Republican Lawmakers Won’t Back Bush on Immigration

CNSNews.com ^ | 1/26/2004 | Susan Jones

[sinkspur]

Politicians don't, yet. Voters will.

Wanna bet? The vast majority of Americans care about illegal immigration, but not that much.

[angkor]

Therefore, a compromise is obviously to allow those in this country NOW to apply for guest worker visas.

If anyone asserts that the INS is any way, shape, or form equipped to handle 12 million new visa applications, they are lying through their teeth.

The INS is a disaster.

[Cloud William]

"In fact, in our view, it will further exacerbate the problem and create discontent amongst the Republican Party," the letter said.

Blinding Flash of the Obvious *bump*!!

[Sabertooth]

No more so than an H1B visa makes one eligible for citizenship. It doesn't.

"Eligible for legal status" is a bit vague. The proposed "work visa" by definition offers "legal status", so I'm presuming he means "eligible for a permanent resident visa". But again, there's no reason that would be true, and it could be expressly written in legislation to prohibit any tie-in between this "work visa" and any other.

They'd be eligible...

Some temporary workers will make the decision to pursue American citizenship. Those who make this choice will be allowed to apply in the normal way.
Text of Bush immigration speech
President outlines plan to give illegals legal status

[Pubbie]

Uh - use your imagination...

[luvbach1]

If you can't send them all back (and you can't), what's your alternative?

How about sending as many as we can back and stop, to the extent possible (which is not being done), letting more in? And also, stop actions that encourage more to come such as the president's ill-conceived and shortsighted "guest workers program."

[BobS]

"Deportation will not happen. Neither party will support it!

The question is where do go, given that situation.

Start by sending all the criminal aliens home! I would rather Mexico become part of the US! Then we can jail all the cabrones in their own State and I can retire down there!

[motzman]

Republican lawmakers who generally back President Bush are not backing him on immigration. In fact, they want their leaders to know they have "serious concerns" about President Bush's proposed immigration policy.

Well, it looks like there's going to be some fine tuning as to arrive at a consensus.

Like the way government is supposed to accomplish the will of the people.

Strategery works.

But, some are more interested in winning the "Lonliest Conservative" award, rather than winning elections and deconstructing liberalism.

[BnBlFlag]

We don't need to deport 10MM illegals. We need to enforce the law against hiring them and cut off the Freebies. They will go home.
I would love to see some of these criminal employers doing the "Perp Walk" on the local news.

[yonif]

bump for Tancredo.

[MJY1288]

I Guessed wrong, I thought they would at least debate it before killing it. Looks like the letters everyone sent in must have made a difference

[luvbach1]

Don't think more than a very few of the Republican conservative critics of the president on his "guest worker program" will abandon the ship of state to the Demorats on that account.

[Pubbie]

"C'mon, I said ""Killed in committee" until next year will not be sufficient."

You're implying the only reason the House Republicans will bury this thing is because it is an election year.

But 2004 being an election year is only part of the reason.

The main reason the House GOP won't pass it is because many House Republicans are opposed to it because they truly do not believe in giving Amnesty to Illegal Aliens - especially the GOPers that sit on the Judiciary Committee.

That Committee is LOADED with Hardcore Conservatives like Elton Gallegly, Lamar Smith, Bob Goodlate, John Hostettler; Jim Sensenbrenner, Steve King, Tom Feeney, Ric Keller, William Jenkins, and Marc Green, who do not support amnesty in ANY year - not just during elections.

http://www.house.gov/judiciary/members.htmd

These guys are going to be opposed to Amnesty in ANY year.

If it can't pass this year then it probably won't pass in 2005 either because the same hardcore Conservatives will be sitting on the Judiciary Committee.

And if it can't pass in 2004-5 it won't pass in 2006 because it's a midterm election year.

And it certainly won't pass in 2007-2008 because everyone is going to be gearing up for the Presidential election.

[Starwind]

Sinkspur post#43: America has no stomach to deport 10 million illegals, no matter what those with blinders on on this website think.

Sinkspur post#61: The vast majority of Americans care about illegal immigration, but not that much.

Your usual misinformed spin.

• 78% of those polled support mandatory detention and forfeiture of property, followed by deportation for anyone here illegally.
• 69% of those polled support a mandatory prison term and forfeiture of property, followed by deportation, for anyone here illegally.
  RoperASW Poll, March 2003

Americans Talk About Illegal Immigration

Americans Talk About Illegal Immigration

RoperASW Poll, March 2003
Prepared for Negative Population Growth

Following are the highlights of the findings of a nationally representative survey of 1,012 American adults (18+) who live in the continental United States. All sample was drawn randomly from an RDD (random digit dialing) list. For more details or to read the full report, click here.

Legal Immigration

Three Americans in Four Would Reduce Number of Immigrants Allowed Annually Into the U.S.

• 76% of those polled prefer legal immigration less than current levels of almost one million a year.
• 58% of those polled prefer legal immigration levels of less than 300,000 a year.
  RoperASW Poll, March 2003

Illegal Immigration

Virtually All Americans Believe Illegal Immigration Is a “Serious” Problem; Majority Believes It Is “Very Serious”

• 85% of those polled believe illegal immigration is a "serious" problem.
• 55% of those polled believe illegal immigration is a "very serious" problem.
  
• 68% of those polled agree with halting illegal immigration as a goal.
• 67% of those polled agree with reducing the number of illegal aliens now present in the United States to near zero as a goal.
  RoperASW Poll, March 2003

Methods to Deal with Illegal Immigration

87% of those polled support sanctions against employers who hire illegal aliens.

To Halt Illegal Immigration, Policy of Mandatory Detention of Illegals Is Preferred Over Prison, but Both Have Strong Support

• 83% of those polled support mandatory detention and forfeiture of property, followed by deportation for anyone here illegally.
• 70% of those polled support a mandatory prison term and forfeiture of property, followed by deportation, for anyone here illegally.
  RoperASW Poll, March 2003

To Reduce Number of Illegal Immigrants to “Near Zero,” Policy of Mandatory Detention of Illegals Is Preferred Over Prison, but Both Have Strong Support

• 78% of those polled support mandatory detention and forfeiture of property, followed by deportation for anyone here illegally.
• 69% of those polled support a mandatory prison term and forfeiture of property, followed by deportation, for anyone here illegally.
  RoperASW Poll, March 2003

Employers and Illegal Immigration

Majority of Americans Support Verification and Sanctions Against Employers Who Hire Illegal Aliens

• 87% of those polled agree and 69% strongly agree that the Federal government should strictly enforce present laws calling for criminal penalties for employers who, after having been repeatedly fined, continue to knowingly hire illegal immigrants.
• 79% agree and 67% strongly agree that the Federal government should strictly enforce present laws calling for heavy fines for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.
• 79% agree and 58% strongly agree that the Federal government should require all employers to verify U.S. citizenship or lawful presence for each job applicant by a telephone or online check to a central data base maintained by the U.S. government.
  RoperASW Poll, March 2003

Role of State and Local Governments

Majority of Americans Agree Congress Should Require State/Local Government Agencies to Notify Both Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and Local Law-Enforcement Agencies When They Determine a Person is Here Illegally or Has Presented a False ID

• 88% agree and 68% strongly agree that Congress should pass a law requiring state and local government agencies to notify both the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and their local law-enforcement agency when they determine that a person is here illegally, or has presented a false identification document.
• 85% agree and 62% strongly agree that Congress should pass a law requiring state and local governments, and law enforcement agencies, to apprehend and turn over to the INS illegal immigrants with whom they come in contact.
  RoperASW Poll, March 2003

Return to Public Opinion page

Poll categories

-	Legal Immigration
-	Illegal Immigration
-	Methods to Deal with Illegal Immigration
-	Employers and Illegal Immigration
-	Role of State and Local Governments

[luvbach1]

We need to enforce the law against hiring them and cut off the Freebies. They will go home.

In other words, we need to put our interests before theirs! How revolutionary!

[MJY1288]

I said from the beginning that this was politics. Bush can say he tried and those who said NO WAY can tell their constituants that they listened to their letters

[Map Kernow]

bump for Tancredo.

He's the best on the immigration mess.

And now we have sinkspur's permission to adopt his plan! Hallelujah!

[motzman]

The guest worker program we hear about now, won't be the same one we hear about come November.