some of the Irish have indeed provided a LOT of enrichment, Ron..*smile*

As you see I will not be trapped into formulating a reply that is not couched in my own terms and with the exceptions and disclaimers I require.

And I am not trying to tar anyone who does not have tar already on them.

Once more...today's America..(all of it...not just the U.S of A.) is not the same as it was in the 1840s...or the 1720s. Laws are different, space is more limited, travel is easier,...even monitoring and tracking procedures are more technical. We can establish some general principles of admission and remind ourselves of our basic desire to help and aid those with problems...that is a GOOD thing...but neither our space nor our definitions of 'problem' are unlimited.

Over & over I am being told that we were founded by poor emigrants and have always taken in those who needed to escape situations "over there"...and I do not deny either the history or the basic attitude...and I am NOT suggesting we stop accepting new immigrants - just that we cannot do it at the current scale and with few controls. If we do not restrict and control the process now, we shall certainly be faced with MUCH more awkward decisions if we have to correct a totally untenable situation later. Preventative medicine, no matter if some of it tastes bitter, is better than emergency surgery!