Yep, it's amnesty

Pittsbrugh Tribune-review ^ | May 26, 2007 | BILL STEIGERWALD

[radar101]

Heather MacDonald is a journalist and fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

As Congress was debating details of the immigration reform bill, I talked to MacDonald by telephone from her home in New York:

Q: What’s good about the Senate immigration bill?

A: I think the idea of moving our immigration system to reward people who bring skills that this country needs

Q: Is there a worst part of this bill that you would point to?

A: The worst part is the overnight amnesty for the 12 million illegals who are here.

Q: What is a sound-bite synopsis of your position on immigration?

A: I think immigration should be to benefit America. It’s not a favor that we owe the rest of the world, and we should craft immigration policies in ways that will improve our national competitiveness.

Q: If you had to craft a smart, sensible immigration bill, what would it look like?

A: I think the point system is a good one. Currently, priority is given to legal immigrants who are family members of people who are already here, so they can bring in their extended families (chain migration). .

Q: What else should a good immigration policy have in it?

A: It should have both the means and the will to enforce the laws that are on the books. Currently, it is illegal to hire an illegal alien. But the chance of any given employer or any given illegal alien actually being penalized for that law-breaking is close to zero

Q: How many of the 12 million illegals are actually a problem –

A: Well, The Wall Street Journal reported that DHS (Department of Homeland Security) estimates that possibly up to 20 percent of illegals wouldn’t qualify for amnesty because of criminal backgrounds.

[Stayfree]

The Heritage Foundation is estimating that the total cost to us over the lifetime of each illegal will be slightly over $1 million. Imagine the staggering overall cost of this immigration bill if you multiply it times the total number of illegals that will result from passage of this bill, given the following info.

As I have posted in other threads on immigration, even the 12 million number was a total guess by somebody in D.C. and was not even remotely based on any factual data. About a month or two ago, I read an article (I had thought by one of the founders of the Minuteman) who had worked with one of the think tanks to attempt to derive a better number. His estimate was between 35 and 55 million. But the scary part about this amnesty bill is how it expands the number of illegals whatever the number. Let's assume for discussion that the number is as low as 20 million...watch what happens under this bill. In 1986 just less than 3 million illegals were granted an amnesty (US citizenship); they each brought up on average 5 more family members who also instantly became US citizens, so 3 million X 5 = 15 million + the original 3 mil = 18 million. Now consider the 20 million that have come up since 1986 get amnesty under this new bill, and they haul up 5 more each: 100 million + that 20 = 120,000,000. And what if the existing number is 50 million, the new total will become 250+50=300 million new neighbors. Now consider where they fall economically? At the bottom, unlike legal immigration where we now expect something of value, these illegals bring nothing but 3rd grade educations and the trappings of a failed culture, like grafiti and 3rd world diseases. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO TO AMNESTY!!!!

[NewJerseyJoe]

> A: Well, The Wall Street Journal reported that DHS (Department of Homeland Security) estimates that possibly up to 20 percent of illegals wouldn’t qualify for amnesty because of criminal backgrounds.

.... if they broke the law to get here, wouldn't that mean that ALL of them have a criminal background?

[xcamel]

[humblegunner]

Heather MacDonald is a journalist and fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

I'm never comfortable about fellows named Heather.

[Jeff Chandler]

The worst part is the overnight amnesty for the 12 million illegals who are here.

It really is a slick slight-of-hand McCain and Kennedy are trying to pull off: Two-Phase Amnesty.

They've split amnesty into two parts:

1. The instant, free, effortless, automatic legalization and conferring of rights making it nearly impossible to deport illegals. That's the one they don't talk about.
2. The fee-based, touch-back, years of waiting citizenship. That's the one they tout to the public to prove it's not amnesty.

   Bait and Switch, baby!

[Shermy]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,196366,00.html

McCain, on Fox, on May 21, 2006, regarding last year’s bill.

---

FOX NEWS SUNDAY” HOST CHRIS WALLACE: And joining us now, Senator John McCain, who, as usual, is at the center of a number of key issues on Capitol Hill.

Senator, welcome back to “FOX News Sunday”.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-ARIZ.: Thank you, Chris. Nice to be back.

WALLACE: Thank you. Let’s start with immigration reform and the complaints from conservatives about the comprehensive package that you’re trying to get through the Senate. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

U.S. SENATOR JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): Some say well, it’s not really amnesty, it’s earned legalization. Well, whatever it is, it looks very similar, if not its identical twin.

WALLACE: I know you call it earned legalization, but isn’t it amnesty in the sense that the penalty for illegally coming into this country is deportation, and under your plan the vast majority of illegals would not be deported?

MCCAIN: No, Chris. In fact, I think what we have today is de facto amnesty because people are living here illegally without any penalty whatsoever, around 11 million people.

The word amnesty in the dictionary means forgiveness. What we are talking about and what the overwhelming majority of American people support is an earned amnesty, criminal background check, paying back taxes, $2,000 fine, learn English, work for six years before getting in line behind everybody else. It’s very tough. It’s called earned citizenship.

Now, we all know that in the ‘80s we did amnesty. We did an amnesty, and it didn’t work. And so we’re not going to make that mistake again.

And just finally, again, I respect the views of my colleagues. I think we’ve had very good and productive debate on the floor of the Senate. And we’ve had a lot of good votes. I think the Senate, for the first time in a while, is sort of functioning the way the Senate should. I think we’re going to have an outcome probably the middle of this coming week.

___________________________________

That was last year’s McCain.

This year’s “Z Visas” are basically a free stay forever at $250.00 per year (1,000 per 4 years, reduced from $5,000 by Bush), a “background check” limited to 24 hours, no English requirement, no six years requirment, no back of the line requirement.

Some one could ask him about this earned amnesty.

At least last year he was brave enough to use the “A” word...

[Shermy]

See #7 McCain’s “earned amnesty”

[bcsco]

See #7 McCain’s “earned amnesty”

I understand.

I'm only saying that to slam McCain on what he said a year before the current bill was introduced won't work. Sure, there are similarities between both, but our rebuttals have to concentrate on the contents of the current bill. To debate remarks made before this bill was introduced only makes us look unprepared (or worse).

We need to stick to the point, and the point is the current bill before the Senate. Period.

[nyyankeefan]

el presidente jorge bush/fat ted ..all the sellout gop and all the lib/dems don’t have to call it amnesty...they can call it anything they like....as long as they vote this plan down!!!!

how hard is it to just vote to build the wall/close the borders/allow no social services to ILLEGALS/cut off anchor baby status/fine all employers that hire ILLEGALS and just enforce the laws????

[bcsco]

how hard is it to just vote to build the wall/close the borders/allow no social services to ILLEGALS/cut off anchor baby status/fine all employers that hire ILLEGALS and just enforce the laws????

Not hard at all. But it's not PC. And that's what's got these idiots all tied up in knots. Showing deliberate antagonism against illegal aliens is not PC.

Oh, well.

[grey_whiskers]

[VOA]

bump

[yldstrk]

Quotas.

[Las Vegas Dave]

Now consider where they fall economically? At the bottom.. < snip >

Rats new voter base pings...

[Cicero]

The worst part is the overnight amnesty for the 12 million illegals who are here.

No, the worst part is amnesty for maybe a hundred million MORE illegal immigrants who will stream into the country. Not only chain migrants, uncles, cousins, neices, nephews, and mothers-in-law, but tens of millions of new illegals who will be coming in to get on board the NEXT amnesty.

[Stayfree]

The “Z visas” also pave the way for “chain immigration” allowing an immigrant to bring in relatives. Previously chain immigration was limited to immediate family members. New legislation will open it to include possibly more than 11 family members of any relation. Once those family members become resident they too will be able to bring in their extended families and so on.

[stephenjohnbanker]

I admire your tenacity!

B U M P

[2ndDivisionVet]

Just say NO to Amnesty!! Before it’s too late!!

U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121

U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121

White House comments: (202) 456-1111

Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep

Find your US Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

[2ndDivisionVet]

Just say NO to Amnesty!! Before it’s too late!!

U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121

U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121

White House comments: (202) 456-1111

Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep

Find your US Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

[GATOR NAVY]

if they broke the law to get here, wouldn't that mean that ALL of them have a criminal background?

You would think so.

[gpapa]

Most of them would only be charged with a civil fine. That is part of the problem. It is not a felony to enter the country illegally.