Bush: Raise (Immigration) Limit for Mexico

The Washington Times ^ | 08-07-2004 | Bill Sammon

[NewRomeTacitus]

President Bush yesterday called on Congress to increase the number of Mexican immigrants allowed into the United States.

"I support raising the quotas on certain population groups, like the Mexican nationals, on who can become a citizen. In order to solve the logjam for citizenship, Congress has got to raise the quotas."

Having long sought to grant legal status to illegal aliens from Mexico, the president said yesterday that the only way to enact his plan is to allocate more legal-immigration slots to Mexicans.

"The issue there is whether or not people automatically get to step in the front of the line when it comes to citizenship," he said. "I don't think they should. I think those who have been waiting in line to be a citizen ought to be allowed to keep that priority in line."

Mr. Bush did not explain how non-Mexican applicants for U.S. residency would keep their place in line if the quota for Mexican immigrants is enlarged. Nor did he quantify his proposed enlargement for Mexicans, who already far outnumber immigrants from every other nation.

The president's plan to relax immigration rules, which is unpopular among many conservatives, entails granting legal status to millions of Mexicans who break the law to enter the United States. Mr. Bush shuns the term "amnesty," preferring to call it the matching of "willing workers with willing employers."

"People ought to be allowed to be here legally to work. That's what I believe. This will help bring people out of the shadows of our society. This will help, kind of, legalize a system that takes place every day, without employers...or employees feeling like they're going to be arrested, subjected to fines," he added.

[StoneColdGOP]

Just look out the window......

Don't need to, the roaring mariachi music tells the story.

[Southack]

"GWB ran on a platform which included amnesty for illegal aliens...GWB has never wavered from this stance."

President Bush ran on a platform to *reform* immigration, not give out blanket amnesties.

His immigration proposal (not yet even voted on by Congress) proposes that illegal aliens who *register* themselves with the federal government, register their American employers with the federal government, register their families and residence with the federal government, and pay a fine for being in the U.S. illegally, will in return get a "blue card" that permits them to remain in the U.S. legally for the next 3 years, provided that they remain gainfully employed, pay their taxes, and avoid any brushes with law enforcement.

Per that proposal, they have to return to their home countries after 3 years to ask for permission to obtain a blue card extension.

This proposal has been roundly criticized from all sides. La Raza hates it because it doesn't offer instant and full amnesty. Xenophobics hate it because it lets illegals profit from being here illegally in the first place.

In my experience, however, when both the far left (i.e. La Raza) and far right (e.g. xenophobics) agree to hate the same proposal, then there is probably some common sense in the proposal in question.

Frankly, getting 8 million currently illegal and anonymous aliens to come in from the cold to identify themselves and register with the federal government sounds like a great first step towards being able to control our illegal immigration problem.

In general, you want to first *register* everything that you would later ban. Certainly the gun banners want to do this to us with our firearms. Well, we can use the same trick against illegal immigration.

...And that's Bush's immigration plan. Convince anonymous illegals to register with the government, pay a fine in some massive plea bargain, and then compel them to return back to their home countries to apply for any further extentions.

The other key in Bush's immigration plan is that *new* illegal aliens who arrive after this plan becomes law are *not* eligible for the blue card unless they return to their home country to apply.

...

No doubt that such common sense immigration reform will be mischaracterized as a blanket amnesty, though. Sigh...

5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires

[sweetliberty]

What the heck is with the president's fondness for these illegal invaders? It is already getting where few places in America look like America any more. If we're going to just open the d**m flood gates anyway, why not just take over Mexico and run Fox out. Maybe then they will have jobs in their own stinkin' country.

[usadave]

Are you unable to distinguish between bank robbers and people who are willing to do the dirty, low paying jobs that Americans won't do?

Yes, I can distinguish between bank robbers (one category of lawbreakers) and illegal aliens (another category of lawbreakers). By the way, there is no such thing as a job Americans won't do.

Do you hate everyone who violates any law, rule or regulation equally? People who speed, drive while drinking, carry fire arms into national foprests, violate EPA, URISA, IRS, ADA, EEOA, etc... laws?

I'll pass on your straw man argument, thank you.

[Howlin]

This was your statement:

GWB ran on a platform which included amnesty for illegal aliens...

Since you're so positive about it, I'm sure you can provide us with documents from the Bush campaign in 2000 that prove that.

[Howlin]

Thanks; that's exactly what I thought I remembered.

[bayourod]

What was your question?

[cyborg]

If you bought a movie ticket and was waiting on a very long line and someone CUT in front of you and got in the theater for free would you be upset?

[primeval patriot]

How do I know you're voting for President Bush?

You won't. There's a privacy screen at the booth to prevent bully-boys from harrassing voters.

[sarasmom]

See #122.
Google the rest.
Sheesh Howlin, where have you been?
Pom poms dancing in your eyes?

[cyborg]

LOL

[bayourod]

"I'll pass on your straw man argument, thank you. "

Why? There's no straw man. Your only objection to illegal immigrants is that they are violating the law.

People who discriminate in employment, fail to have adequate smoke stack scrubbers, don't have hand rails in their bathrooms, speed, take unallowable tax deductions, don't make their workplace comfortable for feminists, prance around national parks brandishing pistols, etc... are just as much, if not more, lawbreakers than someone who lets his green card expire.

The "I only hate the illegal ones" has never been persuasive except to people looking for some publicly acceptable excuse for hating Mexicans.

[Joe Hadenuf]

That's a poppycock excuse to waste FReeper's time. Nobody complained on the original thread about Bush's comments not being shown. Just respond to the original thread, and save poor Jim some much-needed bandwidth.

Yeah, lets save the bandwidth for important articles, like this current thread, "American squirrels causes peanut ban".

Maybe you ought to run over there and complain about the bandwidth shortage.

[bayourod]

Are you trying to make some type of analogy or something? We're talking about President Bush's proposed immigration reform. He wants to shorten the time it takes to legally immigrate. He wants to facilitate the supply of needed laborers. He wants to eliminate the problems in the present system. Can you address the issue?

[cyborg]

Address the issue of ILLEGALS BREAKING THE LAW you damned traitor. You want to give the keys to this country to people WHO BROKE THE LAW. What part of ILLEGAL don't you understand! BTW, drop that needed laborers crap. There are enough hard working native born and LEGAL IMMIGRANTS to do the work rather than bringing in ILLEGAL ALIENS.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Since you're so positive about it, I'm sure you can provide us with documents from the Bush campaign in 2000 that prove that.

The proof is in the pudding.

Many regions have been completely over run by millions of illegals, as President Bush stands in silence, winking and nodding. No need for documents. His inactions and his agenda and intent is all to clear. Even the late Ray Charles could clearly see this.

[bayourod]

"There's a privacy screen at the booth "

I remember privacy screens but I haven't seen one in about twenty years. As I recall, when you pulled a lever at the top of the machine, a motor rumbled and the curtain closed. It wouldn't reopen until you completed pulling all the other levers and then pushed the main lever up to record your votes. Same principle as a manual adding machine. But we have used punch card and touch screen systems for many years. No curtains.

[Howlin]

She made a definite statement. Let her prove it.

And you're not helping your arguments with specious statements.

[bayourod]

"There are enough hard working native born and LEGAL IMMIGRANTS to do the work rather than bringing in ILLEGAL ALIENS. "

Then why are they still finding jobs as fast as they can get here?

But I still can't understand why you don't support President Bush's proposal to increase the number of "legal" guest workers? "Legal" is good, no? Making illegals legal is good, no?

[cyborg]

Rewarding illegal behavior is bad! Why don't you understand that?