MyFox
 

newfie_duck's Blog

by newfie_duck from kcmo

Last Post 43 days, 11 hours Ago


Illegal Alien Issues
Jul 8, 2008 | 6:59 AM
Category: News
Report This Post

I am a legal alien here in MO and I am so tired of hearing all of the hype about illegal aliens and the " crack down " on them. I have been here legally for 9 years, and I still do not have my permanent "green card". The INS office is so backlogged, and the service is so sloppy I have not had an official card for 7 years. I came to this country with my 4 children in 1999, and have had nothing but headaches since. Not only is the process confusing, expensive and cumbersome to complete, the INS is not on it's game. We have had our cards mixed up, ( identification numbers on cards with wrong pictures and prints) cards arriving just before they expire, and cards being re-issued with the same mistakes not fixed. I have made numerous visits to the INS office here in KCMO, co-ordinating schedules with all of my family to go tgether as required, and missed time from work to try to rectify this issue. I am currently using my passport for immigration status proof, I have had it stamped numerous times, and am now on my 2nd passport for stamping. The first passport expired already since this process started. In my opinon, the government needs to first have an appropriate process in place, one that works, before they challenge persons with non compliance. In this day and age of national security, I would think that the INS should be more concerned with their own performance than deflecting attention and public attention to the mainly Hispanic illegal issues. It seems to me they are creating this hype and targeting a low risk (easily identifyable) group to distract from thier own short comings. If they have mixed our cards up, how many others have they made mistakes with? How secure are we if the "Green Cards" are not adequately issued? This can work both ways. Good people can be mis-identified as threats, and threatening people can be ignored because their "green card" seems accurate. How reliable is this system?
23 Comments |  Add a Comment

Member Comments Total Comments: 23
Page 1 of 2
1
2
 Last
ralex read my blog view my photos
Jul 8, 2008 | 7:31 AM

What your talking about is two different issues. Legal immigration outside of sloppy management and process doesn't mirror the illegal immigrant problem. Anyway, welcome and after you work out your citizenship process, we have a whole lot of other problems to solve.
Jordan read my blog
Jul 8, 2008 | 7:45 AM

I’m sure the corrupt in Mexico is much more efficient and understanding, that’s why you’re here and want to stay here…right?
Jordan read my blog
Jul 8, 2008 | 7:46 AM

Meant to say "corrupt government in Mexico"
newfie_duck read my blog
Jul 8, 2008 | 7:52 AM

Jordan, I am actually from Canada. I have no idea how efficient the government is in Mexico.
newfie_duck read my blog
Jul 8, 2008 | 7:59 AM

Ralex, I agree that there are 2 issues in my blog, but one affects the other. I find people in general are all too happy to jump on hyped up issues without looking at the whole picture and the ripple effect of co-existing issues and actions. Thanks for the welcome.
Searchingtoo read my blog view my photos
Jul 8, 2008 | 8:18 AM

That is funny, because my first husband was British and we filled out all the paperwork, payed the fees and he was issued a green card and he as been a resident alien for 24 years now.

Maybe there was a step you skipped? Even if we hadnt been married he would have been allowed a green card after living, working and paying taxes in this country for 5years without collecting and welfare.

Maybe you didnt complete these goals?

I dont get it. Something is missing in this story.
Searchingtoo read my blog view my photos
Jul 8, 2008 | 8:19 AM

should be without collecting ANY welfare.
newfie_duck read my blog
Jul 8, 2008 | 8:57 AM

Searchingtoo, I completed all the steps properly, I am married to an American, and I filed out all the paper work, payed the fees, did the medicals, finger prints and background checks. We received our temporary cards 1 month before they expired. I then applied to have the temporary status removed, payed another fee, and have not received a proper green card since. They mixed up our pictures and finger prints in the actual files. Two of my daughters had their Alien numbers with the other one's picture on the cards that came. My picture and finger print was mixed up with another daughter's number and our 2 cards were also wrong. We have completed name change forms, ( when the 2 of the girls married) and also kept accurate address change forms on record. The last 2 trips I made to the INS office were in April of this year, they had pulled the actual paper files for my family and had them brought back to KC. The found the problem and corrected the paperwork mixup, now all the right pictures and prints were in the correct files. It was all sent to Nebraska to be processed, and lo and behold, I received a new card with in 3 weeks. My card had my daughters picture on it again. One of the girls got her card and it was correct, 2 of us are still in limbo. My best guess on this situation, is that who ever was doing the printing of the card in Nebraska did not verify the file, just hit a re-print button. My concern is that this can happen with others that may be a much greater threat than your hubby or I would be. It has gotten to the point that every worker in the KC office knows mt
newfie_duck read my blog
Jul 8, 2008 | 9:00 AM

Cont. It has gotten to the point that every worker in the KC office knows my family by sight. What is missing in this story is INS workers paying attention to their jobs.

On a side note, I have not heard of being able to apply for a green card after being here illegally for 5 years even if you do work , pay taxes and not drain the welfare system. It sounds like a good idea though for those illegals that are here and working, paying taxes and contributing to the economy. I just do't know how they would pay taxes ( income tax, medicare, SSI ) with out a social security number. I needed my alien number to even apply for my social security number.

I travel back to Canada to visit a couple of times a year, and the grief I get at the border is unbelievable. I would really like to get this situation finished so that I can actually have a green card to call my own. :-)
doug6699 read my blog
Jul 8, 2008 | 9:03 AM

You came here LEGALLY-sure the system may not be perfect-sure people could be misidentified, but this could be resolved. Look at what you have done to prove your status, it may not be convenient but it works.
The ILLEGAL immigration problem is something different...these are the ones who didn't even try to come in legally.
Compare US immigration laws with other countries (and penalties)..the US has gone easy on ILLEGAL immigration.
ILLEGAL immigrants made a choice and they should have to face the consequences.
BeStrong read my blog view my photos
Jul 8, 2008 | 9:03 AM

I understand the government is not always very efficient and has so much red tape to cross... but if you dislike our "in-ept" goverment why stay???? If its that big of a headache???

Our own citizens have simular problems when trying to get disability which is like pulling teeth and yes many do need it. So this may sound cold but quit whining, hire an attorney, and get it taken care of.

BTW- ANYTHING worth having is never an easy road to take. If you want something bad enough nothing can get in your way.
Searchingtoo read my blog view my photos
Jul 8, 2008 | 9:17 AM

The five years I am talking about is as a legal immigrant.. not an illegal one.. Although there have been some amnesty periods that allowed people to do just that.
newfie_duck read my blog
Jul 8, 2008 | 10:19 AM

Be strong, I am not whining, just giving statements of fact about my own journey into this country. I should not have to hire an attorney to complete a process that I am trying to do the right way. I am doing everything that has been asked of me, all I am saying is that I don't think I am asking too much to expect a green card after 9 years of following the rules when the government claims it should only take 18 months to 2 years. I have been a law abiding, tax paying member of this country for the last 9 years.
However, I don't think I was very clear in expressing my main concern in this blog, my point was that if they can mess up our cards , how can we be sure this does not open a window of opportunity for those that wish us harm?
Jaques read my blog view my photos
Jul 8, 2008 | 12:23 PM

My husband is Canadian...we did all the legal stuff and we've been married 7 years....he has his perm. resident card....he knows more about American History than I do!!! And I've lived here all my life!!!!
BEAR9 read my blog
Jul 8, 2008 | 12:42 PM

Jaques, you were probably educated in the KCMO school district weren't you.
LindaLouH read my blog view my photos
Jul 8, 2008 | 1:34 PM

"Jordan
Jul 8, 2008 | 7:45 AM I’m sure the corrupt in Mexico is much more efficient and understanding, that’s why you’re here and want to stay here…right?"
I love how any mention of illegal immigration and the thoughts divert directly to mexicans...bet some of the readers were thinking about how good his english was! LOL
dougbce read my blog view my photos
Jul 8, 2008 | 2:05 PM

Legal Immigrants is not the problem in this country. Illegal is. If you're truly Legal then you speak English like most of the country. Last time I heard it was part of the test.

Yet our government, big businesses etc. still print things in Spanish on a constant basis. If someone is living here legally, English comes with it. I've been to Germany and all over Europe and the country's that didn't speak English didn't cater to me and give me an optional language menu. If you're legal you possibly have a job and a social security number and pay taxes just as I do and therefore have every right I do. I get so frustrated when I'm at the atm and the first option it gives me is English or Spanish.

As far as I'm concerned we need to build the wall or fence or whatever it is that has been talked about for decades.
Jordan read my blog
Jul 8, 2008 | 10:52 PM

LindaLouH, why not assume Mexican when talking about immigration? I don’t recall anyone wanting to build a fence to keep out Canadians. Is there a Canadian drug cartel smuggling drugs across the our northern border? Could be, but if there is, they keep a very low profile. Let’s see, I don’t recall any major demonstrations by any other group waving their flag and threatening to shut down our country’s commerce if we didn’t yield to their demands. Nor do I recall any other group of immigrants threatening to pull out their conference if the city didn’t dismiss a parks board member because of her membership in the Minutemen. Haven’t had to push one for French, German, Chinese, or Canadian. Like it or not, Mexicans are the elephant in the room. If you’ve got a leaky faucet in the kitchen sink and a fire on the stove, you might want to focus your attention on the fire first. Even though it is wrong to jump to conclusions, which I wrongly did, it’s also, given the circumstances, predictable.
redhotz read my blog
Jul 8, 2008 | 11:25 PM

I pondered as to whether or not to reply to this post. I decided to let my voice be heard. It does not matter to me where the legal or illegal comes from. If the person is going to *itch and bellyache about time consumption, costs, etc. then I have to agree with a comment above about the person going back to the country they call home. To me, if you are a resident alien in the U.S. it is a privelege to be here, while it has to be frustrating I'm sure, there must be something we aren't hearing, or this would not be an issue. As we've seen in other comments, this hasn't been an issue for others. If it were me trying to get the paperwork straight, I'd be doing some PI work. And on a closing note, what price is too high for obtaining citizenship in the U.S. of A?
vision read my blog
Jul 9, 2008 | 12:09 AM

I have family that recently went to Moscow, Russia, they received their passports without a hitch, I do not buy the fact that they are so backed up or they would not have received their passports so quickly to make their trip.
Page 1 of 2
1
2
 Last


Write your comment below:




newfie_duck

I am a MyFoxLocal user who hasn't yet written a bio.

Member Since: 7/8/2008


 

RSS: XMLWhat is RSS?