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.

[MJY1288]

Did Reagan go through Congress when he granted amnesty for all illegals in this country?

Did Jimmy Carter consult Congress before he granted Amnesty for Draft Dodgers?

[A Citizen Reporter]

Oh absolutely, and I'd hope that they could pass a simple history test as well:

MissAmericanPie: "Anyone you know have an immgrant in their family for the last three hundred years?"

Would you pass?

[Cultural Jihad]

No one's talking about imprisonment.

No, but someone was branding toddlers as 'criminals' since [yikes!] they're I-L-L-E-G-A-L. Illegal criminal children. What will the cold-hearted think of next?

[Sabertooth]

The only thing I have requested from you tonight is to "recite" anything Bush has said in public that backs up your speculation, and you couldn't.

You've made these requests in the past, and I've answered.

Eventually, you post as though you have no awareness of the information with which you'd previously been provided. Gets old.

[SevenDaysInMay]

Aside from you being foolish and silly now, the billions of 3rd Worlders who want to come here may with your "position".

"Illegals" are criminals.

Why should Americans accept tens of millions after tens of millions from other nations when they want to violate our laws and sovereign borders?

We have limited, literally finite, resources. Water. Clean air. Road networks. Housing without covering good ag. land. Money from taxpayers. But not political panderers.

Let this child be bathed and fed by his own nation's socialists, if not his own parents.

I don't want him and a hundred million like him in Texas because our government refuses to enforce our immigration law.

This is a critical, criminal matter. You add nothing by being a clown.

[MJY1288]

"Perhaps you should spend less time on those Bush Worshipping threads."

Maybe you should spend more time with your head out of your ________ <------ (rhymes with "gas")

[Sabertooth]

No, but someone was branding toddlers as 'criminals' since [yikes!] they're I-L-L-E-G-A-L. Illegal criminal children. What will the cold-hearted think of next?

Ask their parents, who put them in that predicament.

[A Citizen Reporter]

"Democrat talking point. Thanks."

You are using this one a lot tonight. It does nothing to advance the debate. It sure does sling slime though.

"He's answered this question before. You're playing Perry Mason with an open secret. "

Well, excuse me all to hell. I've never seen it. I just asked a question. And I don't play, I don't need a cartoon character to carry an image.

[Sabertooth]

Just like he hasn't enforced our laws on murder either, should we impeach him now?

Cmon Sabertooth, you can do better than that

Murder isn't under federal jurisdiction.

Enforcing our immigration laws is.

Better?

[WRhine]

Did Reagan go through Congress when he granted amnesty for all illegals in this country?

He most certainly did. See Below excerpt from Numbers U.S.A.

Past Amnesties

No. 1- Immigration Reform and Control Act Amnesty of 1986: The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) was enacted by Congress in response to the large and rapidly growing illegal alien population in the United States. The final bill was the result of a dramatic compromise between those who wanted to reduce illegal immigration into the United States and those who wanted to "wipe the slate clean" for those illegals already living here by granting them legal residence. As enacted, IRCA included a massive amnesty program for two main categories of illegal aliens:

[Sabertooth]

You are using this one a lot tonight. It does nothing to advance the debate. It sure does sling slime though

I'm using it a lot with posters who parrot Lefist smears.

The debate will advance when those doing so drop their own slime,

Well, excuse me all to hell. I've never seen it. I just asked a question. And I don't play, I don't need a cartoon character to carry an image.

You're excused, for everything. Except those talking points.

[WRhine]

What a wit you are! LOL.

[MJY1288]

"You've made these requests in the past, and I've answered."

That's a bald face lie and you know it. The fact is that your whole argument is based purely on speculation and you are a professional at it. What gets old is your inability to post a single quote by this President that remotely resembles your claims, and you can't produce a single proposal that backs up your baseless claims.

I asked you a question in post #162 and you ignored it, and you and I know why, you just can't admit it

[MJY1288]

So are you telling me that the POTUS does not have the authority to grant amnesty?

[MJY1288]

"Murder isn't under federal jurisdiction.

Enforcing our immigration laws is.

Better?"

Next you will ask for the definition of the word "is"

[WRhine]

So are you telling me that the POTUS does not have the authority to grant amnesty?

The president can grant a wide range of amnesties for "individuals" on many kinds of crimes but not to large classes of immigration violators that, like I said, involves changes to our federal immigration laws.

[MJY1288]

Goodnight, the alarm rings in 3 hours and I've lost interest in this debate with all the deflection in your answers...

Gnite

[MissAmericanPie]

Yes dear, I would pass.

[MJY1288]

But avoiding the draft is different?