Bush To Propose Immigration Law Changes

AP | 01-05-04 | AP

[Pubbie]

[Moderator's note: threads regarding immigration issues and border issues have been spiralling out of control for some time on Free Republic. This is going to change. Fair warning: this would be a very poor thread to engage in flame warring, flame baiting, or otherwise being needlessly instigative. If you have not yet read this thread, you may want to before engaging in the debate on this or other similar threads. If there are any questions regarding the new scrutiny of these threads, please take them to that thread rather than cluttering up these threads. So far, people have been very cooperative with this effort, and for that I am grateful. Thanks, and happy Freeping.]

President Bush will propose immigration law changes to allow workers from Mexico to enter the United States if they have jobs waiting for them, officials said Monday in previewing an election-year measure intended to bolster support among Hispanic voters.

Advocacy groups were invited to the White House on Wednesday to hear details of the program.

"The president has long talked about the importance of having an immigration policy that matches willing workers with willing employers," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said. "It's important for America to be a welcoming society. We are a nation of immigrants, and we're better for it."

Immigration advocacy groups characterized Bush's move as a politically drawn effort to curry favor with Hispanics, a potent political force, particularly in key states like Florida, California and border states. Two sources speaking on condition of anonymity said Bush would outline a set of principles rather than a detailed piece of legislation, and that the policy statement would draw on bills already pending in Congress.

"It looks very much like a political effort and what they do with these `principles' is going to determine whether this is really a policy initiative or not," said Cecilia Munoz, vice president for policy at the National Council of La Raza. "The Latino community knows the difference between political posturing and a real policy debate."

She said the initiative was crafted by Bush's political strategist, Karl Rove, and that the immigration policy community was excluded from the deliberations.

"We know of no one in the immigration policy community, business groups or Latino groups who has been consulted," she said.

[FITZ]

At least according to the article in this thread, it looks like Bush might propose some fairly vague ideas --- which then will have to be hashed out --- probably by Congress. This might be a very smart move by Bush. I guess we'll know more later.

[lucidloony]

Forty eight hours from now, I may no longer be a Republican.

[A Citizen Reporter]

"We are a nation of immigrants, and we're better for it." There they go again with that dispicable bit of con carne. Anyone you know have an immgrant in their family for the last three hundred years?

MissAmericanPie, may I ask......how did YOU get here?

I'd guess that all my "immgrant"s (sic) arrived here in the last three hundred years. But I'm still looking for them. I study genealogy, and lines I love to study are the immigrants. Mine came primarily in the 1870's, and I would love to ask them what moved them to uproot themselves to make a new life here in the midwest of a continent they knew little about. I think we would all learn a lot more about ourselves, if we knew a little more about from where we came.

PS. It wasn't 300 years ago.

[JoeSchem]

Meanwhile our soldiers are being forced to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan past their enlistment dates. It's quite simple how Karl Rove thinks: If you're fighting for your country or a citizen, we punish you. If you're here illegally, we fawn all over you.

[Old Student]

Five of mine showed up here in the late 1890. One of mine was in the Revolutionary War. A bunch were in the Civil War, on both sides. I doubt I'm the only one.

[lucidloony]

Yup. Fight for your country then come home and fight for your job.

[txdoda]

Didn't Bush talk about giving amnesty to Mexicans only just before 9/11?>>>>>>>

Yes, He & Fox met about a week before 9-11. Think Fox was using 'regularization' as the term, & asking Bush to resolve it before the end of 9-2001.

which is good because as long as both parties are fighting with each other nothing gets passed.>>>>>>>

fine with me as long as enforcement/deportations continue to rise.

[Old Student]

""Bush has just indicated that all employers who employ illegals are no longer breaking the law, that illegals who are employed in US are no longer breaking the law, and that low (lettuce picking), middle (hospital workers, etc.) and high (construction, plumbing, etc.) wage jobs are now available to foreigners who will displace Americans."

how does that equate with "enter the United States if they have jobs waiting for them."

I can see a law that does what you fear happening, but not on the basis of the statement you quoted.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

fine with me as long as enforcement/deportations continue to rise.

If Bush vigorously enforced the law against illegal aliens his poll numbers would rise 10 points and he would win in a landslide.

[Old Student]

"I saw some data a couple years ago that indicated that only 25-30 % of the U.S. population had U.S. roots that went back to the time of the Constitution."



I think you missed something there; nearly everything west of the Appalachian Mountains was part of Mexico, which was part of Spain, when the Constitution was written. (admittedly we had English-American settlers in quite a few places they weren't supposed to be, but...)

[AzJohn]

Regarding the Mexico-only aspect of this, the L.A. Times now has a very similar story on their site (even a couple of the same quotes). Their version of the proposal is not limited to Mexico.

Bush to Propose Big Changes in Immigration Laws

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Five of mine showed up here in the late 1890.

Same here almost, mine came thru Ellis Island at the beginning of the Great Wave in the early 1890s. That's how immigration should have stayed instead of the free-for-all we have today.

[MissAmericanPie]

I was born here, that is how I got here, as were my parents and their parents and their parents and their parents. I am a native American, a citizen of the USofA.

My ancestors moved to newly claimed territory that belonged to their government, England. There is more here than when my great, great, great, great, great, grandparents on my mom's side arrived, there is what they built, bled, and sacrificed for, inorder to pass on to their posterity, me.

It becomes my duty and obligation to guard their hard work and sacrifice, their constitution, wealth, and resources from those that would destroy it with their marxism/socialism so that I may pass all that on to my posterity entact and to their protection.

Our nation, with God's blessing, built something everyone else wants a piece of, or wants to destroy, as a responsible part of that posterity that was passed on to, it is up to me and those like me to decide who gets in and how many, and when to demand that enough is enough. To do less would be irresponsible and unworthy of that awsome inheritance.

To flood the nation with those that are only here for economic reasons is not responsible or safe. To flood the nation with people that have proven time and again to vote marxist and then grant them voting priviledges is not responsible or safe or responsible. There is more to being a nation that some corporations bottom line, or economics.

When you answer your front door, you do not invite every stranger inside, to do so would the the height of foolishness. Same principle applies to immigration, legal or illegal.

[Old Student]

"That's similar to what states like California have attempted to do, which is try and chase them away. But with the federal government mandating services such as health care and education their hands are tied."


I haven't seen much evidence that California has tried to chase them away, and I'm a native of California. Arnold MAY try it. I hope so. I do not have a problem with immigrants; just with those who start breaking our laws as they cross our borders. I would even support an amnesty program for those who had jobs already, as long as they paid back taxes, and had a good recommendation from their employer. Of course, I'd also like to see the employer jammed for employing illegals, too. Oh, well, the fumes must be getting to me.

[WRhine]

You're absolutely right. I won't vote for him again either. If he passes this cloaked amnesty he'll be giving the finger to American workers.

Amen Janet. Did you see Lou Dobbs tonight? He came out blazing away with a range of stories on Bush's proposed Amnesty and how this issue is dividing the Republican Party.

I think the illegal immigration issue (crisis) is finally beginning to get some traction in this election. Millions of Americans seem to be catching on to the Beltway Elite and how they are Selling Out the American People on immigration and trade. If Bush pushes this Amnesty hard and it passes he will, at a minimum, guarantee a very close election.

One of the KEY things Team Bush is forgetting in their gamble to replace demoralized Conservatives with the Hispanic vote and the so-called "moderate vote" is that it is the Broken Glass Conservatives that do most of the Rough and Tumble Heavy-Lifting Campaign Work that "gets out the vote". Liberal Republicans (RINOs) by and large are poor campaigners because they lack conviction and have little "fire in the belly". I also suspect many RINO types think knocking on doors and making hundreds of calls is beneath them.

Bottom Line: When the base in not energized it creates a negative multiplier of lost votes.

[Sabertooth]

From the White House Website:

HERE

Ensuring Detention and Removal of Illegal Aliens: The Administration is committed to removing those who have entered the country illegally and to detain criminal aliens. The budget funds INS detention and deportation staff and provides resources to remove criminal and illegal aliens swiftly. The 2002 Budget provides $89 million to support an additional 1,607 average daily detention bed spaces for a total level of more than 21,000 bed spaces. INS will continue to target its efforts primarily on removing deportable aliens held in Federal, State, and local facilities to ensure that these criminal aliens are not allowed back on the street. The budget also continues funding to fully implement detention standards to ensure those detained, particularly those who have pending asylum cases, are treated fairly.

Tom Ridge says there are eight to twelve million Illegals in this country.

There are millions more Illegals here now than when President Bush took office.

1,607 extra detention beds stands as nothing more than a token effort.

BTW, My post above is the ONLY policy proposal on illegals that this administration has issued in writing since January 20th, 2001

Simply untrue. Why do you keep posting things like this?

Bush tried to get Clinton's Section 245(i) Amnesty extended in the Spring of 2002.

[A Citizen Reporter]

"I am a native American"

Oh really?

My ancestors moved to newly claimed territory that belonged to their government, England. There is more here than when my great, great, great, great, great, grandparents on my mom's side arrived,

What year was that? In what territory did they arrive? What about your dad's side? Where did they come from?

BTW, if you are going to claim to be from England six generations back on just ONE side, you have a heck of a lot of people to account for that came from England. Prove it.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

I haven't seen much evidence that California has tried to chase them away, and I'm a native of California.

Well more like the voters tried to chase them away with Prop 187. Grey Davis the shameless panderer it looked like couldn't do enough for them.

[Sabertooth]

The problem with this approach is getting a member of Congress to address the problem logically. Every one of them, including Tancredo skirts the real problem, Which is, going after those who knowingly hire illegals.

Laws against hiring Illegals are already on the books, and have been for years.

Who's the Chief Law Enforcement Officer in this country?

[Old Student]

I believe that Powhattan would argue with you about whose territory it was.