Posted on 11/10/2004 7:47:55 AM PST by JesseHousman
MEXICO CITY-U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell discussed immigration with Mexican President Vicente Fox, but cautioned that revisions are up to Congress.
The chances that the U.S. Congress will overhaul immigration rules have increased with the end of the political season and the improvement of security along the U.S.-Mexican border, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Tuesday in Mexico.
But Powell cautioned that approval of the first major immigration changes in 18 years would depend on the new Congress that will take office in January.
''We don't want to overpromise,'' Powell told a news conference during discussions on a broad range of border issues. Joining Powell for his 20-hour stay in Mexico were five fellow Cabinet secretaries.
TOP PRIORITY
Powell met with Mexican President Vicente Fox, who has made migration reform in the United States a top foreign policy priority. Fox says the millions of Mexicans who work in the United States should have legal status there so they can live without fear of arrest and deportation.
During his discussions, Powell said he reaffirmed President Bush's ``plan to work with our new Congress to develop a temporary worker program to match willing foreign workers with willing U.S. employers.''
The comments suggested the Bush administration was giving priority to the provision in Bush's proposal that would give workers who still live in their home countries permission to work in the United States if they have a job offer.
LEGAL STATUS
A more controversial provision would allow undocumented aliens already in the United States to achieve legal status if they can prove they have employment. Beneficiaries could stay in the United States for three years, then be permitted to remain longer if certain conditions are met.
Many in Congress view Mexicans and others who entered the United States without official permission as lawbreakers, and are wary of doing them any favors. Mexicans constitute by far the largest illegal immigrant community, about 10 million people.
Bush and Fox agreed in 2001 to press for immigration reform, but the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks soured Congress on the idea.
Since the attacks, enhanced border security has been the dominant U.S. goal in relations with Mexico.
Fox said the time is ripe for an immigration accord.
''We have done all the analysis, diagnostics and problem solving possible,'' Fox said on the radio Monday. ``There's no reason to lose much time.''
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© 2004 Herald.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.miami.com
But it's a shoe-in!
No one gets to immigrate to Mexico from the United States, and I mean no one! On the other hand, who would be crazy enough to try?
We need to screen these people. We don't want any with contagious diseases or those who have committed crimes in Mexico. We also need to crack down on the smuggling.
Many in Congress view Mexicans and others who entered the United States without official permission as lawbreakers
Many other congressmen are complete idiots who don’t understand the meaning of “illegal immigration.”
All the Bushes are blue-blood Republicans, not conservative.
I'll never vote for one again.
Yeah... I didn't buy it either. Still voted for him, but I had hopes we could reign in his proclivity to kiss Vincentes a$$.
How about this for an "overpromise": Enter this country illegally and we PROMISE to kick your butt back OVER the border!
LEGAL STATUS
Noway in hell.
It's time for a grassroots effort to petition all lawmakers to stop this madness.
Note to Bush: When the Left attacks you (and they will attack you) who will you turn to if you've stabbed your supporters in the back? And don't think you're being kindhearted to the law breakers when you're destroying the lawkeepers.
I would settle for legalizing the status of those here, in exchange for a fully militarized border... and any illegals who try to cross get shipped to Iraq. With the bad news in the world media... I bet that would scare Mexicans.
Everybody is gonna get screwed now.
Didn't waste any time did they?
I don't get this nonsense. If these illegals can prove employment - aren't they admitting, as well as the employer, to breaking the law???
Will the IRS go after payroll taxes that were not paid and social security taxes????
And most of them have "R" or "D" associated with their name.
If we legalize those who are here and we have no idea about, that in itself doesn't seem to be the problem. If we encourage future illegal immigration, we could be setting a bad precedent.
But I understand what Bush is trying to do. Americans truly do not want some of the manual labor jobs that these Mexicans will take, and the disparate poverty of Northern Mexico is a huge problem.
For me, this is a plus for free trade. Because it's impossible to defend the free crossing of goods across borders if we don't let people also cross those borders.
But that certainly isn't going to win me friends here.
Nonetheless, I will continue to support Bush on this one.
I Just want to know how long it is before Mexico is empty so this issue becomes moot.
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