“Is it racist to exclude from a government run health care system persons who
either (a) entered the country illegally, or (b) entered the country
legally, but later through their actions lost their legal status.”

What is racist about the article is the strongly-implied assumption that “illegal” immigrants and their supporters care mainly about what benefits the government provides.

Most immigrants who come to the U.S. come here for jobs, not to qualify for Medicare or other government programs. Read what the Cato Institute says about this sort of myth.

Is it racist to exclude from a government run health care system persons who
either (a) entered the country illegally, or (b) entered the country
legally, but later through their actions lost their legal status.

I find the SOJO position on immigration issue perplexing on several levels,
but I will focus on one right now. How does the New Testament call for
individuals to love their neighbor and the Old Testament proscription to be
kind to immigrants mean that the United States, as a national policy must do
so also? A follower of Christ can love their neighbor and be kind to
immigrants irrespective of the national policy on immigration.

“Is it racist to exclude from a government run health care system persons who
either (a) entered the country illegally, or (b) entered the country
legally, but later through their actions lost their legal status.”

What is racist about the article is the strongly-implied assumption that “illegal” immigrants and their supporters care mainly about what benefits the government provides.

Most immigrants who come to the U.S. come here for jobs, not to qualify for Medicare or other government programs. Read what the Cato Institute says about this sort of myth.

Is it racist to exclude from a government run health care system persons who
either (a) entered the country illegally, or (b) entered the country
legally, but later through their actions lost their legal status.

I find the SOJO position on immigration issue perplexing on several levels,
but I will focus on one right now. How does the New Testament call for
individuals to love their neighbor and the Old Testament proscription to be
kind to immigrants mean that the United States, as a national policy must do
so also? A follower of Christ can love their neighbor and be kind to
immigrants irrespective of the national policy on immigration.

http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer

This site even manages to include some of the racism as well. One of the articles talked about “La Raza” wanting more benefits from Medicare for “illegal immigrants.” Which fits right into the “they don't want work, they want welfare and Medicare” stereotype.

For a fair and balanced view about immigration, check out;

http://www.catoinstitute.org

I think it is out of a relationship with people who happen to be immigrants that my understanding has grown the most.

Sounds like hyperbole and bluster to me.

“A new poll shows that 71 percent of likely voters think undocumented immigrants should take steps to become legal taxpayers.”

I don't think that too many people would disagree with this. Especially the undocumented (”illegal”) immigrants themselves. I doubt that any of them say, “hey, let's stay illegal, let's break the law. That way we can work onerous hours at substandard pay with no labor protection.” I don't think so. Most “illegal” immigrants would love to be legal immigrants.

The main problem is the logjam at INS. It takes months, months, many times years and years for a prospective immigrant to get a green card or a legal work visa.

One of the problems behind this INS logjam is the complete lack of political will to lessen this logjam: many in the anti-”illegal” immigrant camp are actually against legal immigration as well. They want the logjams to stay or else become even more strenuous logjams. Some of the anti-immigrant rhetoric has been tinged with racism and xenophobia i.e. “those lazy Mexicans don't want to work, they only want welfare; they want to take over the U.S. and force everyone to speak Spanish,” blah, blah, blah.