This past week, Q-line asked: What should be done with an illegal immigrant found driving under the influence? Here are your responses: “AN ILLEGAL DRIVING UNDER THE influence should be tried and sentenced, according to the gravity of the offense, according to the laws on our books. Upon release from prison, immediately deported, as with all illegals.”
“THE MAIN WORD IN YOUR QUESTION — ‘llegal’ — is defined as being contrary to official rules, unlawful and illicit. Being an illegal alien in the Los Angeles area has been an acceptable practice for years, so can they be faulted for that? Still, driving any form of motorized vehicle while under the influence of any mind-altering drug is a terrible practice and the state of California Motor Vehicle department frowns on doing so. I am certain that the die has been cast on the subject of your question.”
“WHETHER OR NOT SOMEONE IS AN illegal alien doesn’t matter. If they are drunk driving, they should be put away for a few years and their cars should be confiscated. Take away their cars, and if they kill somebody, they should be taken out and executed.”
“IT DOESN’T DO ANY GOOD TO SEND them back because they just come right back again. I think things should be done since they supposedly come here to work, that they should be on a chain gang working. They say they come here to work so that would be the best idea.”
“MY FIRST COMMENT IS: HOW DID this guy drive a 2007 car without a drivers’ license? He claims he had insurance on this car, but any car lot is not going to give you insurance if you don’t show them a driver’s license. Somewhere along the line, somebody missed the boat. He must have had somebody else buy insurance for him. This is a no-win situation with this guy. Somewhere in our system there are big holes that need to be closed.”
“AN ILLEGAL TRANSIENT IS A DOUBLE criminal when he commits another crime. Sending him back to his country would just be the first leg of a round trip. He should serve his full sentence here first, along with the illegal employer who gave him money for the alcohol.”
“IF WE HAD A WORKABLE IMMIGRATION policy no illegals would be working and living in the United States. This illegal would never have been in California. It is a shame that the death penalty has been left to political anthrophy. This guy should get the gas chamber. Instead, he’ll plead involuntary manslaughter and be out in four years. A new presidential policy will grant him amnesty and a religious titan will say, ‘Jesus forgives him.’ I say eliminate an example of reincarnational stupidity and help set a higher standard for personal responsibility.”
“ANY ILLEGAL ALIEN FOUND UNDER THE influence should be prosecuted to the full extent in this country and not be extradited. After he is finished with his sentence he should be deported.”
“THE ANSWER IS FAIRLY SIMPLE: Confiscate the vehicle and deport him.”
“THE PROBLEM THAT WE’RE HAVING right now is with racism. It doesn’t matter if it’s an illegal immigrant or not, the problem is that a person was killed. The problem is that two innocent people were killed. Our government should have done something about it.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 21, 2007. Read the original PDF.