INS critics take aim at libertarians at the top

The San Diego Union Tribune ^ | March 19, 2002 | Marcus Stern

[Love America or move to ......]

Anderson was described privately by several key Republican immigration staffers as an "open border, Wall Street Journal" Republican.

[KantianBurke]

No matter how bad these guys are, lets not forget Ms. Doris "I don't believe that dealing with illegal imigrants is any sort of priority for the INS" Meisner. I kid you not. That jackass said those very words in an interview (someone help me find it please?). Of course she found plenty of time to send in jackbooted thugs after a 8 yr old Cuban kid.

[Shermy]

"Open border, Wall Street Journal Republican."

I like it!

[toenail]

"Love America or move to ......"

Costa Rica? Portugal?

[Zorobabel]

"The view also embraces the free-market argument that labor should be just as free to cross international boundaries as capital, and it tends to minimize distinctions between legal and illegal immigrants. "

Yeah, I can hardly wait to start my new job in Bangladesh at a whole $2.00 a day.

[Free the USA]

Check the Bump List folders for articles related to and descriptions of the above topic(s) or for other topics of interest.

[eno_]

Like a lot of Libertarianism it works in theory. If illegals did not end up on welfare and voting illegally, and if the criminals could be deported efficiently, why not have very liberal immigration policies? And it sounds like either the reporter or the INS guys have "liberal immigration policy" and "ineffective border control" confused.

[glock rocks]

pingin und bumpin

[Eagle Eye]

This is one area in which I cannot support the LP position, even in theory any more than I can support banning doors on houses.

[editor-surveyor]

" I can hardly wait to start my new job in Bangladesh at a whole $2.00 a day."

What, did they get a raise? .. That's inflationary!

[editor-surveyor]

"why not have very liberal immigration policies?"

Would you like to have a surgeon making $0.35 per day do your angioplasty?

Or walk under a bridge designed by an engineer who gets paid in CrackerJack tokens?

[eno_]

Before we had a welfare state we had no immigration controls. Like I said, I don't think Libertarian dogma will work. But I bet if we had a market approach to immigration it would work much better. For one, everyone who paid to get in would be REALLY PISSED at the illegals. For another, they would be here to make as much money as they can, not minimum wage. You can be open, liberal, and selective at the same time if you design the system correctly.

[Love America or move to ......]

Hey I liked Cracker Jack tokens. Besides, collectibles have a way of appreciating very rapidly in value.

[StriperSniper]

Costa Rica? Portugal?

Iceland? New Zealand? Switzerland?

[Love America or move to ......]

The way I look at is: its not immigration that's the problem, its the numbers. Its the huge numbers of people coming in legally and illegally, which at the current rate will approximately double the U.S. population in 50 years.

[JimSEA]

The debate highlights a growing schism since Sept. 11 between Republicans who believe immigration should be restricted and Republicans who believe it should be expanded.

It seems to me there is a third issue here and that is the enforcement of visa requirements. My wife,who is from Thailand, got her masters degree at Arizona. Now this has been a good twenty five years ago but she had to secure a visa prior to coming. The requirements included an interview at the US Embassy in Bangkok and her providing documents as to the legitimacy of her schooling, financial stability and ability to pay or scholarship, and that she was not a threat to the USA. Just a few years ago, my nephew got his MBA at Harvard and went through the same proceedure prior to leaving Thailand. We gave a retirement present of a trip here to my wife's cousins and it was very difficult for them to ge a visa as they are not rich and had trouble convincing the embassy to give them a visa. They finally had to bring in copies of their property deeds, pensions, etc.. To all of our minds, there is something very wrong with a system that allows Me Atta to acquire a visa in the way he and his companions did. It seems that the means to stop the abuse is there but not being used. INS incompetence?? Selective enforcement?? Different agendas??

[Rick_Hunter]

I have mostly libertarian beliefs, and I'm *opposed* to open borders.