"Gaming" Illegal Immigration
02/08/2011
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A company called Owlchemy Labs [Email them]is trying to release an iPhone/iPad app called Smuggle Truck—its intention is highlight the plight of immigrants trying to steal across the US's non-open borders:

Even though the intention of the intention of the makers in favor of illegal immigration, there's been a lot of complaints from professional complainers:

Schwartz said the message that developers what to send out through the game – it's so tough to legally emigrate to the U.S. that it's almost easier to smuggle yourself over the border despite the dangers.

But Eva Millona, [Email her, ]executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrants & Refugee Advocacy Coalition, said the game is in poor taste and trivializes the seriousness of immigrants willing to risk their lives under a broken immigration system.

"Last year, 170 human beings died crossing the border," Millona said in statement. "It's disgraceful that anyone would try to make money out of this tragedy by making light of it in a game."

Patricia Montes,[Email her] executive director of Centro Presente, a Somerville, Massachusetts-based Latino immigrant advocacy group, agreed.

"I don't think that people who are trying to emigrate into the U.S. think they are part of a game," Montes said. "They do it because they are desperate."[Mass. company draws fire for immigration game app, Russell Contreras, Associate d Press, Feb 7, 2011 Feb. 7, 2011]

It's the fact that Owlchemy is a Massachusetts company that led Professional Hispanic journalist Russell Contreras to seek quotes from these particular "immigrant advocates." There are a lot of stories on this publicity stunt, which if anything, highlights how reckless illegal immigrants are. They're not just "willing to risk their lives," they're willing to risk the lives of their children, and they are doing so not to escape political persecution, but for money.
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