Rand Paul's immigration speech

03.19.13 | Hon Sen Rand Paul (KY)

[Will88]

It is absolutely vital for both the success of our immigration policy and for the purposes of national security that we finally secure our borders. Not to stop most immigrants from coming-we welcome them and in fact should seek to increase legal immigration. The Republican Party must embrace more legal immigration.

Just admit it, Rand, your position is open borders, just as open borders is the libertarian position.

Republicans need to become parents of a new future with Latino voters or we will need to resign ourselves to permanent minority status.

Total delusion. Amnesty will insure permanent minority status for Republicans. 60/40, 70/30? The most recent arrivals (illegal aliens) will break even less for Repubicans. Probably near 80/20.

Hopefully, the state of Kentucky will see fit to find a real conservative senator when Rand is up for reconsideration.

[Vigilanteman]

At a young age, I came to understand that it makes a difference whether you are a documented immigrant or an undocumented immigrant, that the existence was not easy for the undocumented . . .

Well, Rand, you are supposed to be a smart free market guy. If your friend gets suddenly legalized and make tres Dolars per hour, what is going to stop the next unscrupulous employer to bring in his replacement illegal at tres Dolars, por dia?

[The Sons of Liberty]

Imagine 12 million people who are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers.12 million more people assimilating into society.

This is a pipe dream. If they come out of the shadows, it will be to collect welfare checks. They will never be assimilated, unless we decide to start speaking Spanish to accommodate them.

[knarf]

What a bunch'a re-hashed numbers and dumbocrat talking points.

Looks like Paul/McCain in 2016.

[Little Ray]

Imagine 12 million more people on unemployment and medicaid because, being legal, the price of their labor goes up and they’re replaced with new illegals.

Imagine 12 million people, who owe more loyalty to Mexico that to the USA being able to vote. Imagine 12 million more people more loyal to Mexico, sending for their families...

What an idiot Rand Paul is!

[Girlene]

This was actually a very good speech to appeal to Hispanic voters. BUT, Paul does not seem to think illegals will vote Democrat, use our welfare system (food stamps, Medicaid, etc.), or be a gateway to bringing their extended families into the US.

Why? He’s not stupid.

[kabar]

I am not opposed to everything like many here are, but I am very against giving illegals the vote to vote Dem.

This isn't about the vote but legalization of status, which gives the lawbreakers everything but the vote. It is an amnesty pure and simple. And there is no way the courts would ever uphold two different classes of legal permanent residents, i.e., one with a path to citizenship and one without. They will get the vote eventually.

Politically how does this help the Reps? The Dems will benefit even if there was an attempt to withhold voting rights. The Dems will just use it as ammo against the Reps politically. The next step would be pushing for a path to citizenship citing the fact that the new legalized residents must pay income and payroll taxes, be eligible for the draft, etc. It is a loser politically.

Let's not focus on voting as the central issue. It should be legalizing their status. And let's get real about legal immigration. Every ten years we have what amounts to an amnesty. With 1.2 million LEGAL IMMIGRANTS ENTERING ANNUALLY, they will be able to vote eventually and two thirds of them will vote Dem. Illegal immigration is the shiny little bauble that distracts us from the real game changer--legal immigration. The status quo will make the Dems the permanent majority party. Amnesty just hastens the process.

[maxsand]

Just curious. Does anyone know if you have to press 1 for Spanish in Mexico?

Kinda Like I was wondering if you are of American heritage
and live in South Africa, are you an American-African?

[odawg]

I think, first of all, that Paul has to go back to Kentucky and explain to those who elected him just why he did not run on that platform so they could decide. If he had, he would not be a senator today. Also, the American economy can not provide a place for millions of its native citizens and support entitlements presently. That speech was feel-good stupidity. I got a mailer from him yesterday. I can write more direct in his return envelope.

[FlingWingFlyer]

The really bad news will be released four or five years down the road when the Ken and Barbies on the evening news announce that they had misjudged the number of foreign nationals in this country illegally. The “12 million” turned out to be somewhere between 20 and 30 million.

[HiJinx]

Ping!

Click the keyword Aliens to see more illegal alien, border security, and other related threads.

[bgill]

Let’s start that conversation by acknowledging we aren’t going to deport 12 million illegal immigrants.

Let's start that converstion by acknowledging you aren't going to get my vote.

[GBA]

I'm not sure who he's talking to with much of this speech, but I see that he's showing he's not a heartless monster.

Still...if I only read the first parts, I'd be inclinded to think he had sold out, that he abandoned the Constitutional principles he stood for and those who follow the laws, those who immigrate the legal way, as did his ancestors and mine, and those who work, or want to, and those who spent a lifetime "contributing" to the social systems now diluted, those promises broken.

The progressives tell us that we are told to embrace this unlevel playing field tilted in favor of those who have bypassed the gates, the many who now ride the train for free. Don't tell me they are the same as those who followed the rules, through good times and the bad.

So, while I reject his opening remarks and syrupy emotional framing of illegal immigrants as not speaking to me and starting to piss me off, the more I read, I find the points that need to be made to support this statement:

My plan will not grant amnesty or move anyone to the front of the line.

1) Lock down the border. ("Trust and Verify" whatever that means and looks like.)

2) Increase/reform legal immigration. "Modernize" the system and border security.

3) Document the "undocumented" workers with work visas.

He has repeatedly said it starts with border security.

He left me with the impression he wouldn't support anything that didn't secure the border first.

On this point, I completely agree. Start, or stop, there.

[kabar]

Why? He’s not stupid.

He is ill-informed or he thinks we are stupid. There are so many falsehoods and Orwellian uses of language in this speech, it is disgraceful. Why is he doing it? Naked political ambition and his libertarian bent that sees the free movement of labor regardless of borders. It is naive and dangerous.

Not to stop most immigrants from coming-we welcome them and in fact should seek to increase legal immigration.

The proposition that we need more legal immigrants while 23 million Americans are looking for jobs is insane. During the decade ending in 2010, we had more legal immigrants enter this country in our history, 13.9 million. During that same period we suffered a net loss of 400,000 jobs.

The U.S. adds one international migrant (net) every 36 seconds. Immigrants account for one in 8 U.S. residents, the highest level in more than 90 years. In 1970 it was one in 21; in 1980 it was one in 16; and in 1990 it was one in 13. In a decade, it will be one in 7, the highest it has been in our history. And by 2050, one in 5 residents of the U.S. will be foreign-born.

The nation’s immigrant population (legal and illegal) reached 40 million in 2010, the highest number in our history. The U.S. immigrant population has doubled since 1990, nearly tripled since 1980, and quadrupled since 1970, when it stood at 9.7 million. Of the 40 million immigrants in the country in 2010, 13.9 million arrived in 2000 or later making it the highest decade of immigration in American history, even though there was a net loss of jobs during the decade.

[manic4organic]

Ted Cruz?

[sickoflibs]

RE :” And there is no way the courts would ever uphold two different classes of legal permanent residents, i.e., one with a path to citizenship and one without. They will get the vote eventually. “

I get this argument all the time and it is bogus. The courts dont award citizenship. If your argument is that the Dems will continue to win POTUS elections (by continuing to get hispanics to vote) and will then put more Wise Latino’s on the court to award illegals citizenship, then all bets are off anyway. But congress passes immigration laws.

But courts do NOT award US citizenship.

Calling hispanics brought here as little kids say 5 and raised here getting a US public school diploma (maybe even a college degree) criminals for ‘being illegal’ is a great way to get more Wise Latino’s on the court.
It looks like putting on a white hood demanding they wear gold stars for being 'illegal'.
Those coming here as adults or trafficing their kids here is another story. There is a good case against them.

And as I said, Bohner will pass anything Reid sends him, VAWA now includes protection for illeagls.

How many GOP Senators does Reid need to give illegals the vote? McCain, Grahamnesty, Rubio, Paul....??

Wait till illegals vote in GOP primaries ...

[Jane Long]

FWIW, I called Sen Paul's office and said the exact thing. Not that it will make any difference - it's just sad to see him go "so quickly off the rails".

sigh :(

[Will88]

The “12 million” turned out to be somewhere between 20 and 30 million.

That would happen. In 1986, I think they pretended to expect 1.5 million and got around 3 million. And the 11 million number for illegals has been used for almost ten years now.

[kabar]

40% of the 12 to 20 million illegal aliens came here legally and overstayed their visa. The border is only part of the problem. We need to fully implement the 1996 US-VISIT program to track and deport visa overstays.

My plan will not grant amnesty or move anyone to the front of the line.

An absolute bald lie. His plan is an amnesty that will grant blanket legal status to every illegal in this country and allow them to stay and work here. They are at the front of line, which really begins in their home country. What about the 4 million intending LEGAL immigrants who have filled out all the paperwork and are waiting their turn to enter?

Words have meanings. The Democrats and the mainstream media have hijacked the language surrounding the immigration issue to the point that we had Michael Chertoff, the Secretary of Homeland Security and our nation’s top immigration official at the time, testifying before Congress using the term “undocumented workers” to describe illegal aliens. John McCain and Barack Obama studiously avoided the term “amnesty” to describe their comprehensive immigration reform plans and despite the evidence, baldly declared that it was not an amnesty. Instead, they used such euphemisms as “getting to the back of the line,” “an earned path to citizenship,” and “coming out of the shadows.” The Democrats and pro-amnesty crowd know full well that the American people are against amnesty, hence the avoidance of the “A” word.

[matginzac]

Just heard on Fox, Ryan is in agreement with Paul, Rubio, et al.