Posted on 04/28/2012 9:06:10 AM PDT by Mikey_1962
As the U.S. Supreme Court wrestles with the Obama administration's challenge of Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigration, the overall issue of immigration remains misunderstood by both political parties in Washington.
Many Washington Republicans confuse voter opposition to illegal immigration with opposition to all immigration. Their remarks often contain an ugly tone toward those who want to come to America.
Many Washington Democrats confuse public respect for hardworking immigrants with a belief that borders and immigration laws don't matter. Their remarks often contain an ugly tone toward those who believe the nation's immigration laws should be enforced.
On the issues before the court, most voters tend to side with the state of Arizona rather than the federal government. Fifty-nine percent of voters nationwide, for example, agree with one of the law's most controversial provisions, that police officers should routinely check the immigration status of those they pull over for other violations. Most voters would like to have a law like Arizona's in their own state.
But that says more about voter respect for the law than it does about the immigration issue. Voters figure if there's a law on the books, the government should enforce it.
That's why, among voters who are angry about the immigration issue, 83 percent are angry at the federal government rather than the illegal immigrants themselves. It's also why two-thirds of voters think those who knowingly hire illegal immigrants are a bigger problem than the people they employ. Simply put, most Americans are angry at those who would entice others to break the law. They're not angry at people who are willing to work hard to provide for their families.
It's a little bit like the public desire to go after drug pushers rather than occasional users of illegal drugs.
Still, there's another reason for the disconnect between official Washington and the American people on immigration.
In Washington, the entire focus of the immigration debate is on how to deal with those already living here illegally. For voters, this is a secondary concern. The bigger concern is how to secure the border so future immigrants enter the county according to the rules. Routinely, in surveys for years, 60 percent or more of voters say securing the borders is a higher priority than legalizing the status of the illegal immigrants who are here now.
Once voters are convinced that illegal immigration is a thing of the past, it will be easier to address the status of those in the country already.
But voters don't believe the federal government has any interest in securing the border. In fact, most believe the policies of the federal government are designed to encourage illegal immigration. This offends voters who want to respect the rule of law. If immigration laws -- or any laws -- are routinely ignored, then the government loses credibility.
If the laws are enforced, 61 percent of voters favor a welcoming policy that lets anybody come to America except national security threats, criminals and those who would live off the U.S. welfare system. All who would like to work hard and pursue the American Dream are welcome.
The bottom line is that voters remember what many in Washington often forget: America is a nation of immigrants -- and of laws. The American people want both traditions to be honored.
Politicians understand the immigration laws very well. They just don’t care what the voter wants. We don’t need new laws, we just need our existing laws enforced. People understand what’s really going on. It’s all politics. The time has come to replace politicians that do not want to enforce our immigration laws. For those that think we can’t deport these people, look at what President Ike did. Something like 13 million were deported. Can’t be done? Think again.
I'll try and find a link. It is unreal how stupid this woman's argument is. Clueless doesn't even come close.
Insanity. We bring in 1.2 million LEGAL immigrants a year, more than the rest of the world combined. 25% of the adults lack even a high school degree. We will add 130 million to our population in the next 40 years, 75% due to immigration.
We need to reduce our immigration numbers and go to a merit based system that brings in the skills we need to be competititve in the global economy. There has to be limits in terms of numbers. 57% of immigrants use at least one welfare program. We are importing poverty.
Milton Friedman said, “You cannot simultaneously have free immigration and a welfare state.” We have both.
I’m waiting for an illegal somewhere to run for office (and endanger) the seat of some liberal.
Suddenly the left would be the biggest border hawks on the planet.
Misunderstanding that fact is the biggest reason why Rick Perry failed and why Marco Rubio will have a very hard time with his Dream Act. Americans are not by nature lawbreakers. Nor do they want to see their hard earned taxed income go for enticements or rewards to those who break the law. If the GOP-E would stop trying to join the democrats in making this a racial issue, they would have more success with legal voters.
There are some truisms about immigration that need to be addressed.
1) America can handle immigration, especially of working people, but there is a limit to how many and how fast, and also how fast they can integrate.
2) The legal immigration process is an intolerable mess. For acceptable foreigners outside or inside of the US, the process should be no more than 5 years long. Admissions should have general quotas by country, but with enough flexibility to also allow in people with very desirable qualities. People already in the US should not have to leave the US to apply, which is just stupid.
3) Because of statutory neglect by the federal government, an entire generation of illegal aliens has grown up inside the US. They are entirely integrated, speak English, have American educations, and importantly, they do not maintain ties with “the old country”. They are already “de facto” Americans, needing only papers. To deport them would be as cruel as deporting random other Americans to foreign countries.
4) Conversely, there are many violent criminal illegal aliens that the US wants to deport, but Mexico, which has long been “soft on crime, but hard on legal guns”, is now begging the US to not deport so many violent criminals to them, who instantly become drug cartel killers.
This may require the building of US internment facilities just north of the border, to hold these thugs until Mexico accepts them back. Truthfully, this is better for us, too, by just keeping them off the streets.
Immigration policy has to be revised to disallow chain migration of unemployable dependents other than minor children. We cannot accept workers who bring in their elderly parents and informed family members.
I’m waiting for an illegal somewhere to run for office (and endanger) the seat of some liberal.
Suddenly the left would be the biggest border hawks on the planet...
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LOL
More like chicken hawks when they have to work for something.
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