former California Congresswoman and amnesty
    Hilda Solis. As a Congresswoman, Hilda Solis regularly teamed up with
    La Raza
    for nationwide initiatives. “It is distressing to know that the
    special-interest advocacy of this open-borders group operates with
    millions of
    dollars from taxpayers while the public-interest advocacy groups like
    NumbersUSA don’t get a penny from the government to fight for taxpayers
    workers of all ethnicities,” said NumbersUSA President Roy Beck.
    “Instead, we rely on the personal, voluntary contributions of taxpayers
    are coerced to support through their taxes.”

    Judicial Watch also noted that the National Council of La Raza
    wasn’t the
    only organization to gain with Munoz’s appointment. An offshoot of La
    $18.3 million since Munoz’s appointment. La Raza uses funding from the
    government and other sources to provide social services, housing
    counseling and
    chunk of money lobbying Congress for amnesty and protections for
    aliens. While federal funding is not likely used for lobbying, it frees
    other funds raised for lobbying efforts.

    According to OpenSecrets.org, the La Raza has spent more than $500,000 per year in lobbying each every year
    since 2006.

    Hasn’t the people had enough of these venomous lies spread by
    Liberal press
    every day, or the open border lobbyists pleading for compassion and
    at the same time. Many of our own people are living in poverty, so we
    need no
    more Immigration Reform bills, Sanctuary city laws? In the election of
    2012, it
    will be jobs and the economy, but illegal immigration will be forcing
    its way
    to the surface and the issue will not be tucked under the rug. This
    will be a
    crucial vote for all Americans and legal residents not matter your
    party or ethnic background. The TEA PARTY is producing huge waves of
    in both parties, because they ready to fight for every birthright
    citizen and
    potential new American. They will not cave-in to either party, but will
    all those against the silent invasion of illegal aliens. The TEA PARTY
    reign in the radical organizations like La Raza, and will repudiate any
    of another Amnesty.

  2. At the 24 minute mark, there was a suggestion that our immigration laws used to be racist, but no longer.  That isn’t the case.  U.S. immigration law still treats a Mexican differently than it does a person from England or Sweden, or France.  In fact, at no point in U.S. history have we had a race-neutral immigration system (other than the first 106 years when we had an open-border policy).  Unsurprisingly, people of color have always been excluded, and “white” people have never been systematically excluded.

  3. At the 41 minute mark, there was a great summary of the economic impact in terms of substitutes and compliments.  It should be noted that the economic models predict this benefit for host countries (like the U.S.), and that real-world case studies actually outperform those predictions.  Even those direct substitutes where the economic impact is expected to be the harshest (as mentioned at the 47 minute mark), have felt an economic benefit as a result of undocumented immigration.

  4. Responding to the comment about respect for law (53 minute mark), and assuming that is a reference to the 12th Article of Faith, I have a theory I’d like a legal historian to respond to (if we have one reading).  When Joseph Smith wrote this, Legal Positivism hadn’t been well articulated, let alone well established.  The 12th Article of Faith sounds much more like a statement in the tradition of Natural Law.

  5. Thank you, thank you!  “Mr. Obama, Tear down this wall!”  I was intimately involved in the fight against the border wall.  We had a few successes (at UTB, for instance), and many losses (at Eloisa Tamez’ house and almost everywhere else too).  The Dep’t of Homeland Security has since studied its effects and have found it to have zero operational effect.  For those of us living RIGHT ON the border, we all hate it.  And if it has no effect, then who in Iowa or Provo has a right to tell us what our hometowns have to look like.

  6. Great podcast.  Even though there was not really a conservative viewpoint represented, I love that you are getting voices from outside of mormonism to chime in on these topics, Dan! 

    One point that you missed in brainstorming Mormon scripture that could be construed as pro-law and possibly anti-(illegal) immigrant is the scripture in D&C that says that a person who obeys the laws of God has no need to break the laws of the land.  I know a lot of early church member behavior flies in the face of that proclamation, but I know conservatives today would use that scripture as a way of arguing against being lenient toward those who are here illegally. 

    One thing I wish you could have touched on, or maybe will touch on in a future podcast is how the church’s statement is at odds with the values of some staunch conservatives.  I would love to hear a representation of how these people come to terms with their disagreement with the church’s stance.  It would honestly have the possibility of building a bridge between conservatives who differ with church positions, and liberals who have questioned things like Prop. 8.  Well, maybe not, but you never know!  🙂 

    1. Terrific, Michael! Thanks! Interesting bit of scripture that I appreciate having you add into the mix. And your final point about seeing conservatives wrestle with being out of step with Church positions and, in this way, experiencing what social liberals often face is awesome. Here’s to hoping that it might lead to bridge building between those on opposite ends of the spectrum. Even if not that exact result, however, I believe it’s healthy to someone’s maturing faith to have to face head on the challenge of coming to really know his or her own mind on issues rather than echoing the voices of others who he or she has considered authoritative. If being out of step with an official position with the church is the trigger for reflection of this type, I think that’s to potential great benefit.

      1. I’m disappointed to see that three days after the podcast was posted, there are only four comments (other than my own), and that the majority of them simply use undocumented immigrants as a means to an end.  To add to Ben’s point, they don’t just silently pick our vegetables as dehumanized economic functions, but they silently (there are 11 million undocumented immigrants, but none were on the panel) “build bridges” between Mormons “squirming” over Prop 8 and Mormons “squirming” over the June 10 statement.  The bridge might connect Mormons “triggered” to a “maturing faith,” in the sense that they are less pleased with the Church hierarchy, but leaves the homophobia and xenophobia of the two groups intact.  Worse still, it leaves the undocumented immigrant not only out of the conversation, but outside the bounds of the law, in the rhetorical and legal space they currently occupy.  That isn’t my idea of progress.

        So… what would be progress??  Well, for starters, someone could take up the subject for what it is, not for what it might mean for those least affected.  Or is it too marginalizing to defend undocumented immigrants?  Did we all spend all our social capital opposing Prop 8, so that we cannot afford to be further ostracized?  And was Jose Antonio Vargas representative of us too when he said:  “Tough as it was, coming out about being gay seemed less daunting than coming out about my legal status.”  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/magazine/my-life-as-an-undocumented-immigrant.html?_r=1   

  7. I love to see the conservatives squirm when the church that they love and support comes out with a statement that they don’t agree with politically.  Welcome to the world of the Liberal Mormon!  It will be facinating to watch this play out from a Mormon perspective.  What will they say when they start to haul away good, strong Hispanic members of the church?

  8. Much of the political debate concerning immigration tends to dehumanize the immigrant.  I hope this article might be helpful to the discussion: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/51849614-82/immigration-reform-undocumented-law.html.csp

  9. John Moore, What can you tell us, more, about how those from Mexico are not treated equally with those from England and France?

    1. John Jackson,  There are too many examples (of where our immigration laws treat similarly situated applicants differently based on their country of origin) to mention them all, but the largest example is the nationality cap described in INA § 202(a)(2).  Unlike many other examples, this one is not facially discriminatory, but has a huge discriminatory impact.  That impact can be seen here:  http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/bulletin/bulletin_5489.html

      Sons and daughters of  U.S. citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents (three different visa categories) applying for an immigrant visa will have to wait 11 years longer if s/he is from Mexico than if s/he is from England or France.  This pushes the wait time from 7 or 8 years (depending on the visa category) to 18 or 19 years.  Yes, thousands upon thousands of Mexicans who are sons and daughters of U.S. citizens are currently waiting for a visa, some for almost 20 years.

      But INA § 202(a)(2) is only one example.  There are really too many to mention.  We have laws that only apply to Cubans, and others that only apply to those from Singapore., etc.  

      Other than the racism point, another take away is that immigration law is extremely complex.  Any reference to “illegal immigrant” is simply too imprecise to have any legal meaning.  Even “undocumented worker” is imprecise.  Perhaps it refers to someone who has no I-9, or has a fraudulent I-9, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the worker doesn’t have a legal right to remain in the country or even to citizenship (even if the worker payed a coyote to be smuggled into the country).  Such a person may be fleeing persecution and may have a legal claim to asylum.  Or s/he could be a U.S. citizen and not even know it.  

      The Church recently released a less-well-covered statement urging its members to refrain from judgment based on immigration status or perceived immigration status.  This, to me, is very wise, given our limited knowledge.  Nearly every judgment about immigration status that is made by anyone but an immigration judge will be an unrighteous judgment because it is almost certainly being made without an understanding of the law and the facts.

  10. If the purpose is to further the discussion as Dan often says, then this podcast did nothing to further the discussion in my opinion. It was partisan discussion. The guests continually used terms like anti-immigrant over and over again. I dont know a single person who is anti-immigrant. the US has thousands and thousands of legal immigrants every year. The issue is ILLEGAL immigration.  So why keep referring to the other side as anti-immigrant?  I am all for immigration, legal immigration.  And how can you make progress on this topic without discussion of securing the boarder. I heard nothing about this.  There was much discussion of 12 million  undocumented immigrants here illegally but nothing of the millions who are waiting to come here through legal channels.

  11. KC, You are not anti-immigrant, nor are so many others who would not ease the laws on immigration. But, truth be told, we make it so hard for them to come to America, that much immigration is, in essence, illegal. They need maybe $5,000 to buy our paperwork (work visa) and many do not have that. Surely you might see you would not pursue a job if you had to pay $,5000 upfront to get it. And, many of them are poor. Our immigration law is so complicated, they often need a lawyer. Do we really want to take a person who just wants to come to America to work, and require him to hire a lawyer? They need jobs now, yet immigration can take years. Yes, there are many who come here through legal channels, but the question is whether we have burdensome, uncaring laws. If so, of course we should change them. There is nothing wrong with wanting to help another person, including people who want to come to America and currently cannot.. I would borrow words from Paul McCartney. “Someone’s knocking at the door. Someone’s ringing the bell. Do me a favor, and open the door, and let ’em in.”

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