Posted on 06/26/2004 4:46:08 PM PDT by Brian Mosely
PHOENIX (AP) - The "human tragedy" of illegal immigrants dying and being abused as they attempt to enter the United States will continue until the federal government acknowledges the important economic role undocumented workers play, Sen. John McCain told Hispanic leaders Saturday.
"It is in our national interest to bring the 8 to 12 million undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and allow them an opportunity to become citizens of this great nation," McCain said at the annual conference of the National Council of La Raza, a civil rights group and political think tank dedicated to promoting Hispanic issues.
The Arizona Republican said federal policy and border enforcement have failed to alleviate the deaths of migrants crossing the sweltering Southwest deserts and the violence of smugglers who often hold immigrants for ransom once they reach America.
An example of the government's wrongheaded approach, McCain said, is its recent introduction of unmanned aerial vehicles in Arizona that use thermal and night-vision equipment to help Border Patrol agents spot illegal immigrants.
"That ignores the fundamental problem," he said. "Where there's a demand, there's a supply ... There's a demand for people to fill jobs that Americans won't do."
Last year, McCain proposed legislation for a guest-worker program that would allow immigrants to work in the states for three years and then apply for legal permanent residency. Undocumented immigrants already working in the United States would have to wait another three years on a restricted visa before applying for permanent residency.
McCain on Saturday referred to his plan and other guest-worker proposals, including one by President Bush.
"These are all good proposals but we won't act because we're in an election year," he said. "The human tragedy taking place on our streets and the Southwestern border must be stopped."
McCain also spoke about the war in Iraq, stressing the importance of success in the June 30 transfer of power to the Iraqi government.
"We cannot afford to fail," he said. "We have sent our most precious blood and treasure so that (Iraqis) might have the same opportunities that we do."
He said successful democracy in the Middle East would curb terrorism by teaching children that America is not the enemy.
We should make it far easier to become a legal immigrant to this country.
If we had rational laws, most of the illegals would qualify under them.
But to "amnesty" the illegals is not the right solution.
Human tragedy? Yes, Senator McInsane but why is that the fault of the American people? Why isn't it the fault of those break our laws by coming here illegally? Your proposal sir, is an insult to the hundreds of thousands of legal immigrants who arrive here in compliance with the law, live here five years as legal permanent residents and then wait God knows how long to get their citizenship applications processed and then they learn they're chumps for being law-abiding folks. Guess who gets pushed to the front of the line? The American people have said "NO" to amnesty and you and the political class in this country still don't quite get it.
Our unconstitutional, corrupt financial system is what motivates illegal immigration and a host of other problems.
"It is in our national interest to bring the 8 to 12 million undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and allow them an opportunity to become citizens of this great nation,"
Sure it is. That would only encourage millions more to illegally enter the US from Mexico and Central America. I want to live in American and I want my children to live in America, not Mexico north.
"There's a demand for people to fill jobs that Americans won't do."
What a crock. It is not that Americans will not do these jobs, it is that Americans will not do these jobs for the wages that illegals will do them for. What is poor wages in this country seems like good wages for people who are used to working for even less.
At no time in our country's history has there ever been a job that needs doing that someone would not do
McCain should get the opportuninty to be a private citizen.
"We should make it far easier to become a legal immigrant to this country."
I disagree. We have no need for the kind of poor, ill educated people flooding our country from Mexico and Central America. We have no need for the millions of Muslims who have come to this country over the last 40 years.
More people make the quality of life worse for those of us who are already in the country. We should only allow very will educated or very wealthy businessmen to immigrate to this country.
More like Mexico's corrupt financial system is what motivates illegal immigration and a host of other problems. When conditions improve in Mexico, immigration will slow --- but conditions won't improve until immigration slows and the people demand the badly needed reforms. Mexico is a very wealthy nation --- very rich in natural resources but all it's wealth is denied to the majority of it's people.
His Guest workers program will benefit future slave owners, so maybe it would be a good idea to banish these plantation owners south, instead of bringing the workers here, with Mcain setting the example, since he is so concerned, it would be far easier for every body.
I have a better idea...
Why don't we make McCain a citizen of Mexico?
I'm sick to death of hearing that crock of chit.
Could John McCain be the new posterboy for the "big sucking sound from the south" ?
And the jerks who claim they can't compete without underpaying illegal aliens helped create the problem by copying instead of reporting each other. They then have the nerve to claim their hands are tied while funneling money to political corruption that should have gone to fair wages. Orange jumpsuits for the lot of them.
Finally some common sense.
I've got a deal. We revoke Michael Moore's citizenship and chug him over the border to Mexico. We then grant green cards to hardworking Mexicans whose only offense was breaking our convoluted immigration law. The combined mass of these Mexicans shall not exceed the combined mass of Michael Moore and the gasoline necessary to haul him to a place in Mexico approved by the Mexican government.
I like that story posted a few months ago about the illegals that have been here a long time complaining about the newly arriving illegals who work for less than they are making and causing them to lose work.
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