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Chertoff Warns of 'Silent Amnesty' on Immigration
Newsmax ^ | May 24, 2007 | Reuters

Posted on 05/25/2007 5:14:56 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Conservative Republicans working to block a compromise immigration bill risk endorsing a "silent amnesty" by insisting on unfeasible mass deportations, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in an interview published on Thursday.

In remarks to USA Today, Chertoff also criticized liberal immigrant rights advocates, saying they could prolong the anguish of immigrant families by withholding support for legislation that could give them legal status.

Chertoff spoke to the newspaper's editorial board in a preview of a Bush administration media campaign to build support of broad immigration legislation being debated by the U.S. Senate, USA Today said.

The compromise bill brokered between the White House and a bipartisan group of senators ties tough border security and work place enforcement measures to the guest worker program and a plan to legalize an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.

The measure has drawn criticism from many quarters and its fate in the Senate is uncertain.

The bill has been criticized for placing new limits on family-based immigration and conservative Republicans oppose the legalization program saying it would reward people who broke U.S. laws.

Chertoff acknowledged there is "a fundamental unfairness" in legislation that permits illegal immigrants to remain in the United States but said trying to force them to leave would be impossible, USA Today reported.

"We are bowing to reality," Chertoff said.

He dismissed the position of some opponents who argue that illegal immigrants will leave if strict enforcement of U.S. laws makes it impossible for them to find a job.

"You're not going to replace 12 million people who are doing the work they're currently doing," Chertoff said. "If they don't leave, then you are going to give them silent amnesty. You're either going to let them stay or you're going to be hypocritical."

Chertoff warned there would be more mass roundups of illegal workers if the workers do not get a chance to become legal.

"We're going to enforce the law," he said. "People all around the country will be seeing teary-eyed children whose parents are going to be deported."

© Reuters 2007.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: aliens; amnesty; attrition; bushadministration; chertoff; deportation; dhs; enforcement; homelandsecurity; illegalaliens; illegals; immigration; immigrationbill; media; michaelchertoff; propaganda; protectanddefend; roundups; s1348; shamnesty; silentamnesty
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Bush could say we should let all the criminals out of prison and that would reduce crime, and Chertoff would explain why it would be dangerous to oppose that idea.


41 posted on 05/25/2007 5:53:02 PM PDT by ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
by insisting on unfeasible mass deportations...

Jeez...you are some kind of dumb-ass Chertoff. What is unfeasible about enforcing the law??? Fill me in here...if you create a law isn’t there some kind of action required here like ENFORCEMENT!!!! Do your jobs, I bet you could round up several million of them in emergency rooms across the country right now.

42 posted on 05/25/2007 5:56:31 PM PDT by JohnD9207 (Lead...follow...or get the HELL out of the way!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Conservative Republicans working to block a compromise immigration bill risk endorsing a "silent amnesty" by insisting on unfeasible mass deportations...

What rock did they ever find Chertoff under anyway?

43 posted on 05/25/2007 5:59:12 PM PDT by Barnacle (Barred from posting on "A Day in the Life of President Bush" threads.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
"We are bowing to reality," Chertoff said.

I believe the correct expression is "bending over". And while you're down there, Chertoff, grab your ankles so you can take it in the shorts for the rest of us legal Americans.

44 posted on 05/25/2007 6:02:58 PM PDT by Major Matt Mason (Advocacy journalism has killed the news business.)
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To: Barnacle

I am wondering about that, too. And where did he get Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez? What’s going on here?


45 posted on 05/25/2007 6:04:06 PM PDT by KittyKares
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff

This guy has never inspired one iota of confidence in me. Tom Ridge looked like Superman compared to this specimen.

46 posted on 05/25/2007 6:05:04 PM PDT by buccaneer81 (Bob Taft has soiled the family name for the next century.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
"We are bowing to reality," Chertoff said.

I'd like to know what they really are bowing to. If they want to call 12 million ILLEGAL aliens in America "reallity", it's a reallity of their own design and implementation.

I wrote my congressman years ago about the insanity of this invasion. He said not to worry, the new Department of Homeland Security would take care of it. That was when there were eight million ILLEGAL aliens in America.

Is this what they call taking care of it?

What a crock!

47 posted on 05/25/2007 6:10:34 PM PDT by Barnacle (Barred from posting on "A Day in the Life of President Bush" threads.)
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To: KittyKares
I am wondering about that, too. And where did he get Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez? What’s going on here?

We're being sold down the river. Right out into the Gulf of... The Gulf of... I just can't bring myself to say it.

48 posted on 05/25/2007 6:13:44 PM PDT by Barnacle (Barred from posting on "A Day in the Life of President Bush" threads.)
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To: Barnacle

Have they installed ritual footwashing areas
in Homeland security yet?
When Cherthoff “bows” to reality, does he face Mecca?


49 posted on 05/25/2007 6:18:05 PM PDT by Diogenesis (Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Chertoff lies again. Either Chertoff is truly stupid or he takes us for morons to come up with such stupid statements.


50 posted on 05/25/2007 6:18:08 PM PDT by Dante3
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To: TADSLOS
On second thought, maybe Chertoff is merely senile.
51 posted on 05/25/2007 6:19:31 PM PDT by Dante3
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To: Barnacle

Can you say Texico? That’s close enough.


52 posted on 05/25/2007 6:20:01 PM PDT by KittyKares
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To: taxed2death
Lying treasonous POS

Personally, I think you're going too easy on the guy.

53 posted on 05/25/2007 6:22:26 PM PDT by Types_with_Fist (I'm on FReep so often that when I read an article at another site I scroll down for the comments.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

“Chertoff acknowledged there is “a fundamental unfairness” in legislation that permits illegal immigrants to remain in the United States but said trying to force them to leave would be impossible, USA Today reported.

“We are bowing to reality,” Chertoff said.”

Funny, marijuana users make up a rather larger percentage of the population than illegal aliens, but we keep on spending money arresting them. Must be the Bush Administration is more concerned about dope smoking hippies than an invasion and the destruction of our country.


54 posted on 05/25/2007 6:27:40 PM PDT by Kolokotronis (Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated!)
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To: marron

Another piece of c—p in their argument is that if 12 million leave, there won’t be anybody to do the work they’re doing. How about the hundreds of thousands sitting in state and federal jails who are watching t.v., joining gangs, and pumping iron? If they can pump iron, they can pick lettuce. The money they’re paid can help compensate the taxpayer for their upkeep.


55 posted on 05/25/2007 6:33:13 PM PDT by WestSylvanian
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
“Coming out of the Shadows”, a phrase utilized frequently by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Ma) for illegal aliens having entered the country illegally and residing and working covertly, contrary to United States law,is more apropos for DHS Secretary M.Chertoff, who use of the tern “Silent Amnesty” as a threat to opponents of the Amnesty Bill of McCain/Kennedy 2008, clearly signals the “Coming out of the Shadows”, the willingness of the Secretary and those employed by the agencies within DHS,at the behest of the Bush Administration to blatantly ignore the enforcement of the laws presently on the books. An overt and clumsy threat to turn a blind eye and allow continued residence and employment by said aliens, for the crass purpose of maintaining an underclass of low paid stoop labor. “Silent Amnesty” is the Bush Administrations code for “if we don't get our way, we will allow the continued hemmoraging of illegal flow through the open border to spite those on both side of the political divide who would challenge the administration”.

Despicable. A new low in the political game, struck by this administration. I am grossly ashamed for the personal efforts and monies I contributed towards both of the elections and the continued support I gave George Bush and his administration.

56 posted on 05/25/2007 6:37:36 PM PDT by Gideon Reader (DEMOCRATS: Not quite American, and proud of it! REPUBLICANS: Testosterone challenged.)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

It’s just you E3.
Jean Reno and Chertoff? No.Sorry. Not even close.


57 posted on 05/25/2007 6:41:27 PM PDT by Gideon Reader (DEMOCRATS: Not quite American, and proud of it! REPUBLICANS: Testosterone challenged.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

FOAD Chertoff. I’m sick of you!


58 posted on 05/25/2007 6:44:27 PM PDT by dennisw (The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction)
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To: Gideon Reader

You are correct on what this POS “silent amnesty” threats are. GW makes the same threats but more subtly


59 posted on 05/25/2007 6:49:49 PM PDT by dennisw (The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The "It would be too hard to deport everyone" argument is a false argument. The politicians know that all we have to do to significantly decrease illegal immigration is to end government handouts to illegals. If the U.S. stopped allowing "anchor babies" as an excuse, the U.S. would be much less attractive for illegals.

Another thing to show how poor their argument is: Let us assume that the government is incapable of deporting a significant number of illegals. Deporting, say, 1 million illegals, it is said, would be a logistical nightmare. Those are 1 million people who are to be given emergency medical care (if needed), a meal, and transportation to the border. But these 1 million people would not be deported all at once. Suppose 1 million illegals were deported over the course of 1 year. That amounts to 2738 people a day. So the liberals, who usually argue that the government can do anything, are claiming that the U.S. just government cannot process the same number of people that are processsed in a mid-sized airport on any given day.

But we are supposed to believe that the same government that cannot deport 1 million people (giving them quick medical care if needed, a meal and transportation) -- the same government that cannot coordinate this is somehow able to take 10 or 20 million people, process them, give them citizenship, sign them up for Social Security, give them free or subsidized education, set up vast jobs programs, etc. The same government that, it is said, can not give a meal and a blanket to 1 million poor people is somehow able to give vast welfare benefits to 10 or 20 million people?

What is this transforming difference that empowers the government to work miracles for 20 million formerly illegal aliens when it cannot deport 1 million illegals? Well, the illegal alien who is given a meal and trucked across the border cannot vote. The 20 million new "citizens" who will become clients of the welfare/industrial state will be able to vote. That is the difference.

60 posted on 05/25/2007 6:52:24 PM PDT by Wilhelm Tell (True or False? This is not a tag line.)
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