Posted on 01/02/2005 9:54:08 AM PST by nanak
WASHINGTON -- President Bush's plan to liberalize the nation's immigration laws to allow millions of undocumented workers the opportunity for legal status appears to be on a collision course with newly aroused sentiment among House Republicans pushing for a crackdown on illegal immigration.
Bush describes his immigration proposal as one of the top goals of his second term, calling it a humane way to get a handle on the nation's mushrooming illegal immigration problem. Republican strategists, led by White House chief political adviser Karl Rove, also see the proposal as an important element in their plan to expand the party's base among the nation's fast-growing Hispanic population.
The key prong in Bush's plan is a temporary-worker program that would offer the nation's estimated 10 million illegal immigrants a chance to earn legal status that would allow them to stay in the country as long as six years.
Once they register as temporary workers, they would be eligible to begin the long process of applying for citizenship or permanent residency.
"It's a compassionate way to treat people who come to our country. It recognizes the reality of the world in which we live," Bush said during a news conference last week. "There are some people -- there are some jobs in America that Americans won't do and others are willing to do."
But an increasingly vocal group of House Republicans is threatening to undercut Bush's vision, which the president has discussed with passion but has not formally advanced since taking office in 2001.
Many House Republicans oppose any effort to grant legal status to undocumented workers, saying it would have the effect of rewarding law-breakers. Instead, they are seeking to ratchet up enforcement efforts against undocumented workers, an approach with proven voter appeal if unproven results when it comes to slowing illegal immigration.
When the new Congress commences this month, key House Republicans are promising to push legislation to complete a controversial fence along the Mexican border near San Diego, to make it tougher for immigrants to attain asylum and to prevent illegal immigrants from receiving driver's licenses. At the insistence of Judiciary Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., R-Wis. -- and with the White House's approval -- Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., has promised to attach those measures "to the first must-pass legislation" that moves in the House next month.
Earlier this month, House Republicans wrested a pledge from Bush to cooperate in enacting tougher immigration provisions by blocking legislation to restructure the nation's intelligence community. The intelligence bill passed only after Bush promised to "work with" House Republicans to enact those measures.
Bush's concession meant that Congress will begin the year on an anti-immigration note, which promises to continue as many of those pushing for the tough enforcement measures also are likely to oppose the president's "guest worker" plan.
"I'm no longer the only person in the caucus bringing the issue of illegal immigration to the American people," said Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., who heads the House's 71-member Immigration Reform Caucus, which has a section on its Web site listing crimes, health problems and other problems it says are caused by illegal immigrants. "Now others appear to be willing to go to the mat on it."
How the White House plans to reconcile its stated desire for a temporary-worker program with its pledge to toughen immigration laws is unclear, although some supporters of Bush's plan say the two goals are not incompatible. Backers of a guest-worker plan argue that there is no way to effectively crack down on undocumented workers, given the ineffectiveness of the nation's immigration laws. The new program, they said, would create incentives for people to enter the country legally.
Efforts to hold employers accountable for hiring illegal immigrants have been largely frustrated by a booming industry in forged documents. Attempts to stem the tide by building a fence and beefing up patrols along the southwestern border have only shifted much of the flow of illegal immigrants east from California, often to the rugged Arizona desert.
Hundreds of would-be illegal immigrants have died attempting to make the perilous journey across the southwestern border, even as an estimated 1 million illegal immigrants make it into the country each year.
Many supporters say a temporary-worker program would enhance national security by identifying who is in the country; by boosting the economy with a continuing supply of highly motivated, low-skill workers; and by helping undocumented workers avoid exploitation by granting them the protections that come with legal status. The workers, meanwhile, would be free to return to their home countries, allowing them to stay connected with their families.
"The idea is to make the system respond to the fact that we have an integrated labor market that interacts with Mexico and Central America," said Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, an immigrants' rights group. "You are trying to transform it from a black market, chaotic, hard-to-control flow to a more orderly, regulated flow."
Still, tougher enforcement provisions are popular among voters, particularly in areas where residents feel overwhelmed by illegal immigrants.
isn't it the truth......those intellectual Dems confuse illegal immigrant and immigrant all the time for politics sake....just to scare people....the only way I would be for a guest worker program is if the federal govt would control the borders.........until that time I will just have to go against Bush on this one
Why do we want to integrate our labor market with countries where $0.25 an hour is considered pretty good wages?
darned right...........I hate one issue voters for the most part cause they lose the forest for the trees......but controling the borders comes very close to my one issue vote.....almost everything else I can compromise on...
I'm not in favor of tax raising by any means but I would be willing to pay more for food to get the corporate farmers to hire Americans even if it is at a higher wage....
My suggestion on an earlier Post dealing with Immigration:
Bush and Rove may both feel they have Political Capitol to spend here on this Border Control and Immigration Policy. We must make sure they know without a doubt They are FLAT BROKE when it comes to these two issues!
Control the Borders, Walls, Fences, Entances, Computer Databases, Application for Immigration. Control, Control, Control!!! Hunt down and Deport Illegal Aliens!! There is no other way! The southern border and the Northern Border.
If we can spend Billions on the Iraqis and protecting them, 350 million in Aid for Asia, we can control our borders, the way they should be controlled and hunt down illegal Aliens and deport them. Put a $500.00 dollar bounty on their A$$ES and Big Fines on companies or anyone who hides and Illegal alien.
It wont take long to track them down, put them on a bus and send them home. Make sure we charge their Home Country for their tickets home too along with any medical and food bills! If the Mother and/or father is illegal, the child is illegal. Regardless if they were born on US soil or not.
Change the law so that the children of illegal aliens are illegal. Parents must be naturalized Citizens of the US
Geez, you sound like the liberals who suggest that Rove is the puppeteer and Bush is just a puppet. Bush is the president and if you don't think he believes in what he's doing you're embarrassingly naive.
"Obscene"
Exactly, that's the word I've been looking for to describe this mess.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/columnists/s_282131.html
The high costs of low-priced produce
By Dimitri Vassilaros
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, December 12, 2004
The more you learn about illegal immigration, the less you should like it. Chances are you never cared much for it in the first place.
The Migrant Education Program gives you 897,000 more reasons to be disgusted by the stealth invasion from Mexico.
Taxpayers paid $393,600,000 last year to educate many of the roughly 900,000 eligible offspring of migrant workers in America. All of whom could be in this country illegally.
"Could," because thanks to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1982, Plyler v. Doe, the government is not even allowed to ask parents if they are here illegally before they sign up for the government program.
Children ages 3 through 21 are entitled to a free education just because they are here. Even if the 21-year-old is married. And has children.
Services include tutorial programs, after-school extended hours, summer programs, in-home programs, health and social support services, parental involvement, advocacy, language arts and, of course, enrichment.
What? No frequent-flier miles on AeroMexico?!
The MEP "Artistas del Verano" program is "to increase the self-esteem and cultural awareness of migrant teenagers through the visual arts and academic enrichment. Participants were encouraged to study their own culture and bring to the design of the murals an image or icon to represent themselves."
The College Assistance Migrant Program is "a federally funded program designed for first-year college students from migrant and seasonal farm worker families. Pennsylvania's CAMP program is located at Penn State University. Established in 1972, CAMP has been available at Penn State since 1993. CAMP offers pre-college transition and first-year support services to help students develop the skills they need to stay in college and graduate."
High school dropouts do not fall through the cracks. They are offered alternatives, according to Suzanne E. Benchoff, director of migrant services. She oversees the implementation of the program in 30 Pennsylvania counties.
"We offer Web-based cyber schools to earn a Mexican high school diploma. They are provided with laptop computers, and our centers have high-speed DSL and T1 lines."
Ay caramba.
Apologists for illegal immigration (usually leaders of the two dominant political parties) tell you that foreigners are needed to do the work that lazy Americans will not do. snip.....
"Never did like that line, it sounds elitist."
Agreed. That line is BS, too. Before illegals flooded the labor market, those jobs were filled by..."gasp"...white college kids. Illegals are lowering our standard of living. Unless, you think 6-8 adults living in a two bedroom aptartment is peachy.
I am sure the president believes in what he is doing. He is misguided by his ideology. We out here dealing with this invasion daily are the "canaries" in the mine, being poisoned by this situation that he and too many republicans are trying to ignore, because it only affects them positively, one way or another. One day, probably when it's too late,they'll get it too.
NO! It is a reward for criminals and a slap in the face to those who try to come here by legal means.
"Attempts to stem the tide by building a fence and beefing up patrols along the southwestern border have only shifted much of the flow of illegal immigrants east from California, often to the rugged Arizona desert."
Fence the whole freakin' border....with a high electrified fence topped with barbed wire. As much money as we waste on "programs" for these people, we could easily do it with money to spare.
Congressional switchboard: 1-877-762-8762 TOLL FREE
FYI
*******
A Ticking Time Bomb: Diseases that Cross American Borders
RUTHERFORD INSTITUTE.COM ^ | DECEMBER 13, 2004 | JOHN W. WHITEHEAD
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1302149/posts
That's a big one right there. Illegal parents, illegal kid. Seems like a pretty simple concept to me. Why does everything have to be so d***ned political? Why can't we just use plain ol' common sense. Yeah, I know. Stupid question. Politicians don't have any.
Well Moby Dick was a Minnow when I graduated from HS and went to sea!! I have a BS in CompSci & Industrial Mgt. Worked at it for 2 years and they never let the door hit me where the good lord split me! The gray hair and well it was all it took. Of course they would never admit that.
And when you call site the following:
U.S. Constitution
Article I, Section 8, Clause 15
To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions:
Our legislators have a constitutional responsibility and duty, in which they have sworn an oath to uphold, to "repel" the invasion of illegal immigrants now.
I can remember when Iowa Beef had recruiters scouring under the bridges for homeless people, because they couldn't hire enough people.
Note the convuluted description to avoid the A-word.
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