There are no leftists in power in the US government outside of maybe a very small handful. We have not had a leftist president or majority ever, unless you just group neo-liberal democrats into that bucket, which would just be wrong...
Even if true (and it's not), what even is your point? Do you not think people that work and pay taxes should get any benefits? Do you think it's ok that people are exploited if they're immigrants?
It's not like undocumented immigrants even get welfare or other social programs, but they do have to pay taxes. Interesting enough, they even commit 50% less crime than citizens.
To think these people can't be exploited and that it's trivial to return to their home countries shows a lack of critical thinking.
For example, many of these people flee countries that have dire situations directly caused by US interventions over the past decades including most of Central and South America.
The list of countries that have had their democratically elected leaders overthrown or were otherwise destabilized by the US and its corporate elite is long and well documented.
>It's not like undocumented immigrants even get welfare or other social programs
False. Medicaid is US state-subsidized health insurance, which undocumented immigrants are eligible for:
"Children (0–18 years old) can get full Medi-Cal coverage, no matter their immigration status.
Adults (19 and older) are currently eligible for full Medi-Cal coverage, regardless of immigration status.
Starting on January 1, 2026, adults who do not have Satisfactory Immigration Status (SIS) will no longer be able to enroll in full Medi-Cal. If you already have coverage, you can keep it; just make sure to renew your coverage during your renewal month."
>For example, many of these people flee countries that have dire situations directly caused by US interventions over the past decades including most of Central and South America.
And when the US intervened in Venezuela recently, Venezuelans were dancing on the streets.
As an isolationist, I'm against American interventions. Our track record is mixed at best. But the idea that every world problem, or every South American problem, can be blamed on the US somehow is a vast oversimplification.
Medi-cal and the Washington state medicaid programs both allow for non-citizens. However, they do not use federal funds to cover non-citizens, they use state funds. They leverage their higher tax revenues to cover.
Federal medicaid funds do not go to illegal immigrants. If a state wants to cover them they have to do that out of state revenue.
Since medicaid is partially state funded and mainly federally funded that's what opens up the door for states to have different rules for eligibility (expanding beyond the federal standard). However, the states have to cover the excess when they decide to do that.
>Medi-cal and the Washington state medicaid programs both allow for non-citizens. However, they do not use federal funds to cover non-citizens, they use state funds. They leverage their higher tax revenues to cover.
That would still mean runtime_terror made a false claim: "It's not like undocumented immigrants even get welfare or other social programs" They didn't specify whether the money for welfare or social programs came at the federal vs state level.
We were talking federal funds, that's what I was referring to. I'm well aware MediCal covers immigrants; and I'd argue they should get coverage as they pay taxes after all!
The person you’re responding to is writing in bad faith and being stupid on purpose. The discourse you are trying to have about immigration with them is exactly why immigration in this country is a disaster.
> The discourse you are trying to have about immigration with them is exactly why immigration in this country is a disaster.
I agree that bad faith presentations on how things work is definitely a problem. But I think the reason immigration is a disaster is because both republicans and democrats have decided to be xenophobic. There's no political party pushing an alternative narrative. But further, the current system works for big corporate donors. The broken immigration system makes it easy for a company to exploit H1B workers or farm laborers/construction workers.
That, IMO, is why the system is so broken. Our politicians used 9/11 as a way to ramrod in draconian border policies "to fight terrorism" but really because they benefit those that own big businesses.
Until either party decides that immigrants are our neighbors and not scary "criminals" the system will remain completely busted.
Even if the money comes out of the California budget rather than the federal budget, runtime_terror's claim "It's not like undocumented immigrants even get welfare or other social programs" was not fully true. California is half a trillion dollars in debt, and is the only state which hasn't paid back its pandemic loan from the federal government. I sure hope the feds won't be responsible if California collapses.
I'm not even sure how I feel about immigration restriction. But I do want to get the facts straight. Be careful about assuming that anyone who mentions facts which are inconvenient for your worldview is "writing in bad faith" or "being stupid on purpose". That's a fast-track to epistemic closure like we see in religious cults.
Brother, we're the 4th largest economy in the world. We hold up an outsized percentage of the US economy.
> But I do want to get the facts straight
Oh do you now? You're the one that believes countries are better off after the US overthrows their democratically elected leaders and that the Venezuelans were celebrating in the streets (most of those were AI videos btw).
You just want to defend US imperialism and to scapegoat hard working immigrants.
You believe Maduro was "democratically elected"? I don't think any serious observer believes he won a free and fair election.
You claimed the dire economics in South America was a result of US intervention. I gave 3 data points indicating that it's not that simple. You haven't given a single data point in support of your position.
>defend US imperialism
As I said, I'm an isolationist. I just get tired of people blaming the US for everything.
Even if true (and it's not), what even is your point? Do you not think people that work and pay taxes should get any benefits? Do you think it's ok that people are exploited if they're immigrants?
It's not like undocumented immigrants even get welfare or other social programs, but they do have to pay taxes. Interesting enough, they even commit 50% less crime than citizens.
To think these people can't be exploited and that it's trivial to return to their home countries shows a lack of critical thinking.
For example, many of these people flee countries that have dire situations directly caused by US interventions over the past decades including most of Central and South America.
The list of countries that have had their democratically elected leaders overthrown or were otherwise destabilized by the US and its corporate elite is long and well documented.