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'How To Catch An Illegal Immigrant' shirt sparks uproar

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Updated: 1/09 1:57 pm
COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) -- A t-shirt being worn and sold at a South Carolina Mexican restaurant is creating a bit of controversy.

The shirts have the slogan: "How to Catch an Illegal Immigrant," accompanied by a cartoon drawing of two tacos placed beneath a makeshift box trap...as bait. It got national attention after someone tweeted a picture of an employee wearing one of the shirts.

The restaurant now owner says they are unfairly being accused of racism.

"We've receive death threats, we've received bomb threats, we've received phone calls from the West Coast talking about they support us," said owner Leanne Shelgrove. "We pay taxes. I think that if you're an illegal immigrant then you don't need to be here or you need to get your job with paying your taxes. We just - we're just not down for illegal immigrants."

Taco Cid put a statement on its web site saying the shirts are a "witty and comical statement" about undocumented immigrants, and if you don't agree...you can eat elsewhere.

The owner says since the shirts debuted, they have gotten calls from all over the country from people wanting one.

The shirts are being sold for $35 each.









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The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of News 4 WOAI (WOAI.com)

TeaAm - 1/11/2013 12:05 PM
1 Vote
Real Americans don't distribute your income, 'they' earn it! ! ! These T-shirts are just the beginning in ousting out these illegal freeloaders. Just look out for the protests, take pictures, load, and share:0 Maybe ICE can round all of them at one spot & deport them. Ahh...we can only dream:)

phart - 1/11/2013 10:35 AM
2 Votes
Marcelino shutee theee upeeee

MarcelinoCR - 1/10/2013 9:53 PM
2 Votes
if you likee thee tacos you muste be an illegale! you are a tonto if you don thinke this is wronge and raciste!

taurus - 1/10/2013 8:10 PM
5 Votes
I appreciate all your comments. Not trying to ruffle any feathers, but as many of you have stated, everyone's ancestors came from somewhere else. If you really want to catch an illegal alien, let border patrol and ICE do their jobs and not let the politicians water down our immigration laws to the point we almost have open borders for any nationality plus terrorists to come in illegally.

nacman - 1/10/2013 5:33 PM
4 Votes
Heck ya, I'm buying a shirt as I type. I have no problem with a person that comes here legally. I do have a problem with people that come here illegally and can go to school and do whatever they want and not pay taxes like everyone that works for a living does. That's just wrong on so many levels. What's worse is that they turn around and send the money they do make back home. But that wouldn't hurt are economy nah not at all. But hell what am I taking about we have more pressing issues to deal with like an assault weapon ban. Jeez we've got some clowns in DC.

ABC123 - 1/10/2013 5:02 PM
7 Votes
I don't give a flip what someone who has broken U.S. law and entered the Country illegally thinks about anything. You have no rights, you have no bizness being here vato. Go back where you came from and try it the legal way next time.

Texian - 1/10/2013 5:01 PM
1 Vote
JoNoes - Maybe I misinterpreted your post. It came across to me as if you were championing for illegal immigration. I believe an apology is in order... And I apologize for my errant conclusion. But please bear in mind that I stand by what I say on illegal immigration. I am in complete agreement with you on “leeches conveniently suck us dry and nothing we can do about it.” More so, the ones who sell all or part of their Lone Star Card value for half price in cash... Or those who use their LSC to buy products that most of us can’t afford, then pull out $50 bills to pay for beer and cigarettes... I despise those people as much as you do. Regards - Have a great day...

JoNoes - 1/10/2013 2:03 PM
3 Votes
Texian, I don't believe I came across as illegal immigration being a good thing. I was trying to make a point that they are seen as trash and berated as such even though they are also human beings. However, since you seem to make a good point as to the job market regarding these illegal laborers, let me give you another true example that I find to be worse than an illegal alien. I've used to worked in such a place that I've come across U.S. citizens "females" that, have lived all their lives in Mexico. Never having attended school, paid taxes or held a job in the U.S. they'd get married to a Mexican citizen and to them their lives and what they knew was Mexico. They'd get pregnant and when it came time for doctors visits and delivery of their child, then, they'd remember they are U.S. citizens. Stroll across the border, have their kid, get WIC, foodstamps, Medicaid/Medicare, and every benefit they can get as being a U.S. citizen. Put their kid(s) in school only coming accross the border to drop them off and pick them up while, not paying any taxes whatsoever. When all this was done, they'd go back to Mexico, resume their lives and all at our tax payer expense. Never do they intend to live in the U.S. or contribute anything to it but, do use their citizen status to gain everything. These leeches conveniently suck us dry and nothing we can do about it. It's these people that I despise more than those that come here illegally.

Texian - 1/10/2013 1:14 PM
2 Votes
JoeNoes - No argument here on the abuse of the welfare system. My point was on your ambiguous comment where you say you don’t condone illegal immigration, yet come across as if it’s a good thing. I’m sure you realize that they don’t come here just to pick lettuce or work in the fields. Many are taking the jobs in construction, roofing, cement-laying, and other jobs that our own Hispanic brethren have traditionally done for years... Manual-intensive jobs that rightfully belong to our own citizens who have not been fortunate enough to avail of a good education... Jobs whose pay has been driven down by competition of the illegal laborer who will work for less. Now we have DREAMERers who are getting work permits - do you think they will be working in the fields or other manual-intensive labor? Don’t kid yourself Yep, they pay into the system as you say, but at the cost of under-employment or unemployment of our own citizens...

FreeHole - 1/10/2013 12:24 PM
0 Votes
Lervia, darling...no, of course I don't want open borders much less a one world government. This is just rethorical exercises. Semantics. Mind push-ups. Modern countries are just imaginary borders drawn by humans on paper. The world is one unit, and we, the globe population, are also one species, descendants of one man (I'll indulge you with the Adam and Eve theory). Anyway, nobody can stop the phenomenon of migratory patterns/flows (of animals, people). Nobody.

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