Hello to all. I asked that the Blog be interactive and so it is! David Hill, who also lives in Nogales, Arizona, and works with No More Deaths (www.nomoredeaths.org) responded to my second blog post and pointed out that “Entry Without Inspection” is in fact a criminal, not a civil, offense. Here is what he wrote, “Though I often hear people say the opposite, illegal entry IS a criminal offense (a misdemeanor), punishable under Title 18 of the US Code as per Section 1325 of Title 8. What’s a mere civil violation is being undocumented–present without papers–e.g. failure to obey a final order of removal (8 USC 1324d).”
Thanks David for clearing that up. My main purpose in the original post was to put “illegal entry” into perspective and to comment on the use of the term “illegal alien” or simply “an illegal”.
If I drive 50mph on a residential street, I believe that that act is a much more serious and dangerous offense than walking into the US through the desert or the river. Though I too break a law and even put others’ lives at risk, I am NOT branded an “illegal”.
We would like all people to obey the laws of our country and of all countries. But then one must ask oneself, are there ever situations when breaking a particular law might be justifiable?
Stay tuned. We will take up that issue in the next blog post.
West
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