Carlos Castro

The law says that Deported people cannot reenter the United States and there we have a deported becoming a millionaire a praised here. What is wrong with this picture?

It does not surprise me that The Washington Post is making a hero of a felon, basically a thief, who entered illegally and had benefits that some USA citizens do not have including food stamps and he was enabled to bring the rest of his family here. What is right about this? How misleading is this paper. This is wrong, wrong, wrong promoting corruption and illegality. How corrupt has the Washington Post become? I'm starting to wonder and thinking of switching newspapers. The promotion of dishonesty by this paper is disgusting!

This are the people that are corrupting our country with their communist ideas... If he is proud of his accomplishments and want to help his people why not go back home and help them there? Why do it at our expense. They only tell one part of the story. What about the staff he stole or the times he spent in jail... The times he got free medical care at tax payers money etc...etc...

People like this are people that are changing our country for the worst....

WOW SO MUCH HATRED COMMENTS.
1st if you are winning so much go ahead start working on the fields, so we can all enjoy affordable veggies. OH NO BUT SINCE YOU ALL ARE CITIZENS YOU SHOULD GET PAID FAIRLY SO WE CAN ALL BUY LETTUCES FOR $20.00 MAYBE BECAUSE ONLY CITIZENS ARE WORKING!!!!! PLEASE STOP BLAMING ILLEGALS FOR OUR ECONOMY BLAME THE GOVERMENT WHO IS NOT DOING ANYTHING TO STOP THEM!!!AND BY THE WAY ILLEGALS PAYS TAXES TOO!
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Unhappily illegals do not pay taxes and instead of spending the money earned here which helps the economy they spend that money in another country, so they are working not to improve another country but to improve the USA and that is wrong!! People that come legally here at treated like crap, like thieves detained in airports and interrogated for hours and they are coming with papers how is that right. Illegals should go back to their country and if they want to come here do it the proper way. You are not allowed to enter El Salvador without a visa and are thrown out when it expires, same in Mexico and every other country. Why is do they have to brake the law here? What is wrong with you people. This man might have made a fortune but are his papers really genuine? If he forged them before to get a job he probably did the same having more money. Has he gone back to El Salvador? or did he bring the rest of the family to live here illegally also? It is disgusting I agree..... This story show how the corrupted government employees are so corrupt as the government. In this case the Clintons no wonder he like democrats so much if he liked communist so much he should have stayed in his country.

I hope that you may understand Americans better today. This is probably not the reception you expected. Imagine since this is a liberal site what kind of reception you would have received on one of the conservative sites. The American people want illegals gone. Our politicians have pandered to your community long enough. We are demanding they speed up deportations. The only future awaiting Hispanics today is immigration enforcement. The failure of your community to assimilate was their downfall. Their sense of entitlement angers us. If you are here illegally it's time to go home. Adios, vamos! Apurate!

its a disgusting story. send him back where he came from. and send ICE agents to check the paapers of everyone who comes into his store. then he'll close up and leave.

hey WaPo, you make it sound like because he became successful (selling to other illegals) it makes his illegal immigration OK. i'd like to know how the hell he got cit-ship. oh yeah, the last amnesty.

WOW SO MUCH HATRED COMMENTS.
1st if you are winning so much go ahead start working on the fields, so we can all enjoy affordable veggies. OH NO BUT SINCE YOU ALL ARE CITIZENS YOU SHOULD GET PAID FAIRLY SO WE CAN ALL BUY LETTUCES FOR $20.00 MAYBE BECAUSE ONLY CITIZENS ARE WORKING!!!!! PLEASE STOP BLAMING ILLEGALS FOR OUR ECONOMY BLAME THE GOVERMENT WHO IS NOT DOING ANYTHING TO STOP THEM!!!AND BY THE WAY ILLEGALS PAYS TAXES TOO!

I was going home by Metro the other day. When I go t to the platform it was packed by people waiting ahead of me. I said "What would an illegal do?" My life would be better if I got on the train and got a seat. So I pushed the waiting people away so I could get on.(Nobody fell on the track but an illegal would not care) I think I understand illegals. Me first who cares about others. My new slogan "What would an illegal do
?"

According to the Post people who fought against the Germans and Japanese during World War II are racists. I rather they let them into this country.. Spanish is not a language. Deport the scum now.

The Post wants us to kiss the behinds of the illegals. Criminals are criminals. Deport the scum now!

Comrades: Yea, this guy caters to the illegal immigrants in N. Va who shop in his Spanish language mercantile emporium, buy insurance from his Spanish speaking staff, and send $$ home via his money handling operations. He has profited from serving a niche market, one which should be sent packing . . .

This man is a liar and a thief. France is removing citizenship from people like him. We need to follow. Deport the scum now.

I am from El Salvador and moved to California - legally - 21 years ago. I am now a US citizen but not a millionare. Does that make different from Carlos Castro ?

Here is the life of an illegal:
1. Sneak into country
2. Find an illegal woman
3. have anchor baby in hospital without paying (drive up my health care)
4. apply for food stamps for anchor baby
5. recieve government aid while working under the table
6. send anchor baby to public school (now public school must hire spanish speakers to translate for illegal parents)
7. use food stamps for food and work money for corona's
8. send half of illegal paycheck home to el savador
9. have another anchor baby
10. NEVER LEARN ENGLISH

--I actually agree with you. The DREAM Act should have been passed, just like we should have repealed DADT. Under the DREAM Act, they would NOT be able to sponsor relatives unless they are a spouse.

Posted by: JudyGG

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In a "comprehensive reform", like the Dream Act, the only irreversible part will be the legalization. All other "tough" provisions can be reversed once the favored ones get in and start applying pressure on Congress. That is what happened in 1986. As soon as the legalization was done, illegal immigration went back up and politicians had no interest in keeping their promises. You have fallen prey to some very seductive thinking.

You'd lose, John, if, by "productive" you mean self-supporting without recourse to welfare and social programs for the poor. As I pointed out below, the increase in poverty between 1996 and 2006 was virtually entirely due to the addition of 3 million Hispanics to the poverty rolls. Coincidentally, or not so much, that's about the number who were amnestied in 1986 and who became eligible to sponsor family members to come here as well.
posted by ALI4

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Good pull on the Samuelson article but I think it was a bad choice.

First, my bet was on illegals who were given amnesty in 1986. Samuelson is talking about the increase in poverty from 1990 to 2006, where he attributes all of the increase in poverty to Hispanic immigrants. If Samuelson is right, those given amnesty had no direct impact on poverty in that period. They were legal by that point and did not immigrate during that period.

I "ventured" that subsequent illegals have been "productive". I meant productive in the sense that they come here to work..... that they didn't come here to sit on their butts and suck up oru social services like some people believe.

You seem to be using the standard of net cost to society. Unfortunately, by your standard, only single, childless people are productive because people with kids usually consume much more in services than they pay for in taxes.

Samuelson's article really doesn't change my stance... in fact, he supports it with this statement "As for present illegal immigrants, we should give most of them legal status, both as a matter of practicality and fairness."

Why is it considered racist to want what the government has promised. ENFORCEMENT OF IMMIGRATION LAWS? Maybe if when these illegals get here they would learn the language, learn the customs, learn the laws, and not just deal with other latinos, but actually try to assimilate. We Americans would be more inclinded to entertain the amnesty option. But as long as they continue to want to "form" their own little mini countries I for one want them all gone.

I always find it funny that the WaPo wants to show that there are "good" ILLEGAL immigrants. It makes me wonder why they don't talk about all the ILLEGALS that are charged with rape, murder, indecent exposure, and public drunkeness? Or about the fact that the housing crisis was due mostly to illegal latinos with fake paychecks quailfying for mortgages that they could never afford. How about an article about that? This man, This Carlos Castro, was a criminal (when you commit a crime that is what you are called)who probably hires illegals now since he supports their rights to come here.

My name is Desi Arnaiz and I have known Carlos for too many years. Carlos has always stated he came here illegally, but was granted amnesty under a previous adminsitration. He became a first class citizen and a true American as well as his family all of whom have assimilated very well. Carlos is a success story and operates the best Latino Grocery stores in the Prince William. I can tell you he absolutely discourages illegal entry into this country. But what he does do that might anger some folks, is to work with Latinos, legal and illegal to get them to assimilate and become good American taxpaying citizens! He would prefer for all Latinos to come here legally and he would work with them to both obtain citizenship and to assimilate.

While we are both in favor of closing and controlling the borders, I am disgusted with Latinos refusal to assimilate as well as the Mid-East Muslims. I am first generation Cuban American and I can tell you that my parents were ALL AMERICAN. They came here legally and assimilated quickly! I am not in favor of granting any illegal alien citizenship until they demonstrate clearly they are American! As I stand around the 7 - 11 and listen to them [I do not let them know I understand them, unless one of them hacks me off] it is clear they want nothing to do with the USA! So I say get'em out - now. That is where Carlos and I differ, he would prefer to work with them and change their minds. A few are golden, like my adminstrative assitant from Argentina. I am working with her to gain her citizenship, but she is here legally.

For those who are here illegally and want to stay, I say join the military and fight for this great nation. I did for 25 years. Then you have earned your right to citizenship. Carlos joins me in that approach.

Thank you Ronald Regan for providing amnesty for hard working people.

He needs to have his citizenship revoked, because he is an illegal alien who fraudulently obtained citizenship. He's no good example nor good role model, and should be fined and deported again.

CAREER politicians...COSTS of healthcare NOT addressed..PERIOD..TAX payers will BE nailed..
Soc. Security s/b given to anyone that wants THERE's BACK..period.
Medicard s/b DUMPED..OBAMAcare s/b DUMPRD
Medicare for ALL LEGAL citizens..what they pay is IT..NO Sup.Ins.needed>Doc/Hospitals.Meds>googletaxes we pay> get rid of half those taxes/fees..

@Ali4 @hipshot @Desertdiva1-- You are all right, amnesty is NOT the answer. What we DO need is a comprehensive immigration reform that will allow SOME sort of path to legalization. It would be more than unfair to legalize 12 million illegal immigrants, but it is also IMPOSSIBLE to deport 12 million people. The government needs to stop playing both sides and just come up with a set us rules, regulations and laws that solve the current immigration problem and PREVENT this from happening again. The US immigration system is broken and now is the time to fix it! Enforce the current laws, but create new ones that speak to our current issues (like the DREAM ACT).

PS: Even though the Latino community has become the unofficial "face" of illegal immigration, please bear in mind that there are illegal immigrants from ALL parts of the world. We can't generelize with this issue. Thats when it becomes racist.
Also, this article is about ONE businessman, not about immigration. I think we should stop with the "illegal alien" bashing on this post. There are plenty other posts to do that...Congrats Mr. Castro, you make the Salvadoreños proud.

@mhoust: You wrote:
"I'll unbend enough to grant illegals who have graduated from 4 years of high school in this country, and don't have any significant criminal records (caught with a joint, a beer, or partying too loud is normal if marginally acceptable behavior) the opportunity to take the citizenship test and stay. We've already trained them to be successful citizens and it's more cost effective to keep good people here."

--I actually agree with you. The DREAM Act should have been passed, just like we should have repealed DADT. Under the DREAM Act, they would NOT be able to sponsor relatives unless they are a spouse.

Illegal immigration is illegal.. but it isn't murder "illegal" so it's something I find forgivable.... especially when a man like this has more than paid back whatever you could argue he took from society.
I'd bet most that enjoyed amnesty in the 80's have been productive as well, though this guy is likely on the extreme end.
I would venture most illegals are productive as well... mostly because 1) lazy people aren't going to put in the effort to come here 2)most of the people coming are supporting themselves as well as others at home 3) if they're going to be unproductive, they might as well be back home with their family.
A path to legal status is necessary.. and any effort to curtail illegal immigration that doesn't also address the supply/demand aspect is going to be useless.
Posted by: AJohn1
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You'd lose, John, if, by "productive" you mean self-supporting without recourse to welfare and social programs for the poor. As I pointed out below, the increase in poverty between 1996 and 2006 was virtually entirely due to the addition of 3 million Hispanics to the poverty rolls. Coincidentally, or not so much, that's about the number who were amnestied in 1986 and who became eligible to sponsor family members to come here as well.

For those of you who ask HOW he became legal, he was granted amnesty in 1986. Get over yourselves! There are ways to become legal if you enter illegally. PLEASE research immigration laws BEFORE you comment. Otherwise you end up looking like a bitter, racist, ignorant arse.
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You mean, he took advantage of that "one time" amnesty, in return for which, we were promised that our immigration laws would be enforced. And now he claims we should offer another? Nope. Now, given that we aren't going to have another, I suspect you and Mr. Castro will be the bitter, racist, ignorant arses.
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No, you're wrong. The government offered an amnesty, he took it, qualified for it and succeeded with it. End of story. What is so ignorant or bigoted about that?
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You know of course, that the 1986 amnesty was riddled with fraud, so it's quite possible Mr. Castro "qualified" for it by committing fraud.

What's ignorant and bigoted is to believe that we should now offer yet another amnesty because it suits HIS ethnic group and his economic interests. Think he'd care about amnesty if his business wasn't reliant on a constant stream of unassimilated Hispanic immigrants and illegal aliens?

I also can't help but wonder how scrupulous he is about checking the immigration status of his employees.

I may be an arse, but I'm not a bitter, racist, ignorant one.

Castro got amnesty in 1986. He got it because he was able to hide under the radar as an illegal for years. in otherwords, he was rewarded for being a polite line jumper.

Granting amnesty means delaying immigration for people who are trying to get here legally. It encourages and rewards people who deliberately break the law. And it's the wrong thing to do ethically and morally.

I'll unbend enough to grant illegals who have graduated from 4 years of high school in this country, and don't have any significant criminal records (caught with a joint, a beer, or partying too loud is normal if marginally acceptable behavior) the opportunity to take the citizenship test and stay. We've already trained them to be successful citizens and it's more cost effective to keep good people here. Deport their parents though; they can go to the back of the immigration line and start over, and maybe their kids will sponsor them back...maybe.

You lost me when I read that he's an advocate for illegal aliens. For the love of God -- illegal is ILLEGAL! If he wants to help the unfortunate, help them in their own countries. Don't help people sneak into our country, break our laws and take unfair advantage. I hate these waah-waah illegal sob stories.
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I understand where he is coming from because he was given a one time opportunity that came at the right time for him and others equally lucky. That does not a good immigration program make. Yes, having gone through it himself, I'm sure he understands perfectly well the struggle of others trying to come to this country for the opportunity it may bring. You dont' however get to come in illegally. Period.

For those of you who ask HOW he became legal, he was granted amnesty in 1986. Get over yourselves! There are ways to become legal if you enter illegally. PLEASE research immigration laws BEFORE you comment. Otherwise you end up looking like a bitter, racist, ignorant arse.
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You mean, he took advantage of that "one time" amnesty, in return for which, we were promised that our immigration laws would be enforced. And now he claims we should offer another? Nope. Now, given that we aren't going to have another, I suspect you and Mr. Castro will be the bitter, racist, ignorant arses.
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No, you're wrong. The government offered an amnesty, he took it, qualified for it and succeeded with it. End of story. What is so ignorant or bigoted about that?

Illegal immigration is illegal.. but it isn't murder "illegal" so it's something I find forgivable.... especially when a man like this has more than paid back whatever you could argue he took from society.

I'd bet most that enjoyed amnesty in the 80's have been productive as well, though this guy is likely on the extreme end.

I would venture most illegals are productive as well... mostly because 1) lazy people aren't going to put in the effort to come here 2)most of the people coming are supporting themselves as well as others at home 3) if they're going to be unproductive, they might as well be back home with their family.

A path to legal status is necessary.. and any effort to curtail illegal immigration that doesn't also address the supply/demand aspect is going to be useless.

For those of you who ask HOW he became legal, he was granted amnesty in 1986. Get over yourselves! There are ways to become legal if you enter illegally. PLEASE research immigration laws BEFORE you comment. Otherwise you end up looking like a bitter, racist, ignorant arse.
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You mean, he took advantage of that "one time" amnesty, in return for which, we were promised that our immigration laws would be enforced. And now he claims we should offer another? Nope. Now, given that we aren't going to have another, I suspect you and Mr. Castro will be the bitter, racist, ignorant arses.

At a guess, Carlos was able to legalize through one of the amnesties, say, the 1986 one. And, as a result, he thinks that our immigration laws shouldn't apply to anyone else. Real endorsement of how illegal aliens assimilate--NOT.

Now, how about getting real and running more stories about the millions who benefited from that amnesty and did NOT become millionaires. You know, the three million Hispanics who joined the poverty rolls between 1996 and 2006, according to a column by Robert Samuelson in the Post, Sept. 5, 2007. Oh, that's right. Mr. Castro is proof that if we just let everyone legalize, they'll all become millionaires. (Wanna bet that a major part of his success is catering to illegal aliens, and THAT is as much to blame as the "economy" for his decrease in business?)

Castro is also an advocate for illegal immigrants who came to this country seeking opportunity. Now the father of three grown children and a 12-year-old son, he said he knows their struggle.
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so why the heck doesn't he do it right and sponsor some of them?

Oh, silly me, that might mean he would have to pay out of his own pocket, when he can bilk the tax payers for his illegal workers' "incidentals."

So, crime DOES pay!

This is an interesting story. How much education did he have before entering the US?

Despite his success, he cut in line, ahead of millions of people applying LEGALLY at US embassies around the world. It's unfair.

Typical WP article promoting illegal immigration again and again. I for one, don't visit any business that doesn't carry a name in English as I believe that business doesn't want my business. A couple of years ago when Manassas, VA started checking on illegals, the WP ran a sob story about a vendor who catered to only Hispanics and the slant of the story was that Manassas put this poor vendor out of business because they chased out the illegals. Truthfully, the Hispanic vendor put himself out of business by not assimilating his business and just catering to the Hispanic peoples vs. all Americans. Bad business decisions do not make the rest of us racists.

Here it comes! Laurels, and bouquets of roses for a liar and wheeler-dealer who really loves illegal activity. Gimme a break! If I hear one more story about "slimey immigrant who made good" I'll vomit. I, too have met some immigrants. Their pockets are bulging with financial help from the US government, and one woman boasts of helping over 60 of her relatives get here (most of them now on welfare). America doesn't need this type of immigration.

Sigh yet another immigrant who lied and took advantage of this country. I also didn't appreciate the omission on how he became a citizen. Like Hipshot I agree we never should have allowed that first amnesty. It set us up for repeated attempts and it was sold to the country as a one time deal.

The guy has a niche business demographically targeting immigrants. Remove the immigrants and his business dies. Oh yes a very objective look at the immigration story.

Sigh yet another immigrant who lied and took advantage of this country. I also didn't appreciate the omission on how he became a citizen. Like Hipshot I agree we never should have allowed that first amnesty. It set us up for repeated attempts and it was sold to the country as a one time deal.

The guy has a niche grocery business demographically targeting immigrants. Remove the immigrants and his business dies. Oh yes a very objective look at the immigration story.

To JudyGG

I read through all the postings and I don't see one racist statement.

For those of you who ask HOW he became legal, he was granted amnesty in 1986. Get over yourselves! There are ways to become legal if you enter illegally. PLEASE research immigration laws BEFORE you comment. Otherwise you end up looking like a bitter, racist, ignorant arse.

He is clearly not an honest businessman. I would be reluctant to use his company.
Just about any application one fills out has a question "Can you do business legally" this was true in the 80's. At one time he wrote in Yes. Is this your social security number? Yes again. Which meant he LIED and repeatedly lied. This is your model citizen?
The tragic side of the story is he was caught cheating and lying and let back in an granted citizenship. This story says Cheaters win and those that obey the law are suckers.

Right. cordobes17 tries to pass our comments off as resentment over Castro's success. What I resent is their sense of entitlement. Immigration and citizenship are supposed to be a courtesy of the American people. The whole process has been perverted by our government and these people.

I wrote my congressmen supporting the amnesty in 1986 because we felt it was the right thing to do and we were promised:

(1) no more amnesties
(2) illegal immigration would be curtailed

It was the wrong thing to do.

Congratulations to JHartnack who posted that he and his parents came here legally. They got their visas, etc.

There is something ridiculous about extolling people who violate our system of laws - as this article did through their profile of Mr. Castro - and insinuating that they should be legalized. Why should they be???

The story of this man is great however, the story did not include how he became a legal immigrant before becoming a citizen of this country, why did you omit this part of the story? I think you did it to hide the process which a true immigrant has to go through to become a citizen.
I came here to this country 40 years ago and I thank my parents for their courage to proceed with the legal part of becoming a legal person here, they did it the right way, they applied for a permanent visa and then realized the American dream (becoming a US citizen) and I will always thank them for doing that for us.

Wow!How much can you blame your own failures on somebody else achievements??

Posted by: cordobes17

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Actually I have been fairly successful. You will note that Hispanics think immigration and citizenship are an entitlement program for them....or do you argue that point?

Wow!How much can you blame your own failures on somebody else achievements??

The more I think about this, the press insists on labeling illegal aliens as "undocumented immigrants," trying to create the illusion that they are really legal immigrants who just lack a bit of documentation. For parity, we call guys like this "illegitimate Americans."

Lets see. If we legalize the illegal aliens, and they become advocates for (hispanic) illegal aliens, and they bring in their relatives who become advocates for (hispanic) illegal aliens, who then get legalized and.....

There is an India/Mexico in our future. We pay our government to keep the country from getting overrun. Throw the bums out.

Phhlease!

Is the Post trying to promote illegal immigration?

Mr. Castro should have waited on line with everyone else from El Salvador.
The United States would have been delighted to have him and his entrepreneurial drive for success - legally.

What is the point of this story?
That 11 million immigrants can become millionaires?

Why not profile the success stories of people who came in LEGALLY!

Phhlease!

Is the Post promoting illegal immigration with this story?

Carlos Castro should have waited on line with everyone else from El Salvador.

The US would have been delighted to have him and his entrepreneurial drive for success - on legal terms.

What exactly is the point of this story?
That 11 million illegals will become millionaires?

You lost me when I read that he's an advocate for illegal aliens. For the love of God -- illegal is ILLEGAL! If he wants to help the unfortunate, help them in their own countries. Don't help people sneak into our country, break our laws and take unfair advantage. I hate these waah-waah illegal sob stories.