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Subscribe to RSSOSKALOOSA, Iowa—Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann waded into a sensitive area of immigration policy Saturday during a somewhat charged exchange at a campaign stop in southeast Iowa.
Bachmann entered an extended exchange with a college student (and Democrat) over how to handle the immigrants who are brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
After finishing a speech that focused in part on repealing the federal health care law and overhauling the tax code, Bachmann opened the floor to questions from the 100 or so people gathered at Smokey Row restaurant.
A 19 year-old college student, identifying himself as Latino, asked what Bachmann would “do to” the children of illegal immigrants.
Bachmann responded that she is “not doing anything to them,” and described why she is against the federal government rewarding citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants.
“Their parents are the ones who brought them here,” Bachmann said.
"They did not have the legal right to come to the United States," Bachmann added, of the parents. "We do not owe people who broke our laws to come into the country. We don’t owe them anything.”
Bachmann went on to draw a parallel to her own family’s journey to the United States more than 150 years ago.
"I dare say that probably every single person in this room descends from immigrants,” Bachmann said.
“I did—my immigrant family came here in the 1850s, and they came into the United States legally. They received zero benefits.”
The exchange was somewhat charged, because the student, Roy Aguillon, cast the question in personal terms.
“These guys were my friends," Aguillon said. "They are the guys who sit next to me in class, who I see in Walmart.”
Aguillon, who is from San Antonio and is a student at nearby William Penn University, is a second-generation American citizen and is active in local politics—serving as the vice president of the College & Young Democrats of Iowa.
In an interview with NBC News, Aguillon said he didn't intend to draw Bachmann into a discussion about the DREAM Act—legislation which would offer benefits, including citizenship, to the children of illegal immigrants.
Instead, he says, he was looking for a practical answer for young illegals, given Bachmann's hard line position.
“These guys don’t know anything else," Aguillon said during his interview with NBC. "What are you going to do, send them back to Mexico? The place is basically in the middle of a drug war.”
Aguillon says he didn’t attend the event to raise trouble, and despite his leadership role in the Iowa College Democrats, he would consider voting Republican in 2012.
He complains that President Obama abandoned the DREAM Act, and hasn’t been hard enough on Wall Street. He says, of Obama: “He’s not enough of a fighter to be my president right now.”
Despite the personal tone of their exchange, Aguillon and Bachmann chatted following the event, and they posed for pictures together afterward, along with Aguillon's girlfriend.
As the campaign team left the restaurant, Iowa state co-chair Brad Zaun, a state senator from Urbandale, pulled him aside.
“Thanks for your honesty,” Zaun said.
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Bachmann is correct on this one. The anchor baby law should be overturned. All illegals should be deported. I feel sympathy for those brought here illegally, but allowing them to attend our schools and giving citizenship to babies of illegals only encourges the problem.
There is no Anchor baby law. The Supreme Court has never taken the matter up regarding anchor babies whose parent comes into the country specifically to have the child born in the US and has no legal business or legal intentions in the country other than to drop the baby in the US. Same for those working illegally in the US, get pregnant and have a US born child.
What anchor baby law, Actionman?
I agree, illegal aliens are bringing this countrydown, after all look what they did to Mexico,
it is the biggest steamie pile in the world and now they are doing the same to America because
of their filthy life styles.
No easy answer to this question. However, as the 9th child of parents who raised 12 children, white, we all paid for our own schooling. Applying for Financial Aid.... Alas, if only I was American Indian, Black or Mexican then I would 'qualify' for a number of FREE school options. It was an insult to stand in line with Vietnamese immigrants and watch while they had 'government' vouchers for FREE classes and books. I worked full time and went to school part time. That is the 'american' way for middle class white kids. My parents both worked and we did not use social services of any sort. Here is the UPSHOT;
They did not work and pay taxes to put foreign children through 16 years of school, neither did I and my fellow baby boomers. Therein lies the problem. When we Americans pay taxes, pay into social security and medicare, the government is not factoring in the 500,000 legal and illegal immigrants coming into the country each year. The government is not factoring in the illegal immigrants giving birth to 100,000 'legal' citizens. The government is not factoring in FIVE years of 'FREE' Social Security, Food Stamps, Medicare and Energy Assistance given to the thousands of 'Refugees' admitted to this country each year.
What my parents paid in is long gone. While they were paying each year as we were growing up, Juan/Hahn/Rashid's parents showed up without paying in, bore 12 children, received free education and lunch grades 1-12, got a scholarship for being a minority which included room/board and workstudy and healthcare throughout. These services are not available in their own countries so EXCUSE ME for feeling like they took advantage of my family, because they did. These services are not available to my own family. As an American I understand that and prefer to WORK for what I receive even if I'm always paying in to take care of those less fortunate Americans. These services were put in place to take care of AMERICANS, born and raised, period! We cannot take 1 dollar that Americans put in and then take 95 Cents of that dollar and give that away to the foreign born or those born to foreigners. That is what is happening. America is barely hanging on as it is. We cannot afford to raise every child of illegal immigrants. We desperately need to change the law, illegal immigrants are criminals, citizenship is determined by the country of origin of the BIRTH MOTHER. This kid may be 2nd generation 'illegal' born but his loyalty is still with Mexico. I wouldn't consider him an American even though he gets to vote. Ridiculous.
I would have to agree with you. And for any of those who think that these children are innocent, let me tell you that they are taught at a very early age to keep their parents immigration a secret. They don't respond in schools when approached for fear they will say something and give their parents away.
My parents were legal immigrants, but I remember conversing with those children whose parents were not legal. Trust me, they do keep it a secret. Their parents tell them to just fit in as much as possible.
They also know what they are doing, when they do keep it a secret. So yes, you can't say its not the children's fault.
Yes, you can, its not the childs fault, there is no crime here in the first place, but there are draconian, useless, and exclusionary immigration laws that are not based on reality or even close to meeting the real needs of the citizens of the United States or those who wish to immigrate here. The LAW is creating criminals rather than serving the people as it should, if the law was appropriately structured we would not have the problem.
Can't stand Bachman but I agree with her on this. Illegal immigrants are here ILLEGALLY. What part of that word don't people understand?? The kids can be left here with someone else or raised by their parents in their native country. Nothing will stop the kids from coming in later if they were born here....
My kids have dual citizenship. If they want, when they leave home, they can go to their other country. They weren't raised there, I am not a citizen of that country nor a legal resident. I raised them here, with me, their mother, in my country, and they are lucky enough to choose to stay here or go to the other country.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DESERVE NOTHING. They can be law abiding like in France where you get nothing unless you are a citizen The politicians have played this card for 30 yrs, Send all illegals back, We are tired of their babies , their ways, their not learning our English and their rudeness. Be Americans, have guts and have cohesiveness. All other nations would do the same. USE COMMON SENSE- that illegal friend of yours take American money and sends it out of the country and because they get paid in cash they dont pay taxes and so yours go up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THINK!!!!!!!!
I agree. I don't understand why every other immigrant who comes here has to learn English, but those who speak spanish do not. It doesn't make any sense. Why are we spending extra money on these programs?
I don't trust anyone who condones breaking the law and those who wish to reward the lawbreakers with other people's money. If the betrayers have no respect for Americans why should Americans respect them.
How does a Mighty Big Christian like Michelle Bachmann ever make such negative statements about helpless children?? Its beyond me why she would tempt God in that manner.
"What you do to these, the least amongst us, (the children), YOU DO TO ME! " Jesus H. Christ
Words to live by!
James-316346-
Libs are always bouncing around to make what ever point they want to make make.
If Bachman ruled as a politician strictly with religion, Libs would be crying foul. So she stands for the American Laws and best for US Citizens and then Libs attack her for that.
So if your contention is correct, and its not, then those of Catholic Faith from South America should be banned from getting a abortion. Silly is it not, but so was your attempt to put religion into a matter of what is best for the US.
Hope (cynical),
She is the one that claims that SHE is a Christian, not me. She has no clue what that means. These so-called Christians are completely devoid of Christian ethics. Welcome to the new nazi party!
If I was her I wouldn't play golf during a thunder storm!
Again my point, if she or any other person governed strictly by religion that would not be good. Her Christian faith has nothing to do with enforcing the laws of this country.
It always comes back to religion. Just shut the F up about it and follow the law of separation of church and state. God would love that!
Such a good Christian woman, donchaknow. ::snark::
To do nothing is a very broad statement and such a nice Christian thing to do.
Has she visited Statue of Liberty , beautiful , what's written there , also beautiful , .................. but meaningless to racists like this one .
So all of you who are apparently the experts on what a "Christian" is, help me out here....
Please define "Christian" for me.....
That would be someone who has discarded their critical thinking skills and believes in the primitive myths of a ancient tribe of ignorant lice-ridden nomads. Of course that also covers Muslims and Jews, so it's an all purpose definition of anyone who stoops to embrace an abrahamic religion.
You can also say it is a cult that espouses vicarious redemption through a savage human sacrifice that allegedly occurred approximately 2000 years ago. I guess that would be more specific.
Hope this helps!
Just get the "f" out. JEWS TOO!
It's a dumb idea. So is it better to have US citizens keep paying taxes to educate children of illegal immigrants than to give them legal rights?
Nobody owes anyone anything but if they were born here, why wouldn't they be considered citizens? Whoever is illegal needs to get their situation straightened out or leave and they are not owed anything, on the contrary. But for citizens to keep supporting the children of illegals is all kinds of wrong. I don't know why the government never ever does anything about it!!!
Iowa is a state filled with backwoods people and have 3 trees in the entire state. What makes them special? I lived there 13 months... 12 and 1/2 months too long. WHAT A DUMP!
Who cares if Mexico is in the middle of a drug war. Less to come across the border, they'll all be dead! Good deal.
To paul f,,,, this iligal people pay taxes like you do,,, when they recive their pay they collect taxes, when they buy food they pay taxes when they buy clothes they pay taxes, when t buy a car they pay taxes, electriciti they pay taxes, gas the same, telefones, etc etc , the only problem is that they can not collect SS like you do, unemployment like you do, they are more productive in work like you do, they can not collect food stamps like you do, see the problem with the SS is almost bankrupt, lets say this 10 millons iligals did not collect the taxes, we are worst, so please you must live on mars, or blind, this people pay taxes but they can not colect the benefits like you do so please educate yourself perharps take some economy clases in a free college thet you have the right, and stop your hate, because if you have a moral just moral,,, your famili invade this lands, killing the natives americans they are the ones that have the right to complaint not you
morons that keep drawing parallels to the settlers taking the land from Native Americans, well hello MEXICO, pot calling kettle black...what did your ancestors do, come from Spain and kill and conquer the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas
how do you justify, ELSANTO, breaking international law...and we dont get free college like illegals and I am certain I am more than educated to have this discussion, having family that had to follow immigration rules coming form our ally, Australia, and paying my own way thru college...this has nothing to do with morality and EVERYTHING to do with LAW.
You cannot come to America cuz you want to...follow the laws...PEROD!!!
Also a lot of people here says,,,,, religion,,, ok if you dont believe in god make a complaint to the goverment because all usa dollars bils l in the back, say in god we trust, if you dont likeded make your own money and take out in god we trust, also in court when a judge say you have to make and oath in the bible ,,,, just try to refuse and see whats happen
trying to sort through the illiteracy of the comment, Yes we must all obey Gods commandments, so i ask you this, how is breaking the law, lying for SSN DL Benefits, stealing funds that should be going to real citizens...GODLY, and for your information...we are to obey the BIBLE and the "laws of the land"...read Bible, then open mouth and insert foot.
Bachmann will pray over your gay kids to turn them straight! Bachmann in 2012 she has a plan!
Without questioning Aquillons motivations, (I have actually met some like minded Mexicans) I think Michelle Bachmann handled herself very well and gave the only possible answer. I'm sure Aguillon not only is aware that Mexico is in the middle of a drug war, but there is tremendous unemployment there for young adults. This does not mean that the United States should give up its sovereignty, allow people to stroll over the border and provide them with work, education and health benefits and at the same time have certain politicians try to cultivate a voting bloc out of these immigrants.
One final point on this subtly biased report. Jamie Novogrod notes at the end of the report that the Iowa co-chair thanked Aguillon for his honesty! (wow!)
Her answer is 100% correct and WHATEVER is going on in their country it is their responsibity to fix not ours. THERE IS ZERO justification to come here illegally. There are rules for political refuge and temporary asylum. Nothing about i dont like it so i will violate the sovernty of the US because i feel like it. AND these deadbeats know they are endangering thier children in doing so. ILLEGAL is ILLEGAL...and morons that keep drawing parallels to the settlers taking the land from Native Americans, well hello MEXICO, pot calling kettle black...what did your ancestors do, come from Spain and kill and conquer the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas.
Coming here illegally constitutes cheating and line jumping and isnt fair to everyone else following the rules. Do it right or get a bus ride home...illegals have zero rights in USA...
Jefferyf
Huh what?
Those were not his dying words. He told me those sitting upright about a year before he died.
Nice poetic interpretation you have, though.
And yes, he always addressed me as "My grandson..."
I suppose you can piece together anything online. Can you provide some links?
And I think Michelle is absolutely right. We don't owe them anything. In fact, their parents owe the US for supporting them despite their illegal status. Send them to the country of their parents.
Good for Bachmann. Everybody on the face of the Planet isn't 'Entitled to Everything" on the backs of the working U.S. Taxpayers. the parents of all these kids should have thought a bit about getting pregnant and bringing them into the world without intending to provide for them Many responsible U.S. Taxpayers would have liked to have more children and a bigger family, but were responsible by only having as many kids as they knew they support, so WHY should THEIR Tax-Dollars go to support some irresponsible Strangers children?
Michelle Bachman, 100 % Right-ON !
I want to congratulate Ms. Bachmann for saying what NO OTHER politician has the GUTS to say
...the American people do not owe illegals - or their parents - a g*ddamn thing!
If you want citizenship and all of the privileges that go with it, then go back to your country and apply for it like you were supposed to do in the first place and stop expecting to be treated like something special just because you managed to sneak across the border and didn't get caught
(oh, and learning how to speak english wouldn't be a bad idea, either)
P.S. I'm a registered Democrat
Send them all back!
Bachmann you are a piece of work. Everyone in this country except for Native Americans are immigrants and believe me a lot of us wish you would leave the United States and go back to where ever you and your family come from. Oh and take you hubby with you.
Bachman didn't say immigrants were bad or undesirable, racegirl. She said ILLEGAL immigrants are undesirable. They ARE undesirable; they are a sink on our resources, they are felons, and they have no respect for our laws or our culture. Are you in favor of paying for the welfare and health of people who have fluanted our laws, are a drain on the resources intended to help needy Americans, and generate the need for higher taxes? If so, you're not the brightest bulb in the pack, are you?
racegirl01 - You don't have to like or dislike Bachmann, but Bachmann's family came to the U.S. legally as did my family in 1850. The key word is LEGAL. No one has ever suggested that those immigrants that are in the LEGALLY should be removed from the U.S.. Those that are here Illegally, regardless of age, should be removed from the U.S.. Those that were born in the U.S. should be removed if their parents were illegal at the time of their birth.
We do not do anything for legal immigrants who come here as spouses and children of an American, so i am fine not doing anything for illegal immigrants who come and expect their tax chits simply because they had a baby. It is not caring about babies, it is about a system that encourages all sorts of abuse of the very system we have worked hard to put in place to help our own less fortunate citizens. Enough already.