President Bush Proposes New Temporary Worker Program [Transcript]

The White House ^ | Jan 7, 2004 | President George W. Bush

[Southack]

"They aren't visitors, they are tesspassers. They've already misbehaved, they are Illegals. If we don't deport them now when they're Illegal, we sure won't deport them after this Amnesty by other means."

Indeed, they are trespassers and they are illegal. One of the tools to deal with criminals, however, is the plea bargain.

In particular, the U.S. does not want to prosecute 8 million trespassers, intern them in holding camps, and film global news footage of 8 million criminals being deported in some 30 mile long chain gang line on their way back to the border en masse.

Instead, we want them to plead guilty, pay a fine, Register with our government, work for three full years non-stop, pay taxes (some refundable) during those 3 years, and then return on their own accord back to their home countries, at which time they will be eligible to follow the current *legal*, lawful immigration procedures for re-entry (and/or for the refund of whatever portion of their taxes are legally refundable to them). They also have to avoid committing any felonies why they are here.

If they abide by all of these rules, then they get their tax refunds plus an opportunity to re-enter the U.S. legally.

If they fail, then we get to deport those few failing individuals because they have *registered* with our government (something that they have not done to date), and they lose their tax refunds, and they lose the right to ever enter or work in the U.S. again.

[Southack]

"They won't be going home again in three years if the politicians who don't have the guts to do the right thing now are rewarded for this farce."

With three years of their lives, plus 3 years of some refundable taxes invested, *MOST* of the illegals will return home on their own accord rather than forfeit and lose all of that investment.

That's the beauty of Bush's plan. First they Register so that we finally know who and where they are (as well as learn their employers), then they pay a fine for being here illegally (or they can go back to their home country and avoid the fine), then they have to stay out of felonious trouble and hold a paying job and pay taxes for three straight years, and then they have to go back to their home countries before they can proceed with getting legal permission to stay/work here any longer (as well as to get their taxes refunded).

And world opinion can't touch us. Unlike what would happen if news crews filmed the logistics of deporting 8 million illegals at once, no one can cry about illegals going home on their own volition to re-apply for U.S. re-entry from their home country.

[Sabertooth]

Indeed, they are trespassers and they are illegal. One of the tools to deal with criminals, however, is the plea bargain

That analogy won't fly. In a plea bargain, the criminal doesn't get to keep his loot.

The loot of the Illegals is their presence in our country. If they get to stay, it's not a plea bargain, it's an Amnesty. The "fine" is a fee for services, comparable to the cost of a coyote.

If they fail, then we get to deport those few failing individuals because they have *registered* with our government (something that they have not done to date), and they lose their tax refunds, and they lose the right to ever enter or work in the U.S. again.

No they wouldn't. We heard this promise in '86.

Politicians who pander with Amnesty are not to be trusted on promises of future diligence.

President Bus is lacking in diligience in enforcing our immigration laws, just like his previous two predecessors.

[William McKinley]

Jailing employers. What a novel idea! I like the idea I heard before though. Take all the illegals and offer them jobs protecting the border. Then have, for every illegal ever caught inside the border both that one deported and one randomly selected border guard from the program deported. They would have an incentive to keep others from following in their footsteps.

The only problem is that over time, border protection would break down but since it wasn't a serious idea anyways I figure that is just a trifling inconvenient aspect.

[Southack]

"If you really want to make it tougher to confirm conservative judges, hop on this Amnesty bandwagon. It's a disaster for the nation and the GOP."

I disagree. This isn't "amnesty." Amnesty doesn't plea bargain a fine and face self-deportation after 3 years. This is a backdoor Registration program for illegals that gun-owners, were we in the position of illegals today, would positively SCREAM against if it was directed against us instead of them.

And it is a Registration plan that is crafted so well that the Democrats well wind up self-immolating with their own opposition to it.

[TigersEye]

Sounds like a lot of trouble for them. I bet they just stick with the under-the-table jobs. They'll make more money that way and no one will know who/where they are.

[Southack]

"President Bus is lacking in diligience in enforcing our immigration laws, just like his previous two predecessors."

Please draw me a picture of how it would look on European cameras for 8 million illegals to be marched back to the border en masse.

The logistical and geo-political nightmares alone argue for this giant plea bargain. Let them register. Let them deport themselves to try to get more legal time. That self-deportation won't stir up analogies to NAZI roundups and concentration camps. Self-deportation is politically untouchable.

Show me a plan that gets all 8 million illegals to Register their name, family, address, and employer, save for Bush's.

Show me how, logistically, we compel a roundup of 8 million illegals, and tell me how that will appear on foreign TV screens.

Frankly, Bush's carrot and stick approach is far more politically savvy than his opposition has grasped, to date.

[Southack]

"Sounds like a lot of trouble for them. I bet they just stick with the under-the-table jobs. They'll make more money that way and no one will know who/where they are."

Then you are essentially saying that they will ignore Bush's current plan and it will have absolutely no real world impact. If true, that would hardly be something to be upset about.

[TigersEye]

I didn't say they wouldn't have an impact. They will have the same impact they have now; driving down wages, bankrupting hospitals, running down property values, running up crime statistics, filling prisons, ...

[CalKat]

The three year term is renewable.

[Southack]

"The three year term is renewable."

Yes, but to get it they need to go back to their home countries (read: self-deportation).

Isn't that what you *want* from our immigration policy?!

[Southack]

"Sounds like a lot of trouble for them. I bet they just stick with the under-the-table jobs."

If they just stick with their current jobs, it will be as though Bush's new policy never happened. If Bush's new policy never happens, then what are you upset about with it?

[CalKat]

Where in the speech did it say that if someone with a blue card is deported, they will lose their "tax refund"? I didn't see that. Thanks.

[Sabertooth]

Please draw me a picture of how it would look on European cameras for 8 million illegals to be marched back to the border en masse.

Who cares?

Did we let Europte stop us from doing the right thing in Iraq?

Why should we let the French scare us into caving to Illegals?

The logistical and geo-political nightmares alone argue for this giant plea bargain. Let them register. Let them deport themselves to try to get more legal time. That self-deportation won't stir up analogies to NAZI roundups and concentration camps. Self-deportation is politically untouchable.

False dilemma.

Frankly, Bush's carrot and stick approach is far more politically savvy than his opposition has grasped, to date.

I don't want to hear you compalining down the road when we still can't get our judges through.

Seriously, if you want a plan to cost you seats in the House and Senate, Bush's Amnesty is the way to go. Today marked the low point of his Presidency.

His plan needs to be defeated for his own good, for the good of the party, and the good of the country. We'll just have to deal with the damage he did today, in the form of the hundreds of thousands of future Illegals who he encouraged to break our laws.

[Tempest]

Honestly now. If America did like Mexico and disallowed non-citizens from owning land within 5 miles of the coast (Which is a completely bogus Mexican law and also a prime reason to not playball with Mexico) I still think that the coast of coastal propoerty wouldn't be cheap, especially 1/2 a mile of beachfront property.

[CalKat]

What makes you think they have to go back to their homes countries to renew their blue card?

[Southack]

"We'll just have to deal with the damage he did today, in the form of the hundreds of thousands of future Illegals who he encouraged to break our laws."

I disagree. What Bush proposed today does not provide a new incentive for illegals to come here *outside* of Bush's plan. They can apply for legal admission here from their home country, or if they are already here they can pay a fine, Register, and apply for their 3 year blue card.

But if they come over without applying legally (and getting approved) after Bush's plan is approved, then they are EXEMPT from the plea bargain and can't obtain legal status at any point in the future (per the proposal). That's hardly a new incentive to break our laws by trespassing over to here outside of this new program.

[Southack]

"What makes you think they have to go back to their homes countries to renew their blue card?"

"Fourth, new laws should provide incentives for temporary, foreign workers to return permanently to their home countries after their period of work in the United States has expired."

Ummm, because I *read* the transcript?!

Sheesh...

[McGavin999]

There are 140,000 legal visas issued for immigration. The million who come in illegally are....well.....illegal.

The number of legal immigrants should probably be raised but certainly not that much. The workers permits will put a stop to illegal immigration and, if the quotas are increased, more will apply for legal status. By breaking the rules of the blue cards (or coming in illegally) you will never be eligible for legal immigration.

There is a big difference between immigration (object to become a US citizen) and a guest worker.

[Sabertooth]

I disagree. What Bush proposed today does not provide a new incentive for illegals to come here *outside* of Bush's plan. They can apply for legal admission here from their home country, or if they are already here they can pay a fine, Register, and apply for their 3 year blue card.

Sure it does. It's not the first Amnesty he's proposed, and it won't be the last. If he gets away with this bit of pandering, why wouldn't he come back for more?

If you want more Illegals and more Amnesties, support this one.

But if they come over without applying legally (and getting approved) after Bush's plan is approved, then they are EXEMPT from the plea bargain and can't obtain legal status at any point in the future (per the proposal). That's hardly a new incentive to break our laws by trespassing over to here outside of this new program.

It's not a plea bargain, it's a fee for Amnesty services.

President Bush hasn't gotten serious about the 300,000 currently deportable Illegals running around the country, with their orders ready to go. 60,000 of them are from Islamic nations sympathetic to terror, and 4,000 of them have known terror links.

If he's not serious about enforcing the law now, and he isn't, and he never has been, then why in the world would he suddenly get religion if he sucessfully forces the big Amnesy on us that he's wanted all along?

This is a debacle.