POV: Immigration

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“Yes, I do.  I think because they’re flying under the radar and I think that we as a country have always encouraged immigration and people to come from everywhere but I think it needs to be done systematically and legally because the system is there to support people and they are also suffering because of it because they are being taken advantage of as far as labor and all that kind of thing.”
(Patty Fiegl, 57, of Liverpool, teaching assistant for disabled preschoolers)

“It’s taking away jobs from Americans and they’re draining our welfare systems but I guess they can’t get welfare.”
(Tricia Lupini, 41, of Utica, administrative assistant)

 “Racist, and by that meaning that certain countries are allowed to come here and other countries are not allowed to come here.  They allow people from Mexico to come here if they can supply some inexpensive labor and they will do what they can to let those people in, work in the fields, for a reduced rate, and then they make them go back home after the season is up.”
(William Hicks, 63, of Syracuse, retired firefighter)

“Yeah, I think immigrants should be here because a lot of them are doctors.  I work at a hospital so it’s a lot of immigrants.  We don’t have a lot of black people going to school to become doctors and stuff and we need that.”
(Caprice Hibbler, 22, of Syracuse, housekeeper at Upstate Hospital)

“It’s a free country.  As long as people come in and work, and find jobs and we’re not supporting them, that’s fine.”
(Tom Frank, 59, of Sodus Point, N.Y., Captain Jack’s restaurant owner)

(Macy Jenkins is a graduate student in broadcast and digital journalism.)

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