Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/07/11
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on 7/11/02 3:07 PM, Bryan Caldwell at bcaldwell51@earthlink.net wrote:
> On 7/11/02 7:51 AM, "Jeffery Smith" <jls@runbox.com> wrote:
>
>> If you are a legal resident here, the Bill of Rights should apply. If you
>> are an illegal alien, then they don't.
>
> This simply is not true. I know it's a commonly held belief, but it is not
> true. I don't know the specifics of the situation you've described, but it
> is very likely that the Haitians were apprehended before they reached the
> U.S. This places them in a different situation.
>
> I'm a deputy public defender in the San Joaquin Valley of California. My
> office represents many, many agricultural workers who are in the U.S.
> Illegally and are charged with criminal offenses. They have full
> constitutional rights with regard to their criminal charges and are entitled
> to full due process. They can, however, be eventually taken into I.N.S.
> custody and subjected to deportation ("removal" the I.N.S. Now calls it),
> but even that is a process in which they are not without rights.
>
> With only a few very specifically draw exceptions (such as the ability to
> run for President) the Constitution speaks in terms of "persons" not
> "citizens" or "legal residents." The Bill of Rights applies equally to
> citizens, non-citizens who are here legally, and non-citizens who are here
> illegally. Legal and illegal non-citizens can be, however, subject to I.N.S.
> "removal" proceedings.
>
> Bryan
>
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The point I was getting at earlier is that if we extend certain privileges
to illegal aliens we may (and have) done so at our own peril. Those here
illegally have been and should continue to be removed immediately and if
necessary forcibly, many without the same due process guaranteed to US
citizens (your INS reference). The first and absolutely primary
responsibility of the government is to defend its citizens, all else,
including the rights of those here illegally is secondary.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Most of the paving work has
been done by liberals.
Back to camera stuff.....
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