Change the law

We are deporting our neighbors, many who have been here for decades, because they entered the country illegally or overstayed a visa. They have no other offense. This is madness. Is it the law? Yes. Is it sensible? No!

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Section 237(a)(1)(B) [8 U.S.C. § 1227] classifies any nonimmigrant who remains in the U.S. beyond their authorized period (Form I-94 expiration) as a "deportable alien". This is a bad law. We should change it. 

The penalty for overstaying a visa or for entering the country illegally is disproportionate to the crime. It's like saying people who get a speeding ticket should go to jail for a year. Frankly, the speeder is likely to do more damage (cause an accident) than the person who snuck in or overstayed a visa. 

We have plenty of penalties for our illegal aliens: they can't vote and they can't get government assistance even though they pay taxes. We don't need and should not have "deportation" as a penalty. It's bad for the community as well as being unreasonable and overly harsh. We are robbing our communities of hard workers, kind neighbors, energetic friends. When's the last time you picked up and left your homeland to try making it in a foreign country. It's incredibly hard. It takes drive, hard work, resilience. These are qualities we have always admired. These are qualities that made America strong. Squandering them is not only cruel, it's foolish. 

By all means keep "deportation" for people who commit serious crimes. But deportation should not be a penalty for someone whose only crime is overstaying or entering illegally....or speeding. Our system is broken. We built it. We can fix it. 

Change the law.