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WHITE HOUSE VERIFIES IMMIGRATION REVIEW
The Liberty Committee ^ | 12/13/03 | Kent Snyder

Posted on 12/13/2003 5:24:56 AM PST by chicagolady

The White House yesterday said a new immigration review is under way that could lead to amnesty for millions of illegal aliens living and working in the United States. Confirmation of the review came during a White House briefing, just two days after Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said during a town hall meeting in Miami that the government had to "afford some kind of legal status" to the 8 million to 12 million illegal aliens in the country. "We've taken steps to improve border security — significant steps, I might add; have made great progress there. We've taken steps to improve the immigration infrastructure," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. "Those are some foundations for moving forward on a more orderly, safe and humane migration policy. "And this is a matter that really is under review at this point. We continue to look at it," Mr. McClellan said. Mr. Ridge, during a question-and-answer period after his Miami speech, said he would not support granting citizenship to illegal aliens now in the country "because they violated the law to get here," but the government needed to "determine how you can legalize their presence" and then institute an immigration enforcement policy to prevent future illegal entries. His comments drew harsh criticism from some congressional sources and immigration opponents. Rep. Tom Tancredo, Colorado Republican and chairman of the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, said Mr. Ridge should resign if he is unable or unwilling to enforce existing immigration laws. He said the secretary's comments would "open a floodgate" of illegal aliens "trying to sneak into the United States in order to be first in line for amnesty." Dan Stein, executive director of the Federation of American Immigration Reform (FAIR), questioned what security interests of the United States were being served "by granting legal status to people whose identities cannot be confirmed and who already have shown an unwillingness to observe U.S. law? "The law has to be respected before you grandfather in the very people who disrespected it," he said. Various amnesty bills are pending in Congress, although none has been scheduled for debate or a vote. Congress approved an amnesty program in 1986, granting legal status to 2.7 million illegal aliens then in the country. The program contained increased enforcement and penalty policies aimed at ending illegal immigration, although the illegal alien population in the United States today is more than twice the total in 1986. Mr. McClellan said Mr. Bush "has always been a strong believer that America should be a welcoming society. We are, after all, a nation of immigrants, as he often points out." He said discussions with Mexico on a new amnesty proposal were ongoing prior to the September 11 attacks, but were halted. Mr. Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox had agreed to consider granting permanent residency, or green cards, to as many as 3 million Mexicans living illegally in the United States. Mr. McClellan also said that although some people had interpreted Mr. Ridge's comments as "some broad amnesty discussion," it was not that at all. "He's very involved in, obviously, overseeing border security and immigration matters, now under the new Department of Homeland Security," he said. "And I think he's been looking at the issue of the large number of illegal immigrants we do have in the country and looking at those that could be threats and those that are here for other reasons. "And so, he's just talking about the realities that we are facing now," he said. Asa Hutchinson, Homeland Security's undersecretary for border and transportation security, also defended Mr. Ridge's comments, saying they simply reflected ongoing debate in Congress over the immigration issue. "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," Mr. Hutchinson said.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aliens; amnesty; bush43; immigration; immigrationstatus
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To: wolf24
That puts him squarely at odds with the current GOP president but not conservatism.

Conservatives at odds with the GOP because we can't get 100% of what we want, so we will help a Dem get into office?

We bolted the GOP in 1992... did we get more of what we wanted under Clinton than we did under Bush, Sr?

81 posted on 12/13/2003 4:44:49 PM PST by Tamzee (Pennsylvanians for Bush! Join http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PA4BushCheney/)
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To: chachacha; NRA2BFree
Does GW think these illegal rat voters are going to jump ship and vote for him?

No, I suspect he's under no delusions about winning over a significant # of voters to the GOP. This is about payback to corporate campaign contributors that desire cheap labor. The Prez is merely fulfilling his end of the bargain. It's also about creating a society with no middle class whose lower classes will have to increasingly rely on big gov't as time goes on just to survive. This in turn gives the gov't more power, which is essentially what the game is all about. The only thing that can stop them are American patriots who are willing to fight for the America the Founders envisioned. They know this, of course. And that's precisely why they must proceed very slowly, and with incredible caution. ....one small step at a time.

82 posted on 12/13/2003 5:02:09 PM PST by Mr. Mojo
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To: Jeff Head
BTTT
83 posted on 12/13/2003 5:24:24 PM PST by 4.1O dana super trac pak (Don't avoid. Read Joe Guzzardi.)
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To: chicagolady
I don't recall where I got this but it sure says the truth

ILLEGAL POEM

I come for visit, get treated regal,
So I stay, who care I illegal?

I cross ocean, poor and broke,
Take bus, see employment folk.

Nice man treat me good in there,
Say I need to see welfare.

Welfare say, "You come no more,
We send cash right to your door."

Welfare checks, they make you wealthy,
Medicaid it keep you healthy!

By and by, I got plenty money,
Thanks to you, American dummy.

Write to friends in motherland,
Tell them come as fast as you can.

Come in open border and by Ford trucks,
I buy big house with welfare bucks.

They come here, we live together,
More welfare checks, it gets better!

Fourteen families they moving in,
But neighbor's patience wearing thin.

Finally, white guy moves away,
Now I buy his house, and then I say,

"Find more aliens for house to rent."
And in the yard I put a tent.

Send for family (they just trash),
But they, too, draw the welfare cash!

Everything is very good,
And soon we own the neighborhood.

We have hobby--it's called breeding,
Welfare pay for baby feeding.

Kids need dentist? Wife need pills?
We get free! We got no bills!

American crazy! He pay all year,
To keep welfare running here.

We think America darn good place!
Too darn good for the white man race.

If they no like us, they can go,
Got lots of room in Mexico.

84 posted on 12/14/2003 5:42:38 PM PST by B4Ranch (Wave your flag, don't waive your rights!)
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To: B4Ranch
I am laughing and crying at the same time. The truth always hurts.
Thanks for the post!...I think.
85 posted on 12/14/2003 5:56:04 PM PST by chicagolady (Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night)
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