Bush's Amnesty Plan Triggers Jump in Illegal Immigration

HUMAN EVENTS ^ | January 27, 2004 | Joseph A. D'Agostino

[sarcasm]

Beginning two to three days after President Bush proposed a plan that would allow illegal aliens to stay in the United States on renewable three-year work visas -- a plan that critics describe as an amnesty in disguise -- the number of illegal aliens caught trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border jumped dramatically, says a spokesman for the union representing Border Patrolmen.

In the San Diego sector of the border "we have two to three times the number we had a few weeks ago," Senior Border Patrol Agent Shawn Moran told HUMAN EVENTS. Moran is spokesman for the local San Diego chapter of the National Border Patrol Council, the patrolmen's union.

"In one place, we have eight times," said Moran.

Asked if this could just be a seasonal increase, Moran replied, "We usually get something of an increase at this time of year, but nothing like this." The trend showed no signs of abating, he said.

Moran says he is certain Bush's plan is motivating the illegal aliens who have caused the spike in illegal border crossings. "Because 95% of the people we're catching say that's why," Moran said. "They say they're coming for the amnesty. A lot of these people have not been caught before. They have no immigration histories."

Moran also said the Bush proposal has caused a change in the urgency and demography of illegal border crossers. "We're catching them repeatedly throughout the week," Moran said. "They're desperate to get this amnesty even though we told them it's only a proposal. . . . We're catching more women and children than we have since 1999."

Moran said that he and his fellow agents oppose Bush's immigration proposal. "I have yet to find a single Border Patrol agent that thinks it's a good idea," said Moran. He noted that many illegal aliens transformed into guest workers are likely to have children while working in the United States. Those children, he said, would be American citizens, meaning their parents would almost certainly never be deported but would instead stay here for life.

He said that illegal immigration could be brought under control if the federal government wished to do so. "What's lacking is the political will to do it," he said.

Moran said the Border Patrol union is preparing a lobbying effort to stop the proposal.

[sarcasm]

ping

[Dane]

He said that illegal immigration could be brought under control if the federal government wished to do so. "What's lacking is the political will to do it," he said

No mention of a plan, just a platitude.

[WayneM]

No need to mention the plan. Good plans have been mentioned from MANY quarters MANY times before. The answer has been presented time after time in thread after thread.

You don't deport them. You set up the circumstances so they leave of their own free will.

It is already a federal felony to knowingly hire an illegal alien. A pattern of committing felonies is organized crime, covered by RICO.

If employers know they will a) go to jail, b) pay thousands or millions in fines, and c) possibly lose their business if privately held, they will quit hiring illegals. With no jobs they will go home without being evicted. This process can be helped along by denying them things such as driver's licenses, welfare benefits, and citizenship rights for children born of parents here illegally (anchor children).

It is really very simple. When someone ignores the obvious and tries to make this difficult, it causes me to believe they don't want a resolution to the problem

I don't see a platitude - just the truth.

It is obvious to me with this issue that there are those here at FR who a) don't see a problem with the number of illegals in the country, or b) approve of the number of illegals in this country. Perhaps your case would be better served by telling the truth about how you feel on the subject of immigration control, rather than saying it (control) can't be done.

[Dane]

If employers know they will a) go to jail, b) pay thousands or millions in fines, and c) possibly lose their business if privately held, they will quit hiring illegals. With no jobs they will go home without being evicted. This process can be helped along by denying them things such as driver's licenses, welfare benefits, and citizenship rights for children born of parents here illegally (anchor children).

It is really very simple. When someone ignores the obvious and tries to make this difficult, it causes me to believe they don't want a resolution to the problem

So you would bankrupt businesses and put native born Americans out of work in the process.

Rush had a caller who smugly said that businesses could raise prices. I guess he didn't own a business. Rush put it very bluntly. Busineses are not in business to employ people, but to make money. I guess you are for a new government regulatory agency such as the IRS to regulate the millions of legitimate businesses for their crime of finding people who will work hard and do good things such as roof houses, clean toilets, and make beds in hotels.

What's the name of your regulatory agency, the Business Purity Administration?

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

America did not need a massive invasion of criminal aliens in the past to become the greatest nation on earth. We don't need them now. Any business breaking federal law with respect to immigration should be put out of business, period.

That's the way it works in a nation governed by law. We are a nation of laws. If you don't like a law, you get it changed. You don't break it at your whim.

The reason the law hasn't been changed is the VAST MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE KNOW ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS WRONG AND ARE VEHEMENTLY AGAINST IT.

In America, capitalism does not, and should not, come before the law. Such a perversion of law enforcement is the same argument made by drug dealers and other organized criminals. Any criminal, from petty thief to corporate fraud, can argue he had to break the law to make ends meet.

[RLK]

Bush's Amnesty Plan Triggers Jump in Illegal Immigration

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Of course. Bush and Fox have meant it to be that way.

[Dane]

So I see that you are also in favor of the Business Purity Administration act.

[dennisw]

Dittos to all your points.

[WayneM]

From your response to my post, I suspect you (or a friend or family member) own a business and employee illegals.
If a business cannot make a profit while operating WITHIN THE LAW, then it should be allowed to go bankrupt. This is what capitalism is all about.
Selectively enforcing the law, as is now done, is unfair because it rewards those who cheat and hire illegals. In addition, it pressures the law abiding to break the law in order to survive.
In an environment where the law is uniformly enforced, every employer will operate under the same set of rules - this is only fair.
I would hope you aren't actually suggesting that illegal actions are OK when you consider them financially necessary.

[gubamyster]

ping

[exmarine]

Don't confuse them with the facts. They will stick with their man even if it bankrupts the nation.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Party before country. To many, little else matters.....

[Tauzero]

Well, duh.

[JackelopeBreeder]

It's the same all up and down the border. Here in Cochise County, Arizona the ground sensors are constantly being triggered -- the ones belonging to the US Border Patrol and the ones belonging to American Border Patrol.

A year ago, if I went out looking for illegals it was only a 50-50 chance I'd find any on a given day or night. Today it's just a question of how many.

[Brian Allen]

<< He said that illegal immigration could be brought under control if the federal government wished to do so. "What's lacking is the political will to do it," he said

No mention of a plan, just a platitude. >>

Decades of banging their plans -- and their heads -- against scores of hundreds of gangster politicians' doors tends to have the effect of reducing good men's plans to platitudes

[KevinDavis]

Again, Bush did not propose in any shape of form any type of Amnesty!

[Brian Allen]

The front line in the War on Terrorism is cutting dane's lawns, trimming his hedges -- and flipping his burgers.