Bush Pledges Border Control

Los Angeles Times ^ | 08/30/2005 | Peter Wallsten and Mark Z. Barabak

[boris]

Bush Pledges Border Control

The president, in a rare Southland visit, treads the middle ground in immigration furor.

By Peter Wallsten and Mark Z. Barabak, Times Staff Writers

With increasingly fierce debates over border security exposing divisions in the Republican Party, President Bush on Monday endorsed a policy of strict border enforcement.

His comments during appearances in California and Arizona were an apparent response to some state officials and conservatives in his own party who say the administration has failed to adequately address human trafficking from Mexico into the United States.

Officials in the two states have struggled to balance the need to guard against waves of illegal immigration with the demands of agriculture and other industries that rely on migrant labor.

They also have been mindful of the growing importance of Latino voters, many of whom are sympathetic to looser enforcement...

[NJ_gent]

I'll believe it when I see the wall being built. Until then, it's talk aimed at placating the naive among us. Mr. President, please do your job.

[kellynla]

talk, talk, talk....

Hey President Bush?
What about my wall???
hmmmmmmmmm...

what about deporting the millions of illegals including the incarcerated who account for ONE THIRD OF THE PRISON POPULATION?

what about fining employers who hire illegals?

what about stationing the National Guard on the borders?

and finally what about refunding CA and the rest of the border states the BILLIONS OF DOLLARS it's been costing us every year to allow the illegals to stay here?

gezzzzzzz, this guy has only had four friggin' years to wake up and smell the friggin' coffee for pete sakes!!!

Semper Fi,
Kelly

[sargunner]

Hammer, Nail, Head... Spot on post Kelly

[Dead Corpse]

Yeah... it wasn't too bright to declare a War on an amorphous enemy like terror cells, WITHOUT SECURING YOUR OWN BORDERS!!! That's like declaring a war on fireants and then leaving a trail of sugar for them to follow right to your pantry.

[jackbenimble]

It would be a lot easier to believe the President if he had requested in his budget the full 2000 Border Patrol officers authorized by the 9/11 Security Bill which he praised and signed last December. Instead he requested budget for only a mere 200. President Bush has a pretty good record for saying what he plans to do and doing what he says but in this case his actions are badly out of kilter with his words. His words seem blatantly disingenuous and that is the polite way of saying what I really think.

[kellynla]

And instead of being in SD talking to the vets about VJ day although I'm glad he's taking time out to go to the hospital down there to visit with the wounded vets but afterwards W should be in Sacramento sitting down with RINOld figuring out how the hell they're going to solve the illegal immigration problem in CA and about reimbursing CA the BILLIONS we've been paying to allow illegals to stay here.

And then he should be on Air Force One on his way to Iraq & Afghanistan visiting with the troops!

I don't know who GWB's travel planner is but he needs to find another one!
shezzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Semper Fi,
Kelly

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"They also have been mindful of the growing importance of Latino voters, many of whom are sympathetic to looser enforcement..."

I don't believe that for a minute. Everything I've read says that Latinos that are here legally want illegal immigration stopped as well. How fair is it to any ethnic group that comes here, plays by the rules and takes the time and effort to become a citizen, versus those that just show up for the free lunch? (By "lunch" I mean, healthcare, a job, a safer place to live even in one room with 14 other cousins, etc.)

And besides, Hillary! will OWN the Latino vote come 2008, don't 'cha know? /sarcasm

[Emmett McCarthy]

Exactly right. And the reason that this will amont to less than nothing is that it's only a political gambit and not something he really believes. He can be effective and steadfast when he believes, but when it's just a ploy, it's transparent and laughable.

[angkor]

The next time GWB visits the Peking Gourmet restaurant at Culmore Shopping Center in Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia, he should stop by the adjacent 7-11 and say "Hola compadres!" to the many dozens of illegals loitering in the parking lot there.

Peking Gourmet has been a favorite restaurant of the Bush family going back to the GHWB administration, and both Dad and son have their pictures plastered all over the restaurant walls.

Presumably he could also drop into the kitchen and strike-up a lengthy conversation in Spanish.

[SweetCaroline]

Not a penny to the Republicans until I see action.

I'll just continue to write "NO CLOSED BORDERS=NO DONATIONS" across the top of the donation forms they send me and mail it back!

[angkor]

"They also have been mindful of the growing importance of Latino voters, many of whom are sympathetic to looser enforcement..."

I don't believe this either.

My wife is an Asian immigrant (now U.S. citizen) and has little sympathy toward the very small handful of Asians she knows who have lost status.

It's really looked-down upon. Like some bad thing you've brought upon yourself and need to fix, post haste.

[kellynla]

Let me tell you something, as a native Californian who KNOWS native Mexican-Californians, there is absolutely no one in this country who is more anti-illegal immigration than these folks because the illegals are not only taking their jobs but are also driving the wage scales down and the quality of living in the Hispanic neighborhoods. Before the illegals inundated these neighborhoods, you could not find a cleaner, more patriotic environment in America. But since the illegals have taken over, the neighborhoods are dirty, drug infested and full of gangs & crime!

So anybody who tries to tell you that people who are against illegal immigration are anti-Hispanic, you tell them they don't know what the hell they're talking about!

Semper Fi,
Kelly

[TBP]

We get all the rhetoric, they get all the action. As usual.

[ZULU]

"They also have been mindful of the growing importance of Latino voters, many of whom are sympathetic to looser enforcement..."

60% of native born Hispanic Americans support strict bordder controls and a good number og legal Hispanic immigrants do so also.

Aside from radical Hispanic groups like La Raza and the Aztlan fruitcakes, this is not an Hispanic American issue.

It IS an issue for exploiters of cheap labor like the fast food industry, landscaping and construction, etc.

It is past time that the government nad our elected officialsshould recognize who voted them in office and to whom they owe their primary allegiance - and it isn't McDonalds or Walmart.

[Condor51]

>>>>what about fining employers who hire illegals?<<<<

I'm with ya. BUT, mosey over to "our" DOJ website and check out the Special Prosecutor Division whose sole purpose is to prosecute employers who FIRE or don't hire "immigrants". There's also links to the EEOC and Dept of Labor who ALSO warn employers about firing and/or not hiring "immigrants".

On the DOJ site it specifically sates that just because an employee's SS number comes back with 'no match' THEY CAN'T BE FIRED. This also goes for other ID returning a 'no match'. They also warn that just because said SS card or ID appears phony, they STILL can't refuse to hire someone.

So until this kind of nonsense is ended, large employers are screwed and are caught up in one big gubmint Catch 22;

You better NOT hire Illegals or we'll get you, but then you better NOT refuse them employment either or we'll get you then too!

Ergo, if I was a major employer, I'd say screw it, I 'ain't' taking the chance of facing prosecution by the DOJ, and lawsuits from the DOL and EEOC and 97 gazillion "immigrant rights groups".

Granted there's employers who knowingly troll the streets for illegals, but take the time and look at the DOJ. Bookmark it for later reading, it's a long read and VERY disturbing.

BTW, about a year ago there was a Bill out of the House that would exempt employers from prosecution and lawsuits if they fired or refused employment to someone who happened to a Legal Resident Alien. It was shot down in flames in the Senate, by 'our' REPUBLICAN majority. McCainiac as I recall was the chief opponent

[ChefKeith]

Yeah right W- the checks in the mail and I won't ...

PROVE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO SOMETHING BESIDES HAVE v. fox OVER FOR BBQ & 'RITAS AT THE RANCH.

It's only a matter of time before the crap that is going on in Neuvo Larado spills COMPLETELY over the border.

[Mr. Keys]

Pure BS !!!!!

[gubamyster]

ping