Are you personally fine with those who cross the border illegally to come to this country?

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

63. I'm neither fine nor against... It's a very difficult topic

In theory, I am against those who enter the U.S. without inspection and without regard for the proper procedures - however draconic and bureaucratic they may be.

Being a legal immigrant who has gone through the emotional and financial turmoils of aging out, becoming a professional student and eventually getting permanent residence after well over a decade, there is much that is wrong with the immigration system in the U.S. But I don't fault the U.S. from having laws and regulations in place which I had to follow.

I work in this arena (immigration) and there are daily frustrations with the way the system is set up. At the same time, I do recognize and respect the U.S. rule of law. I know that laws and regulations are in place because of long-standing objectives the U.S. has held in regards to immigration and its borders. They are not clean laws or easy regulations and - as it is true of many other laws and regulations - they are not open to everyone.

I do think there are exceptions to be made for those who didn't have a choice to follow or not follow U.S. immigration laws. I am talking about the children whose parents brought them to the U.S. by entering without inspection or overstaying a visa. That's why I support DACA and the DREAM Act.

I am also very much in favor of the Obama administration's efforts to go after employers with increased ICE worksite and I-9 enforcement audits, which are at a historic high.

I believe that stifling the demand of unscrupulous employers that are U.S.-based for unauthorized workers will lead to a reduced number of people who will risk life or limb to come illegally.

However, I do not condone anyone who uses false documentation or makes false attestations to an employer in order to get a job. Unfortunately, this is something I deal with on a daily basis. Using and procuring false social security numbers or driver's licenses or even U.S. passports or green cards is serious. In particular, fake social security numbers may not be fake at all - in fact, they may belong to someone (a newborn or someone who died) and, in some cases, this someone is a victim of identity theft.

Even worse, there are instances when employees may have lied on government documents such as the I-9, which is completed under penalty of perjury and with the understanding that providing false statements may lead to civil and criminal penalties up to imprisonment. Just last week, two long-time employees had to be terminated. They had falsely stated they were U.S. citizens on their original I-9s completed in 1990, after I conducted an investigation when they tried to change their social security numbers with our payroll department.

Mandating E-Verify for all employers and all new hires would go a long way to prevent some of these document abuses, but not far enough. I can drive just 10 minutes and - with only $150 - get a real-looking social security card. For a little more, I can get a pretty good fake green card. There is a huge difference between wanting to make a better life for yourself and your family and committing fraud or worse.