Posted on 01/11/2004 5:36:57 PM PST by kellynla
As you've probably heard by now, President Bush has called for a major overhaul of America's immigration system, to grant legal status to millions of illegal-alien workers in the United States.
While Pres. Bush was quoted saying that, "I oppose amnesty, placing undocumented workers on the automatic path to citizenship," many conservative groups like the Federation for American Immigration Reform (fairus.org) insist that his "proposals for a massive new 'guestworker' program" would threaten homeland security, grant amnesty for law-breakers (a step overwhelmingly opposed by the American public), establish a backdoor immigration program, and threaten the jobs and wages of American workers.
In fact, three dozen House Republicans had already sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, "strongly and unequivocally" opposing mass amnesty for illegal immigrants; this letter becomes particularly important now with Pres. Bush's announcement. Today, we're asking you to sign on to that letter to Sec. Ridge, with copies to President Bush, your two Senators and your Congressman.
As proud Americans, we must strongly and unequivocally oppose mass amnesty for people who violate our immigration laws. Mere discussion of the possibility of amnesty encourages illegal immigration. We must enforce the immigration laws currently on our books rather than dangle the prospect of citizenship in front of potential immigration lawbreakers. We must increase immigration law enforcement, not only at borders but in the interior, making it more costly for lawbreakers to disregard our immigration laws.
Since 1986, Congress has passed seven amnesties for illegal aliens. Clearly this is a short-term "fix" to a long-term problem. Rewarding people who violate our immigration laws sends the wrong message, and encourages more illegal aliens to violate our borders and enter the United States illegally. Americans will have to pay increased taxes as a consequence of the burden amnesty would place on our school systems, welfare and social service systems, roads and transportation systems, the sprawl and environmental degradation, the health care system, Medicaid, Social Security, and other programs.
It is unfair to reward people who break our immigrations laws with immigration status, while many potential immigrants outside the United States are waiting to be admitted to the United States lawfully. If we allow the people who break the rules by entering the United States illegally to go to the front of the immigration line, it is a slap in the face to law-abiding immigrants.
And of course, we must be concerned that amnesty by any name, be it earned amnesty or legalization, jeopardizes our national security. Mahmud Abouhalima was granted amnesty in 1986... and was subsequently one of the terrorists that bombed the World Trade Center in 1993.
We MUST stop this now, while we can.
ACTION ITEM: According to Newsmax.com, Pres. Bush said his proposals, IF ENACTED BY CONGRESS, "would provide a more compassionate system for those who now live in the shadows of American society." We need to let Sec. Ridge, Pres. Bush, and our legislators know how we feel on this issue, BEFORE it's too late. Click "Go!" above to send a message to ALL of them at once!
NOTE: Sec. Ridge doesn't have a public email address, and our form isn't integrated with his department's form yet, so if you want to send your comments to him directly, you'll have to go to http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/contactus.
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No he has not. Bush has asked Congress to give illegal aliens a visa to work here, which is not a major overhaul of our immigration system. In fact, it's not even a minor overhaul.
Ridiculous. Discussion of the "possibility" of something doesn't encourage a given behavior any more than the publication of a cookbook encourages obesity.
Thanks, but I'll pass on the author's suggestion. I don't look at all good with a gag over my mouth.
In fact, three dozen House Republicans had already sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, "strongly and unequivocally" opposing mass amnesty for illegal immigrants
That means that Bush and the three dozen House Republicans are in agreement.
Y'all can go ahead and tell Bush you are against amnesty and agree with his position.
Suckers!!!!!!
Your letter should not state that you are against amnesty, but that you are in fact against the position he is taking.
Otherwise, the number of people saying they are against amnesty could be claimed to support Bush. He doesn't want amnesty, neither do the the letter writers. Voila, instant supporters!!
Hb
I don't think this is aimed only, or even primarily, at the Hispanic vote or Latino illegals.
I think this is aimed more at making it more practical for large US corporations to export jobs to Asia.
Companies like Tata, Wipro, Cognizant, and other Indian IT consultancies have trouble with getting their new Indian Computer Science graduates up to speed on US business practices. These new grads are really good on the technology, but they aren't good at understanding how to collect business requirements, manage projects, and support their products longer term.
Bush's proposal lets the Indian consultancies bring their neophytes to the US for a few years to gain the necessary experience, and to get the "technology transfer" that they need directly from the US employees that they are replacing. On the other hand, the limited time of their "guest worker" status ensures that they can't "jump ship" and go to work for a US company. Thus, they have to go back to the Indian offices of their employer and work at the lower rates in India.
This is not just limited to India or to IT. It applies to other countries where we are outsourcing jobs.
Getting practical experience in the United States is probably is even more important for other occupations than IT -- for example accounting and law, which are even more country specific. Therefore, the Bush proposal should result in opening up more professions to outsourcing.
any and all are up for grabs.. and not just by outsourcing...for IMO the proposal is a way to circumvent the H-1 Visa program. As it is now, construction, trucking..just to name two, that are far from 'jobs Americans won't take'....
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