The undocumented (illegals) would need to become legalized by the passage of laws that allow those unlawfully present in the United States without criminal records to adjust their status. Why are they undocumented?, because they crossed the border illegally or overstayed their visa. This is a far cry from throwing a piece of paper on the ground.
Why is it a far cry from committing a crime like running a red light? If you run a red light or a stop sign, which most people probably have, you could hit someone who's crossing the intersection. I see you went well out of your way to include the parenthetical notation "illegals" in your comment. You should know that the process for most undocumented people to become residents is now nearly impossible thanks to the ridiculous immigration laws being put in place by the racist president who also loves the term "illegals." Go drive into the ocean.
You break a law and get caught, you pay the penalty. Pass a red light, you get a ticket. Litter, you get a ticket. Hit someone in an intersection and it's due to negligence get ready to pay out lawsuits and potentially lose your license and/or go to jail. In the country illegally, you get deported. It's that simple.
Illegal aliens can become residents as easily as anyone else wishing to immigrate to the United States. They need to go back to their own countries, start the application process, provide the required information and complete the requirements to get a visa. That includes inoculations and medical screening that are intended to protect current residents. Jumping the line ahead of those who are trying to come here legitimately should never be rewarded.
Oh, really? You live in JH, right? Every day of my life here I see people littering all over the street, triple-parking, running red lights, almost hitting people (including me, many times) as they drive. None of those people get penalized. Have you ever seen someone in this neighborhood get a ticket for littering? How many times have you almost been hit by a negligent driver?
Coming to this country illegally isn't putting other people in harm's way like running a red light is. And you clearly know no one from a Latin American country who has tried to become a resident, because it's nearly impossible. The current administration has caused people to live in fear of ever getting a visa or gaining legal status. For people from certain countries, there is no "jumping the line," because they're not being allowed in in the first place. Think of how many people apply to the visa lottery.
This country was founded by immigrants, and surely your ancestors are among them. Ever look at an old census from the times when immigration to the US was booming in the 20th century? You can see clearly how many white immigrants came here illegally—look at an old NYC census and you'd be surprised at how many people have "Alien" written next to their name. Many of those people never naturalized, even though it was WAY easier to do it back then. If it was that easy now, we'd surely have close to no undocumented people.
Maybe you should consider having empathy for those whose struggles are different than yours. If you live here, you know many of your neighbors—people who make your food, pour your drinks, sell you what you need—are undocumented. Are they bad people simply because they wanted a better life? If you actually took the time to talk to them, you'd know that many put their own lives at risk to come here. No one WANTS to live a life of hiding and fear. If it was easy to become a resident, everyone would do it.
