CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) - President Bush on Thursday promised illegal immigrants a worker program of some type to legalize their labor here, but he ruled out any blanket amnesty. Posted on 03/13/2002 10:18:46 AM PST by Uncle Bill
Bush: No Amnesty for Immigrants
Associated Press
By SANDRA SOBIERAJ
August 23, 2001
CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) - President Bush on Thursday promised illegal immigrants a worker program of some type to legalize their labor here, but he ruled out any blanket amnesty.
"There's going to be no amnesty," the president said as he took time from his vacation to visit an elementary school near his ranch.
Bush is due to announce proposed immigration changes, which Mexico wants, when Mexican President Vicente Fox makes a state visit to the White House on Sept. 5.
Secretary of State Colin Powell and Attorney General John Ashcroft have recommended to Bush that he grant guest-worker status and - eventually - legal residency to some of the 3 million Mexicans who are in this country illegally.
Asked about his pending decision, Bush told reporters he was consulting with Mexican officials on a worker program ``that will legalize the hard work that's taking place now in America.''
"So long as there's somebody who wants to hire somebody and somebody willing to work, it seems like to me it's in our nation's interests to make sure the two go together," he said, adding that he also wants to talk with Mexico about doing a better a job of enforcing its border.
As for amnesty, Bush was unequivocal:
"There will be no blanket amnesty for illegals. I've said that point blank. I will say it as many times as I need to say it."
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Townhall.com
Don Feder
February 15, 2001
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., thinks illegal immigration is great for America. Philanthropist that he is, the congressman wants to give us more of a good thing. Gutierrez has filed legislation to allow virtually every illegal alien in the country (an estimated 5 million) to stay.
Those who arrived before Feb. 6, 1996, would immediately qualify for a green card. Those who came between that date and Feb. 6, 2001, could apply for legal residency after five years.
"People in this country know they are benefiting from the work of undocumented workers," Gutierrez argues. "Why not grant them the dignity and justice that comes with permanent legal residency?" Dignity and justice are euphemisms for government benefits and the ability to bring in their relatives.
A Gutierrez aide says illegals are doing "essential jobs" and God help the economy if -- spurred by our ingratitude -- they go home. And what do we do with these largely uneducated, untrained workers if the economy heads south, as indicators suggest it might?
Instead of benefits, Americans are more apt to associate illegal immigration with words like crime, disease and loss of national identity.
Contagious diseases like tuberculosis and leprosy are reappearing in this country, thanks to illegal immigration. Peter Brimlow, author of "Alien Nation," reports that several years ago, senior probation officers in Orange County, Calif., estimated that up to 80 percent of their cases involved illegals.
Amnesties tell inhabitants of the impoverished Third World that if they can sneak past the Border Patrol, Uncle Softie will eventually welcome them with open arms.
They also say to the foreigners who are patiently waiting for permission to immigrate (sometimes up to 18 years): "Suckers!"
The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 amnestied 2.8 million. According to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, there are more illegals in the country now.
Amnestied aliens can immediately sponsor their spouses and dependent children for residence. If they become citizens, they can sponsor parents and siblings.
It's difficult to get demographics on "undocumented workers." (If someone breaks into your house, is he an "uninvited guest"?) However, in 1992 the INS surveyed those amnestied in 1986. Only 15 percent spoke English, though all had been here for at least a decade; 80 percent used public health services. On average, they had a seventh-grade education.
Democrats support this dubious contribution to the general welfare, with a wink and a nod, because they directly benefit from the support of ethnic lobbies eager to increase their numbers.
Republicans lack the courage to do anything positive about the problem, though most in Congress oppose mass amnesties. They are convinced that by keeping a low profile they can do better with the Hispanic vote.
In the past campaign, President Bush refused to support initiatives to end bilingual education or recognize English as our official language. He ended up with about 35 percent of the Latino vote and congratulated himself for improving the Republican position.
However, as the National Review's John O'Sullivan notes, this still means that for every 100 illegal immigrants who come here (most from South of the border) and become citizens, the GOP will have a net loss of 30 votes.
By not defending our sovereignty, Republicans miss an opportunity to appeal to the majority of Americans who understand that illegal immigration undermines national identity. (Bush took only 54 percent of the white vote in 2000.) It's also a way to court lower-income blacks, the chief victims of cheap illegal-immigrant labor.
On Feb. 16, Bush is scheduled to meet with Mexican President Vicente Fox, who will press him to be lenient with Mexicans who've infiltrated the United States. During the election, Dubya said, "I'm not prepared to embrace amnesty because I don't think the commitment's there yet to do anything on the border." This is Bush-speak for: We have to plug our porous border before we can consider compassion for lawbreakers.
Illegal immigration benefits Americans the way treason enhances national security.
©2001 Creators Syndicate, Inc
I'm all for that right after they are forced to leave the country and re-enter it legally. No visa = no guest worker. Otherwise, it's just semantics and hair splitting.....+
Business bump!
"I want to talk about another subject that's incredibly important for not only the border states, but all of America. And that's relations with our neighbors to the south, Mexico.
Mexico is a friend of America. Mexico is our neighbor. And we want our neighbors to succeed. We want our neighbors to do well. We want our neighbors to be successful. We understand that a poor neighbor is somebody that's going to be harder to deal with than a neighbor that's prospering. And that's why it's so important for us to tear down barriers and walls that might separate Mexico from the United States. And that's why it's so important for us to stand strong when it comes to free trade with our neighbors to the south.
NAFTA has been good for New Mexico, and it's been good for Mexico. And that's an important relationship that I pledge to continue on. I ask -- I ask for the Congress -- I ask for the Congress to give me trade promotion authority, so that we can not only have free trade with our neighbor to the south, so that we can have free trade throughout the hemisphere.
Oh, I know there's some voices who want to wall us off from Mexico. They want to build a wall. I say to them, they want to condemn our neighbors to the south in poverty, and I refuse to accept that type of isolationist and protectionist attitude. (Applause.)
And let me say one other thing, one other issue that's important. It speaks to the spirit of our nation. It speaks to whether or not we're going to be true friends with the neighbors to the south. And that's the issue of trucking. There are some people who say we shouldn't allow our friends to the south to send their trucks into the United States. I say that's discrimination against Mexico."
Ya right.
He's just like dad.
When Bush says he is not in favor of “amnesty” it does not mean he is not in favor of the current bill that passed the House that has been referred to as “amnesty”. “Amnesty” in immigration laws refers to a blanket granting of immigration status to those who have no basis for an immigration status. When Bush says he is against “amnesty”, this is what he refers to. Bush is in favor of the recently passed bill that has been called an “amnesty” but is actually a temporary extension of INA s.245(i). When someone has a legal basis for obtaining their residence (through employment or family relation) and a visa is available to them, they either adjust status under s. 245 or process at the consulate. If they ever had any kind of status violation, including having their visa lapse while the INS took forever in processing their paperwork, then they could not adjust and had to process at the consulate. 245(i) was on the books for many years without complaint of it being an “amnesty” but was permitted to lapse. 245(i) permitted someone who had a legal basis for immigration, but could not adjust status because of a status violation, to adjust anyway by paying a penalty and avoid having to go through the consulate. The lapsing of 245(i) would have just meant that these people would have had to process at the consulate back in their home country. However, they still had a legal basis for immigrating to the US. It was the lapsing of 245(i) together with the 1996 law changes on excludability that have created the problems. Under the excludability rules, a person who was out of status for 6 months could be excluded for 3 years. A person who was out of status for 1 year could be excluded for 10 years. Because of this, you have people who qualify for their residency but are unable to adjust status and if they processed at the consulate could be excluded for 3-10 years. The temporary extension of 245(i) allows these people who would otherwise qualify for their residency to legalize their status.
Yes, it is a matter of semantics. But this is why Bush will both state he is against “amnesty” yet be in favor of what the press is reporting as an “amnesty”. Personally, I think the estension of 245(i) is not an “amnesty” as has previously been granted since no new legal category is being created and those benefiting by this law change must have an already existing legal basis for being granted residency. 245(i) is vastly different from what Luis Gutierrez has proposed which truly can be considered an “amnesty”.
This businessman was concerned that Nixon had been SAYING that he was cooling to the idea of an opening to Red China to quell the uprising within the then very much more America-First rank and file Republican Party.
As reported years later, Nixon told the businessman
“DON’T LISTEN TO WHAT WE SAY: WATCH WHAT WE DO!"
It is my strong memory of THAT event which prompts me to post this graphic!
AS YOU READ THIS, IT APPEARS THAT BUSH, DASCHLE AND OTHERS ARE WELL DOWN THE ROAD TO USING THIS PAGE FROM THE NIXON PLAYBOOK!
Look, America – the IDEA not the PLACE – can only continue to exist if we heed the advice of the founding fathers (paraphrased here in the current vernacular for residents of Rio Linda), to wit:
“The Founding Fathers have determined that failure to WATCH politicians – ALL POLITICIANS (even those you may worship!) – is dangerous to the security of this nation and to the freedoms we paid such a heavy price to TRY to leave you and your children.”
“Government is not reason. Government is not eloquence. It is FORCE. And, like fire, it is a DANGEROUS SERVANT AND A FEARSOME MASTER.”
That from that notorious tinfoil hat wearing, radical wing-nut, George Washington.
Come on GW, you're sounding more like Clintoon everyday.
Yes, indeed.
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What a team.
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