Chertoff to Hannity: Removing 10~11M ILLEGALS too expensive and impractical

FoxNews Channel: Hannity & Colmes ^ | November 14, 2005 | Transcript

[DTogo]

...HANNITY: Because you had made a controversial statement, and you seem to be backing off of it now, and it was that people that are here illegally, that they all ought to be sent back.

I'm paraphrasing.

And it seems like now you've sort of backed off that position a little bit, because there are million that we estimate that are in this country illegally.

Why wouldn't we send them back?

CHERTOFF: ...I also recognize we've got, according to some estimates, 10 to 11 million illegals already in this country working. And the cost of identifying all of those people and sending them back would be stupendous. It would be billions and billions of dollars...

HANNITY: Why — in that sense, aren't you really rewarding those that didn't respect our laws and sovereignty? In other words, OK, you're saying, you came into this country illegally.

Now that we've identified you, we're going to let you even stay longer and make money, and then you can go back in three to six years.

Why don't we say, no, you're here illegally, you didn't respect our laws, you ought to go home? Why don't we just say that?

CHERTOFF: Well, Sean, you know, it's really an issue of practicality.

I mean, as a practical matter, we've got to identify these people and pull them out of the shadows.

Now, this is not an amnesty. This is not — the president's proposal is not a path to citizenship. It's clearly temporary, and it clearly envisions people who would have to commit to go back....

[dagnabbit]

Some folks frankly think that the nation-state is an anachronism, and that notions such as language, culture, and common societal norms are just quaint little nostalgias that just gum up the works for the coming transnational utopia.

The fact that the raising of their multicultural paradise comes at the cost of the permanent abolition of the the sovereign, English-speaking, Judeo-Christian, moderately-populated, safe country once known as the United States of America, bothers them not at all.

[chronic_loser]

slams and door and buffs and boors

later.

[flashbunny]

looks like you've gotten him to take his square ball and head home - he's not playing anymore!

Don't feel bad, you did this thread a service!

[hedgetrimmer]

The fact that the raising of their multicultural paradise comes at the cost of the permanent abolition of the the sovereign, English-speaking, Judeo-Christian, moderately-populated, safe country once known as the United States of America, bothers them not at all.

Sadly, you are correct. I would say that many of these "folks" work in the white house, the state department and the USTR.

[lemura]

You do know illegals are deported every day in this country

I'm a Calif native - I'm well aware of current deportations. Basically, you have to be a gang member to be shipped out. The operative term is comprehensive immigration bill ie something similar to the landmark 1986 amnesty bill, that would include all illegal immigrants.

[Itzlzha]

Oh, and if they are "under-the-table"....isn't THAT "Illegal"? Shouldn't the Illegal Infiltrators "doing the Jobs Americans Won't" have to pay TAXES on those jobs? Or are Illegal Infiltrators exempt from that too?

If someone is here illegally do you really think they are going to be bothered about taking money under the table? Should they pay tax on that income? Yes.

Gee...what OTHER laws will they disregard while they are here, since they have NO respect for this Country and it's laws?

Hmmm...is avoiding paying Income Taxes something "Americans won't do"? Because I would LOVE to starve the beast (Gub'Mint) of my hard-earned income if I could. I'd LOVE to work "under the table"...but that seems to be reserved for the Illegal Infiltrators of all Nationalities.

Tell me why I should shed one tear for ANYONE who is able to gin the system and screw me? Why should I support ANY politician that is OK with this? Why I shouldn't support the ONE good use for my tax dollars in securing the borders with HUGE fences?

And tell me why we shouldn't have a bounty on them, and shoot them on sight as they cross ILLEGALLY into this Country! They are Illegal, criminals, and break MORE than one law here!

[dennisw]

Sadly, you are correct. I would say that many of these "folks" work in the white house, the state department and the USTR.

How did the USTR get in the mix? But I do get your point. Traitors all. Even under Ronald Regan the USTR was populated by skunks and turncoats. I was reading Pat Choat years ago

[Itzlzha]

Show me a person that has never done anything illegal and I show you someone with a poor memory or a damn liar.

Ohhh...NICE!

Moral Relativisim to equate ILLEGAL INFILTRATORS with speeding!

OK...I guess we can now equate Illegals with drunk driving....rape....arson....murder...robbery! Oh, wait...they already ARE!

Bravo, and thank you for exposing yourself for what you are!

Just another OBL/"Cult of Bush" Carpet-Bagger!

[chronic_loser]

Nah. I just remind you guys once in a while that there are more ways to fix a problem than building a wall and deporting 10 million plus people. You just sit and talk to yourselves and after a while you think you are the whole world, or at least the whole conservative world. You aren't, and there are a bunch of people who are going to have to get REAL frustrated over the situation before the advocate the kind of "slam the door and throw em all out" lunacy proposed by the immigration freepthreads.

You can keep prating all you want about "respect for the law" but I don't buy it. Never have. At the root, there is a fear that Pablo is going to take your job because he will work for less. All the rest for most of the people here is prevarication, and you can scream and call names all you want and it won't change a thing. I am NOT for "Pablo taking your job," but believe in a growing market driven by free men and free labor to offer which benefits all people, including the buggy whip makers and chimney sweeps. I am 50 years old and have changed CAREERS (not jobs, careers) 4 times. You can't tell me anything about being afraid or facing uncertainty. I want the same opportunity for Pablo and Hector as there is for me, and not have the door slammed in their faces because some old "white"(quoting some earlier idiot about their son) guy is terrified and thus sinks down in his bitter little state protected cocoon. The idea that allowing immigrants in will depress wages is utter bullshit, unless you have had artificially high wages to begin with that were the product of rigged markets.

[nicmarlo]

see post #308....

[Gaffer]

The cost would be minimal, but the price heavy.

1. National ID card REQUIRED for EVERYONE, VALIDATED US birth certificate primary document to apply.

2. EVERY transaction in the US requires presentation of National ID card. Failure to require presentation of NIDC for transactions results in HEAVY fines.

3. Failure to present (now or later) results in immediate incarceration and export (if you don't get proof within 24 hours).

It would work, but I don't think many would put up with the hassle....

[wolfcreek]

That's what I was thinking. The process will take a long time but, not having any new aliens to deal with will make things easier.
I saw a movie called " A Day Without Mexicans" that really made an impression on me. All Mexicans disappeared one day in California. Everything went to S#@T and people were begging for them to return. I believe this may be the biggest problem we will face with this issue, How Will We Replace the Manpower?

[chronic_loser]

THAT is what we need! More police action. They need to watch us because we are LAWBREAKERS! It is critical that the feds be able to track them, uh, us, er, uh them... and us....., well, you know what I mean.

The only thing you left out is how good it will be FOR THE CHILDREN!!! It is time to give up on this crazy idea of freedom. WE NEED PROTECTING MORE THAN FREEDOM!!!! Remember, a national ID card is really for the children. It is their Christian European heritage at stake.

[Gaffer]

I hope you understand that I never believed that what I suggested should be done. I was making a point. Absolute answers to problems require absolute responses. There are a host of personal objections I have to the simple solution. Just like I would have had to Adolf's Final Solution.

That being said. Something has to be done. The day-to-day impact of the average Mexican here illegally in the US doesn't run up too many red flags. However, if you look closely, there are impacts. Try going to an emergency room sometime with a baby with a 105-106 degree temperature and see how long you have to wait because the only source of general health care for illegals in this country are emergency room and they've crammed the waiting room full with a myriad of non-threatening ailments....

[HighFlier]

I saw a movie called " A Day Without Mexicans"

This country worked fine for two hundred years without large numbers of Mexicans. You might be surprised out how well be would do. But it is all just a fantasy anyway. If the border were shut tomorrow, our future is questionable.

I read recently that although hispanics make up only 14% of our population, they are have about 1 million children a year. Whites make up about 70% of the population and are having only 2.3 million children a year (less than half the rate of the hispanics).

The borders could be sealed tomorrow, but our nation has still been irreversibly changed. Of course, the borders won't be sealed and the changes are going to come on like a freight train.

I hope you all who are so pro-immigration like the world we leave for our grand kids. I'm betting that they will not look fondly on us for what happened to the country during our watch.

[hedgetrimmer]

The trade representatives office, now headed by Rob Portman, is off making deals with "least developed countries" or "poor countries" with the goal of "poverty alleviation". To do this, the US must follow the rules of the WTO, which states that a certain percentage of our GDP must be given to the Millennium Challenge Account, and a significant amount of our tax dollars for "trade capacity building". The congress, which has traditionally overseen so-called foreign aid, has no oversight in this process, unelected bureaucrats, corporate entities and nongovernmental organizations get to pick and choose where the money that has been funneled through the USTR will go.

So there are multiple problems here. The USTR has taken the point of view that it is our duty to redistribute US wealth through trade deals that give money and trade preferences away with no reciprocity on the part of the poor countries, that we must build the infrastructure of those countries with our tax money so they can participate in the global trading system, that the USTR has usurped the authority of congress to do this and that the WTO and the WTO member states have more authority over where the US sends it "trade capacity building" tax money and even over what kinds of industrial sectors are allowed to remain in our economy.

Finally, as part of these WTO trade deals, one of the rules, called Mode 4, or "free movement of persons" is in NAFTA,GATT and the WTO. This is the reason, I believe, that our border isn't being enforced.

[Natural Law]

You obviously haven't grasped the scope and scale of this problem. Estimates are that there are more than 11 million illegal immigrants in the US today. That is a number that is greater than the population of all but 7 states individual states. Further, 1 in 4 births are now to immigrant mothers. It is a daunting enough task to contemplate sealing the borders and absorbing those that are already here. As Chertof stated, removing them would be impossible.

[WatchingInAmazement]

Fact is many on this thread are likely trolls trying to damage the President.

The open border crowd certainly doesn't help. They could demand of this administration to secure this country and enforce the laws, but no, they'd rather call 90% of us that want enforcement names. Besides Pres. Bush doesn't need help, he's damaging himself well enough.

The trolls on these immigration threads all sound the same....."racist", xenophobe, blah, blah, I'm not for illegal immigration! wink, wink...

[chronic_loser]

My white American born Citizen son can't get a part time job because illegals are filling the slots.

Is that so? My daughter with a tested IQ of 68 (70 is the borderline for mental retardation) has been working since she was 16 years old. However, she doesn't sit on her lazy ass and whine about "not being able to get work," either. She actually works three jobs, one as a contractor (she cleans offices), one as a hostess in a restaurant, and one as a bagger in a grocery store (just "promoted" to cashier..., I am very proud of her). She competes with latinos for two of these jobs and she works because she is a better and harder worker than they are.

On the other hand, I put out a bid for work on my house to 4 different contractors. Two never called back. One white guy bid a reasonable bid, and one bid under just a little bit. Three guys from El Salvador were low, but I wasn't sure. Martin called me and said "If you don't like our work, you cut the price in half! We want the job!" That impressed me. They showed up, ready to start work at 6:30 a.m. and laid tile from then till 10:00 at night. I wanted to buy them a beer and they said "lo siento pero no bebimos. Somos Christianos." Rather than argue with them about whether Christians could enjoy a beer, I just said "well, if you are going to refuse my beer, I have to send you home. I have to get some sleep." Back at 6:30 the next a.m. A great job, cleaned up all the mess, better job than I have ever seen, and I used to be a contractor many years ago. It is not just "underbidding." It is pride in workmanship and a desire to excel that gets work.

I have had many experiences like this. The crap people post here about hispanics being rapists, drunks, thieves, murderers and stuff is just reprehensible, and they wonder why I "play the race card." Right. Who is playing what?

Best of luck to your "white American born Citizen son" in getting a job.

[wolfcreek]

I'm not pro-immigration, I just want to know who the HELL is going to do the work these people do. I live in Texas and see how much these people are involved in the workings of everyday life. Until these people can be replaced, alot of businesses are going to suffer. If you or anyone else would like to tell me how to solve this dilemma,PLEASE DO!