Posted on 01/07/2004 12:36:20 PM PST by TheDon
Bush Calls for Immigration Overhaul 11 minutes ago Add White House - AP to My Yahoo!
By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - President Bush (news - web sites) called for a major overhaul of America's immigration system Wednesday to grant legal status to millions of undocumented workers in the United States, saying the current program is not working.
AP Photo
Related Links • Bush Plan Summary (AP)
"Out of common sense and fairness, our laws should allow willing workers to enter our country and fill jobs that Americans are not filling," the president said in an East Room speech to members of Congress, his Cabinet and immigrant advocacy groups.
Bush's election-year proposal is designed to win support among Hispanic voters while helping meet the needs of American employers.
"As a nation that values immigrants and depends on immigrants, we should have immigration laws that work and make us proud," the president said. "Yet today we do not. Instead we see many employers turning to the illegal labor market. We see millions of hard-working men and women condemned to fear and insecurity in a massive undocumented economy.
"Illegal entry across our borders makes more difficult the urgent task of securing the homeland," the president said.
Bush said his proposals, if enacted by Congress, would provide a more compassionate system for immigrants who now live in the shadows of American society.
"Decent, hard-working people will now be protected by labor laws with the right to change jobs, earn fair wages and enjoy the same working conditions that the law requires for American workers," the president said.
While offering new opportunities for undocumented workers, Bush said the proposal would not provide blanket amnesty for foreigners who are in the United States illegally.
"I oppose amnesty, placing undocumented workers on the automatic path to citizenship," he said. "Granting amnesty encourages violation of our laws and perpetuates illegal immigration. America is a welcoming country, but citizenship must not be the automatic reward for violating the laws of America."
Bush said his proposals would strengthen America's borders and make the nation more secure by providing more accountability of those who enter the United States. He said it also would allow law enforcement officials to focus more on real threats.
"By tradition and conviction, our country is a welcoming society," the president said.
"Every generation of immigrants has reaffirmed the wisdom of remaining opening to the talents and dreams of the world," Bush said. "Every generation of immigrants has reaffirmed our ability to assimilate newcomers."
Try this - We see millions of criminals.
Unenforced immigration law begets mass illegal immigration
Mass illegal immigration begets AMNISTEY
AMNISTEY begets more immigrants
Immigration begets job competition
Job competition begets lower wages
Lower wages begets no more middle class
No middle class begets servants for the elite
Elite servitude begets slavery
This is not rocket science, its the plan.
It should be designed to do what's best for the Unites States of America.
I will assume that President Bush is attempting to address a very difficult issue in a manner that encompasses dignity and common sense. He does not strike me as a rash man. Certainly not a pandering politician.
The first test will be when the CLEAR Act comes up for a vote soon. If it passes then Bush's plan is dead as it goes completely in the opposite direction.
"Illegal entry across our borders makes more difficult the urgent task of securing the homeland," the president said.
Holy crap. This sounds like a line right out of "Gormenghast" or "Alice in Wonderland".
"Illegal entry across our borders makes more difficult the urgent task of securing the homeland...so we're now going to legalize the illegal entry across our borders."
Brilliant. Bloody brilliant. Not.
Why not legalize burglary and car theft? I'm sure that the illegal theft of other people's property makes more dificult the urgent task of making sure that citizens are secure in their persons and property.
I don't read it that way. President Bush is not espousing blanket amnesty. He is, perhaps, trying to lighten up on those who had to go through your wife's experience (I assume) with bumbling bureaucrats.
They are coming here to pick our LETTUCE and run back and forth across the border to deposit it in Mexican Banks.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but don't they get about $2000.00 in EITC handouts if they earn $12,000/yr with four dependents?
The difference is that these people have already committed the crime of crossing our borders illegally. They will now be rewarded. Meanwhile, we were relatively punished for observing the law from the beginning.
I may, just may, go with this if I thought there would be an absolute clamp-down on any further illegal immigration, with businesses fined hundreds of thousands of dollars for each illegal working for them, and every professional and public entity being required to report any illegals encountered in the course of business, with instant deportation.
If not, we're just going to have another amnesty five years down the road, officially sanctioning the illegal immigration that's occurred since this one, and so on, and so on.
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