Thompson’s Plan to Fight Illegal Immigration

The Page-Time/CNN ^ | 10/23/2007 | Mark Halperin

[Neville72]

Thompson’s Plan to Fight Illegal Immigration

From Thompson campaign:

Thompson Announces Plan to Secure Border, Enforce Existing Immigration Laws

Senator Fred Thompson today unveiled a comprehensive border security and immigration enforcement proposal that would make America safer by increasing security at our nation’s borders, enforcing our country’s existing laws to reduce the incentive for illegal immigration and streamlining the legal immigration process.

“A country that cannot secure its borders will not remain a sovereign nation and you cannot have national security without border security,” said Thompson. “It’s not only necessary for any meaningful immigration reform, but border security plays a key role in both the interdiction of illegal drugs and in defending America against terrorist threats. Weak borders allow terrorists and smugglers, as well as millions of illegal aliens, easy entrance to the United States.”

[Long Island Pete]

BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. Get elected and put those ideas in place. Talk without action is just words.

[jjw]

BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. Get elected and put those ideas in place. Talk without action is just words.

you got it. let's vote for someone who won't even talk about defending our borders.

[edcoil]

Getting elected is what he is trying to do.

We never hear the current administration or, the DNC with this position.

[PreciousLiberty]

Sounds like Fred is spot on regarding illegal immigration, just as he is with almost all his other positions.

Fred Thompson ‘08!

[snippy_about_it]

Are you like, 15?

You know, when folks run for office it’s good for them to talk about what they plan to do. Yahoo.

I like Fred’s proposals.

[jennyjenny]

Agreed! I hope to see more of this from him.

[Disambiguator]

He can’t do the action until elected, so words are what he has for now. That’s part of evaluating a candidate, listen to what he or she says. Even more so, look at their voting record. To paraphrase a well-known proverb, “where a politician’s agenda is, there will his vote be also.”

[Long Island Pete]

No Im not 15 and I am only speaking the truth. Yes its good to hear what they want to do, its better to actually do it. With a Democrat controlled Congress, it just might be a little tough.

[Long Island Pete]

“where a politician’s agenda is, there will his vote be also.”

Kind of like, "Read my lips. no new taxes." Boy we all fell for that one.

[kabar]

Absolutely the best plan on immigration I have seen from any of the candidates. He addresses both legal and illegal immigration issues. Superb, especially the following:

Modernize Immigration Law/Policy: Change the nature of our legal immigration system to welcome immigrants who can be economic contributors to our country and are willing to learn the English language and reduce the scope of chain migration by giving family preference in the allocation of lawful permanent resident status only to spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens, and no one else (no siblings, no parents, no adult children, etc.)

•English as Official Language: Make English the official language of the U.S. to promote assimilation and legal immigrants’ success, and require English proficiency in order for any foreign person to be granted lawful permanent resident status.

[jennyjenny]

You’re right. We don’t need to know any of the candidates’ positions on anything. I’m going to vote the guy with the best necktie.

[Long Island Pete]

You’re right. We don’t need to know any of the candidates’ positions on anything.

Can you please point out where I posted that? I must have been typing with my eyes closed.

[notaliberal]

Where’s the fence!

[50sDad]

Ronald Regan knew how to handle Congress. Get out in front of the cameras, talk sense to the American people, and shame the bastards into doing what is right. The fact that both men are actors gives me great hope. We need someone who can present compelling facts, clearly and believably, to the voting public.

Once, Regan joked "We just outlawed Russia, and the bombing starts in five minutes." It appeared to be a "whoops, left my mike on" misstep, and it carried with it the velvet glove warning to the Soviets "watch it, Ivan. We mean business." We need this kind of communicator again, someone who doesn't WANT to get along, and gets along by making his political opponents cave through public humiliation over their own failures. I hope Fred turns out to be the one who will walk in these really big shoes.

[Beagle8U]

Fred ping!

[TomGuy]

We never hear the current administration or, the DNC with this position.

Corrected for accuracy: We never hear the current administration or, the DNC nor the RNC with this position.

[TNPatriot]

Border Security and Immigration Reform Plan
In the post-9/11 world, immigration is much more of a national security issue. A government that cannot secure its borders and determine who may enter and who may not, fails in a fundamental responsibility. As we take steps to secure our borders and enforce our laws, we must also ensure that our immigration laws and policies advance our national interests in a variety of areas, and that the immigration process itself is as fair, efficient, and effective as possible.

Securing the Border and Enforcing the Law

A fundamental responsibility of the federal government is to secure the nation’s borders and enforce the law. The following policies and initiatives will put the nation on a path to success:

1. No Amnesty. Do not provide legal status to illegal aliens. Amnesty undermines U.S. law and policy, rewards bad behavior, and is unfair to the millions of immigrants who follow the law and are awaiting legal entry into the United States. In some cases, those law-abiding and aspiring immigrants have been waiting for several years.

2. Attrition through Enforcement. Reduce the number of illegal aliens through increased enforcement against unauthorized alien workers and their employers. Without illegal employment opportunities available, fewer illegal aliens will attempt to enter the country, and many of those illegally in the country now likely will return home. Self-deportation can also be maximized by stepping up the enforcement levels of other existing immigration laws. This course of action offers a reasonable alternative to the false choices currently proposed to deal with the 12 million or more aliens already in the U.S. illegally: either arrest and deport them all, or give them all amnesty. Attrition through enforcement is a more reasonable and achievable solution, but this approach requires additional resources for enforcement and border security:

1. Doubling ICE agents handling interior enforcement, increasing the Border Patrol to at least 25,000 agents, and increasing detention space to incarcerate illegal aliens we arrest rather than letting them go with a promise to show up later for legal proceedings against them.

2. Adding resources for the Department of Justice to prosecute alien smugglers, people involved in trafficking in false identification documents, and previously deported felons.

3. Maximizing efforts to prosecute and convict members of criminal alien gangs, such as MS-13 and affiliated gangs. These gangs have brought unusual levels of violence to more than 30 U.S. states and have also become very active in drug-smuggling, gun-smuggling, and alien-smuggling.

4. Implementing fully and making greater use of the expedited removal process already allowed under federal law.

5. Enabling the Social Security Administration to share relevant information with immigration and law enforcement personnel in a manner that will support effective interior enforcement efforts.

3. Enforce Existing Federal Laws. Enforce the laws Congress has already enacted to prevent illegal aliens from unlawfully benefiting from their presence in the country:

1. End Sanctuary Cities by cutting off discretionary federal grant funds as appropriate to any community that, by law, ordinance, executive order, or other formal policy directs its public officials not to comply with the provisions of 8 USC 1373 and 8 USC 1644, which prohibit any state or local government from restricting in any way communications with the Department of Homeland Security regarding the immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of an alien in the United States.

2. Deny discretionary Federal education grants as appropriate to public universities that violate federal law by offering in-state tuition rates to illegal aliens without also offering identical benefits to United States citizens, regardless of whether or not they live in the state, as required by 8 USC 1623.

3. Deny discretionary Federal grants as appropriate to states and local governments that violate federal law by offering public benefits to illegal aliens, as prohibited by 8 USC 1621(a).

4. Reduce the Jobs Incentive. Ensure employee verification by requiring that all U.S. employers use the Department of Homeland Security’s electronic database (the E-Verify system) to confirm that a prospective employee is authorized to work in the U.S. Now that the technology is proven, provide sufficient resources to make the system as thorough, fast, accurate, and easy-to-use as possible.

5. Bolster Border Security. Finish building the 854-mile wall along the border by 2010 as required by 8 USC 1103. Extend the wall beyond that as appropriate and deploy new technologies and additional resources to enhance detection and rapid apprehension along our borders by 2012.

6. Increased Prosecution. Deploy the additional assets outlined above to prosecute alien smugglers (”coyotes”), alien gang members, previously deported felons, and aliens who have repeatedly violated our immigration laws much more vigorously.

7. Rigorous Entry/Exit Tracking. Complete the implementation of a system to track visa entrants and exits, as has been required by federal law for more than ten years, and connect it to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC), in order to curb visa overstays and permit more effective enforcement.

Improving the Legal Immigration Process
The United States is a nation of immigrants. We must continue to welcome immigrants and foreign workers who come to our country legally, giving priority to those who can advance the nation’s interests and common good. Immigrants and foreign workers who play by the rules need to be rewarded with faster and less burdensome service, not delays that last years. Advancing the following initiatives will require close cooperation between all levels of government, the business community, and concerned citizens:

1. Maximize Program Efficiency. Reduce the backlogs and streamline the process for immigrants and employers who seek to follow the law. Also, simplify and expedite the application processes for temporary visas. This can be accomplished by hiring more personnel at Citizenship and Immigration Services and the FBI. Caps for any category of temporary work visa would be increased as appropriate, if it could be demonstrated that there are no Americans capable and willing to do the jobs.

2. Enhanced Reporting. Improve reporting to the government by businesses that rely on temporary workers so that the government can track whether the visa holder remains employed.

3. Modernize Immigration Law/Policy. Change the nature of our legal immigration system to welcome immigrants who can be economic contributors to our country, are willing to learn the English language, and want to assimilate.

1. Reduce the scope of chain migration by giving family preference in the allocation of lawful permanent resident status only to spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens, and no one else (no siblings, no parents, no adult children, etc.).

2. Eliminate the diversity visa lottery.

4. English As Official Language. Make English the official language of the United States to promote assimilation and legal immigrants’ success, and require English proficiency in order for any foreign person to be granted lawful permanent resident status.

5. Freedom from Political Oppression. Preserve U.S. laws and policies to ensure that the United States remains a beacon and a haven for persons fleeing political oppression, while assuring appropriate admission standards are maintained.

6. Service to Country. Place those foreign persons who are lawfully present in the country and who serve honorably in the Armed Forces of the United States on a faster, surer track to U.S. citizenship.

[John Valentine]

So, you’re not fifteen. Then, what’s your excuse for that pointless post?

Trying to pick a fight?

[kevkrom]

Where’s the fence!

The posted article is just a summary of the plan. At Fred08, you can read the entire plan, including:

Bolster Border Security. Finish building the 854-mile wall along the border by 2010 as required by 8 USC 1103. Extend the wall beyond that as appropriate and deploy new technologies and additional resources to enhance detection and rapid apprehension along our borders by 2012.