Non-partisan thoughts on recent immigration actions, California ICE protests, etc.

[AgnosticBoy]

Deport all illegal immigrants or not
The big issue that some on both sides are missing is what do we do with illegal immigrants that have not committed crimes since entering the country. Here's some polling done just a few months ago...from Pew Research Poll

U.S. adults who say some immigrants living in the country illegally should be deported have varying views of who should be removed. Nearly all (97%) support deporting those who have committed violent crimes.

Those who favor some deportations are more evenly divided when it comes to deporting those who have committed nonviolent crimes (52%) or have arrived in the U.S. during the past four years (44%). By contrast, far fewer say those with family ties in the U.S. should be deported, according to a Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted Feb. 24 to March 2, 2025.

Leaving that group of immigrants alone is not a good option because they still lack legal status and are sitting ducks for administrations like President Trump's that are tough on immigration. Personally, I'd like to see amnesty given to this group so they can get some legal status. But I've also grappled with the thought of if deporting all of them would be too cruel. The intellect part of me says no it wouldn't be wrong since it is part of the law, and most other countries would probably not put up with illegal immigrants staying in their country. It's also because these immigrants should've made it #1 priority to get a green card, or get help doing so. To stay in the country undocumented for a long time is a huge risk you're taking. But then the other part of me would hate to break up families that are already established here.

So personally, I think it would be ideal to give law-abiding hard working immigrants amnesty, and under the conditions that the border is secured so that we don't face millions more coming in and wanting amnesty as well. But if it came down to deporting this group, I can't go against it from an intellectual standpoint.



California riots on ICE
If their message is to abolish ICE or any immigration enforcement, then I think that is bad and extreme on the political spectrum. The same poll I referred to earlier says about 16% of Americans want no deportations at all, and perhaps this group are mostly in some Blue states.

Roughly one-third of U.S. adults (32%) say all immigrants living in the country illegally should be deported, while 16% say none should be deported.

- Pew Research

Trump calling in the California National Guard and marines to counter protests
I'm not against it. While California leaders say this would escalate things, but I disagree with looking at it that way. By that i mean, sure, bringing in military might tick some people off, but it will have better chance of deterring and stopping those same people from turning violent. We've seen the alternative where police become overwhelmed and there's rampant vandalism. Really, I think both sides are playing politics here with Trump wanting to project strength (which not a critical issue for me) vs. Dems wanting to show that violent protest is not as big as a problem as Trump is portraying. TO the Democrat side, maybe they're right. It's all just politics and I care about it not getting out of hand at the end of the day!

I welcome anyone else that wants to give a non-partisan take or even discuss the politics of these issues.