Bush to propose immigration law changes to allow Mexican workers in U.S.

SanDiego.com ^ | 5:11 a.m. January 6, 2004 | Deb Riechmann

[putupon]

[Moderator's note: threads regarding immigration issues and border issues have been spiralling out of control for some time on Free Republic. This is going to change. Fair warning: this would be a very poor thread to engage in flame warring, flame baiting, or otherwise being needlessly instigative. If you have not yet read this thread, you may want to before engaging in the debate on this or other similar threads. If there are any questions regarding the new scrutiny of these threads, please take them to that thread rather than cluttering up these threads.

Up until last night, people had been very cooperative with this effort, and for that I was grateful. Last night, I think there must have been a full moon or something, but we'll get that straightened out.

Thanks, and happy Freeping.]

The president has been silent on the immigration issue for two years, but advocacy groups are being invited to the White House on Wednesday to hear details of a proposal to match willing foreign workers, mostly from Mexico, with receptive U.S. employers.

There are an estimated 10 million undocumented workers in the United States, as many as half of them from Mexico.

"The president has long talked about the importance of having an immigration policy that matches willing workers with willing employers," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Monday. "It's important for America to be a welcoming society. We are a nation of immigrants, and we're better for it."

The announcement comes just before Bush's scheduled meeting with Mexico's President Vicente Fox next week at the Summit of the Americas in Monterey, Mexico. Mexican officials have complained bitterly at times that while the Bush administration has sought their.....

[Texas Federalist]

WHat is "the prize"? A President with an "R" by his name, even is he acts like a Democrat?

[Texas Federalist]

is=if

[StoneColdGOP]

Adios America.

[drypowder]

Anyone have any ideas on what else to try

The sole purpose for the Second Amendment comes to mind.

[StoneColdGOP]

Anyone have any ideas on what else to try.

Yeah, don't vote for the SOB. And tell him so. When he thinks you won't have anywhere to go this November, prove him right... Don't go the polls.

[Kevin Curry]

A workable solution must give workers a greater incentive to return to Mexico than to overstay here. That means focusing on what is wrong in Mexico and encouraging El Presidente Fox to fix it. Mexico is a beautiful country with abundant natural resources. That its citizens find it necessary to flee reflects poorly that nation's leadership and political infrastructure and traditions.

Instead listening to Fox carp on endlessly about what is wrong with our immigration policies, let's hear him tell us why his policies suck and what he's doing to change them.

[lucidloony]

This is screw the American worker at its finest.

[Snerfling]

Exactamundo. The key is registering guest workers. Once they are regularized, they can return home instead of establishing permanent residences in this country.

If they are fingerprinted and issued some form of SS ID, then employers can collect/pay employment taxes. This means that guest workers can then collect benefits at some later point in their home country.

The real KEY is regularization: once there is some official program, guys like Gov Arnold can push through laws that allow local agencies to sic the cops on non-conforming parties.

The libs will be without a platform to cry 'racism' because the entire issue will have been converted to an administrative process.

[ClintonBeGone]

Exactamundo. The key is registering guest workers. Once they are regularized, they can return home instead of establishing permanent residences in this country.

Let's try to look at this like intelligent conservatives. Snerffy's summed it up masterfully. This is what it's all about.

[lucidloony]

Bush will lose six votes in my family alone.Third party anyone?

[CA Conservative]

We can be welcoming of LEGAL aliens, we should kick illegals to the curb.

You're missing the point. This would make a way for the immigrants to come here legally. Nothing I have seen in this proposal so far talks about granting citizenship to the people here illegally, but provides a mechanism to grant guest worker visas to those who want to come here to work, then return home.

[Bikers4Bush]

We already have a mechanism for that. It's called legal immigration and we should be following the already established laws instead of trying to create new ones.

[Bikers4Bush]

Constitution party.

[axel f]

I guess I'm with you on this one. I've read the article, and I don't really understand why people are upset.

If someone could explain it to me, politely please, I'd like to understand.

[skeeter]

We already have a mechanism for that. It's called legal immigration and we should be following the already established laws instead of trying to create new ones.

Exactly. Why in the world would we expect that the new immigration laws GW may propose will be respected any better than the current ones?

First public confidence in the will of our government to enforce laws on the books HAS to be restored. Otherwise we're left to assume that the president's proposal is more smoke & mirrors.

[healey22]

President wants something then he's got to give something. Interior Enforcement. What are the consequences if you overstay your guest worker visa? We don't have any enforcement now. Will we have it under the Presidents new plan. How about an additional 10,0000 enforcemnent officers? No anchor babies, no petitioning for relatives to join guest worker and no welfare. There has to be a federal database that states can access to prevent guest workers from becoming public charges of the states. Then we need a federal database to see who overstays their guest worker visa and feds need to notify and work together with local law enforcement to promplty deport them. There has to be visible consequences or the President gets nothing. And, no Amnesty for the 12-20 million illegal aliens already here.

[politicalwit]

Personally, I'm about as far right as you can get and a third party candidate is always a viable option when it comes to voting, however, it really doesn't address the immigration problem. Sometimes programs (immigration in this case) are either ineffective or simply no longer fill current situations. In this case our current methodology of immigration control is failing us miserably. I'm not one for amnesty and think that ALL "illegals" should be tossed out on their collective butts today, however that doesn't stem the tide of new illegals.

What we need is a new "from the ground up" system of immigration control. Yes, registration and documentation are required as well as many other stipulations on both the "guest worker" and the employer.

Regardless of who or which party is in control of our government this issue needs to be addressed and corrected.

BTW...take a look at americafirstparty.org

[politicalwit]

A federal database would have to be a must, however the burden of reporting should be at the employer level. Example...the employee guest worker doesn't appear for work after X number of hours... the employer is REQUIRED to report this to the government. Once reported the guest worker permit is voided and a nationwide warrant for the arrest of that individual is immediately issued. Any LEO should have mandated authority to arrest and detain the individual. Should the employer fail to report the occurance heavy penalties should apply including the revocation of any existing guest worker permits.

[carenot]

2.) It would allow us to monitor and screen the people who do come into the country better than we do now.

What is it that doesn't allow us to do that now?

[Hacksaw]

WASHINGTON – President Bush is proposing to let foreign workers who have U.S. jobs waiting for them enter America – a move designed to help repair relations with Mexico and capture Latino voters in this year's election.

Why on earth do we need to repair our relations with Mexico?