Immigrant Realities: President Bush's proposal helps America's security and economy

Opinion Journal ^ | 01/06/04 | editorial board

[Pokey78]

The debate over President Bush's new immigration reform has so far been mainly about election-year politics. But what we believe most commends it is that it recognizes the world as it exists.

Like it or not, the U.S. is part of an integrating regional and world economy in which the movement of people across borders is inevitable. Despite nearly 20 years of efforts to "crack down on the borders," the immigrants keep coming--an estimated eight million without legal U.S. documents today. As long as the per capita income differential between the U.S. (nearly $32,000) and Mexico ($3,679) continues to be so wide, we can't stop immigrants short of means that will violate our traditions, our conscience, and our national interest.

[nathanbedford]

I too admire the Latin Culture having lived in South America for a time but I do not want to import that culture in tact into America.

I want to retain my country as it was before the deluge. For this I have been called "natavist." I have been advised to school myself about the wave of immigrants at the turn of the last century and observe how misplaced the natavist concerns were about the southern Europeans. I review the era and conclude that the great post civil war wave of immigration occurred at a time when the frontier was still open and the country was largely agrarian so raw man power was needed and there was plenty of room for all.

Get in your car today and consider as you are locked in place by the sheer press of our population whether you want to sacrifice more of your life locked in a car for the grand and noble ideal of open borders. When you cannot drive your family through the Yellowstone in summer because of the crowds, consider whether we really need scores of millions more competing for open, green and unspoiled America. When your national legislature tells you, as it has, that you can have only enough water in your toilet to guarantee a clog for every third flush you can reassure yourself that our precious water is going to a newly documented worker.

When the political culture of this republic lurches so far left that we bear a frightening resemblance to France, no matter, you can be gratified that you have been PC.

[Fledermaus]

I'm surprised for the WSJ editorial board.

By this reasoning we should just send aircraft carriers to the ports of all horribly backwards countries and just bring as many over that want to come. I bet we could get over 2 million North Koreans alone!

And I wonder how this reconciles with Bush's decision to send back Cuban dissidents trying to flee a tryannical, communist dictator?

Sure, let's send them back to be tortured, imprisoned or killed but if some poor Mexican wants to earn more money...COME ON IN!

Sounds pretty hypocritical to me.

[FBD]

Oi Vay...your post didn't help me to feel any better about this debacle!

"Prepare for so many millions of third worlders to invade that our nation will be in total chaos! The schools, the public services..."

We're there already E.W., in some areas. Get ready for a bilingual country...
"Press #2 for English...for 'Espanol, please stay on the line..."

[Penner]

Like it or not, the U.S. is part of an integrating regional and world economy in which the movement of people across borders is inevitable.

If borders are such a pain in the ass then why not eliminate them? Then there are no need for sovereign nations and we can have a one-world gov't. (Oops!)

[Texasforever]

If borders are such a pain in the ass then why not eliminate them?

Well I guess we should build our own iron curtain huh?

[garandgal]

You have hit the nail on the head...it is all about supplementing business at our expense. My question is, aside from the millions already running towards the border in hopes of making it in time to be part of the amnesty, what assurances do we have that another five or ten million will not arrive later...to be part of an entirely new underground culture?

If the first bunch has some type of legal status, and consequently has some of the protections afforded citizen employees...what is to stop the thieves that now employ them illegally, from hiring the new batch of arrivals...thus compounding the problem?

Are we going to actually enforce laws against it? We haven't yet.

[CaptIsaacDavis]

ABSOLUTE RUBBISH. THE WH HAD A CHOICE TO ACTUALLY DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AND OUR BORDER, AND UPHOLD THE LAWS OF THIS COUNTRY AND HE CHOSE NOT TO. HE CHOSE TO SURRENDER TO 10-12 MILLION INVADERS, CRIMINALS, MURDERERS OF A NATION. THE MAXIMUM SENTENCES ON THE BOOKS FOR THESE CRIMINALS AND THE EMPLOYERS WHO HIRED THEM ARE MORE THAN 100 MILLION YEARS IN JAIL COMBINED. HOW'S THAT FOR A STAT?

[tickles]

This move doesn't surprise me, since I was aware of his feelings on the issue. He was just the better of a couple crappy choices.

If he puts restrictions on all the freebies ,makes our welfare programs unavailable, low cost clinics that they have to fork over some of their own hard earned cash to pay for...no freebies in the er, make them pay there to, I had to, encourage urgent care at 40 bucks (that's cheap) double it for er. No rent assistance, no ESL classes, fines and deportation for crime. makes sure that going to the polls during elections results in the whole family going back etc.etc. then perhaps it might be the right way to go.
but if all the freebies are available, we continue to finance them and the businesses at the expense of our own elderly and vulnerable populations not to mention our schools............Nope not the right way.

I'm really concidering sitting this presidential election out. And I've voted in every one since I turned 18 way back when. (and I'm sure the demos are jumping up and down with joy at the number of us who are actually concidering something they've never concidered before)

[Penner]

No border, no nation.

[Texasforever]

So you won't be voting libertarian?

[Penner]

Go Pat Go!

[Texasforever]

Go Pat Go!

He did and took the12 million he fleeced his supporters out of for a BIG tv ad blitz that never took place in 2000. I am sure he would cash your check if you sent it to him.

[Penner]

It's in the mail.

[nopardons]

Pat isn't running !

Almost ALL of the Patsies were banned from here, in '00.WHY ? Because they broke the rules continually.

[BlackbirdSST]

. . . excellent article -- rational, reasonable, and realistic (for these reasons alone, the usual suspects will HATE it)!

Yes, and the 21 percenters will love it!. Blackbird.

[Print]

To addition to being illegal, this is not an immigration, this is invasion. Why? Because it doesn't have comparable counterbalance, let's say from Europe. This invasion replaces all multitude of American groups with one who is going to dominate too soon too fast.

[Fester Chugabrew]

We need more producers and taxpayers to make up for the millions we've aborted out of convenience. Let these people come in, work hard (or get fired!), and pay taxes. The more the merrier.

Wait a minute. No. The sky is falling! All these alien folks are going to breath all my air and suck up all the oil under my house. The United States does not have enough in the way of natural resources to support the masses climbing aboard this titanic ship of liberty.

[Fester Chugabrew]

"HE CHOSE TO SURRENDER TO 10-12 MILLION INVADERS, CRIMINALS, MURDERERS OF A NATION."

That's a rather sweeping indictment considering the fact most of these people only want to work and get paid. Since your screed appears in all caps I hope you don't mind if I consider it to be pure hyperbole.

Relax. Take a deep breath. There's plenty of air to go around, and there's plenty of time to debate and address the issue. Ascribing criminality to virtually anyone who crosses our borders, however, is irresponsible. Throwing out and repeating that garbage makes us no better than the idiots who make wild fabrications about population explosions and global warming.

[Tauzero]

"the usual suspects will HATE it"

Yeah, like those dastardly 65% of freepers who voted against Bush's plan in the FR poll.

[Tauzero]

" His proposal does not address this ongoing migration and does nothing to discourage or stop it."

That's the bottom line, ain't it.