Why do you think people choose to cross the border?
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Do you think people know the risks when they cross the border?
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What has NAFTA done to the ability of agriculturally based communities to survive?
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What would you do if you lived in the United States for 17 years and then were deported? Would you choose to cross the border? Why or why not?
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What happens when some members of a family are documented, and others are without status? What does this inequity do to a family’s security?
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“All people in the United States benefit in some way from the labor that migrants are doing. We have to ask ourselves if we have some responsibility in their deaths.” – Dr. Bruce Anderson
How do you feel about that statement? Do you think that the American public shares any responsibility for the deaths on the border? Why or why not?
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How do you feel about the story of Lucresia, who died crossing the border, and whose father searched the desert until he found her body? What would you do if a family member disappeared in the desert of another country? What would you do?
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“People are dying, and that should be enough to change the policies” – Kat Rodriguez, Derechos Humanos
How do you feel about this statement? Do you think the fact that people are dying should be a reason to stop or change policies? Why or why not?
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Imagine you are a Mexican national living in México. Your sister, who is a U.S. citizen, submits a petition to bring you to the United States. How long do you think it will take for your visa to be approved?
See the chart below to see what date the U.S. government is currently processing applications for.
* Category F4: Brothers and Sisters of Adult U.S. Citizens: 65,000, plus any numbers not required by first three preferences.
Family-Sponsored Visas for May 2013
| Family-Sponsored | All Charge-ability Areas Except Those Listed | CHINA- mainland born | INDIA | MEXICO | PHILIPPINES |
| F1 | 01APR06 | 01APR06 | 01APR06 | 08AUG93 | 01JUN99 |
| F2A | 01MAR11 | 01MAR11 | 01MAR11 | 01FEB11 | 01MAR11 |
| F2B | 15MAY05 | 15MAY05 | 15MAY05 | 01MAY93 | 08SEP02 |
| F3 | 08AUG02 | 08AUG02 | 08AUG02 | 01APR93 | 22OCT92 |
| F4 | 01MAY01 | 01MAY01 | 01MAY01 | 08SEP96 | 01OCT89 |
Answer: The United States government is currently processing visas for Category F4 for applications that were submitted by September 8, 1996. If your sister were to submit your petition right now, you would have a seventeen year wait for approval.
What do you think about this? Is this too long or too short a time? Why?
