Solving the Immigration Impasse (Arnold redefines Amnesty)

JoinArnold.com - Schwarzenegger Campaign Website ^ | August, 2003 | Arnold Schwarzenegger

[Sabertooth]

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Solving the Immigration Impasse

Summary:

Immigration has been the engine of California's economic prosperity and the richness of our culture. Almost 9 million Californians were born in a foreign country and nearly 40% of all households in our state speak a second language in addition to English. We have a proud tradition of being one of the most ethnically diverse places in the world.

But it is important to ensure that new immigrants enter California the right way, so that they can get on a path toward fully participating, and contributing, to the California economy. And we should make sure that we do so without undermining important national security protections.

Full Policy:

There are approximately 8 million undocumented immigrants in the United States; 2.5 million reside in California. The costs of providing social services to these individuals and incarcerating illegal immigrants is staggering - easily exceeding $3 billion a year.

Clearly, the federal government must do a much better job of enforcing the security of our borders, especially in the aftermath of 9/11. Washington must also provide more money to border states like California which ultimately shoulder the burden and the costs associated with illegal immigration. And Washington should pursue a responsible immigration policy that offers undocumented immigrants a path to permanent legal status.

As someone who came to the United States thirty-five years ago looking for opportunity, I understand the challenges immigrants face and I will work hard to elevate the debate on this important issue.

Fair Reimbursement for Illegal Immigration Costs

Immigration is a national responsibility and California should not be left to shoulder the massive burden of providing public services to illegal immigrants.

Last year, California only received $220 million to offset the costs of keeping illegal immigrants in jail. This is insufficient, and as governor of California, I will work with Congress, President Bush, and the Governors of other border states to correct this situation.

As Governor I will:

• Organize a coalition of states most impacted by immigration to lobby Congress. This coalition will include Texas, New York, New Mexico, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, in addition to California. Together, we represent 183 electoral votes. If we speak with a unified voice, Republicans and Democrats in Washington will listen.

• Seek reimbursement from Washington for health care and education costs associated with illegal immigration.

Putting Immigrants on a Path toward Citizenship.

It is important to ensure that new immigrants enter California the right way, so that they can get on a path toward fully participating, and contributing, to the California economy. And we should make sure that we do so without undermining important national security protections.

As Governor, I will:

• Aggressively lobby Washington to set a more responsible policy for addressing the undocumented immigrants currently in the United States.

• Deportation is not an option. We need to find a way to legitimize these individuals and get them on a path toward legal residency status in the United States.
• Let me be clear: I do not support an amnesty program. The last time we tried that in the late 80s it didn't work, and there's little reason to think it would work now.

• I am encouraged by the approach laid out by Senator McCain to provide a clear path for legitimizing undocumented immigrants who currently live their lives in the shadows. McCain's bill S 1461 - The Border Security and Immigration Act of 2003
  • A new H-4A visa for immigrants seeking temporary employment with important protections to ensure that immigrant workers are not exploited and that Californians are not displaced by unscrupulous employers;

  • A new H-4B visa for undocumented immigrants who entered the country before August 2003, have held a job since that time, and do not have a criminal record.

  • The opportunity for holders of these new visas to gain legal permanent residency status.

• " Senator McCain's plan contains the key principles that should guide any proposal to solve the immigration impasse:
  • U.S. Employer Benefits: A market driven employment process and an easy, effective means to confirm employment eligibility;

  • U.S. Worker Protections: Initial availability of jobs only to U.S. workers and periodic review to ensure that U.S. workers are not displaced;

  • Foreign Worker Protections: Applicability of all U.S. labor standards and portability so that workers may change jobs without jeopardizing their immigration status.

Punish Immigrant Smugglers and Human Traffickers

Human traffickers and smugglers exploit and endanger immigrants as they violate our criminal and immigration laws. As Governor, I will crack down hard on those who engage in illegal human smuggling:

• Traffickers and smugglers should be prosecuted as organized crime syndicates. If their schemes result in death of immigrants, they should be eligible for the death penalty.

• The federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2001 establishes a special visa, the T-visa, for immigrants who assist in investigations. As governor, I will order state law enforcement officials to work with their federal counterparts to prioritize and process applications for T-visas expeditiously.

Promote English and Advance Citizenship

Immigrants who are not proficient in English pay a price: they earn 17% less than immigrants of similar backgrounds, experience, and education who are proficient in English.

Likewise, when English is the primary language taught in schools, immigrant children show marked improvement. In June 1998, California's voters gave a 61% landslide to public policy entrepreneur Ron Unz's Proposition 227 outlawing bilingual education. By the end of the following school year, immigrant 2nd graders in those California schools that were already in compliance with Prop. 227 were reading at the 35th percentile, compared to the 19th percentile for those in schools that were still bilingual.

As Californians bounded in diversity, we share a common language and culture regardless of our backgrounds.

As Governor, I will:

• Work to improve education for all Californians and especially to help new immigrants learn English so they could participate and prosper as Californians.
• Restore meaning to citizenship, so that all Americans, new and old, share the same commitment to tolerance, equality, and compassion.
• Work with the federal government to provide expedited consideration of citizenship applications to immigrants whocomplete advanced civic education and English immersion programs.

SB 60 - Driver's Licenses for Illegal Immigrants

I am an immigrant. I waited for ten years to get my American citizenship. And I know first-hand how immigrants who come to this country and obey the laws have struggled to achieve their dreams.

But we should not invite fraud or undermine law enforcement. Attorney General Bill Lockyer, the California Sheriff's Association, and the federal government have all expressed security concerns over this measure, and in a time of heightened national security, we should not undermine our nation's immigration laws.

Unfortunately, Governor Davis decided to put his political interests above the people's interest. He signed SB 60 into law even though he vetoed similar legislation before, citing security concerns. But SB 60 actually contains fewer protections than the bill Davis vetoed a year ago.

Under SB 60, there is simply no way to verify that a drivers' license applicant is actually who he says he is or whether he is a criminal or fugitive from justice.

As Governor I will:

Work to repeal SB 60 as quickly as possible

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[Sabertooth]

• Deportation is not an option. We need to find a way to legitimize these individuals and get them on a path toward legal residency status in the United States.
• Let me be clear: I do not support an amnesty program. The last time we tried that in the late 80s it didn't work, and there's little reason to think it would work now.

• I am encouraged by the approach laid out by Senator McCain to provide a clear path for legitimizing undocumented immigrants who currently live their lives in the shadows. McCain's bill S 1461 - The Border Security and Immigration Act of 2003
  • A new H-4A visa for immigrants seeking temporary employment with important protections to ensure that immigrant workers are not exploited and that Californians are not displaced by unscrupulous employers;

  • A new H-4B visa for undocumented immigrants who entered the country before August 2003, have held a job since that time, and do not have a criminal record.

  • The opportunity for holders of these new visas to gain legal permanent residency status.

• " Senator McCain's plan contains the key principles that should guide any proposal to solve the immigration impasse:

Schwarzenegger is acting from both sides of his mouth.

You can't support legalizing Illegal Aliens, and honestly say "I do not support an amnesty program."

Other quotes from Schwarzenegger...

"Proposition 187 has been resolved by the courts. It is time to move on. More than 2.3 million undocumented immigrants currently live in California. They cannot continue to live underground. I will work with federal officials to address this problem."
Schwarzenegger campaign website - joinarnold.com


Said Proposition 187, the 1994 measure that denied many services to illegal immigrants, was "history" because it has been largely voided by the courts. He supported the proposition at the time voters approved it. "Now we have to move forward with the whole thingand to look at it, what we're going to do with all the people that are undocumented immigrants here in this state. What should we do? Should we have them to stay here, which I think is the right way to do, but how do you then include them in our society, how do you make it official, how do you make it legal?" he said. He added he would try to team up with other states with large immigrant populations and lobby the federal government to address the issue.
Associated Press - August 27th, 2003

backpedaled
Schwarzenegger, who legally immigrated to this country from Austria in 1968, opposed issuing driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. But he didn't rule out public services or amnesty for those who come into the country illegally.

He said he would work with other states to pressure the federal government, which controls immigration, to "come up with a solution once and for all." He also said allowing undocumented immigrants to stay in the United States is "the right thing to do."
Sacramento Bee – August 28th, 2003

Schwarzenegger criticized Davis for signing a bill granting driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants, saying, "We're leaving ourselves wide open to terrorism." And he repeated his support for a guest-worker visa program -- "then they can (get) driver's licenses hooked together with insurance."
Sacramento Bee - September 9th, 2003


Schwarzenegger said he opposed the bill because it would "bring danger to our state" because it doesn't require background checks of illegal immigrants.

He did, however, say he supported proposed federal legislation that would help those in the United States illegally become legal residents more quickly.
Sacramento Bee - September 17th, 2003

Since Arnold Schwarzenegger supports legalizing Illegal Aliens and then giving them drivers' licenses, how meaningful are his promises to support the overturning of SB60?

Why won't Schwarzenegger immediately support the referendum to overturn Illegal Alien drivers' licenses, in time to place the on the ballot for the March 2004 California Primary?

What do you suppose Karl Rove is thinking about such a referendum?

[Bikers4Bush]

Holy crap! We'd be better off to leave davis in office than let this loonie be governor.

He's completely insane.

[Sabertooth]

((((((growl)))))

[auntdot]

Might as well let a Democrat lead the state to ruin than a Republican.

Thought Arnold might actually stand for something.

Was willing to give the RINO a pass as long as he would take a strong stand against the illegals.

But now, phooey, David seems little different than Arnold.

[ambrose]

"Deportation is not an option. We need to find a way to legitimize these individuals and get them on a path toward legal residency status in the United States."

But Tom Can't Win! (TM)

[ambrose]

What's that I hear? The sound of chirping crickets?

[Weimdog]

Why exactly would you want the state to go down in ruins?

I would understand this feeling if you didn't live in the state, but if you live here, or heaven forbid, own a home here, how can you wish for disaster?

[ambrose]

"Chirp Chirp Chirp"

[Roscoe]

Deportation is not an option.

De facto amnesty. Two-faced Arnold strikes again.

[DumpsterDiver]

Thanks for posting that but he lost me after:

Immigration has been the engine of California's economic prosperity and the richness of our culture.

"...the richness of our culture"?

Riiiiight! I not only live in a country with millions of foreign nationals who believe that they are above the law, I also live in a country where the government agrees with the law-breaking foreign nationals. That ain't my idea of "cultural richness".

[Richard-SIA]

"Immigration has been the engine of California's economic prosperity"!?

"Deportation is not an option. We need to find a way to legitimize these individuals and get them on a path toward legal residency status in the United States."!

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He's nuts!
Guess the steroids affected his mind, I thought his accent was from his youth in Austria, now I wonder if it is a sign of brain damage?

So far as the invasion from Mex. is concerned, Arnie will clearly be NO improvement over Grey-out!

Deport these criminals, and open up EIGHT MILLION jobs for Americans!

[Regulator]

We have a proud tradition of being one of the most ethnically diverse places in the world

Actually, that's one of the most recent developments in California's history. And it's a reaction to the reality of California's past - when California had some of the first and most onerous alien laws in the country. In fact, Earl Warren and the Brown family made political careers out of guilt tripping Californians for those laws.

And if by "ethnically diverse" you mean a majority Mexican population, I have no idea how that qualifies as "diversity". Sounds rather monotone to me.

See ya, Arnie. Deportation is an option, and is in fact our law (note the "our" part).

Funny how the California Recall candidates have basically come down to two illegal aliens and one American.

I'm planning on voting for the American.

[Roscoe]

Arnold did a 180 on 187, claiming that it was a federal question. What does he think deportation is?

[DoctorZIn]

Your One Stop Resource For All The California Recall News!

Want on our daily or major news ping lists? Freepmail DoctorZin

[TomasUSMC]

"Seek reimbursement from Washington for health care and education costs associated with illegal immigration. "

REIMBURSEMENT FOR COSTS FOR ILLEGAL.... - WRONG. There should be no cost associated with illegal immigration. Catch em and put them in the mojave desert at hard labor for 5 years. That will pay for any "costs". No social services for illegals = no cost for illegals. Arnold wants to continue social services for illegals. All you Arnold supporters beware, there is no way California can supply medical educational and legal services for the entire world wide illegal population. Arnold is incapable of making sense. But hey the polls say he is ahead and for some of you the left wing liberal politically correct polls rule. So go ahead and be ruled by them.

Stand Fast Tom. No retreat in the face of evil and lies.

[Axenolith]

But...But...But... If we elect Arnold, there'll be an R on the Governors door and Bush will win the state and everyone will love each other and we'll evolve into peacefull light beings...

[drypowder]

Deportation is not an option.

Hell, that's the law.

Seek reimbursement from Washington for health care and education costs associated with illegal immigration.

Collect it from Mexico not US tax payers.

[45Auto]

I didn't see anything in this "plan" to close the border to further illegal encroachments. Its already a crime to smuggle people into the country, so this so-called "punishment" plan for traffickers is worthless without a strong border control policy. I am absolutely opposed to any type of 'amnesty' or streamlined citizenship process for those already here unless it is coupled to a closed border policy. Arnold is tampering in an area in which state governors have no authority: its called "Foreign Policy" and it is the purview of the US Executive Branch. This guy is nuts.

[VU4G10]

"Deportation is not an option. We need to find a way to legitimize these individuals and get them on a path toward legal residency status in the United States"

"Let me be clear: I do not support an amnesty program"
 

LOL!!

[Travis McGee]

They won't call it amnesty.

They'll call it "amnistia."