Posted on 12/11/2003 9:08:56 AM PST by VU4G10
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge's expression of support for giving legal status to immigrants drew congressional criticism Wednesday but heartened advocates. At a town hall meeting in Miami, Ridge said the country needs to "come to grips" with an estimated 8 million to 12 million illegal immigrants and "determine how you can legalize their presence." He also said during a visit to Florida on Tuesday that the immigrants should not be rewarded citizenship.
Asa Hutchinson, undersecretary for border and transportation security, said Wednesday in Miami that Ridge's comments simply reflected the debate in Congress on immigration.
"Secretary Ridge addressed it very honestly yesterday, engaged in that debate, but clearly this administration has not taken a firm policy position on that and the debate continues," Hutchinson said.
But Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz., said it was "inconceivable to me that Secretary Ridge is speaking for the Bush administration when he unilaterally and offhandedly suggests such a radical policy reversal that is guaranteed to encounter strong opposition in Congress."
The attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, slowed talks about whether to legalize millions of illegal immigrants in the country.
Ridge's words excited immigration advocates and one of Hayworth's House colleague, Rep. Jeff Flake, who is sponsoring legislation that would give legal residency to illegal immigrants through work.
"Those who are working here illegally need to be here under a legal framework. Secretary Ridge also understands that this needs to be coupled with serious workplace enforcement," said Flake, R-Ariz.
Judy Golub, senior policy and outreach director for American Immigration Lawyers Association, said she thought it was the first time that a top administration official had made "such a clear articulation of the fact that these folks are not threats and deserve some form of legal status."
Cecilia Munoz, vice president of policy for National Council of La Raza, said Ridge's comments broke two years of silence by the administration on the legalization issue.
Logistically and politically, that's never going to happen. Would you want to be the President who ordered the National Guard to round up illegal women and children at gunpoint?
What we can do is basically three-fold:
1) Shore up border security to minimize the flow of illegals over the border;
2) Focus heavily on assimilating all immigrants, whether legal or illegal, who are already here. Grant illegals some sort of amnesty conditioned upon them registering and passing citizenship courses etc.
3) Fine the hell out of any company that employs illegals. The dirty little secret that conservatives don't want to admit is that business owners, the vast majority of whom are Republicans, are the main reason illegals are here- the only reason there is a supply of illegals is because there is a demand for their services.
Those companies are the very ones that contribute mightily to the Republicrats' campaigns.
Never lived there my whole life. Visited a couple of times.
Of course. They're essentially getting a subsidy from the rest of us- they hire illegals for cheap, provide no benefits and when the illegals get too old or too sick to keep working, they fire them and the rest of us have to pay for their health care.
We're all guilty- we get cheap produce, cheap housekeepers and nannies (and, of course, cheap prostitutes, in some cases) but at the same time we whine about what illegals are doing to this country.
Well, my housekeeper is as American as apple pie, and I personally wouldn't mind paying much more for produce if the tradeoff was closing the border and deporting the existing illegals. As you mentioned, we end up paying in the long run anyway .....for their social services / health care.
Not really necessary- Most immigrants who are here are already doing a pretty good job assimilating, despite the best efforts of liberals to Balkanize the country.
The US is pretty good at brain-draining the rest of the world, we should definitely keep it up.
I got a good look at that assimilation at a U.S. vs. Mexico soccer game at the L.A. Coliseum in the late 90's. Out of the 80,000 or so in attendance, I'd estimate about 70,000 were rooting for the Mexican team. The American national anthem was booed mercilessly, Mexican flags were waving furiously, and "urine bombs" were being tossed at both the American players and the few fans in attendance gutsy enough to cheer for the "home" team.
Some assimilation. Might as well have been in Tijuana.
There is a new Prop 187 in the works, because the original was unfortunately torn to shreads.
Bush doesn't seem to have a problem with spending hundreds of times that on unconstitutional $hit, so why not?
A poster on another thread suggested we are just helpless in this crisis. I guess it's time to roll over and go back to sleep....Or maybe watch a little TaVaaa.
I said a million dolars a mile. If it's $10 million a mile that becomes 15 billion. I have no idea how much it would cost. Also what about the Canadian border.
Maybe not, Mr. Director. Perhaps they got in line and received their USA visas legally at the embassies in San Salvador and Tegus.... /sarc
What a freaking disgrace! Everytime Bush does something that brings honor, such as his Thanksgiving visit to Baghdad, and gains my confidence, one of his cabinet members turns around and does something stupid and borderline seditious, that almosts forces me back into the Third Party, Throw Away Vote faction for 2004.
Somebody help me on this.
Fait d'accompli. Fait d'idiocie.
I said a million dolars a mile. If it's $10 million a mile that becomes 15 billion. I have no idea how much it would cost. Also what about the Canadian border.
"Snipers", very cost effective, about $.50 per problem and they advertise themselves.
(Was it Bill Cosby that was asked that now that his daughters are reaching dating age how was he going to deal with boys replied "You kill the first one, then the word gets out")
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