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We need immigrants. This country was built by immigrants. Irish, when they first came, were treated terribly. The same for Italians and many others.

What we need to do is keep the criminal aliens out. You cant throw illegals who have not been a problem and break up their families. Have them step up in declare they are illegally here. Then we can work and help these people to get their citizenship. These good aliens should not have to live in fear that someday somebody will knock on their door and haul them away. This is inhumane.

President Trump wants to stop immigration from six countries where we cannot get a good background check because the governments are very shaky. The countries were picked by President Obama. Some people would like you to believe Trump is trying to ban all Muslims. If this were the case, Egypt, India, Indonesia and many more would be banned.

Many Mexicans and Central Americans fill a lot of jobs like crop pickers, hotel workers, landscapers. They are not afraid of hard work. They came here to try to better their lives.

BRAD BELCHER

Braintree

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BRAD BELCHER, Braintree: Immigration reform needed - Wicked Local Swampscott

Forbes

So Far US Courts Have Blocked Trump's Travel Ban -- But How Much Longer? Forbes Chaos. So far, that is the only word that comes to mind in describing President Trump's stumbling efforts to implement immigration reform. Thousands of lives have been affected by his errant steps, but they have been protected by U.S. courts that have ... and more »

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So Far US Courts Have Blocked Trump's Travel Ban -- But How Much Longer? - Forbes

By Ramesh Ponnuru

Lindsey Graham, the Republican senator from South Carolina, hasnt given up on immigration reform. He was in the Senate to watch comprehensive bills he favored fall apart in 2006, 2007, and 2013. He was one of the presidential candidates whom Donald Trump beat for the Republican nomination in 2016. Trump won that contest after saying he would deport all illegal immigrants over a two-year period.

But Trump softened on the issue after winning the nomination, and Graham now thinks he can work with him to achieve many of the aims of those earlier bills. He isnt trying to revive comprehensive legislation one more time, but he also rejects the idea of tackling issues a la carte. If Republicans try to enact legislation that only increases enforcement of the immigration laws, he believes Democrats will block it.

Instead, he tells me, he favors a series of discrete deals.

The first one would combine ramped-up enforcement, starting with the bad dudes, and the legalization of illegal immigrants who came here as minors. Republicans are open to that legalization, he said, and it would be hard for Democrats to say no to securing the border and helping these 800,000 kids have a better life.

The second one would legalize adult illegal immigrants working in agriculture and tourism, and at the same time require employers to use the e-verify program to make sure all new hires are legal workers.

Third, Graham would legalize those remaining illegal immigrants who passed a background check and paid a fine. In return he wants to shift legal immigration toward recruiting people with high skills rather than reuniting extended families. The immigration system of the future would be merit-based, he says.

The earlier bills would have substantially increased immigration, and low-skilled immigrants would have made up much of the increase. Most Americans dont want that, and the economic case for it is weak. His current idea would not raise immigration levels.

Under earlier versions of comprehensive reform, illegal immigrants might have gotten legal status before effective enforcement measures were in place because, for example, those measures were tied up in court. In that case, legalization could have acted as a magnet for more illegal immigration, and we would remain stuck in a cycle of illegal immigration and amnesty. This three-step sequence would reduce this risk, because Congress would enact most of the legalization after enforcement had been implemented.

One reason advocates for illegal immigrants have opposed enforcement-first bills is that they have feared that Republicans would never get around to addressing their concerns once they got those bills enacted. Because Grahams first step would include the legalization of illegal immigrants who came here as minors, though, it might be taken as a sign of good faith.

As leery as congressmen are about trying to address immigration again, Graham believes that the expiration of President Barack Obamas executive order granting quasi-legal status to illegal immigrants who came here as minors will be a tripwire forcing action. Republicans dont want Trump to renew their status they said it was an abuse of power when Obama granted it but fear the political consequences of exposing them to deportation again. So they have an incentive to pass legislation granting legal status, but they will want to get something to make that legislation more congenial to conservatives.

The senator thinks he has one more thing going for him: the president. Heres the key: Trump can do something no other Republican can do on immigration, Graham said. What Trump can do is persuade the voters who are most concerned about illegal immigration that he is enforcing the law, and serious about making sure it is enforced in the future. ...

What are the prospects of that? Grahams judgment: I believe the party will follow Trump if he leads.

Ramesh Ponnuru is a Bloomberg View columnist. He is a senior editor of National Review.

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An immigration-reform plan for the age of Donald Trump - Bristol Press

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Hope is not lost for an immigration reform compromise under President Donald Trump -- at least for a group of moderates in Congress who are looking to be ready in case a thaw emerges.

While no specific policy is yet under development, a loose coalition of like-minded Republicans on the Hill is having discussions, and feeling each other out on what types of deals they might be willing to lead, according to conversations with more than half a dozen sources close to the process.

The group is a mix of veterans of attempts to reform America's immigration laws in the previous administration and a handful of new faces who may choose to make immigration one of their signature issues.

The idea is simple: Be ready for a moment when both sides are willing to come to the table, likely after Trump feels he can already claim some victories on border security.

Trump swept into office on a hardline message on immigration. His campaign was largely based on strictly enforcing immigration laws and cracking down on undocumented immigrants -- policies he has made efforts to put in place since his first week.

Some believe that aggressiveness up front could be the key to a breakthrough down the road. They point to the fact that most conservatives cited concern that border security wouldn't get done and that President Barack Obama wouldn't enforce laws Congress passed as their primary obstacles in the past -- obstacles that Trump seemingly removes.

"I've been saying for several months that the President is going to be the person who's going to bring us together to fix the immigration problem," Idaho Republican Rep. Raul Labrador, a former immigration lawyer, told reporters in the Capitol earlier this month. Labrador stopped participating in previous bipartisan reform talks over a disagreement and heavily criticized executive actions on immigration by President Barack Obama.

"He's going to be like the 'Nixon going to China' moment," Labrador added, "where the person who was the loudest and the strongest on the problems that we face on immigration is also the person who can bring people together to solve all the other issues that we have on immigration."

Trump has also issued an olive branch of sorts to would-be reformers, saying in his joint address to Congress "real and positive immigration reform is possible," provided the goal is to help American jobs and wages, protect national security and engender respect for US laws. Earlier that day, a senior administration official had said Trump may be open to legalization for current undocumented immigrants, but Trump did not say that before Congress.

Either way, Trump will be an essential component of any progress.

If Trump were to throw his weight behind a compromise deal, it would likely pick up momentum. At the same time, were he to strongly oppose a deal, it could be a death knell. As one Republican lawmaker said privately, most lawmakers are fearful of a vicious Trump tweet directed their way to "blow them up."

In the past, immigration reform attempts have included a combination of efforts to secure the border, update and improve the laws for legal immigration visas, and an effort to resolve what to do about an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants already living in the US.

The early conversations are largely happening on the House side -- where lawmakers expect immigration reform will need to begin after the failure of a Senate-led reform effort in 2013 to advance in the lower chamber.

But immigration-reform minded lawmakers are also increasingly looking at Sen. Thom Tillis to be a possible leader in the space. The North Carolina Republican was elected in 2014, missing the last fight over immigration, but has become recently outspoken about using his management consulting experience to try to get immigration reform done in Washington.

"We know most of the solutions, we need to figure out how to stage them, how to put them together in a package, how to silence the voices at either end of the political spectrum that are the reasons we haven't been successful in the past and solve the problem," Tillis said at a Bipartisan Policy Center event earlier this month.

Tillis suggested putting together pairs of compromises that satisfy both sides to gain momentum. He said he'd start with border security -- a key issue to conservatives -- and pair that with legislation codifying protections for undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children, covered under the Obama administration DACA program. From there, he said, deals could be made on visa reform and E-Verify, as well as enforcement against employers who abuse illegal immigration.

"So that to me is a classic example of a starting place," Tillis said. "(Steps) need to be paired with good common sense law and order and compassionate, rational policies for the people who are here illegally present, and I think that if we do that, then we start building the momentum to solve the problem."

Some think an early opportunity may arise this month, when the White House presents its budget request to Congress. Trump is expected to ask for money for his long-promised border wall, as well as implementing his executive orders calling for increased border security and enforcement capacity. That could be a window for DACA, some hope. Other optimistic estimates range from a possible opportunity late this year into next year, the second of Trump's term.

Skepticism still remains

Convincing Democrats will be essential to any effort, and while Democratic lawmakers have long been eager to find a pathway to citizenship for and protect noncriminal undocumented immigrants already here, driving reform efforts int he past, Democrats also feel the need to stand up to Trump's policies and rhetoric.

On Monday, the top Senate Democrats led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sent a letter to Republican leadership saying that including any border wall funding in a must-pass continuation of government funding that expires in April could result in a government shutdown.

Privately, many Democrats feel that they would ultimately be willing to compromise with Republicans out of fear of Trump's policies and for the opportunity to get something done for a population they've long sought to protect. But publicly, the party insists it stands ready to come to the table only when Trump abandons his aggressive efforts to deport and detain undocumented immigrants.

"This is not Nixon goes to China," volunteered Arizona Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego after Trump's joint address. "One, he's not that bright, and two not that committed. He's going to fumble it in one manner or another, and at the end of the day, as soon as he feels pressure from the right, he'll fold."

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Moderates await, prep for window on immigration reform - ABC Action News

Dan Cherry Daily Telegram Staff Writer @lenaweecherry

MADISON TWP. A community meeting Wednesday addressed immigration concerns and sought answers to questions about recent reported activity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Lenawee County.

Community advocate Chico Martinez said the meeting at the Hidden River South clubhouse was called because residents and the general community are afraid.

People are afraid to walk outside; theyre afraid to go to the store or to work, Martinez said.

An audience of approximately 40 community members asked questions of three immigration law experts, who provided answers in both English and Spanish.

Roberto Torres, executive director of the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan, said the current reported ICE activity is hard to swallow.

Torres said his organization in Grand Rapids is working with police and related organizations to work together and be a more welcoming community.

"We want to be a welcoming community, a welcoming city, Torres said. Were creating avenues to become a safer environment.

Torres said the Grand Rapids area has a 24-hour interpretation service to enable local police to communicate with those who cannot speak English in order to help prevent minor infractions from becoming larger issues.

Torres said when immigration enforcement detains undocumented workers or those who are unable to provide paperwork, families are being separated with no plans on what to do with children who are affected by the situation.

Regardless of status, everyone needs to be prepared for the next steps, he said.

State official speaks

Bing Geoi, executive director of the Michigan Office on New Americans, said Gov. Rick Snyder created the position in 2014 and has stated publicly that law enforcement officers are to protect all residents.

Their role is to not become immigration agents, Geoi said. They are here to protect you regardless of status. Gov. Snyder has also publicly stated he is advocating for comprehensive immigration reform. He does believe there has to be a tough but fair way to establish legal status for undocumented workers in the state.

Geoi said the state only has so much power against the federal issue of immigration.

We need to have public policies that do not detract the value that migrant workers have brought to the state of Michigan, he said.

In Detroit, Geoi said, the city council has a policy that gives people an opportunity to get their own identification card.

You may want to ask (local government) candidates what their position is on identification cards, he said. That is action local government officials can do to help.

Attorney advice

Robert Alvarez from the Avanti Law Group in the Grand Rapids suburb of Wyoming spoke for more than an hour on immigration rights and how those who, whether they have documentation of their legal status or not, can help protect themselves.

I want everyone to know what their rights are, to not be afraid, to come out of their homes and go to the store and not be afraid at all, Alvarez said.

I understand there has been some ICE activity in the area, and there is division between the leaders in this community on what to do,he said. That division can be (your) biggest weakness. If we cant come together, theres little we can do.

Alvarez said he has received phone calls from area farmers asking how to help their workers.

Farmers are just now realizing how the dramatic immigration policy shift by President (Donald) Trump is changing things,he said. It is affecting them and with migrant season just starting, there are people who dont plan to come back to Michigan because of reported ICE activity.

Alvarez said if ICE shows up and accesses a property without a warrant, the farmer or business owner is allowing it.

Unless they have a warrant from a judge, ICE cant go on their property,Alvarez said.

Alvarez said local police officers typically do not assist ICE agents, but if they do, they wear their own local uniforms and drive their agencys vehicle.

Audience members were provided with a brief overview of immigration rights, as well as business cards with numbers to call if they or someone they know find themselves with legal concerns. They also were encouraged to make sure residents have proper paperwork or take steps to do so.

Length of time no longer grants amnesty against deportation, Alvarez said.

It doesnt matter if youve been here 70-80 years, if you own a business, if you have great-grandchildren, he said.

How is ICE finding undocumented workers?

Alvarez said agents will go to the local courthouse and look at files, look for matches in the public record with those who have had contact with immigration and decide who to go after.

According to Alvarez, ICE is profilingbecause the focus is on the Latino community. According to Martinez, the Asian community is also being examined.

Alvarez said prevention is key to not being targeted.

Its very important to not put yourself in a position where immigration wants to pick you up, he said. Dont violate laws. Dont drink and drive.

If residents are selectively approached, Alvarez said, they should ask the agent specifically why they are being questioned instead of others and record everything using a smartphone.

If you have a family member whos been detained, contact an attorney right away, he said.

Email and telephone messages left for ICE media relations between March 8 and Tuesday asking about alleged activity in Lenawee County were not returned by press time.

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Meeting focuses on quest for immigration reform - The Daily Telegram