Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri Introduces Immigration Time- Out Bill.

IMMIGRATION PING!

Nice! We need more of this.

I posted an article about Graves back in December. He's from the other side of the state so I don't know alot about him but what I have heard is good.

madfly; FITZ; Bill Davis FR; mhking; 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub; Houmatt; Elkiejg; ...

***PiNgErS***

Posted on Thu, Mar. 13, 2003

Graves proposes temporary halt to immigration into U.S.
By MATT STEARNS and DAVID GOLDSTEIN
The Kansas City Star

WASHINGTON - Rep. Sam Graves announced Wednesday a plan to temporarily halt immigration to the United States, igniting intense criticism from groups representing the immigrant community.

Graves, a Republican from Missouri's 6th District, called his proposed legislation a matter of national security. Opponents called it impractical at best and nativist demagoguery at worst.

"We have to slow this thing down until we get an immigration policy that works," Graves said. "It's a whole different world than it was prior to September 11."

An immigration policy that would satisfy Graves would include:

• Doing away with "express visa" programs, which provide for a quicker visa application process.

• Performing a background check on every person attempting to enter the United States.

• Tracing the thousands of legal immigrants "that we can't find right now," such as those on student visas.

Three of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers came into the United States on an express visa program, Graves said.

"That's 3,000 cases of U.S. citizens who were killed because of that problem," Graves said.

About 32.5 million immigrants lived in the United States in 2002, accounting for about 11.5 percent of the total population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. About 52 percent of immigrants are from Latin America, 25 percent from Asia and 14 percent from Europe, according to the bureau.

Cecilia Munoz, vice president for policy at the National Council of La Raza, a Latino civil rights organization, said Graves had confused immigrants with visitors.

The types of visas the terrorists used to enter the country are geared to visitors, not those seeking a permanent home in the United States, Munoz said, so it wouldn't make sense to punish potential immigrants.

"None of the 19 hijackers were immigrants," she said. "They were all foreign-born. Not one was an immigrant, or sought to be an immigrant....I don't suppose he's proposing to end tourism in the United States."

Graves' legislation would merely inflame the "strong anti-immigration strain in this country," said Jean Abinader of the Arab American Institute.

"It's ironic for a country of immigrants," Abinader said. "It's driven by people intimidated that the U.S. won't be white-majority by 2010. Rather than recognize that we generally draw the best from overseas, they're focusing on the few instances it's hurt us, and writing laws based on that."

Some pointed out that Congress last year passed the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act, which addressed many of Graves' concerns, such as tightening restrictions on express visa programs and enhancing the screening of those entering the country.

"We need to screen the people who are coming into this country," said Angela Kelley, deputy director of the National Immigration Forum. "What we need is not more laws. We need more resources, funding, people, technology, to ensure we're a safer nation. Shutting the door won't do us any good."

David Ray, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which supports immigration at "moderate" levels, said Graves' ideas "make good common sense."

"We find we have a country where we have 8 million illegals amongst us, where we have 314,000 ordered deported by courts that can't be found, 1,000 al-Qaida operatives and sympathizers in the country somewhere, and we have no idea what they're doing," Ray said.

But it would be hard to slow immigration, based as it is on social and family networks, said Audrey Singer, an expert on immigration at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

"People come here because obviously they see opportunity, both for work and education, just a better quality of life than where most people come from," Singer said.

The legislation, which will probably be introduced in a week or two, has garnered support from several of his colleagues, Graves said.

But he acknowledged that the House leadership had not signed off on the bill. The legislation presumably would not help the Republican Party's efforts to woo minority voters. A spokesman for the Republican National Committee declined to comment.

Guillermo Meneses, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said the proposal posed a "huge dilemma" for President Bush.

"On the one hand, you have a president who has clearly been reaching out to the Hispanic community and needs the support of the Hispanic community,and immigration is a very important issue," he said. "Yet on the other hand, you clearly have the anti-immigration wing of the Republican Party rearing its ugly head."

Graves said he understood that some people would be upset by his proposal.

"Yes, the United States is a country founded on immigration," Graves said. "Everybody in the U.S., for the most part, is a descendant of immigrants. That was prior to September 11."

Sam's in my district. I know some of the people that work for him. He is a true conservative and a patriot. In short, he's good people.

If I remember correctly, you live in Sam's district in Northwestern Mo.
What do you think of the article?

EVERY nation is a nation of immigrants. It just depends where/when you draw the 'here before' line. The Indians here were immigrants, the Anglo-Saxons in Britain were immigrants, etc etc...The whole 'we're a nation of immigrants whine' is just a LITTLE disingenuous.

It's good to hear from the people in Sam's district.
Here a story I posted about Rep. Graves a couple of months ago you might be interested in.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/819913/posts

I'll try to get a link up to his office so we can thank him.

>>The whole 'we're a nation of immigrants whine' is just a LITTLE disingenuous.<<

I agree.
As Dan Stein would say "Its not 1850 anymore".

The white branches of my family have been here since pre 1800, the 'brown' ones a leeeeetle longer LOL.

Here is a link to Rep. Graves if anyone would like to thank him and offer him their support. I did.

sam.graves@mail.house.gov

Kalifornistan Bump!!!!

What exactly is the problem opposed to this?

- Rep. Sam Graves announced Wednesday a plan to temporarily halt immigration. Graves, a Republican from Missouri's 6th District, called his proposed legislation a matter of national security....................................

Why not, wit all the threats to the US?

Opponents called it impractical at best and nativist demagoguery at worst. ..................................

Why impractical? Is that not what the INS is for? It is time the State Department start looking into those requests.

• Doing away with "express visa" programs, which provide for a quicker visa application process. ..................
.........................................................
This only makes sense to me, but then again I am not a political type trying to curry favor with non Citizens.

• Performing a background check on every person attempting to enter the United States. ................................
...........................................................
Try asking a simple question like why do you want to come here in the first place. Why is it wrong to dig into the background of someone wanting to come to America?

• Tracing the thousands of legal immigrants "that we can't find right now," such as those on student visas. Three of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers came into the United States on an express visa program, Graves said. ................
.........................................................

If we don't know where those "Legal Immigrants" are now why let in more to loose?

About 32.5 million immigrants lived in the United States in 2002, ......................................................
...........................................................

That's close to 10 percent of the population.

"None of the 19 hijackers were immigrants," she said. "They were all foreign-born. Not one was an immigrant, or sought to be an immigrant....I don't suppose he's proposing to end tourism in the United States." .............................
.............................................................

If you can't descriminate between Arab National request without being charges as racist then bann them all. One of the prime duties of our Government is to PROTECT OUR BOARDERS and the CITIZENS.

"It's ironic for a country of immigrants," Abinader said. "It's driven by people intimidated that the U.S. won't be white-majority by 2010. Rather than recognize that we generally draw the best from overseas, they're focusing on the few instances it's hurt us, and writing laws based on that." ............................................
.........................................................

What a crock of $hit. I don't care what color my neighbor is, as long as he doesn't try to kill my family.

Some pointed out that Congress last year passed the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act, which addressed many of Graves' concerns, such as tightening restrictions on express visa programs and enhancing the screening of those entering the country. ................
........................................................

Apparently not enough. I see nothing wrong with tightening our security. If I have to put up with increased security measures in my own country so SHOULD THOSE WISHING TO COME HERE.

"We need to screen the people who are coming into this country," Shutting the door won't do us any good." .......
.........................................................

Don't give me excuses, just results. Quit crying and DO YOUR JOB!

"We find we have a country where we have 8 million illegals amongst us, where we have 314,000 ordered deported by courts that can't be found, 1,000 al-Qaida operatives and sympathizers in the country somewhere, and we have no idea what they're doing," But it would be hard to slow immigration, based as it is on social and family networks, said Audrey Singer, an expert on immigration ............
.........................................................

Hard yes, but NOT IMPOSSIBLE. Do what you have to to PROTECT CITIZENS.

"People come here because obviously they see opportunity, both for work and education, just a better quality of life than where most people come from," Singer said. ..........
.........................................................

And those I welcome with open arms. I only ask a few things in return. 1. Get a job., 2. Learn our Language., 3. Enjoy your heritage, but don't Hyphenate your new Citizenship., 4. Be a peacefull citizen in your new home., and last 5. Come to this Country with all the PROPER PAPERS AND BACKGROUND CHECKS.

The legislation presumably would not help the Republican Party's efforts to woo minority voters. ...................
..........................................................
Who cares, DO THE RIGHT THING. That is why we ELECT them in the first place.

"Yes, the United States is a country founded on immigration," Graves said. "Everybody in the U.S., for the most part, is a descendant of immigrants. That was prior to September 11." ..........................................
.........................................................

AMEN.

What in Sam Hill is the matter with Sam, anyhow?

Doesn't he realize our strength is in our diversity?

Besides, who is going to pick all our fruit, pluck all our chickens and do all those other jobs no Americans will do?

Oh, and don't forget those huge source of income for our institutions of higher learning. How are they supposed to survive if they have only Americans to educate?

Another thing. Getting rid of all these illegals will put an unaccustomed strain on the Democrat Party. They will then have to register more dead voters to fill the voids or find more Indian reservations to mine.

Whatever, Sam. You are so not-in-tune with "today"!

I don't think a blanket ban on immigration is a good thing at all. Immigration is essential to the American character. New groups bring new ideas into the American consciousness and make us stronger.

It seems the same blinders we have about terrorism are on about immigration. If you look at only Arabs, Pakis, and Indonesians you catch 99.999% of terrorists, yet 90-year old men on respirators get strip searched at airports now. With immigration, the problems of the massive Mexican economic immigration is the 800-pound gorilla being ignored in the middle of the room. Nobody wants to even mention it because Hispanics are being openly courted by both parties.

The "time-out" will only end legal immigration, it will do nothing about the gorilla. The problem with that strategy is, the people that enter this country legally and go through official channels (especially post-9/11) are not the problem.

A serious strategy to deal with the problem of unassimilated economic migration is to secure the Mexican border and come to terms with Mexico that we can live with. Right now, Mexico is claiming an arrogant influence via legal rights for its citizens inside United States territory. I think it would be fair to say that the Mexican government supports the flow of people north, and that is a root cause we need to reckon with.

>>The "time-out" will only end legal immigration, it will do nothing about the gorilla<<

First we have to get the main-stream media and politicians debating this subject in public (both legal and illegal immigration).
Rep. Graves should be commended for at least bringing the subject up.

>>The legislation presumably would not help the Republican Party's efforts to woo minority voters.<<

This may get interesting. Instead of pandering to special interest groups, there may be a few politicians willing to do what is RIGHT.

Thanks for the link. I'll probably just call Dean Brookshier who heads Sam's office in St. Joseph. Dean's a friend from way back.