Posted on 12/15/2004 7:26:47 PM PST by nanak
If President Bush is going to keep his promise to spend political capital on a bold second-term agenda, he should include comprehensive immigration reform that offers deserving illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.
To do so, he'd have to face down a noisy, but not large, anti-immigrant claque in the Republican Party that's determined to use the threat of terrorism as an excuse to, in effect, erect "Stay Out!" signs at the U.S. border, even to restrict legal immigration.
In reality, creating a process to legalize illegals would help homeland security by allowing law enforcement agencies to concentrate on border security and tracking down criminals and potential terrorists — rather than chasing after millions of ordinary undocumented aliens, especially Hispanics.
This logic seems to have impressed border-state Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who has told immigrant-rights groups that comprehensive immigration reform is his top priority for the next Congress.
McCain has begun working on reform with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who favors granting legal status — and, eventually, citizenship — to illegals who have been in the country for several years, have jobs, pay taxes, maintain clean records, learn English and pay a fine.
Bush has a record of favoring immigration reform, but it remains unclear how far he's willing to go with it. In 2001, he seemed to favor a process that would allow illegals to earn their way to citizenship. This year, he's advocated a worker-permit program that may or may not lead to permanent legal status.
It's a good sign that the administration worked to exclude language sought by House Judiciary Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., from the intelligence reform legislation that recently passed Congress.
Bush will face a new test when Sensenbrenner's measure — which would bar states from giving drivers' licenses to illegal aliens — comes back for consideration next year. He and other restrictionists argued that, because some of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists gained access to aircraft using drivers' licenses as identification, all illegal aliens should be denied them.
But this is simply a device to make life more difficult for illegal aliens. The 9/11 terrorists, or any terrorists, just as easily could have used their passports — or could use phony passports, or drivers' licenses — to board aircraft.
The commission that investigated the 9/11 disaster specifically declared that its report called for "strong federal standards for the issuance of birth certificates and other sources of identification, such as drivers' licenses, to avoid the identity fraud that terrorists can exploit. We did not make any recommendations about licenses for undocumented aliens. That issue did not arise in our investigation, as all hijackers entered the United States with documentation ... (and) were therefore 'legal immigrants' at the time when they received their drivers' licenses."
To foster humane and effective immigration reform, Bush will need to re-educate the public, which tends to hold (according to polls) that America would be better off with fewer immigrants, both legal and illegal.
In fact, most serious studies show that immigrants are a net asset to the country. Illegal immigrants tend to take menial jobs that Americans won't. They pay taxes. But because they live in the legal shadows, they often get exploited by unscrupulous employers.
On Sept. 6, 2001, with Mexican President Vicente Fox at his side, Bush said, "There are many in our country who are undocumented, and we want to make sure their work is legal."
Soon after, in a White House briefing, officials told immigrant-rights groups that the administration leaned toward allowing illegals to earn their way toward citizenship.
But all work on immigration reform stopped after Sept. 11. It resurfaced this year as Bush worked to expand his support among Hispanic voters. At one point, he called for a work-permit system for illegals and told the League of United Latin American Citizens, "We will keep working to make this nation a welcoming place for Hispanic people, a land of opportunity para todos (for all) who live here in America."
On the other hand, apparently in a bid to appease restrictionists in the GOP, administration officials also indicated that workers would have to return to their home countries when their work permits expired. This provision almost surely would discourage illegals from signing up.
Though analysts differ on the quality of exit-poll data on Hispanics, the Election Day numbers do indicate that Bush gained anywhere from five to nine points among Hispanics. Future growth for the GOP in this demographic depends upon who calls the shots on policy — Bush and McCain, or restrictionists such as Reps. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., Elton Gallegly, D-Calif., and Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif.
Even though Tancredo and company get wide publicity — and have been aided recently by anti-immigration television and radio hosts, such as CNN's Lou Dobbs — their legislative power in Congress has actually been waning.
In 1995, by a vote of 257-173, the House passed an amendment offered by Gallegly that would have required public schools to expel the children of illegal immigrants.
By contrast, this May, the House defeated, by a vote of 331-88, a Rohrabacher proposed amendment that would have prevented hospitals from being reimbursed for medical care provided to undocumented immigrants unless they reported them to the Homeland Security Department.
On the other hand, this November, Arizona voters approved ballot Proposition 200, a measure designed to squeeze illegal immigration, by almost 60 percent. (Its implementation is being held up in court.)
McCain cited Prop. 200 — plus vigilante action by Arizonans against illegals and the deaths of illegal border-crossers in the Arizona deserts — as his motivation for making immigration reform his top priority.
In the 108th Congress, McCain sponsored, along with Reps. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., legislation similar to Kennedy's that would have granted a path to citizenship to qualified illegals.
Kennedy's legislation, however, also would have expedited citizenship for the spouses and children of legal immigrants, clearing backlogs of five to seven years, depending on the country of origin.
It's not clear whether Bush will propose his own legislation next year or wait for Congress to act and get involved, as he often does, when House and Senate conferees are hammering out final legislation.
On this issue, though, having Bush's leadership early on would be welcome. He could also order the Homeland Security Department to use judgment before it summarily expels illegals who are parents of small children or locks up asylum-seekers whether they present a terrorist threat or not.
Restrictionists will charge that "amnesty" simply encourages illegal immigration. Bush can respond that "earned legalization" recognizes the reality that 9 million illegal aliens are not leaving — and that authorities should stop chasing them and focus on terrorists.
"Why do people begrudge immigrants who are happy to have those jobs?"
Hell my ancestors did those jobs too. They were coal miners, cooks, cab drivers, maids, refinery workers, etc. They were all LEGAL.
Why cant people come to this country to become American citizens FIRST and FOREMOST. All LEGAL.
Why do we reward those who couldnt wait in line to become American citizens, like all the millions before them? All LEGAL immigrants.
Gee whiz Rod, you've spent many a thread ranting and raving about how no parent would want their child to work one of these dirty, unpleasant jobs.
Why would an impressionable teenager take pride in work that you publicly state is beneath them?
Do you want your children (or yourself) to do those jobs the rest of their lives?
Then they can round up those traitorous 10% and build concentration camps. It's too bad they can't get Tom Tancredo on that ticket also. 95% of the vote for sure.
But I can live with 90%. It means more soap.
Why do you heap scorn on your fellow Americans for their choice in earning a paycheck?
It's not up to the parents to decide what their adult children do for a living. Some young people don't have much in the way of job skills and they have no choice but to start at the bottom. And I don't begrudge legal immigrants doing these jobs. But I do begrudge illegal alien lawbreakers doing these jobs.
I couldn't agree more...
Sorry, post #166 wasn't meant for you.
np
It's not up to the parents to decide what their adult children do for a living. Some young people don't have much in the way of job skills and they have no choice but to start at the bottom. And I don't begrudge legal immigrants doing these jobs. But I do begrudge illegal alien lawbreakers doing these jobs.
Yeah like all that food and medicine they ingest. They selfishly pay money for rent so they can live in AMERICAN slum apartments they stole from the honest American pimps and dealers. end of sarcasm
Fact is illegals get jobs and pay State, Federal, unemployment insurance, disability, and Social Security just like everybody else. They fear using those programs or receiving the tax refunds they qualify for because they do not want to be returned to their hellhole homeland. Most businesses that employ 18 MILLION illegals are legitimate businesses that pay the employer share of State, Federal, unemployment insurance, disability, and Social Security just like most every business.
The businesses who do not want these workers to become legal workers are the one who are paying under the table and exploiting these workers. They are on your side.
Who promised you that they would end RvW?
I don't know if I can live like this. Sold out at every turn.
You could sneak across the border in the dead of night and steal a Mexican job just to get back at them. I'd be happy to send a map to you.
Sigh...Isn't she wonderful?
"Do you want your children (or yourself) to do those jobs the rest of their lives?"
Go back and reread this thread later on. IMHO you are just missing the points raised here.
Heres yet another angle for you to consider. People who go through a legal process, who come to this country first and foremost to become American citizens, have a profound respect for their adopted country.
My ancestors sure did, my father and uncles all served in WW2.
All people spoke English, they became assimilated into the American community and American culture at large.
Doing so allowed them to reap all the benefits and opportunities of American citizenship....(no entitlements in those days).
They became educated, worked hard, and raised themselves up.
One even went on to design high tech electronics for Avionics and DOD programs.
They got all their start LEGALLY. Thats in part why their kids respected the country and its laws.
I thought we all discovered after the debacle of the Great Society that giving people something for nothing doesnt work.
Why give a particular group of people who have broken the law a head start on the most precious gift of all....citizenship? What message will that send to their children and grandchildren?
Having cheated the system and won...why wouldnt they encourage more of their freinds and family back in Mexico to do they same...thus perpetuating the problems of illegal immigration?
One thought: Once these illegal alien become legal and submit the old tax forms, they'll get the earned income tax credit. And no, the vast majority are "off the books", as the workers comp rates, prohibit any from making a profit off their labors.
As the Democrats in WA, OR, and Cali have the system screwed up, no employer can afford to put them on the books. Believe me, these formerly illegals will be terminated and fresh hombre's will be brought in.
No matter what you ask him, bayourod just posts comments off of his list of La Raza talking points.
Sounds great.
Will I get free medical, affirmative action, governmental and commercial services in English, in-state tuition and 5-10 times the going wage of the United States?
Where do I sign up?
When these people are terminated, they will be added to our welfare roles.
"Where do I sign up?"
Great post mon!
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