re: #101 HappyWarrior

Exactly. Once someone entered the USA through normal border channels, they were given an immigration number and from then on were presumed to have entered legally. If they applied for “first papers,” it was equivalent to permanent residency. I’m assuming my mom’s parents had those. So, they could apply for Social Security, but of course could not vote.

There was not this frenzy we seem to have now about “illegal immigrants.” There were quotas in effect for certain groups (Chinese, for example), but there were no quotas, AFAIK, for Mexicans. And it seems relatively easy to enter the States, if you could state you were entering for work and had a contact already living in the USA.

Chuck is either stupid or is deliberately ignoring the implications of documentation of the Curiels’ lawful border crossings. If their names were on a border entry slip, they would be presumed to be legal visitors/residents/citizens.