Morton Kondracke: Immigration reform is a worthy issue for Bush (CITIZENSHIP for illegal aliens)

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.

Our own RINOs are among the worst of these traitors.

It's always that way. Not clear which politicians stand with the people on this basic issue. Tom Trancredo the only one who comes to mind.

If what you say is true, then the entire health of our economy and hence our nation is built on illegality.

He's full of crap. By all accounts there wasn't more than 3 million illegals in the US in '92, probably half that ten years earlier. Now there are over 12 million.

Pat Buchanan will make a great running mate for Nanak in 2008. They will be the best presidential ticket ever, and I predict that they will win fifty states and over 90% of the votes. They will be unstoppable.

Of course that all depends on Hillary. If she runs, the Buchanan Brigades will vote for her in mass since she is singing their immigration song.

Without the use of illegals to perform this work we would still drive on roads, eat, pluck, process, cook, serve, use appliances, enter buildings...come to think of it, I can't think of one thing an illegal alien can do that a legal immigrant or citizen can't do.

"when did things become this way? Was it this way in the 50s 60s, or 70s. What makes things different today? "

Many have said that illegal immigration didn't start inceasing until the labor unions got the guest worker programs abolished.

All the studies I've seen were commissioned by local governments to be used to prove that immigrants pay less in taxes than they receive in benefits; for the purpose of trying to get federal funds to make up the difference.

There is an old saying which applies here. "Figures don't lie but liars figure". I'd bet these local governments are juggling their data to scam Uncle Sugar, I mean Sam, out of some money.

Besides. Got any links?

Mostly we only hear about the ones who come here, struggle at minimum wage, feeding their family of 8 kids and both sets of grandparents and three sets of aunts and uncles and still managing to send money back to Mexico for the greatgrand parents who couldn't make the trip and slip illegally across the border because they were taking care of their elderly greatgreatgrand parents, one set who have to share a pair of false teeth and the other pair who lost their only pair of eyeglasses.....

What else is coming across the border that we don't hear about?

A Ticking Time Bomb: Diseases that Cross American Borders

McCain has begun working on reform with Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who favors granting legal status

Remember what McCain did for Campaign Finance Reform. Just imagine the havoc he can accomplish by working on immigration reform.

"You're defending the exploitation of illicit labor "

Wrong. I support President Bush's immigration reform proposals, which he says will reduce exploitation.

It's nice to see your concern for the welfare of illegal immigrants. That concern will extend to supporting President Bush's reforms I hope.

According to the Gallop poll poster here a few days ago, only 1% responded that illegal immigration was their primary issue. And many of those would probably support President Bush's immigration reforms.

I don't know which poll this is but I have to agree that immigration reform was not high on the agenda leading up to 11/2. I think this was because 1) BOTH candidates ignored this issue with a will. It was never part of any speech or the debates and 2) I suspect but can't prove that Polling on the major issues seems to have been subtly slanted to push those issues important to MSM.

I would be willing to bet that if such a poll were conducted today, in the wake of the attention this matter is now garnering, there would be substantial support for a fair, rational solution that does not reward illegal behavior. JMTC

"I can't think of one thing an illegal alien can do that a legal immigrant or citizen can't do. "

Do you want your children or grand children to pluck chickens or collect garbage or clean bathrooms or dig irrigation ditches all their lives?

But you want your neighbors' children to have such a life instead of letting immigrants who appreciate such jobs from do them?

The American standard of living has never been higher. Why risk destroying it?

If you doubt their value, try going one week without driving on any roads built in part by illegal immigrants; eating any food picked, plucked, processed, cooked, served or transported by illegal laborers; using any appliances, equipment, or vehicles which have component parts made in jobbers' shops employing illegal immigrants; entering any building or house built in part by illegal laborers, etc...

You LaRaza guys need a few posters to go with your heroic peasant propaganda.

I support President Bush's immigration reform proposals, which he says will reduce exploitation.

Legalizing illegal aliens always penalizes those who've tried to enter legally, and has always lead to more illegal aliens and more exploitation. The verdict of history is in.

It's nice to see your concern for the welfare of illegal immigrants. That concern will extend to supporting President Bush's reforms I hope.

The President's proposal will reward lawbreakers and encourage more to break the law. Crossing the border illegally is dangerous. If you were concerned you wouldn't encourage it.

Most of us appreciate the contributions of immigrant labor.

Most Americans have no problem with legal immigration. But there's a big difference between LEGAL immigrants and ILLEGAL alien lawbreakers. The majority of Americans are opposed to illegal immigration.

The vast majority of Americans realize the contributions of illegal immigrants and don't consider them to be a problem.

search polls, illegal immigration

You are absolutely wrong. Look at the polls -- consistently more than 70% of American taxpaying citizens favor stringent enforcement of our laws against illegal immigration. More than two thirds want to prohibit the availability of public services to illegal immigrants.

You're trying to use that Democrat math, where less than 30% qualifies as "most".

"The American standard of living has never been higher. Why risk destroying it?"

Oh, I understand where you're coming from now...we need two cultures...American citizens living high and the illegals living in something less than desirable. I see your point now. You're a racist and think the illegals should live a life of poverty in the USA.

But you want your neighbors' children to have such a life instead of letting immigrants who appreciate such jobs from do them?

Illegal aliens aren't immigrants, they are trespassers. Why do you prefer lawbreakers to those willing and waiting future immigrants who are trying to obey our laws?

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