Posted on 06/04/2006 10:12:31 AM PDT by WestTexasWend
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Former San Antonio mayor Henry Cisneros says the United States has the right to secure and seal its borders, but he warned it should be done with "a sense of humanity and human rights."
Cisneros, the former U.S. housing secretary under Democratic President Bill Clinton, made an impassioned speech on the subject Friday during the Bilateral Immigration Forum.
"I believe in immigration," he said. "I have used religious words in this regard. It is the salvation of the American future."
Cisneros cited personal reasons behind his stance. His grandfather came to Texas from Mexico to escape persecution during the 1910-17 Mexican Revolution.
Cisneros said President Bush frames the immigration issue correctly by presenting three reforms: improved border security; a channel for legal workers to be hired in the United States; and a path to earned residency and citizenship for existing and new illegal immigration.
"Mexico is pushing out its people by its inability to provide jobs. People will come before they starve. They will come before their families starve. The push is immense, but the pull is just as strong - the job opportunities in the United States," he said.
The United States has a right to define its borders and to define who comes in and has the right to seal the borders if it chooses, Cisneros said.
"But it should do so with a sense of humanity and human rights. Securing the border should not end in the death of people. They are not criminals. They are responding to the push-and-pull realities. There should be some reasonableness because people's lives are in danger," he said.
Cisneros warned that sending National Guard troops to support the Border Patrol may end up being a tragic mistake because the National Guard is not trained to guard the border.
"Just sending the National Guard without specific training for that purpose is dangerous. Border security needs to be proper and effective and not waste people's lives on either side," he told the forum.
On Friday, Republican Gov. Rick Perry signed an agreement authorizing the deployment of National Guard Troops to the U.S.-Mexico border as part of a plan Bush recently announced to support Border Patrol agents.
Cisneros said he does not sense that there is urgency in Mexico to create economic growth.
"Somewhere in Mexico's consciousness, there must be some sense of inadequacy. A country that cannot provide jobs for its citizens fails," he said.
Cisneros also said he has "zero patience" for the argument that immigration will change the United States culturally.
"We must assimilate immigrants into the American way," he said. "This is something we do together."
Hold your wallets and kiss your country goodbye. Right, Henry?
It always amazes how felons among Democraps like Cisneros voice opinions publicly about stuff. Lotsa chutzpah.
when did he get paroled?
This guy was convicted of something. It had to do with his mistress as I recall. Does anybody remember the details?
We are the most compassionate nation in the world. That is obvious by just looking at the foreign aid sent to every god-forsaken hellhole for any reason out of OUR tax money.
I am no longer compassionate. I believe charity begins at home and it is about time some of the American taxpayers saw some compassion from our elected politicians.
Let the illegal aliens, regardless of which country they are from, go back and change their countries for the better, not change mine for the worse.
I forget, what was the Felony that Cisneros was convicted of?
I can't remember the details eithe. But he was on the fast track early to become the first serious Hispanic for national office.
Plain and simple, he blew it.
It never amazes me when a Democratic Party source like the AP fails to mention his criminal history, or the pardon he bought from Clinton.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
Just think...if the US had deported his grandfather, we wouldn't have had to put up with that snake all these years. Another opportunity missed by a government that refuses to abide by its own laws.
He didn't blow it, he just reverted to his culture. That's what the "elite" of them bring with them. The non-elite just plain rape.
The charge was lying to the FBI and filing false IRS forms. He was paying a mistress hush money, but failed to report that when he was being employed by the Clinton administration...not that that little flaw would have made any difference to der Schlichmeister.
Like, we should listen to anything spoken by law-breaker Cisneros!
Notice how they always manage to slip the word "immigration" into the debate about ILLEGAL aliens sneaking into our country. Somebody needs to tell the leftists, and the President, that 'immigrant' is to illegal alien what 'money' is to counterfiet currency. One is legal and good, the other is illegal and bad. Simple concept, even for liberals.
All you need to know about Cisneros' track record on withholding the law of the land:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/cisneros/keystories.htm
He's a crook!
Lying to the FBI - background check when appointed by the criminal President Klinton in 92. I'll get some details.
http://www.americanpatrol.com/REFERENCE/cisnerosquote.html
"Cisneros also said he has 'zero patience' for the argument that immigration will change the United States culturally."
And I have "zero patience" for people that don't understand the difference in meaning betwixt: immigration and ILLEGAL immigration.
They are not the same -- moron!
It's the difference between someone politely ringing your door bell; as opposed to breaking into your house and robbing you.
A lie works best wrapped in truth...
The article above says he plead guilty to a Misdemeanor?
Here are some sources on Cisneros.
His bio in left-leaning Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_G._Cisneros
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/ALLPOLITICS/stories/01/20/clinton.pardon/index.html
He paid his mistress over a quarter of a million, under the table. He cheated the IRS on the amount. He was never charged for that before he got the blanket parton from Clinton:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/cisneros/stories/cis052095.htm
AJ Strata had some interesting commentary at the time. He ascribed the whole thing to the immaturity, the desire to play playboy, which was so important to Clinton and to Cisneros:
http://strata-sphere.com/blog/index.php/archives/1202
By the way, Cisneros is not only the sort of man that needs to write a check to get a date, he's also the sort of man that when his having done that gets the girl in trouble, cavalierly lets HER go off to jail whil HE wriggles out.
If he's the sort of citizen Mexicans' kids become, there ought to be a bounty on him. Fortunately, he is a single individual and not typical of his race -- most of them are far finer human beings.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
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