The right’s intellectual inconsistency of the “round them up and send them home” argument

The Right Scoop ^ | January 27th, 2013 | Kemberlee Kaye

[walford]

Well, it looks like we’re finally going to have a substantive immigration discussion. Unfortunately, immigration is one of many issues the right always handles poorly. Whether it’s lack of information, general ignorance of immigration laws or what, I really can’t say, nor do I care to speculate. The immigration issue is a big one, not just in terms of political capital, but in the nuances of the laws themselves. Interestingly, it’s also the one issue where Republicans and Democrats agree on most contentions.

Depending on which estimates you consult, there are approximately 11 million illegal immigrants currently residing in the U.S.; some suggest anywhere from 7 – 20 million. Regardless of which figure you choose, the fact remains: there’s a very sizable population of people living outside our legal barriers but inside our legal borders. And this is where the right, at large, loses their ever-lovin’ minds.

For being the party of limited government, the party that reveres the federalistic musings of Jefferson, and the party that constantly criticizes federal government overreach, our only suggestion for handling millions of illegal immigrants requires massive government intervention; massive government intervention that would encroach on the lives of private citizens to an extent we’ve never seen. So let’s entertain this idea for a moment.

Supposing we did “round ‘em up and send ‘em home,” we would need a police force large enough to scour all fifty states. This law enforcement troop would have to track people down, because we don’t know where they are, well, most of them anyway. It’s reasonable to assume that not everyone would go willingly, so there would likely be casualties or at the very least, violent encounters. And if intel was less than accurate (and we all know the government would never make a mistake), we could expect collateral damage, but I suppose a few wrongfully busted doors is nothing and no one will be upset about having their Super Bowl party busted up, Christmas Vacation style because of government error.

I’m not arguing we should toss out the rule of law. I’m not making the case that allowing further illegal immigration is acceptable, what I am saying is that “sending them home” is not only impractical, it’s completely contrary to everything we claim we believe. Unless we want a government expansive enough to round up what equates to the entire population of Pennsylvania, we need to provide practical solutions. We can debate the merits of Rubio’s ideas, come up with new ones, whatever, but let’s leave the intellectual inconsistency and nanny statism to the left. If we expect to win the war of ideas, we have to have good ones.

[Hardastarboard]

The American Socialist Party (known to some as Democrats) are very clever. They rarely if ever attack the voters directly with their mad man schemes - there are too many of us, and the direct approach often turns out badly for them (think 1994 assault weapons ban, which was directed at businesses - it banned the future production of weapons, but didn't confiscate any of them. They paid for it because the individual voters rose up in mass and threw a bunch of them out). They pass the rules they want on businesses, because there are fewer of them, they don't directly vote, and they have more to lose.

Using their own approach, all we have to do is set up a useable version of eVerify, and fine employers $100,000 for each violation of the immigration law, and the illegal problem will melt away in weeks. That approach has the advantage of being anti-business, like Democrats always want, and it could potentially bring the revenue they want to create their Utopian state. Everybody wins (except they lose the huge pool of potential voters, which is their ultimate goal, as everyone with an IQ above room temperature knows).

[cripplecreek]

The GOP also needs to learn to exploit the fractures among the very volatile factions in the democrat camp.

[Georgia Girl 2]

True. No jobs, no welfare, no driver’s license, no healthcare. They all go home.

[Mike Darancette]

” we would need a police force large enough to scour all fifty states."

About the same size as the forces needed to round up all the guns.

[plsjr]

For the left/elite (which means virtually everyone in the gov't and the press) intellectual dishonesty is one of the tools of politics.

How Eisenhower solved illegal border crossings from Mexico

They avoid the real issue of curruption and impact to the U.S. Citizen's income.

I read elsewhere that the Southern Border Patrol was corrupt itself, so Ike swapped the north contingent with the south... broke the political ties and successfully stopped the illegal immigration.

If they were being honest with us, this would be part of the discussion...

[sickoflibs]

Don’t need deportation.

No free stuff

No vote

[kenavi]

I’ve got enough problems getting into my gated community at night.

[VanShuyten]

I wanted to post there but wasn't interested in becoming a subscriber.

Your “round them up” idea is silly. Illegal aliens came here because of money. The “better life” so many people use as an excuse actually comes down to the fact that illegal aliens can make more money here than in China or Guatemala, or Nigeria, or Moldava. The easiest and fairest way to get illegal aliens to leave is to take their money. Strip them of all their assets, right down to their underwear. I don't mean to swoop down on them in the dead of night and deposit them naked across the border, but I do mean to seize all of their assets if they haven't left after a reasonable, but short, period of time. Americans don't care if foreigners legally have assets in the US, and kids born here are Americans, so distribution of assets and guardian care are acceptable, but after a reasonable time, 180 days say, if an illegal alien is caught in the US, then everything he or she owns belongs to the US government. You will see pickup trucks loaded with possessions crossing the border in no time.

[freedomfiter2]

You forgot the part about there being only one name on the ballot and a 125% turnout.

[DBeers]

...what I am saying is that “sending them home” is not only impractical, it’s completely contrary to everything we claim we believe. Unless we want a government expansive enough to round up what equates to the entire population of Pennsylvania, we need to provide practical solutions.

Actually what you are saying is BS. Enforce the laws and stop giving out government freebies to non citizen law breakers -the illegals will self deport. We do not NEED to provide anything. WE believe that government is NOT the great provider EVEN when it comes to 'practical solutions' to problems it created in the first place.

[DBeers]

...what I am saying is that “sending them home” is not only impractical, it’s completely contrary to everything we claim we believe. Unless we want a government expansive enough to round up what equates to the entire population of Pennsylvania, we need to provide practical solutions.

Actually what you are saying is BS. Enforce the laws and stop giving out government freebies to non citizen law breakers -the illegals will self deport. We do not NEED to provide anything. WE believe that government is NOT the great provider EVEN when it comes to 'practical solutions' to problems it created in the first place.

[jameslalor]

That article has a patently false central theme. History shows us that quite the opposite is the case, it’s been done effectively before.

Simple: start enforcing the laws, and the criminals will high-tail it out of here. It’s been done before with good results. Eisenhower’s politically-correct named immigration operation has already been cited.

What’s more, 50%+ of this nation’s hispanic population resides in just 3 states. It wouldn’t take a national police force or military intervention in all fifty states. Hell, it probably wouldn’t take more than the ICE actually bothering to enforce the goddamned laws in the first place.

[zeestephen]

According to the Pew Hispanic Center:

(1) First generation Hispanics vote 80% for the Democrat Party.

(2) Fourth generation Hispanics vote 60% for the Democrat Party.

[SeminoleCounty]

Anything that is not 100% deportation is Amnesty.

Instead of making clever excuses to keep illegal aliens here....energy should be focused on sending them home

[walford]

“I wanted to post there but wasn’t interested in becoming a subscriber.”

I posted by signing in using my Facebook profile. No need to become a subscriber.

[rmlew]

You are saying that we should not deal with invasion because government will get big? Wally, in the real world, Illegal aliens grow government. The use benefits. If not them , they spawn anchors who do and then they get benefits. They commit multiple crimes.

The only question is, do you love America, or will you betray it for your self righteousness and utopian idea that exists only in a thought experiment