Bush Breaks First Campaign Pledge By Renewing Call For Illegal Alien Amnesty

FAIR ^ | November 10, 2004 | Dan Stein

[VU4G10]

(Washington, DC—November 10, 2004) It wasn't quite "Read my lips," but in the last presidential debate in Arizona, George W. Bush clearly stated that he would not support amnesty for illegal aliens. One week after being narrowly returned to office, the president has reneged on that pledge. Bush has dispatched Secretary of State Colin Powell to Mexico City to open discussions with the Mexican government about the size and scope of amnesty for illegal immigrants and for a massive new guest worker program.

"President Bush and Karl Rove have seemingly missed the message of their own, and the Republican Party's, success at the polls last week," said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). "In spite of a poor record on jobs, further erosion of the middle class, and staggering budget deficits, the people returned the GOP to office because they believed that the Republican Party was more in tune with them on values and respect for the law. One of those gut issues that led voters to ignore the administration's poor record in other areas was the belief that Bush and the Republicans would enforce laws against illegal immigration, not reward illegal immigrants and auction off every job in America to the lowest bidder."

The immigration plan being dusted off in Washington and Mexico City is essentially the same one the administration introduced last January, which proved to be so wildly unpopular among voters that they were forced to shelve it. "Who is the president seeking to reward by reintroducing his amnesty/guest worker proposal?" asked Stein. "Not middle class workers who made it very clear that they are feeling squeezed. Not the millions of families who have lost their health insurance benefits because their employers no longer feel that it is necessary to offer such benefits to attract American workers. Not Hispanic voters, whom polls indicate do not consider this to be high priority and who voted in significant numbers in favor of an Arizona ballot measure that bars illegal aliens from receiving most public benefits.

"The only interest group, besides the estimated 10 to 12 million illegal aliens and their families who could be in line for legal U.S. residency, are cheap labor employers who have come to believe that it is their right to have workers who will work at whatever wages they wish to pay," Stein said.

The latest White House announcement will touch off yet another surge in illegal immigration and further compromise homeland security, predicted FAIR. Last January, when the president first proposed this plan, the U.S. Border Patrol reported a marked increase in the number of people attempting to enter the U.S. illegally in order to benefit from the proposed amnesty. "Aside from betraying the interests of millions of people who voted for him because they believed the president shared their core values, this irresponsible renewal of talk of amnesty will betray those who voted for him because they believed the Republicans were the party that could be entrusted to protect homeland security. You cannot have homeland security and chaos at the border. You cannot have homeland security while granting amnesty to millions of people with only minimal background checks. And you certainly cannot have amnesty and unlimited guest workers, and preserve a solid middle class," asserted Stein.

[HiJinx]

I would hope that any new immigration plan would include a provision that denies automatic citizenship to the babies born here of non-citizen parents.

That citizenship is based on a clause in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. What's that tell you?

[american spirit]

Just like they said the federal income tax was going to be temporary?

[dagnabbit]

They also have to register with our government

No they don't.

In fact illegal aliens will never have to do anything they don't want to do. After all, what's going to happen if they don't obey the law, either today's law or some future Bush-amnesty law? Are there going to be consequences? Will the aliens be deported? By the Bush administration???? By a democrat administraton? LOL!!!

No. If there is no enforcement today, there's zero reason to expect there to be enforcement tomorrow.

[raybbr]

Dozens of polls showing the American are against rampant immigration.

[azhenfud]

"illegals can be granted legal status"

ILLEGAL is a legal status - it's just not the coveted side.

[Spiff]

In the first debate, Kerry said he would have given nuclear fuel to Iran to see if they were going to use it in a peaceful manner - to test them. Totally insain. Bush wants to make it easier for illegals to contribute to our society legally. Arguably problematic. I'll choose the latter every time.

I agree. I would definitely cast my vote against John Kerry again. However, I made the mistake of thinking I was voting FOR George W. Bush. This knife in my back has changed my opinion considerably. I'm sure that my Border Patrol Agent friends would agree. Maybe this session Congress could cut more of their funding to add further insult to injury. You know, 50% of their vehicles routinely sit in the repair yard waiting to be fixed? Over half of their cameras and night vision scopes - permanent and vehicle mounted - are not functional?

One of my Border Patrol Agent friends just got called up to the Reserves and is one his way to Iraq. I'm sure that this crap just brightens his day and really makes him feel good about what he's doing. Here he'd been risking his life guarding our porous border against human smugglers, drug smugglers, terrorists, and such and now he's being sent to the other side of the world to kill terrorists and Islamofascists while his wife and kids are threatened at home by our wide open border. Morale is REAL high among Border Patrol Agents - NOT! And every time Bush or his administration betrays them even further, the morale just gets that much better.

What's the freakin' point!? Why don't they take down that last few strands of rusty barbed wire, pack up the Border Patrol, and send them home? If they're not going to let the BP Agents do their damned job of if they're just going to reward those who escaped the Agents with amnesty and jobs and eventual citizenship - why bother with the whole thing? Is it all just for show!? And a dangerous show that is with the terrorists who would just LOVE to sneak - hell, they can just walk in open daylight - across our border and slit your throat or that of your wife, husband, child, mother, father, sister, brother, whatever...

The serious lack of will to secure our borders and enforce our laws is truly tragic. Where will it lead? Terrorist attacks? Unemployed/underemployed AMERICANS? Massive culture shift? Overpopulation? Voter fraud? It boggles the mind how people can defend this amnesty plan.

[Dat Mon]

"Are you still claiming to know what most Americans want better than the President who just won more votes than Reagan?!"

Bush won a mandate...that much is certain. I, along with millions, voted for Bush for a multitude of reasons.

Also, every poll I have seen shows that the overwhelming majority of Americans are concerned with illegal immigration, and want some sort of plan to address it.

The two are not mutually exclusive, IMHO.

[FrankRepublican]

I am so angry I helped Busha nd the Republicans.

He is stabbing his base in the back with open borders and Arlen Specter. The RNC will NEVER see a check from me a again.

[UMFan]

GWB is a Pander Bear


http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-powell-mexico,0,5597585.story

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/10141378.htm

[Howlin]

People who base their decisions on what they hear in the media deserve to be in a state of panic.

Deserve it? They seem to LOVE it!

[HiJinx]

And I will stand with George W. Bush; at least he's trying to do SOMETHING about it, besides bitch and moan.

Deep sigh. Ok. Let's give the President credit for trying to do something. However, any proposal for legal status of the current population of illegals must be either accompanied or preceded by control of the border.

Howlin, we are so far removed from control of our border that any guest worker program is laughable. As long as nearly a thousand a day are apprehended along the Arizona border, you don't have border control. The BP admit to catching less than 1 in 5 crossers. That isn't control. When the Sec'y of State says "We're making significant progress.", that's a tacit admission that we're not there yet.

When I say control the border, I don't mean shoot them on sight and I don't mean don't let anyone through. I do mean allow people to enter only at our Ports of Entry - not along a mountain trail through my back yard.

[dagnabbit]

Um...didn't Kerry get more votes than Reagan too? And while we're on meaningless cross-time comparisons, didn't Dukakis get more votes than Abraham Lincoln?

[WRhine]

Notice how he throws the "human rights" part in there? It will be used to justify the amnesty he isn't talking about.

Yes, I remember Bush saying that in the 3rd debate and noted the deception. Bush also reiterated his employer/employee matching of jobs for Illegals which makes the proposed Amnesty/Guest Worker Program completely Open Ended and applicable to both Illegal Aliens in the U.S. and Mexican nationals (still) residing in Mexico. Incredibly Kerry's amnesty was far more conservative.

[scripter]

Yes, words do mean things and the definition of amnesty is very clear to most folks. As I previously said, I don't see anything wrong with what I've actually read from Bush.

[sarah_f]

Facts like "Illegal Aliens" (Lawful definition) are now "Guest Workers" (Bush's words) ?

Step away from the Kool Aid.

[fetts]

I would hope that any new immigration plan would include a provision that denies automatic citizenship to the babies born here of non-citizen parents.

That citizenship is based on a clause in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. What's that tell you?

That my Constitutional Law professor is re-thinking my grade! Now is the time for those maveric justices to re-interpret our Constitution. Perhaps the citizenship of children of non-citizens (i.e., both parents being non-citizens) would be denied because of failure of jurisdiction? All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.

[scripter]

But he's not just letting them stay. His plan has a specific duration and only for those with jobs.

[Southack]

"In fact illegal aliens will never have to do anything they don't want to do. After all, what's going to happen if they don't obey the law, either today's law or some future Bush-amnesty law? Are there going to be consequences? Will the aliens be deported? By the Bush administration????"

The Associated Press
October 8th, 2004

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SAN DIEGO -- The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday unveiled new computer workstations that allow Border Patrol agents to tap into the FBI’s fingerprint database, overcoming a technological hurdle that lasted years.

...

During installation from Oct. 1, 2003, through Aug. 31, the new system was responsible for Border Patrol arrests of 8,005 criminal suspects trying to enter the United States, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert Bonner said.

[Joe Hadenuf]

He is stabbing his base in the back with open borders and Arlen Specter. The RNC will NEVER see a check from me a again

I still sleep well. Started seeing this two-party, open border charade some years ago, and have voted independent ever since. Bottom line, is they are going to destroy our borders and our sovereignty, eventually our country, all for power and money.

[Fatalis]

You've really got two options, I'll tell you what they are but you probably aren't ideologically capable of accepting either. After I tell you the *only* two options available you'll no doubt plead for a 3rd option of "enforcing existing laws" (yeah, that's worked really well so far).

Option 1. Leave all illegals unregistered and anonymous.

Option 2: Offer enough of an incentive to convince illegals to voluntarily register themselves with the federal government.

Your option #2 requires enforcement of existing laws anyway, so I'm not sure you're on solid ground deriding that.

Here's an option #3: Tom Tancredo has a guest worker proposal that would require applicants do so from their home countries. Do you have any objection to that?