• @lunarul@lemmy.world
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    75 hours ago

    Immigration was hard for me, so it should be hard for others too.

    Same sentiment as being against student loan forgiveness because you already paid yours off.

    • @merc@sh.itjust.works
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      04 hours ago

      Not really. For immigration, someone might think that only the best of the best should be allowed to immigrate. They think that includes them, but doesn’t include a lot of the people who do it illegally. And, to a certain extent, they’re probably right. It’s pretty hard to immigrate legally to the US as a menial labourer, but that’s what a lot of illegal immigrants do. They work in restaurants, slaughterhouses, on farms, etc. doing extremely hard work, but work that doesn’t require any education. Meanwhile a lot of legal immigration slots are only available to people with “extraordinary ability”.

      The kinds of jobs that illegal immigrants do are the ones that US citizens would only do if they were really desperate. Meanwhile, the kinds of jobs that legal immigrants do are often the ones that very few US citizens can do, so that the companies need to hire from outside the country to fill the position.

      Being against student loan forgiveness is also a pretty reasonable position, whether or not you paid yours off, or you never went to university.

      • @lunarul@lemmy.world
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        33 hours ago

        Yes, there are people with well argumented reasons against loosening immigration laws or giving more rights to illegal immigrants. But it is a fact that there is a large number or immigrants who oppose them simply for the reason that others shouldn’t get what they got without going through the same hard work. I’ve seen very angry groups of immigrants opposing drivers licenses for illegal immigrants for just that reason. It wasn’t about best of the best or extraordinary ability.

        Same for student loan forgiveness. There are a lot of people who oppose it just because “it isn’t fair” that they had to pay theirs and others wouldn’t.

        I think that logic is flawed and petty.

        I personally have not much stake in the matter. I’m a legal immigrant, doing one of those jobs that required proof that I’m highly qualified. And I got to be highly qualified for free because I didn’t study in the US.