Will Americans support another amnesty?

www.townhall.com ^ | January 5, 2004 | Phyllis Schlafly

[God is good]

Were Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge's Miami meanderings a gaffe, a trial balloon, an announcement of his department's policy, or an announcement of Bush administration policy?

We are entitled to know.

His shocking words were a broadside on current law: "We have to come to grips with the presence of 8 to 12 million illegal aliens, afford them some kind of legal status some way." He pointedly did not say we have to come to grips with 8 to 12 million people who have violated our laws by entering our country illegally, and further violated our laws by using fraudulent documents to get jobs and remain here.

Nor did he say we have to come to grips with the thousands of employers who are violating our laws by hiring illegal aliens, and violating additional laws by paying the illegal aliens in the underground economy in order to avoid our laws about minimum wage, overtime, workers' compensation, unemployment compensation, family leave, Americans with disabilities, payroll taxes, etc.

Ridge didn't elaborate on how he would award "some kind of legal status," nor explain how giving legal status is any different from granting amnesty. What part of illegal doesn't Ridge understand?

Continuing, Ridge said his plan is to "legalize their presence, then, as a country, you make a decision that from this day forward, this is the process of entry, and if you violate that process of entry we have the resources to cope with it."

But we've been there, done that. In 1986, the United States granted what was promised to be a one-time legalization - then honestly called amnesty. That sent a message to others to enter illegally and wait for the next amnesty.

The administrations of Presidents Bush I, Clinton and Bush II have flagrantly failed to use our resources "to cope with" those who afterward violated the "process of entry." And so the illegal-alien problem quadrupled.

Not only did the 1986 amnesty transform millions of illegal aliens into lawful permanent residents, but after they became U.S. citizens they could import their relatives. Congress never investigated how many additional millions entered the United States or the massive document fraud that was involved in the process.

The current President Bush was asked to clarify his policy. He responded: "I have constantly said that we need to have an immigration policy that helps match any willing employer with any willing employee.

"It makes sense that that policy go forward. And we're in the process of working that through now."

No, that does not make sense. First, it's an all-out repudiation of current law, and second, up to 5 billion people in the world might want to be "willing employees" in the United States.

Bush didn't limit the number of "willing employees." An estimated 300,000 to 400,000 Mexicans every year cross illegally into the United States looking for work.

Thousands of these have died from thirst and dehydration in the desert or in locked vans, or from drowning, or from crimes committed by their smugglers. The Bush's administration's failure to close the border makes the payoff of getting into the United States worth the risk of death.

White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan repeated Bush's exact words and added, "Migration should be safe, orderly and humane." But Congress and the American people never authorized "migration." We only authorized immigration under certain laws.

Bush claims he is "against blanket amnesty," but "blanket" is his weasel word. He apparently is for amnesty for the 8 to 12 million illegal aliens already in this country.

Amnesty for illegal aliens comes disguised under various euphemisms. These include guest worker program, Mexican ID cards, the DREAM Act (to give in-state college tuition), driver's licenses, 245(i) visas, H-1B and L-1 visas, free hospital care, anchor babies, and "totalization," which is to give Social Security benefits.

Ridge says that illegal aliens in the United States should be given "some kind of legal status" because most are not a threat to national security. That's an irrelevancy. Most passengers who boarded those four fatal planes on Sept. 11, 2001, were not hijackers, but 19 of them were, and Ridge has no plan to separate the terrorists from the 300,000 or more who cross our borders illegally every year.

According to the Washington Post, Karl Rove is designing the White House plan and the president will present his proposal the second week of January, shortly before his trip to Monterrey, Mexico.

Asa Hutchinson, Homeland Security's undersecretary for border and transportation security, says the Bush and Ridge remarks simply reflect the ongoing debate in Congress over the immigration issue. If that's so, then it's time for Congress to hear loud and clear from the two-thirds of Americans, according to a Zogby International poll, who believe that foreigners residing illegally in the United States should not be allowed to stay.

[Alberta's Child]

Is that Alberta, as in Alberta, Canada?

Yes. Details on my profile page.

[jgrubbs]

So its better that a Republican president practices liberal left wing policies?!?!?! rbessenger, read the post in context of the other post. I never said that its better that a Republican president practice liberal left wing policies. I didn't vote for Bush, and don't plan on voting for him in 2004, however I still don't think he is as liberal as Hilary, just too liberal for me.

[lucidloony]

An amnesty, then becomes a solution to decades of our neglect to enforce our immigration laws.

How about kicking their ass out.

[God is good]

It's not about voting for the least socialist candidate (forget about "conservatism"), it's about preserving the party and getting the bums out so we can at some point in the future have more accurate representation.

It's been done before in America, at least at the local level. I can think of one governor who was a republican, but he went back on one of his promises. Just one little promise. Well, come election time he was gone and a flaming liberal took over for four years. Yeah, the liberal did some damage, but four years later, he's out and now a Republican is in and the party is still right where it was before the first bum.

You pay the price for voting for a bum, that is why we need to be vigilant in understanding who we are voting for. Character does matter. And in the mean mean time, get the bums out!!

[TheDon]

Everything she said in between contradicts what Ridge went on to say. The author is purposely being misleading.

[clamper1797]

Absolutely NOT

[TheDon]

Exacly, see post 36.

[TheDon]

Right. That will never happen. If there was any support for that approach, we wouldn't have millions of illegal aliens in the first place.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

I have faced that fact. That's why I've sold nearly all my property and bought a boat.

[Myrddin]

They already have a legal status: criminal trespass across the U.S. border. Illegal aliens. Put them on a slow boat to Panama. Keep the airlines solvent with a continuous airlift of illegals to Mexico City. It would be much cheaper than the benefits they steal from the U.S. taxpayers. NO AMNESTY! NEVER AGAIN!

[lucidloony]

No spport? You need too get out of that country club once in awhile.

[Myrddin]

What the hell are my future prospects in this market if my customer base is projected to decline by 10% every generation?

Deal with it. Improve your productivity by 10% or more each generation.

[TruthNtegrity]

check the census, 2000. Hispanics are already a bigger minority than Blacks. I think I remember someone who parsed the numbers and said we are at 50% Hispanic. The next President after Pres. Bush wins re-election in 2004 may well be someone to whom Spanish is not just their second language and born here. You think we have problems with our borders now? Wait till then.

And watch the Arabs as they start to run for public office. I fully believe they will get themselves into Congress as well as local offices, and the "American" will gradually disappear, as we become overrun by Arabs and Hispanics.

TNT

[B4Ranch]

"The answer they are proposing to the illegal immigration problem is in response to the perceived problem. Which is that the US has not properly enforced our own immigration laws for decades. This being the case, we should examine our immigration laws and determine what changes we should make to them that we would then be willing to enforce. It is rather obvious that we support many more workers coming to the country than we currently legally allow. After such changes are made, and we begin to enforce them properly, we must deal with a massive underground population. An amnesty, then becomes a solution to decades of our neglect to enforce our immigration laws.

Begin to enforce current laws properly, THAT will deal with the massive underground population.

[Dialup Llama]

>The bottom line is, as a country we have to come to grips with the presence of 8 to 12 million illegals, afford them some kind of legal status some way, but also as a country decide what our immigration policy is and then enforce it," Ridge said>

We'll enforce our immigration laws....now. From this day. No, not now. Next week, everyone obeys the immigration laws and I mean it. Ok now I'm mad. The week after next for sure, everyone starts obeying the border laws. I'm really serious this time.

[Alberta's Child]

That's why I've sold nearly all my property and bought a boat.

Since you've already written the country off, I find myself wondering why you bother calling/writing people in government anymore.

[North Coast Conservative]

My fellow Patriots, The Conservative movement needs to be heard by Bush/Cheney'04. Every state has a chair (Taft in Ohio), and Vice Chairs (DeWine and Voinovich in Ohio), and then there are regional directors within the state.

This is only one of many issues that I have a problem with the current administration, and I will be calling each office as well as Bush/Cheney'04 to tell them that I am not happy, and unless things change, they can count on my vote going to a more conservative candidate. This is the only thing that these people understand.

Mailing Address: BUSH-CHENEY '04, Inc. P.O. BOX 10648 Arlington, VA 22210

Phone Numbers: Phone: 703.647.2700 Fax: 703.647.2993

Email Addresses: General Information: BushCheney04@GeorgeWBush.com

You have to call, and call often.

In God We Trust.....Semper Fi

[riri]

Any history buffs out there--has there ever been this quick of a suicide by a country? I can't think of one-without a bullet being fired. Voluntary, self-induced, quick national suicide being performed now on many levels. Decay from within.

[Alberta's Child]

Economics 101: Improving productivity does absolutely nothing if my unit sales are shrinking with no end in sight.

[TomGuy]

No other politician has touched it [illegal immigration] with a ten foot pole.

Somewhat incorrect.

The last attempt, shortly after 9-11, to pass 245(i) was stalled because of 1, one, ONE, Senator. That heroic Senator was the ole Byrd. Yes, Senator Byrd, D--as in Democrat, was the one who stopped the Republicans and Democrats from passing 245(i).

At the last round of 245(i), where were the Republicans? Where were the Conservatives? NOWHERE!!!!! Senator Byrd alone stopped 245(i). Not a Republican in sight. Not a Conservative in sight. Certainly not the President George W. Bush who said he'd sign the bill if it reached his desk.

Senator Byrd stopped it on a procedural motion. Thank G_d for Senator Byrd, a Democrat!

Now, who'll stop it the next time, because it is starting again this Wednesday.