[Pubbie]

"Two sources speaking on condition of anonymity said Bush would outline a set of principles rather than a detailed piece of legislation,"

This is very good news. If there is no specific plan, then Bush can't send anything to Congress for a vote.

If we can just survive this last election cycle without an Amnesty being passed by Congress, then there won't be one passed during Bush's second term because the GOP will be too worried about 2008 to focus on an Amnesty.

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[gubamyster]

ping

[Pubbie]

Can you please add this to the Title:

Bush To Propose Immigration Law Changes

That should be the title of the thread - sorry.

[Pubbie]

Can you please add this to the Title:

Bush To Propose Immigration Law Changes

That should be the title of the thread - sorry.

[Pubbie]

Can you please add this to the Title:

Bush To Propose Immigration Law Changes

That should be the title of the thread - sorry.

[Pubbie]

*Ping*!

[oceanview]

the status quo is indeed better then any form of legal status. at least as "illegals", certain companies will not hire them. can you imagine giving them a work visa, and having them walk into a non union auto plant in Texas and saying "i'm here to work, I'll mount those wheels on that pickup truck for $10/hr instead of the auto worker making $20". alot of people tend to think that they will only take jobs as dishwashers and maids, but once they are given legal status in any form, any job that they could perform would be open to them.

[MJY1288]

He'll say the same thing he always has, "We need structure an immigration policy that matches willing workers with willing employer" and nothing will be done. Been that way for three years now

[MissAmericanPie]

"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? I think you are about to be very disappointed. Congress will rush through some slummy, destructive, appeasing legislation and when we see how corrupt and destructive it is to our survival Bush can claim he had nothing to do with it, other than sign it because of it's popularity. Most likely he won't sign it until after Nov. 4th. But sign it he will.

[Lead Moderator]

[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.]

[Scenic Sounds]

"Sold out again!" "That's it!!" "I'm never voting for that party again!!"

Did I miss any? ;-)

[Lizavetta]

President Bush will propose immigration law changes to allow workers from Mexico to enter the United States if they have jobs waiting for them,

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.

This has totally clinched it for me. What a ($#&%*$# disgrace of a Republican this man is. I don't much care any more that he's not a slut like Clinton. He has ballooned domestic spending and torn down our borders worse than Clinton ever did. We have been shafted right, left and center.

[NormsRevenge]

Here's a longer article from AP, same title by Terence Hunt, FRom Yahoo News.

AP Photo

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.

Rove, with Bush at a campaign fund-raiser in St. Louis, deflected questions about Bush's proposal.

"Stay tuned," he told a reporter.

Bush's planned announcement comes five days before he meets in Mexico with President Vicente Fox (news - web sites) on the sidelines of the Summit of the Americas, a meeting of the hemisphere's leaders.

Mexico is seeking a measure of legality for the approximately 4 million undocumented Mexicans living in the United States and wants a legal way for others to work in the country in the future.

Immigration talks between the United States and Mexico stalled when the Sept. 11 terror attacks prompted the United States to tighten border restrictions, and were set back further by Mexico's refusal to support the Iraq (news - web sites) war. Tensions also arose over Bush's refusal to stop the execution of a Mexican national in Texas.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, at a town hall meeting in Miami last month, hinted at a change of policy when he said the United States 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 that the immigrants should not be rewarded citizenship.

Bush, at a year-end news conference in January, said he was preparing to send Congress ideas about an "immigration policy that helps match any willing employer with any willing employee." He said he is "firmly against blanket amnesty," or a mass legalization.

Two guest-worker bills have been proposed in Congress: One from Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain and two of McCain's Republican House colleagues, Jim Kolbe and Jeff Flake; and a second from Sen. John Cornyn.

Cornyn, a Texas Republican, has proposed that illegal immigrants could volunteer to work for up to three years if a job exists for them. When they've worked three years, they could apply for legal permanent residence, but must return to their country of origin to do so.

Workers illegally in the United States would have 12 months to apply to the program and after that would no longer be eligible. Those accepted would be given a "blue card," allowing them to travel outside the United States.

The Cornyn proposal would give guest workers the same rights granted Americans under Labor Department (news - web sites) laws and would set up accounts for workers in which employers would deposit money drawn from workers' wages in lieu of withdrawing the money for Social Security (news - web sites) or Medicare.

The money would be held by the Treasury and would be refunded to the worker when the worker returns to his or her home country.

[VU4G10]

GOPUSA Poll

Should ILLEGAL ALIENS be given citizen status or deported?

http://www.gopusa.com/california/

[pulaskibush]

"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."

Republicans are stupid by appeasing the illegal immigrant agenda in order to get elected.

The La Raza/MALDEF/MECHA crowd will vote democrat knowing they can get more appeasement from them; See above quote

Many more people, sick of illegal immigration, will vote against them. Many more that would vote Republican will stay home; remember Grey Davis and BustaMECHA

Illegals harm the economy by crime, welfare, and lowering of wages, which is bad politically; see California

A Terrorist attack, especially coming across the Mexican border, will also not look good for an election.

-These are just some the political reasons. Please send to every Republican leader. Even a RINO has to recognize these facts.

[conservativeunionist]

Guest workers? Yeah right. Presumably guest workers would be barred from being guest public assistance beneficiaries. I highly doubt that people who employ illegal workers are interested in paying a living wage.

[no_problema]

i was amazed at the attitudes of some of the mexican immigrants that i know in california during the recent election. they voted racially--i.e. for bustamente. they saw no problem with this approach.

i pointed out to them that the united states is a melting pot, and that it's the responsibility of immigrants to overcome their nativism and to vote for issues, not races or countries.

i pointed out to them that davis' corruption and over-spending were similar to the system that they left in mexico, and that continued policies by him or bustamente would destroy california.

none of the individuals that i talked to seemed to understand this.

[txdoda]

President Bush will propose immigration law changes to allow workers from Mexico to enter the United States if they have jobs waiting for them, >>>>>>

so does the rest of the world 'line-up' behind mexico to be able to come the USA & work legally ???

has the USA *ever* changed US immigration laws, to financially benefit only one country ??

is this *any* incentive for the mexican gov't to 'reform', or improve mexico, where all mexicans can live & prosper ??

[TaxPayer2000]

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

Hmmm, seems to me that The President of the USA and his cabinet are the REAL immigration policy community since they determine the immigration policy of the USA.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, at a town hall meeting in Miami last month, hinted at a change of policy when he said the United States needs to "come to grips" with an estimated 8 million to 12 million illegal immigrants and "determine how you can legalize their presence."

pardon me but can we legalize any illegal acts I may or may not have done, rather than levy a fine or imprisonment? I know its alot to ask, me being an american citizen and all

[Missouri]

PING.