Pretending immigration isn't an issue

Townhall.com ^ | August 20, 2002 | Phyllis Schlafly

[gubamyster]

August 20, 2002

The Republican National Committee's mail-order fund-raisers often contain a comprehensive multiple-choice survey so that prospective donors can give their opinions on topics of national importance. One issue, however, is conspicuously missing from the list: immigration.

The omission isn't an oversight; it's a deliberate policy. The National Republican Congressional Committee has been advising its candidates not to mention this issue in their speeches or campaign literature.

House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., gave Republicans the opportunity to seize this issue when he addressed a radical left-wing Hispanic group, The National Council of La Raza, in Miami on July 22.

He announced a Democratic Party plan to introduce legislation to grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens.

Nothing is more unpopular with voters than amnesty (which Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.V., called "sheer lunacy"). If the powers that be in the Republican Party don't realize this, they are out-of-touch with the grass roots.

The shyness of the Republican Party and the Bush administration about immigration explains why they manifest a deafening silence about Rep. George Gekas's bill called Securing America's Future through Enforcement Reform. The Pennsylvania Republican's bill is completely in accord with public opinion polls, showing that the majority of the American people want government to reduce the number of legal immigrants, to stop the irresponsible issuance of visas, to deport illegal aliens and to use U.S. troops to guard our borders (instead of the borders of Eastern Europe).

Title I, called Securing the Border, would increase the number of INS investigators and enforcement personnel, lengthen criminal sentences for alien smuggling, beef up the Border Patrol and use U.S. military troops until the Border Patrol reaches full strength. It would stop granting visas in countries that refuse to cooperate in combating alien smuggling.

Title II, called Screening Aliens Seeking Admission, would tighten the visa program to reduce the risk of aliens using fraudulent passports, require in-person interviews before issuing all visas, and bar any alien who is a member of a terrorist group or supports terrorism. Most people don't understand why this isn't already the law.

Title III, called Tracking Aliens Present in the United States, would establish a comprehensive entry-exit control system with registration and fingerprinting (which the INS has promised for years but never implemented). At least 40 percent of illegal aliens are visa overstayers. Several of the 9/11 hijackers had overstayed their visas.

Title IV, called Removing Alien Terrorists, Criminals, and Human Rights Violators, would authorize the INS to deport any alien who was inadmissible in the first place or is suspected of being a terrorist. This title would reverse several court decisions that accord unreasonable "rights" to terrorists claiming asylum, and would prevent the courts from releasing criminal aliens into the community.

Title V, called Enhancing Enforcement of the Immigration and Nationality Act in the Interior, would protect Social Security cards against counterfeiting and fraudulent use. This title would increase the number of INS investigators, as repeatedly requested by the INS, and double the number of INS detention beds.

Title VI would eliminate excessive review and dilatory, abusive tactics by aliens in deportation proceedings. It would also exclude aliens who knowingly make a false asylum application.

Title VII would clean up the problem of voting by illegal aliens. It would require verification of citizenship for voters and applicants.

Title VIII, called Reforming Legal Immigration, would repeal the infamous Diversity Immigrant Program which admits 50,000 immigrants a year, mostly from the Third World, including countries that sponsor terrorism, and helped the Fourth of July LAX murderer win U.S. residency. It would reform the abuses in the refugee program and in the extended-family visa program, and reduce the number of legal immigrants by 20 percent.

This would still leave immigration nearly double the traditional level. The INS is unable to cope with its current backlog of 5 million applications.

Gekas, chairman of the Immigration Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee, will start hearings on his bill next month. He should then add one more section requiring the INS to screen out aliens with diseases, such as the West Nile virus, malaria, Chagas disease, intestinal parasites and tuberculosis.

The BBC reported that the current epidemic of the West Nile virus (a central African disease) was probably brought to America for the first time three years ago by an imported exotic bird. The Centers for Disease Control reported that 16,000 foreign birds passed unscreened for West Nile virus through JFK airport in 1999. Where are the environmentalists when we need them?

[Texasforever]

I answered your question. You did not like the answer. I am DO NOT FEEL THREATENED BY THE GUY THAT MOWS MY LAWN. It is just that damned simple. Do I agree with illegal immigration? Hell no. Do I fear legal immigration? Hell no. Do I lose sleep over either one? Hell no. Is that plain enough for you?

[FreedomFriend]

I agree. It is nonsense, and it is a liberal's way of trying to add validity to their nonsensical opinions.

[Joe Hadenuf]

It's all smoke and babble....

[FreedomFriend]

PRD21, nearly everyone says that you try to start stuff. So everyone is lying? Please. You know good and well that you're all for open borders and increased third world immigration, and you can't stand Europeans.

[FreedomFriend]

Thus, it appears that you do not care about your country, for serious apathy can be correlated with, "As long as I'm getting mine, I don't care". That is, you'd rather sell out your grandkids future because you don't want to get involved.

[Joe Hadenuf]

I saw them before 114 and he was asking for it.

Oh really? What specifically was it that Arleigh said that caused him to be banned/silenced?

[PRND21]

Your a liar and I'm of European origin, kook.

[Texasforever]

Here are a couple

I, too, have noticed that Texans are very fond of their poorly paid little brown serfs

. There is also a blanket ban on any posts referring to anything posted VDare.com!

[Sabertooth]

Which explains why the California US Senate delegation is moving heaven and Earth to end illegal immigration.

Oops, they aren't. Silly me.

Actually, whatever her other failings, Diane Feinstein has a decent foting record on Illegals. She scores a 64% rating from Numbers USA, putting her 133rd amongst the 535 members of Congress.
LINK

Six years ago, to be exact.

2002 - 1994 = 6?

Exactly?

After Pete Wilson, who is the RINOest RINO in the state, became born-again on immigration, knowing that the initiative wouldn't survive judicial review and that he wouldn't have to actually enforce its provisions.

Actually, it didn't survive Federal judicial activist Mariana Pfaelzer and Dan Lundgren's lackluster gubernatorial campaign.

During the 1994 campaign, how did "RINOest RINO" Pete Wilson know Lundgren would lose the Governor's mansion to Gray Davis in 1998, and that Davis would make an unprecedented and corrupt decision not to appeal on behalf of the voters of California against Pfaelzer's decision on Prop #187?

[Joe Hadenuf]

Of course he does, he's a walking flame thrower.....Instigator with his finger on the abuse/panic button, a direct line to his buddy......

[PRND21]

Make that "you're", I'm no mouth breather. ;)

[Joe Hadenuf]

Wait a minute! Are you saying Arleigh got banned for that? It's the GD truth!

[Texasforever]

Thus, it appears that you do not care about your country, for serious apathy can be correlated with, "As long as I'm getting mine, I don't care". That is, you'd rather sell out your grandkids future because you don't want to get involved.

Well since you want to get personal, I think you are a life's loser that blames your own failures on whatever "minority" that is convenient. You share the same victim mindset the democrats love.

[PRND21]

Instigator with his finger on the abuse/panic button, a direct line to his buddy......

More falsehoods from the "gang".
Guess what? That's why so many of your buddies get banned. BS.

[FreedomFriend]

I know you are.

[Texasforever]

That is just two examples. Look I didn't ban him. Take it up with management.

[FreedomFriend]

Thanks for calling me a loser. That's grounds for abuse, huh? However, because I'm a conservative, and because I respect differences of opinion to the point that I won't hit the panic button, I won't say anything other than you're totally out of line.

I don't blame anything on any minority. I'm merely stating the facts, and if you don't like the truth, don't take a jab at me for it.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Not really my fight, just a real eye opener to watch someone get silenced.....

[Texasforever]

Thanks for calling me a loser. That's grounds for abuse,

LMAO. You came at me with this "you don't care for your country crap" and then cry abuse? Yep you are a loser and once again prove my point. You ALWAYS accuse someone else of the very thing you actually do. Pathetic.

[PuNcH]

Wow, this far into the thread and the keep the borders open types cant respond to the real problems. They have already been brought up.

1. Terrorism, weapons of mass destruction
2. Drug smuggling, goes on and on and on and on etc...
3. Increasing crime
4. Welfare

Lets see the first response for just these.

Also could the PC types please explain why they support Mexico's fascist racism and solving their problem by pushing it over the border?

How do we have a war on drugs when we allow drugs to come freely across the border? How can we have a war on terrorism when we leave the borders wide open?