Bush asks Congress to boost green cards

"I cannot believe I voted for George W Bush who promised to enforce Immigration laws. In the last 6 years he has done nothing to enforce the borders..."

Gee, you joined FR today to bash Bush...claiming that he's done "nothing" for border security (i.e. your DU/DailyKos talking points).

Here's what President Bush has done for border security:

I just spent 9 days along the U.S. - Mexico border, including 2 days around Playa de Tijuana and Tijuana itself. Unlike what you'd see 5 years ago, you don't see hordes of illegals running and swimming across the border. You *do* see U.S. border patrols, U.S. Coast Guard ship patrols, helicopter patrols, and a big steel fence that GWB built after 9/11.

Now granted, this increased border security probably isn't perfect, but it irritates me that people are claiming that we've "done nothing" or that our borders are still "wide open" and other such nonsense.

Yes, there are remote desert areas where environmental groups have successfully sued the Bush Administration in order to slow the construction of the steel fence. Yes, those remote areas *are* passable on foot (but you'd better bring a bunch of water and be prepared to hike for miles) for now. So clearly more needs to be done.

But we also have to give credit where it is due, and there has been substantial progress on border security in the last 3 years, contrary to the people who keep writing articles based on pre-9/11 information.

Once easy, Illegal Immigration Now Risky:President Bush Builds 12 ft Tall Steel Fence Along Mexican Border From The Pacific Into Arizona, Plus Around Major Populated Areas In Arizona and Texas

Illegals Deported By The Planeload Now

"The president cited a 66 percent increase in border-security funding since he took office, along with a 42 percent increase in interior-enforcement spending and a total of 6 million illegal aliens caught and returned home."

http://www.washingtontimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20060326-123457-5749r

You ever get the feeling that democrats and republicans only pretend to oppose each other, only to pass the ball back and forth between them?

Gee, ya think? One side borrows and spends like crazy, the other taxes and spends like crazy.....each side voted in to "correct" the damage the other side did.....

Someone recommended a book to me years ago...."Indispendable Enemies" by Walter Karp, whose main point was when you vote for A you get B, and vice versa. They survive their little shell game by throwing the populace bones to fight over like abortion and gay marriage, all the while bending the taxpayer over repeatedly while taxpayer is squabbling about relatively minor issues.

George W. Bush has been a horrible Republican. Horrible on protecting American jobs, borders, reducing the size of government, and hasn't done squat on social issues.

Bill Clinton's administration, dismal at best, prosecuted 487 employers for hiring illegal aliens his last year in office and Bush's administration has done 3 in 5 years.

President Clinton signed into law 6 of the 7 historical amnesties.

1. Immigration and Reform Control Act (IRCA), 1986: A blanket amnesty for some 2.7 million illegal aliens
2. Section 245(i) Amnesty, 1994: A temporary rolling amnesty for 578,000 illegal aliens
3. Section 245(i) Extension Amnesty, 1997: An extension of the rolling amnesty created in 1994
4. Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) Amnesty, 1997: An amnesty for close to one million illegal aliens from Central America
5. Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act Amnesty (HRIFA), 1998: An amnesty for 125,000 illegal aliens from Haiti

6. Late Amnesty, 2000: An amnesty for some illegal aliens who claim they should have been amnestied under the 1986 IRCA amnesty, an estimated 400,000 illegal aliens
7. LIFE Act Amnesty, 2000: A reinstatement of the rolling Section 245(i) amnesty, an estimated 900,000 illegal aliens

"You cited some very minor operations like the fence that was already passed before he got in office."

Capturing and deporting 6 million illegal aliens is hardly "very minor."

Once easy, Illegal Immigration Now Risky:President Bush Builds 12 ft Tall Steel Fence Along Mexican Border From The Pacific Into Arizona, Plus Around Major Populated Areas In Arizona and Texas

Illegals Deported By The Planeload Now

DHS Announces CBP Border Patrol Agent Deployment Schedule
Washington, D.C. – Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced today the fiscal year 2006 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol agent deployment schedule. In a significant increase in personnel, an additional 1,700 CBP Border Patrol agents will be assigned to the southwest border.
http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/press_releases/archives/2005_press_releases/0122005/12072005.xml

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