There are an estimated 12 to 15 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. The Polish community also has individuals who neither have permanent status nor prospects of being granted it – we are unable to determine the number.

Among the immigrants who have already received green cards or have been naturalized as citizens, there are many – who knows, maybe the majority – who broke the law in some way, for example by entering the country as tourists but with the hidden intention to work and get paid under the table; by finding a sponsor for the green card who in fact was never going to employ them; by overstating their previous job experience; or by altering their credentials. Even those Poles who proudly claim that they have not fallen out of status for a single day may have committed small offenses, such as getting a driver’s license in another state where the requirements are less restrictive.

It would seem that reform of the immigration system is an important topic for an ethnic newspaper like the Polish Daily News. We editors believe so and devote plenty of coverage to the issue. We figured that our community (including some formerly undocumented immigrants) would sympathize with those Poles who have not been lucky enough to get sponsored for a green card. Frequent comments on our website in response to articles on the subject confirm this empathy. The fact that sales of our newspaper go up when the cover story is on immigration reform indicates there is interest within the community on the issue.

The picture gets complicated though once we read the comments. Their tone is rather surprising. For the most part, Poles who share their thoughts on our website regarding immigration issues seem not to favor the reform. Many of the comments are sharp and contemptuous: “They broke the law, why should they be rewarded now?” Many call the undocumented immigrants freeloaders, who shun paying taxes and are a burden on the recession-stricken economy. Others believe that granting amnesty for those who have broken immigration laws will encourage other immigrants to remain here illegally, in hope that they will be forgiven via another amnesty.

Even Poles who used fake Social Security numbers, provided false proof of having worked in Poland, or gave an address different from that of their home address for the driver’s license application have now transformed into law defenders and ethical purists.

There are times that they too will admit concern for Poles living in the States illegally. Some would even grant amnesty to close friends who are undocumented while not showing mercy for others, believing that the real illegal immigrants are those coming from southern countries – Poles who do not support immigration reform don’t welcome the inflow of Latinos into the United States, and the resulting changes in the social structure. One can say they are racist; someone else might argue that they fear for the economy. Whatever their reasoning, Polish Americans have turned their backs on undocumented immigrants, including their own.