TOPIC OF IMMIGRATION.
>> ON THE TOPIC OF IMMIGRATION, LET’S FOCUS ON LEGAL IMMIGRATION, WHICH PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS PROPOSED CUTTING BY 50% OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
SO MR. BELANGER, DO YOU BELIEVE LEGAL IMMIGRATION IS CHANGING AMERICA IN A BAD WAY AND SHOULD BE CURTAILED?
MR. BELANGER: YEAH.
YOU MAY HAVE HALF THE FAMILY MEMBERS COME IN LEGALLY, BUT IT IS MAYBE THE LEGAL -- THE CRIMINAL HALF WILL COME IN THE LEGALLY.
THEY CAN SEND MONEY FOR THOSE FOLKS TO COME BACK IN A COUNTRY.
THEY GRAVITATE IN THESE SANCTUARY CITIES WHERE THEY WILL BE PROTECTED.
WE ARE NOT GOING AFTER THE SHERIFFS AND COURT JUDGES ALLOWING THESE CRIMINALS TO DO BAD THINGS.
YES, I DO BELIEVE SOME PART OF LEGAL IMMIGRATION IS AFFECTING US.
MR. BELOIN: MY SISTER OWNS AN APARTMENT BUILDING IN VERMONT.
I WAS MANAGING IT FOR HER WHEN HER DAUGHTER WAS HAVING MEDICAL ISSUES.
THERE WAS A TENANT FROM INDIA.
WE GOT TO CHATTING.
HE WASN’T HIDING ANYTHING.
HE WAS HERE LEGALLY.
I STARTED ASKING HIM QUESTIONS.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS.
THEY PUT HIM UP, HE WAS DOING SIX MONTHS OF I.T. WORK FOR, I FORGET THE COMPANY.
I ASKED HOW MUCH HE WAS MAKING AN HOUR.
HE SAYS TWO DOLLARS AN HOU THE CONTRACTORS HIRE THEM OUT, AND THEY PAY THE CONTRACTOR A MINIMUM WAGE, BUT THEY ONLY PAY THEM TWO BUCKS AN HOUR.
ALL HE DID WAS WORK AND SLEEP.
HE SENDS THE TWO DOLLARS HOME TO INDIA WHERE IT IS WORTH $30 AN HOUR.
MS. BLANKENBEKER: I THINK THE LOTTERY SYSTEM IS TERRIBLE.
EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS A LEGAL WAY TO COME INTO THE COUNTRY, THAT WAS A TERRIBLE WAY TO BRING IN FOLKS WHO WE WENT -- WHO WERE WEREN’T SURE WHO WAS GOING TO WIN.
THERE ARE OVER 100 WAYS TO COME INTO THE COUNTRY THROUGH DIFFERENT PHASES.
-- DIFFERENT VISA.
NEED ENOUGH RESOURCES FOR THOSE PEOPLE AS WELL.
IF OUR IMMIGRATION SYSTEM IS BROKEN, WE NEED TO GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN.
OUR PRESIDENT HAS CERTAINLY LOOKED INTO THIS, AND IS PUTTING IN THOSE NEW PROCESSES LIKE ENGLAND OF THE LOTTERY SYSTEM.
THAT IS A GOOD FIRST STEP.
MR. LEVENSON: WHEN I FIRST STARTED LOOKING INTO THIS A YEAR AGO, OUR POLICY WAS A NATIONAL FIASCO.
NOW IT IS A NATIONAL TRAGEDY.
WE CAN’T AGREE ON WHAT TO DO WITH THE CRIMINALS THAT BECOME A SCOURGE OF OUR CITY.
WE HAVE MOLLIE TIBBETTS WHO WAS MURDERED.
WE HAVE SANCTUARY CITIES.
I MYSELF ARE PARTICULARLY UPSET WITH IN-STATE TUITION FOR ILLEGALS.
I WAS A FACTORY WORKER.
I WAS A WAITER ALL THE TIME TRYING TO TAKE THE COLLEGE COURSE, AND IT WAS TOUGH.
WE HAVE TO START TAKING CARE OF OUR OWN CITIZENS BEFORE WE DECIDE WHAT IS GOING TO THE NEXT.
PEOPLE CAN COME HERE AS GUEST WORKERS.
OUR OWN AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY CAN’T GET ENOUGH WORKERS.
THEY HAVE TO ADVERTISE AT HUGE COSTS THAT THEY CANNOT FILL JOBS.
THIS SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING.
MR. BURNS: MY MOTHER EMIGRATED HERE LEGALLY.
QUITE FRANKLY IT IS UNFORTUNATE WHEN PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO COME HERE AND THEY HAVE TROUBLE GETTING HERE BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION HAS CAUSED.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE DON’T TALK ABOUT IS VACATION BIRTHS, WHERE PEOPLE FROM MOSTLY RUSSIA AND CHINA ARE HAVING ANCHOR BABIES.
WE NEED TO CRACK DOWN ON THOSE PARENTS DOING STUFF LIKE THAT.
AS FAR AS LEGAL IMMIGRATION, WE NEED MORE, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE MERIT-BASED.
CANADA ADVERTISES FOR MEXICANS TO MOVE TO CANADA, AND IT IS MERIT-BASED.
IF YOU DON’T HIT CERTAIN POINTS, THEN YOU GET SENT HOME.
THAT WAY YOU KEEP THE PEOPLE YOU ACTUALLY NEED FOR YOUR WORKFORCE.
WHEN WE HAVE EXTREMELY LOW UNEMPLOYMENT, WE NEED THOSE WORKERS.
MR. NEGRON I HAVE LIVED THIS.
MY GRANDFATHER IS A LEGAL IMMIGRANT FROM MEXICO.
THERE IS A PROCESS BY WHICH WE NEED TO COME TO THIS COUNTRY.
WE ARE IN THE LAND OF LAWS.
YOU LOOK AT THE PEW RESEARCH.
OUT OF A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE, THERE WERE 11 OUT OF 18 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS INTO THE COUNTRY.
THE PRESIDENT STRESSED -- PRESIDENT IS JUST TRYING TO BALANCE THE SCALES.
WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY ARE COMING IN FROM.
THE PRESI