NEWS: How To Fuck Over An Immigrant

POLITICS: How To Fuck Over An Immigrant

Pedro Zapeta came to America from Guatemala 13 years ago as an illegal immigrant. He lived and worked in Florida, washing dishes and living as cheaply as he could. The plan was to save as much as he could, then return to Guatemala, buy land and build a home for his family. Two years ago, he headed to the airport with $59,000 in a duffel bag ready to start his new life.

Clearly, that was a bad idea. Airport security and customs are not big on people flying around with large bags of cash. Anyone who enters or leaves the country with more than ten grand must fill out a form declaring the money. Pedro did not know that. US customs seized his money.

Pedro was then turned over to the INS. INS released him and began deportation proceedings. Which is odd, because dude was trying to leave. But now he is not. Why? Because the government has decided to keep his money.

Lawyers have been working pro bono to get his money back and fight his deportation.

Whatever, criminal. You came here and worked jobs for minimum wage or less without paying taxes. And you lived here illegally, which basically means you stole our money. You may as well have killed our babies. But still, well meaning people heard the criminal’s story and donated $10,000, which was put into a trust.

The government did offer Pedro a deal:

Uh, what the fuck? Who went to arbitrary number school? How about you take out the tax money Pedro didn't pay and let him keep the rest? And then go after his employers. But we've decided to keep his money and spend our resources fighting it in court. Is it possible to be any more horrible?

Right, we can be more horrible. Here’s a better idea: Why not keep the $59,000, take the $10,000 and then make him pay taxes on the money that we took? That is what America is all about.

But hey, at least things are looking down for Pedro.

Is there any way we could also kick him in his illegal balls? And then not let him keep his balls because we kicked them?

Neither do I, Pedro.

That sucks, but sorry, I don't feel THAT bad for him. In my opinion you should learn the laws of the country you live in regardless of whether or not you're a native of that country, especially if you enter illegally. That doesn't change the fact that the government tried to screw him.

Wow.... just wow. Once again, our fine government has rendered me speechless.

That sucks ass.
Also a question , wouldn't a dishwasher making 5.50 an hour probably be below poverty level and not be taxed even if he were legal?

It would depend on how many hours he worked and how much he made in a given year, but, he would still likely have some tax liability.

This is pretty absurd. Take the taxes you would have made, add on a reasonable fine and send the dude on his way.

The government IS screwing him.

Immigration is still an issue with a lot of gray area for me. I'm still reading up on it and deciding how I feel. In an individual case like this though, I can say that that guy was treated unjustly. Most Americans don't know every one of our own laws. If a guy goes through security with that much money in plain view, he probably just doesn't have anything to hide. He should get all of his money back. The guy saved up $59,000 making $5.50 an hour! That's pretty amazing. I don't even think he should pay the back taxes anymore. If they'd just let him go reasonably, then he should have, but now I think the government owes it to him as asshole tax.

The government screwed him? How about the fact that he committed a CRIME???? He came here illiegally (key word right there by the way), worked shit jobs for years and then committed yet ANOTHER CRIME (not declaring that he had over $10K at customs) on his way out.

Take his money, deport his ass, and go after the people that hired him illegally as well. That's how the system works. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time!!!

I am on the fence regarding illegal immigration as a whole, but this is ridiculous. Illegal immigrant or not, he washed OUR dishes for years...in my happy-Ash outlook on life, I think everyone should get paid for the honest work they do. Period. I could understand if the government wanted to take back taxes out...I may even applaud that...since I'm sure at some point he used resources that we pay taxes to provide...but give the man his monies.

How about we just execute him? He did commit a CRIME, after all. Wait, actually, it was two CRIMES. Three CRIMES, in fact, if you count tax evasion.

Hell, we should waterboard him first, too. Maybe cut off his balls. Then tear off his skin, roll it in broken glass, and put it back on him.

That'll sure show him.

Yes, the government is screwing this guy. Yes, this is very unfair that they are taking all of his illegally earned money. No, he was not killing our babies.

Sorry, It sucks. BUT HE BROKE THE LAW. Just by living here and just by working here.

If I get paid money to break the law and I get caught, I do not get to keep the money. Everyone knows that or, at the very least, should know that.

We as a country and as a society, owe nothing to people that willingly and knowingly break our laws.

Our immigration system is not working. It needs changes. If illegals could get some kind of 'guest worker' status and actually get recognized as contributing members of our society, we would all benefit.

You are a robot. Where's your sense of morality?

When did taking illegally earned money become torture and killing? You are the first person to suggest that.

Well, a couple of things. First, nobody's saying we owe him anything - except his own hard-earned money.

Secondly, undocumented immigrants do contribute to American society, they just don't get as much back.

/sarcasm

The point is about overreaction. Walking across an imaginary line in the sand may be a crime (or even a CRIME, if you will), but how much more serious is it than jaywalking, really?

Really.

he didnt pay TAXES. taxes like his go to support the military industrial complex, which help america dominate people like him. if he doenst pay his taxes, how are we going to support wars, bombing villages, GOP fundraisers and the like?

you know what? get the tazer on this dude.

That is total BS, poor guy. I would give him money if I had an extra thousand dollars kicking around.

He did this in Italy, too?

Look, Chief. It's a fucking petty thing that's happening to this guy. The American people are supposed to collectively be better than that.

Actually, other than FTR's unsourced, off-the-cuff remark, there's no evidence I could find that tax evasion has come up as an issue. And the way I understand how taxes work, his employers would have been the ones obligated to fork the money over in most cases.

The reason why they're holding everything over $10,000 is because that's the amount he's allowed to take out of the country without claiming it, and they - pending a judicial review as to whether it constitutes an "excessive fine" - can therefore confiscate the rest.

since when?

No it won't. Sometimes they come back.



Plus, he lived for free out of the money of hard working american taxpayers, it's not like he had a job or anything. In fact, send back all our folks, we need them here.

Agreed, he broke the law and should be deported, but he wasn't taking anything from your society, other than the money he earned while performing a job. By the logic of your post, illegal immigrants should be deprived of their possessions by the sole fact that they entered the US in an illegal manner. I that light, why not just seize the money transfers they make on a weekly basis to their home countries? If it's the product of a crime, they probably should, and let's not forget process those who trade with them, such as Wal-Mart or gas stations. In fact how about neutering them to keep them from reproducing and making little baby law breakers?

Also, he was not getting paid to break the law, the man made a living by washing dishes, not smuggling drugs or performing theft on demand. I partially agree with you on the advantages of a change in the way the immigration system works, although I would rephrase it into "we would all benefit within the boundaries of our legal system" since the benefits are already there for both parties.

hey, lets do some math!
lets say, 59000 divided by 13=
4538.46 thats his profit per year after expenses.
at 52 weeks a year, thats 87 dollars per week!

5.50 per hour times 40= $220
-87 = 133. he lived on $133 dollars per week.

thats conservative. you can tell me that the dude worked 60 hours a week, ill believe it. but still, its only an average of 87 dollars per week. when thats your profit, the government isnt taking much money away from you that theyre not giving back.
since hes pretty obviously below poverty level, and the government would have given him his money back at the end of the year, this is about immigration~

First off i am an American-Mexican... Which mean i was born hear but i have a mexican back ground screw all this hispanic shit.. I read Numerous variations of this story and this is what i get... He came here at the age of 15 that was twenty years ago immagration wasnt anything but a spec of an issue hell in the 1800's America wanted people to migrate remember liberty island.. pictures of thousands of europeans and italians french and spanish ppl came. now its suddenly no more??? times have really changed since the inaguration of the declaration of independance... every rat bastard in a government position trying to squeeze his two cents into it ... remember folks twenty years he worked and he was paid with a check(hence him proving with stubs the money was his not drugs money) i am pretty sure they taxed ti right off the bat.... second so what if he didnt report he was leaving with it ... would he have gotten caught if he were to just leave.. his mistake was being in florida and trying to catch a plane... here in texas we freely move across the border every day to do shopping... hell everything is cheaper over there and its the same shit you get here... he was just unlucky... did anyone also mention that because pedro didnt take the 10,000 in hush money and the 9,000 in doantions that the IRS wants to tax him on the donations also... he is geeting dicked at every turn and its ridiclous are you telling me no one here has ever sent money to their families overseas.. yes given its not 59,000 but would it be fair to tax your money... honestly if it was me i would have had it wired and sent in small chunks... it makes me mad cause if it wasnt for my great grand parents i wouldnt be an american.. it just seems no one can have their cake and eat it too...

But why? This is a perfect opportunity for us to make ourselves look dumb in the eyes of the public! We don't get many, you know. We should take advantage of this one while its here.