Amnesty Pushers Concoct Six Straw Men

Human Events ^ | 05/06/2009 | Rep. Lamar Smith

[Delacon]

It’s an old device in politics: Set up a straw man to criticize when you can’t win an argument on your own. Such tactics, unfortunately, are standard fare when it comes to efforts by a handful of special interest groups to bring about amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Organizations such as the National Council of La Raza, the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and the Migration Policy Institute know that most Americans disagree with their desire for amnesty. Most Americans want to see immigration laws enforced. So these groups create straw men. They use them as diversionary tactics to criticize the way in which immigration laws are enforced without ever admitting to their true amnesty goals.

Who are these Straw Men? Let’s take a look:

1. The Civil Rights Abuses Straw Man

One of the most popular with the amnesty movement is the Civil Rights Abuses Straw Man. He is the one on whom the open-borders crowd call when they want to undercut successful efforts of state and local police and sheriffs to enforce immigration laws through a federal program known as 287(g).

The 287(g) program was created in the “Illegal Immigration Control and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.” It allows states or localities to enter into an agreement with the federal government to assist in the investigation, apprehension and detention of illegal aliens. It is purely voluntary on behalf of local law enforcement officials.

But the Civil Rights Abuses Straw Man suggests that allowing state and local law enforcement officers to enforce immigration laws increases the risk of racial profiling and leads to civil rights violations.

This claim, however, fails on several fronts:

First, 287(g) is authority given to police and sheriffs, sworn to uphold our laws. Those officers regularly interact with the public to enforce a huge range of criminal statutes -- day in and day out. It is absurd to suggest that granting additional authorities to police officers and sheriffs’ deputies will somehow cause them to take leave of their senses and start violating people’s civil rights.

Moreover, as the Supreme Court made clear in the 1996 case of Bush v. Vera, mere “racial disproportions in the level of [law enforcement activity] for a particular crime may be unobjectionable if they merely reflect racial disproportions in the commission of that crime.” In other words, the fact that many illegal immigrants fall into specific racial categories, and arrests of illegal immigrants reflect those categories, does not mean that civil rights violations have occurred.

2. The Strained Resources Straw Man

A close friend of the Civil Rights Abuses Straw Man, the Strained Resources Straw Man is also often called upon to undercut 287(g). This one suggests that police and sheriffs shouldn’t be given 287(g) authority because enforcing immigration laws will strain their ability to carry out other law enforcement functions.

But 287(g) is entirely voluntary.

The reality is that the annual number of jurisdictions that choose to voluntarily participate in 287(g) has risen dramatically -- from one in 2002 to 67 currently -- and DHS cannot keep up with the increased demand. In fiscal 2007, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which administers the program, received 69 new applications, the vast majority of which had to be rejected because of limited funding.

Does the Strained Resources Straw Man really believe that if police chiefs and sheriffs thought that 287(g) authority would detract from their other public safety responsibilities, they would ask for it anyway?

3. The Serious Criminals Straw Man

Another of the men of the amnesty movement is the Serious Criminals Straw Man. He rightly recognizes that some illegal immigrants commit heinous crimes, and that they pose serious threats to public safety in American communities.

But the suggested response is flawed.

The Serious Criminals Straw Man wants ICE to focus on finding and deporting serious criminal aliens only after they have committed their crimes and to the exclusion of other immigration enforcement. He suggests that federal agents should not arrest illegal immigrants for a whole array of crimes like identity theft, Social Security fraud, vandalism, public intoxication and even driving under the influence. His argument is that these “minor” offenses should be ignored.

A better approach is to comprehensively identify and work to deport illegal immigrants for their violations of immigration law, rather than waiting to identify them until after they have committed a more “serious” crime.

4. The Family Separation Straw Man

One of the newest men in the amnesty movement is the Family Separation Straw Man. He’s traveling around the country with amnesty advocates on a so-called “Family Unity Tour.” His goal is to focus on what happens to families when immigration laws are enforced.

This man acts as if the only option for illegal immigrant parents who are caught breaking the law is separation from their children. But he forgets that children can travel to their parents’ home countries with them. And the federal government may even cover the cost if the family cannot afford it.

In most cases, the children will be welcomed abroad as citizens of their parents’ home countries -- so they won’t be “stateless” as Family Separation Straw Man suggests. In fact, the 10 countries that are estimated to have sent the most illegal immigrants to the U.S. are Brazil, China, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, the Philippines and South Korea. In all of these countries except China, the country’s law is clear that children born in the U.S. who have at least one parent who was a citizen of their country (and born in the country) are either automatically citizens of the country or can easily seek citizenship. In China, the law is unclear, but the practice of the Chinese embassy is to allow children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrant Chinese parents to return to China as Chinese nationals.

The Family Separation Straw Man also fails to account for the number of illegal immigrants who come to the U.S. alone, leaving family behind in their native countries. These individuals knowingly broke our laws and entered our country illegally. They need to take responsibility for their actions.

5. The Detention Straw Man

As the American public and Congress increasingly pushed the Bush Administration to enforce the immigration laws on the books, the need to increase the capacity of immigration detention facilities became clear.

At the time, there were an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country, including more than 600,000 who had already been ordered deported but stayed in the U.S. instead of going home. There were many thousands more who were arrested by the Border Patrol or ICE, but never even showed up for their day in court.

Catching and releasing these individuals clearly wasn’t working. In the old days, the Justice Department’s inspector general found that only 13% of non-detained aliens with final removal orders were returned home. What’s worse, only 6% of non-detained aliens from countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism who had final removal orders were deported.

But ICE had the capacity to hold only about 17,000 detained aliens. The bipartisan Congress worked with President Bush to roughly double that number.

The Detention Straw Man, however, doesn’t like detention because it is effective: It ensures that those ordered deported actually leave.

His solution is to use so-called “alternatives to detention” such as electronic monitoring or telephone reporting. He forgets, however, that these programs do not work in most cases. Even under ICE’s intensive monitoring program, one third of the “supervised” aliens who are ordered deported ignore their deportation orders.

The Detention Straw Man also suggests that detained illegal immigrants should have more rights, including the right to comprehensive medical and dental care and an array of comforts. While he is correct that basic medical screening should be provided to individuals, he overlooks the fact that most illegal immigrants are in ICE custody for just 31 days and therefore do not require that level of care. More important, in many cases, illegal immigrants remain in custody only while they continue to fight their deportation cases in U.S. courts. They could in fact go home at any time if they chose to.

At the core of the Detention Straw Man’s philosophy is the erroneous proposition that individuals who broke our laws to come here illegally in the first place will automatically comply with our laws after they are caught and ordered to leave.

6. The Flawed Verification System Straw Man

The final straw man is the Flawed Verification System Straw Man. Although he doesn’t insert himself into many of the day-to-day debates about immigration enforcement, he works quietly to be sure that individuals who illegally enter the U.S. can continue to find jobs when they arrive.

His presence among the Straw Men of the Amnesty Movement is particularly troublesome now: Currently, nearly 13 million citizens and legal immigrants are looking for jobs. Almost eight million illegal immigrants hold them.

The Flawed Verification System Straw Man consistently claims that he understands the link between illegal immigration and the ability of illegal immigrants to gain employment, yet he opposes efforts to help employers comply with the law.

Notably, he claims that E-Verify, the federal government’s system that enables companies to hire legal workers, is fatally flawed. He forgets that there are currently more than 115,000 companies that voluntarily use the E-Verify system. And he fails to recognize that it immediately confirms 99.6% of work-eligible employees, the kind of success rate that any company would be happy to have.

Those who use the straw men politically never admit knowing them. If they did, the truth might come out: These straw men exist to divert attention from their true goal: amnesty for all illegal aliens.

Mr. Smith represents the 21st District of Texas. He is the former chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims.

[AuntB]

Thanks, Delacon, also here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2247647/posts

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks The Spirit Of Allegiance.

[AuntB]

Not to worry, Janet “Nappin’-at-the-Alamo” is on it!

Haven’t you heard? Thousands are dying from narco terrorists in Victoria and Seattle is the largest kidnap capital of the world!!!!!

U.S. begins beefing up Canadian border security

by Bob Drogin - May. 9, 2009 11:37 AM
Los Angeles Times

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/05/09/20090509canadianborder-ON.html
[snip]Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano made the get-tough policy clear in recent comments.

“One of the things that we need to be sensitive to is the very real feeling among southern border states and in Mexico that if things are being done on the Mexican border, they should also be done on the Canadian border,” Napolitano told a conference in Washington.

“In other words, we shouldn’t go light on one and heavy on the other.”

[Delacon]

“Janet “Nappin’-at-the-Alamo””

I love it. Did you make that up?

[AuntB]

““Janet “Nappin’-at-the-Alamo”””

No, can’t take the credit. That goes to Lars Larson.

http://www.larslarson.com/

[Kimberly GG]

A great read...thank you for the link/posting!

“It’s time Palin clarifies her position on Amnesty/illegal aliens.”

She did clarify her position on Amnesty and I’m glad Univision asked her to clarify it so there is no uncertainty. She supports a “path to citizenship” for illegal aliens.

UNIVISION: To clarify, so you support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants?

PALIN: I do, because I understand why people would want to be in America. To seek the safety and prosperity, the opportunities, the health that is here. It is so important that yes, people follow the rules so that people can be treated equally and fairly in this country.

[Kimberly GG]

I wonder what kind of briefing he’s talking about?

In any event, for me, she MUST (EFFECTIVELY) secure our borders, she MUST take a position of attrition through enforcement of our current immigration laws, and she MUST OPPOSE...

-ANY amnesty (including “not total”, “not blanket”) of

-ANY kind (including ‘paths’, ‘earned’, touch back, etc.) for

-ANY/ALL illegal aliens. (no “criminal” vs. “non-criminal”...they’re ALL criminals).

I’d also like to see clarification and an end to birthright citizenships...one baby born in the US entitles ILLEGAL ALIENS families to LEGALLY receive federal & state benefits. It is just as much a magnet, if not more so, than jobs.

[rawcatslyentist]

fixing the damage of crimigration

If outright Fascist Socialism is the damage?

The "fixings", of the last outright Fascist Socialism, cost US and the World a lot of lives.

Thank You Satan 1:50

[rawcatslyentist]

>"They are mostly all the same and are loyal to outside powers."

Hey cut them some slack... It's what they're paid to do. ... .. .. .. .. by someone else .. .. .. .. What they "MAKE" on their side "BUSINESSES" makes what we pay them look like snot!

Until WE THE PEOPLE banish all extraneous income sources for elected officials, we will be governed by CROOKS!

Oddly enough this will create EQUALITY for the poor who wish to hold office, as the evil rich, or those seeking to become evil rich will AVOID public office for just this reason.

[Liz]

PALIN ON UNIVISION: I support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants....."I understand why people would want to be in America. To seek the safety and prosperity, the opportunities, the health that is here."

Oh brother---Sarah better read this.

Quoting Tom Tancredo: “I’ll never forget a conversation I had with Juan Hernandez, who headed up the mrxican govt's "Ministry of Mexicans Living in the United States." Hernandez is a dual citizen of the United States and Mexico (was McC's Hiapanic outreach).

Hernandez said the purpose of the Mexican government agency he heads, is to increase the flow of Mexican nationals to the United States......to serve Mexico’s needs:

(1) to increase remittances to Mexico of $50 billion a year, (30% of Mexico's GDP).

(2) US employment for an exploding Mexican population,

(3) alleviate Mexico's social instability due to rising unemployment.

(4) suck up (tax-paid) training (and degrees) for Mexicans, who are expected to repatriate these skills back to Mexico.

Tancredo:‘’Then your government would oppose amnesty for Mexicans in the United States?’’

Hernandez cried, ‘’Oh no! We support amnesty totally. By Mexico populating the United States with millions of Hispanics who are tied economically, politically and linguistically to Mexico, we are able to exert enormous influence and pressure on US policy and its dealings with Mexico.’’

==================================

CONCLUSION Get ready for the looting and plundering----we're looking at a major transfer of wealth to Tijuana. The greedy Mexicans are salivating at the thought of getting their filthy hands on US treasure.

And to think the Barbarians, the Vandals, and the Huns used force-----here we have the US govt opening the gates, giving a blank check to invaders, even opening up US highways to facilitate hauling away US wealth.

================================

THE LATEST RIPOFF The bogus Mexican "drug war" is creating a new class of illegals pouring in, claiming "persecution" to gain entry. The Mexican gov't is coaching its citizens-----as a way to suckoff working class US taxpayers and collect US govt freebies. Social Security provides financial aid to these "refugees."

Keep in mind these people never paid a dime into the SS system; yet, they can collect seven years straight and get extended payments if they are politically well-connected. The SS checks to these "persecuted refugees" can amount to $1000 a month...... and more. Some are wealthy nationals whining about "persecution" in order to collect.

[kabar]

I agree. The briefing was to be by the Border Patrol to give her an idea as to the scope and severity of the illegal problem. Obviously, amnesty would not be part of the briefing. I provided her supporter with materials from our CPAC booth on amnesty and other immigration issues.

[NewRomeTacitus]

The Mexican gov't is coaching its citizens-----as a way to suckoff working class US taxpayers and collect US govt freebies.

I'm a big fan but such use of language can lead to posters believing you're not the lady you seem to be.

Like more than one of us has not wondered what freakiness is REALLY going down in Alaska. And despite that wondering we really don't want to know.

Seriously though, we do not need an opening for illegal immigrants to garner Social Security benefits when so many American citizens can't get them without lengthy and expensive litigation. So much so that some law firms are now specializing in that. It's a damned disgrace.

[Liz]

Many thanks for your comments. I'm an earnest student (and lover) of the English language, and its myriad of uses. Sometimes one needs to use a particular word to describe a siutuation one finds despicable---suckup is such a word.

Seriously though, we do not need an opening for illegal immigrants to garner Social Security benefits when so many American citizens can't get them without lengthy and expensive litigation. So much so that some law firms are now specializing in that. It's a damned disgrace.

N-i-c-e take. Great contribution to the thread. Thanks again.

[r9etb]

Add this to the Straw man argument list.

Are you suggesting that illegals are not being paid by Americans?

[r9etb]

I'm an not going to take a fall for unscrupulous employers.

I'm not asking you to. I'm merely pointing out that Rep. Smith talks about all those nasty illegals who are taking American jobs, but he somehow fails to notice who is providing those jobs in the first place.

Pretty opportunistic bit of demagoguery by Rep. Smith....

Do you really think the illegals would be headed up here in such numbers, if Americans weren't offering them money to do so? Not just jobs, either....

[wolfcreek]

If we had control of the border, none of this would be an issue.

It’s wrong to employee illegals.

It’s wrong for them to come here illegally.

It’s wrong to come up with excuses for the above.

[r9etb]

It’s wrong to come up with excuses for the above.

It is also wrong to rely on slogans rather than thought.

[wolfcreek]

I can proudly say, “I didn't come up with a single one”.

We actually LIVE in a border state. We have the second highest number of illegals. (that, IMO, is debatable) We spend a lot of money and exhaust a lot of our teacher's time and patience dealing with the children of these illegals. Not to mention the billions doled out for public services, welfare and medical care.

We deal, firsthand, with the criminal enterprise, the kidnappings, the rapes, the drug dealing, child molesters and the DWI incidences.

We don't need no stinkin *slogans* to plead our case.

[r9etb]

We don't need no stinkin *slogans* to plead our case

And yet you persist in missing the point. Just look at what you said ... "we spend a lot of money.... the billions doled out...." And again we should mention the employers who hire illegals.

For God's sake, man -- think about what you're saying!

Do you really think they'd be coming over in such numbers if Americans weren't offering them money and valuable free stuff?

The illegals are making simple economic decisions. So are Americans. But we're the ones holding the money: it's our own fault.

If you want to deal with illegal immigration, the way to do it is on the demand side, not the supply side.

[wolfcreek]

If you go back and read my posts, I never said employers weren’t to blame. You, otoh, seem to want to blame everyone in this country for their presence.

That is what Obama does so well. Blame everyone else.

I said its’ wrong to hire illegals and then explained the effects of their coming here.

I also said we should control the border.

Where did I lose you? Oh yeah, back when you started defending them and blaming us.

That’s the biggest copout of them all.