Posted on 06/08/2007 7:49:06 AM PDT by KC Burke
WASHINGTON – George W. Bush isn't the first Republican president to face a full-blown immigration crisis on the US-Mexican border.
Fifty-three years ago, when newly elected Dwight Eisenhower moved into the White House, America's southern frontier was as porous as a spaghetti sieve. As many as 3 million illegal migrants had walked and waded northward over a period of several years for jobs in California, Arizona, Texas, and points beyond.
President Eisenhower cut off this illegal traffic. He did it quickly and decisively with only 1,075 United States Border Patrol agents - less than one-tenth of today's force. The operation is still highly praised among veterans of the Border Patrol.
[see link for balance of article]
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
Compassion is not a good tool without a prompting instance to utilize it.
It isn't a good legislative or administrative tool.
President Bush could give himself his own opportunity to demonstrate that compassion that an honest conservative holds and to satisfy the mass of conservatives and deal with the immigration crisis.
He should follow the Eisenhower Plan.
First he announces that since a consensus does not exist, he has no choice but to enforce the law. Take an outstanding military man and put him in charge of BP & ICE and give him a free hand to implement the existing laws.
Then, wait ONE WEEK, no more and no less. After the controversy has arisen but not been answered, announce that he is implementing the second half of his administration's form of the Eisenhower-Bush Plan.
At that point set up a Special Master with staff to quickly hear and recommend the form of Compassionate Conservatism that he made a center-point of his Presidency.
If the laws are being strongly enforced, if the fence is going in, if the catch-and-release is stopped, if the illegal employment is getting hammered by the existing laws and if deportations of the illegals are underway, then I don't have a single problem with extensive charitable mercy by a commission headed by a special magistrate recommending that this family, or this person, based upon the facts, be granted resident status, special treatment, or protection from a deportation that would be a gross injustice.
Now, keep in mind I am not recomending a judicial proceeding that can get mired in appeals and reviews. Instead, the Pardon and Commutation powers of the President will be used to simply grant that charitable and brotherly treatment that the President feels so strongly about as a former border state Governor and as a man with strong ties to cross border sentiments.
The first part of the plan cleans up the mess underway and brings it to a stop. It is strong because it draws on history. The second half of the plan satisfies his adminstration's critics on the left that will arise as soon as the first half is annouced as the general public has had years to be convinced of his charitable leanings in this issue.
First hundreds and then thousands of instances of just and compassionate treatment can blunt the issue that millions aren't being allowed to economically devistate our economy and tax base. Criminals, scofflaws, and people that should not be here can be safely ignored by a magistrate heading a commission of this nature.
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I actually like and admire a good number of the economic driven illegal immigrants that I have come into contact with in the construction trades. I understand that many of these people would be a credit to our immigration history if given the chance.
The chance consists of being allowed to stay when to bulk of the problem is being addressed the way it should have been by the last 21 years of government functionary refusal to deal with the issue attitude.
I don't care if we pardon, commute or specialy treat a hundred thousand or a million or two of them under this process -- we are a big nation and we can deal with it.
Once the process starts, half the twelve million will go home of their own accord knowing that their chances are non-existant due to the nature of how and why they are here.
This Eisenhower Bush plan doesn't need Congress, two appointments take care of it. No new laws are needed. It is implementable without even getting a new appointment of a BP-ICE head confirmed.
George, I have been very dissappointed. Be bold. Make me proud.
I would especially like your comments.
nice article
Thaks to that poster for his good research of published articles.
To do this, President Bush needs to wake up from his daydream.
We’d need to use a different name... “Operation Wetback” would likely cause some panties to bind.
bump
Thanks.
What do you think of the implementation of my Eisenhower-Bush Immigration Plan?
LOL
Bump for later
you have a legal mind and a political sensibility, what do you think?
Another reason why Ike was one of the best Presidents ever.
‘twon’t happen. W has been an absentee president for almost his entire stay in the WH. With 16 months to go, nothing will change.
We have laws on the books right now; inforce them...
If your ‘illgal’ then go to jail...
If you want into our country, apply for citizenship, sure it takes time and costs money...nothing good ever comes free, and the wait if worth it....
If you can’t abide by our laws, why would we want you here?
CONTRABAN LABOR!
I love it. We should use this phrase liberally, and bring it back into vogue.
That compassion could also be called weakness when it comes to protecting our borders - which is his job.
Well, we all know corruption in the days of Eisenhower was immensely worse than it could possibly be today. I mean, we are so much more enlightened than those primitive people were.
Such harsh proposals today would only inflame the citizens of Mexico and make them mad. And what would that actually accomplish?
No, we need a milquetoast president instead. Compassion is the only thing that matters...
Back when Eisenhower was President, people had much more respect for the law.
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