Posted on 08/29/2016 12:49:32 PM PDT by Reno89519
The biggest political story of the last week has been Donald Trump’s flip-flop on deporting undocumented immigrants. This Sunday on CNN, Mike Pence filibustered his way through the subject for almost seven minutes before Jake Tapper finally declared, “You did not address the issue” and moved on. Chris Christie on ABC and Kellyanne Conway on CBS were no more coherent. The Daily Beast summed up the morning with the headline, “Immigration Flip-Flop Leaves Trump Campaign Flailing on Sunday Shows.”
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
What the commentary of the last few days has generally overlooked is that while immigration was key to Trump’s success in the Republican primary, Trump never actually offered an immigration policy. To the contrary, his success rested in large measure on his ability to avoid one. Trump’s strategy on immigration, as on other key issues, was to cut through the Gordian knot of public policy with aggressive, quick fix solutions. Terrorism? Ban Muslims. ISIS? Bomb the hell out of them and take their oil. Loss of manufacturing jobs? Slap massive tariffs on companies that outsource American jobs.
On immigration, Trump’s quick fix was building a wall. And he hawked it endlessly, in part because it allowed him to sidestep the public-policy debate that had been tearing the GOP apart: what to do about the undocumented already in the U.S. Trump rarely mentioned deportation, perhaps because he sensed it would draw him into the public-policy quagmire he wished to avoid.
In his June 16 announcement speech, Trump famously said that Mexicans were “bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.” But despite referencing immigrants already in the United States, Trump said nothing about what to do with them. His only immigration proposal was to “build a great, great wall on our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall.”
At the first GOP debate on August 11, Trump again declared that, “We need to build a wall, and it has to be built quickly.” Scott Walker, Ted Cruz, and Jeb Bush then argued about why their proposals for dealing with America’s 11 million undocumented immigrants didn’t constitute “amnesty.” But Trump avoided the subject entirely.
At the second debate, on September 16, CNN’s Jake Tapper tried to make Trump discuss the undocumented already in the country. Tapper quoted Chris Christie as saying that, “There are not enough law enforcement officers—local, county, state, and federal combined—to forcibly deport 11 to 12 million people.” Trump responded that, “First of all, I want to build a wall, a wall that works.” Then he said, “we have a lot of really bad dudes in this country from outside … They go, if I get elected, first day they’re gone. Gangs all over the place. Chicago, Baltimore, no matter where you look.” Tapper then turned to Christie, who discussed the logistical impossibility of deportation. After that, Trump and Jeb Bush sparred about whether Trump has insulted Bush’s Mexican-born wife. Lost in the melee was the fact that Trump had promised only to deport undocumented immigrants who are violent criminals. He had ducked Tapper’s question about the entire 11 million.
Finally, in the third debate, on October 28, CNBC’s John Harwood mentioned that Trump had promised “to build a wall” and “send 11 million people out of the country.” Trump ignored the reference to deporting 11 million and focused his answer on the wall, which, he noted, would be only one-thirteenth as long as the Great Wall of China and would have a “big, fat beautiful door right in the middle.”
It’s not that Trump never discussed deportation during the primaries. Over the course of hundreds of interviews, he was occasionally forced to admit that, yes, he would send all the undocumented home. But he discussed the topic as little as possible, for the same reason he avoided discussions of how to end the civil war in Syria and how to design a conservative replacement for Obamacare: He couldn’t condense his answer into an appealing bumper sticker. For months and months, Trump watched his GOP opponents discuss such topics as he soared above them in the polls. If they, who actually knew something about government, couldn’t spin policy flax into electoral gold, why on earth would he, a policy ignoramus, try?
Why is Trump now ensnared in the very net he avoided for so long? Because Kellyanne Conway, who specializes in making conservative politicians appealing to moderate female voters, decided that in order to soften Trump’s image, she needed to soften his immigration policy. What she appears not to have realized is that softening Trump’s immigration policy requires actually formulating one, something The Donald had wisely avoided for more than a year.
Trump and his surrogates may snow their way through this current controversy until the media turns its attention elsewhere. But the last few days offer a warning about this fall’s debates. In the primaries, Trump often got away with answering immigration questions with paeans to his beautiful wall, and then letting his opponents delve into the messy details of actual policy. This fall, standing alongside only Hillary Clinton, he’ll find such evasions harder. Seven minutes of filibustering may not be enough.
My observation: This is a rather good summary of Trump's success and now challenge regarding illegal aliens. Trapped by his success, led astray by Conway. It will be very interesting to see how Trump threads the needle and addresses this on Wednesday. Can he avoid claims of flip-flop, amnesty, etc.?
Trump has not flip flopped one bit
Trump has not flipped on immigration. The pundits are trying there best to convince us he has, but it aint working.
Peter, stop being a Democrat lackey for two seconds and ask Hillary for specifics on her immigration policy, but we know you won’t. Trump is out there engaging the American people and the “crooked” media whereas Hillary is in hiding. The media is doing everything it can to get Hillary elected, and I get tired of the spineless people on our side who get scared sh**less when Trump calls them out for their bias.
They are trying to get him say government will uproot them and deport. If you take away the jobs they will self deport.
What I propose is an immigration amnesty/Constitutional amendment deal:
1. The people covered would be Dreamers, Anchor Baby parents, and five-year+ full taxpayers, with exceptions (felons, those ordered deported, those who arrived after 2008, etc.).
2. To retain the right to stay, an immigrant would have to:
A. apply within 12 months
B. agree in writing to make donations (to be non-dischargable by federal bankruptcy law) of 10% of their pre-tax income
(minimum $300/quarter) to the Social Security Trust Fund for 27 years, starting in 2020, and then pay by estimated tax due dates via the IRS
C. obtain high-quality [no bronze, deductible <$2,000 or that of a US employer plan] health insurance coverage, meeting applicable US legal requirements, without government subsidy, except via a small employer/small employers under general law, within 12 months
D. maintain (thereafter), except for involuntary gaps not exceeding three months in any twelve, high-quality health insurance coverage, meeting applicable US legal requirements, without government subsidy, while the PPACA is on the books
E. pay a mandatory $1000 quarterly eligibility maintenance (and personal deportation abeyance) fee to USCIS by estimated tax due dates until the Constitutional amendments are fully ratified
[3% goes to USCIS, of the remainder, the first $20 billion raised goes to the Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation, all the rest into the Social Security Disability Trust Fund]
F. pay all standard and expedited USCIS immigration fees within 18 months
G. pay a $2,000 amnesty service charge within 24 months to USCIS, discounted $40 for each month prior to the 24th
H. pay in full all US income tax amounts past due, get privately audited at their expense and then pass an IRS audit, all within 36 months
I. pay starting in 2020, a $500 tax shortfall fee for each quarter prior to 2017 and after 2006 the immigrant was has not proven foreign residency/age of under 18 or lacked US income tax quarterly withholding of at least $400,
at the rate of $500 a quarter on US estimated tax due dates, to the IRS
J. pay a one-time, $5,000, non-refundable fee to the USDOT, to drive a motor vehicle on a US highway, always prior to doing so
3. They would get:
a. for 90 days, plus three days for each state that has ratified all of the Constitutional amendments we want
I. no apprehension of persons simply for immigration control/border security purposes at least 100 miles from a coast or national border
or within two miles of any listed USCIS office at least ten miles from a coast or national border
II. no detention simply for immigration control/border security purposes longer than 10 minutes of any applicant with specified official ID whose picture and name is available on the USCIS applicant registry system
b. thereafter, provided the immigrant has been paying and doing what the amnesty act and other federal law requires
I. no detention of qualified/approved applicants simply for immigration control purposes longer than necessary to verify the person is qualified/approved and in good standing
II. no deportation of qualified/approved applicants
4. We would get Constitutional amendments that would:
A. cap income/property taxation
B. restrain the judicial branch
C. repeal the first sentence (the citizenship by birth in USA clause) of Amendment XIV and declare that:
Every child born in the USA after today shall be born with the citizenship of their mother.
No foreigner may be granted US citizenship unless the foreigner is over age 22 and has paid US federal income tax on personal US earnings in each of the prior four years.
No treaty may be entered into that would require US residency/naturalization/citizenship/welfare benefits to be granted.
specify that:
D. No law involving naturalization or any federal fee or federal taxation may be passed by Congress, except by contemporary roll call votes showing approval by:
a. at least 70% of the representatives in the House of Representatives and
b. at least 80% of the senators in the Senate
E. There shall be no estate taxation, except:
a. federal estate taxation, to be used within twelve months of receipt to (help) pay off the existing national debt or that refinanced
b. existing or reduced state estate taxation
F. There shall be no other federal wealth/property taxation other than that federal estate taxation
G. Federal benefits, welfare and educational, medical and custodial care aid may be paid only from:
I. the first 10% of incomes, personal or corporate, under federal basic income taxation
[basic federal income tax at up to a 10% rate on natural persons and corporations]
II. federal alcohol/tobacco/drug/fat/sweetener/telecom taxation
III. and to reasonably provide medical benefits/financial payments to US people of at least 65 years of age:
a. flat-rate compensation taxation, equally up to 10% each on employer/employee, up to $24,000/year in total per employee
b. self-employment taxation no more than that employer/employee taxation on an after federal tax basis
c. recipient medical insurance program premiums that may vary solely by age
d. Social Security trust funds
H. Federal regulation of the amount of private sector employee compensation shall be limited to setting monetary minimum wages, with reasonable monetary variations as Congress may selectively allow
[no more buying the votes of political interest groups at employer expense]
and provide that:
I. The President shall have line item veto power after January 20, 2025
5. An immigrant would lose the right to stay:
a. for failing to apply and pay in a timely manner, with one 60-day grace period per $5,000 paid by the immigrant in amnesty act levies
[excludes standard income tax law payments, no grace period for USDOT fee]
b. for failing to timely obtain/maintain high-quality health coverage, except for involuntary gaps not exceeding three months in any twelve, while the PPACA is on the books
c. for taking a government health insurance subsidy after 2106, if not from small business employment under general law, and not returning it within 90 days of demand
d. after committing a felony
We will lose all political power at the federal level if we don’t act.
It would be better to get lots of things we want in exchange for the inevitable amnesty than nothing but more illegals and more taxation.
Exactly!!!
Trump said we’ll uphold the LAW....
The law says deportation for illegals...PERIOD...
Why is 180 degree change by Obummer & Crooked Hillary on gay marriage called “evolving”, but setting priorities on deportation is called flip-flop by the media? The media is not even hiding their hypocrisy!
Trump also said that they could leave and get in line to apply to return just like the law requires...
It annoys me that Rush Limbaugh is claiming that Trump is going to back amnesty and get the base to go along with it, while all the other GOP candidates who wanted it so desperately could not. I just don’t believe that. Rush keeps repeating that point. He should shut up about it.
And the only way that will happen is if Trump forgets rounding people up and goes whole hog on shutting down businesses that hire the illegals. Will he do that?
Not only taking away the jobs but the benefits as well, benefits will also have to be removed for illegals having babies on our soil the babies should recieve NO BENEFITS!!!!
Trump’s immigration plan has already been released.
It went out in print a few weeks ago, and I have it captured in a PDF file.
The media lies.
My proposed IMMIGRATION AMNESTY ACT of 2016
Persons must fall into at least one of the following four categories to be eligible:
1. brought to the USA before the age of 6 who is:
a. over age 16 or
b. has a first degree or second degree relative who was a legal US resident or US citizen when this Act passed Congress - “Dreamer”
2. brought to the USA as a child under age 18 and has a parent/maternal blood relative sibling who (otherwise) immigrated legally - “Dreamer”
3. birthmother of a child born in the USA before 2017 - “Anchored Parent”
4. father:
a. of a child born in the USA before 2017 and
b. married to the birthmother at the time of its birth and
c. still married to the birthmother at the time of individual US government action with respect to himself - “Anchored Parent”
5. worker who has
a. paid at least $5,000 of FICA taxes under his own US tax identification number for at least eighteen quarters prior to February 2016
b. paid standard US income tax in excess of $600/year for at least three years before 2015 and
paid at least 80% of his/her federal tax liability for at least three years before 2015 - “Tax Eligible Worker”
The person must have spent at least 1,500 days in the USA prior to January 1, 2016 and be able to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt by reliable documents and sworn statements of people who paid at least $1,000 a year of US federal/state income taxation during the time their statement covers, untainted by fraudulent evidence.
No person shall be eligible who:
1. committed a felony in the USA or elsewhere
2. was a gang member
3. was a person photographed, outside of the legal system, by a law enforcement person,
with two or more gang members,
where the gang members were the majority in the image taken
except wherein the person was clearly not an associate or
the sworn testimony or a sworn statement of a US citizen law enforcement person who knew the circumstances indicates
the person probably wasn’t an associate
4. illegally entered the USA before age 18 and who is not a Dreamer as defined by this Act
5. has been caught in the USA without US statutory authorization to be in the USA from 2011 to the time this Act became law, except a Dreamer
6. has been caught in the USA without US statutory authorization to be in the USA two or more times, except a Dreamer
7. filed a return for an improper US federal earned income credit and
has not fully reimbursed the IRS by December 31, 2016 for the resulting credit(s)
8. was officially found with or used fraudulent ID after March 3, 2016
9. submitted a fraudulent document to the USCIS or INS
10. failed to leave the country within 30 days after the US government requested departure/deportation
11. came from a country which has not properly and efficiently cooperated with US deportation personnel after 2010
12. owes more than $500 in unpaid fines
13. jumped bail
14. plead no contest to or was convicted of driving without a license/insurance
15. [other restrictions used in the past]
Eligibility shall be suspended if the applicant is:
1. facing a criminal charge
2. the subject of a warrant/extradition request
3. in jail or other detention facility
An eligible person may apply by completing and signing a form the USCIS shall create and make available on the Internet in at least English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, French, Polish, Russian and Chinese Mandarin and Cantonese versions
and mailing the completed form with a passport application quality photo of the applicant attached, each sworn statement and a photocopy clearly showing each document to be used to meet the 1,500 day evidence requirement, a USPS money order for the $500 processing fee payable to USCIS and a quality fingerprint photocopy of their hands to the USCIS within six months after enactment.
The USCIS forms shall include test questions to clearly permit the applicant to show that he/she understands how eligibility to stay and work in the USA may be lost....
So liberals want to tell us what Trump’s immigration policy is? I’d rather hear it from Trump and the liberal concern trolls can go straight to hell.
Having said that, we can easily get rid of many illegals without a roundup mission of any kind. Those who are intercepted by police for other reasons can be deported on the spot. We can also make it so difficult for them to receive social services that many will just leave on their own accord.
I’m done listening to Rush. He isn’t much better than Mark Levin who is dead to me now.
There won’t be any flipping here.
Here is a proposal. Go back or be sent back.
No more Anchor Babies.
Adult illegals can either take their under age American born children with them to their country of origin or surrender them to be Wards of the State and sign off any parental rights.
Breaking the law has consequences for American citizens. It should have severe consequences for those here uninvited.
Trump is keeping his name in the news without spending a dime.
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