Pretending immigration isn't an issue

Townhall.com ^ | August 20, 2002 | Phyllis Schlafly

[gubamyster]

August 20, 2002

The Republican National Committee's mail-order fund-raisers often contain a comprehensive multiple-choice survey so that prospective donors can give their opinions on topics of national importance. One issue, however, is conspicuously missing from the list: immigration.

The omission isn't an oversight; it's a deliberate policy. The National Republican Congressional Committee has been advising its candidates not to mention this issue in their speeches or campaign literature.

House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., gave Republicans the opportunity to seize this issue when he addressed a radical left-wing Hispanic group, The National Council of La Raza, in Miami on July 22.

He announced a Democratic Party plan to introduce legislation to grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens.

Nothing is more unpopular with voters than amnesty (which Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.V., called "sheer lunacy"). If the powers that be in the Republican Party don't realize this, they are out-of-touch with the grass roots.

The shyness of the Republican Party and the Bush administration about immigration explains why they manifest a deafening silence about Rep. George Gekas's bill called Securing America's Future through Enforcement Reform. The Pennsylvania Republican's bill is completely in accord with public opinion polls, showing that the majority of the American people want government to reduce the number of legal immigrants, to stop the irresponsible issuance of visas, to deport illegal aliens and to use U.S. troops to guard our borders (instead of the borders of Eastern Europe).

Title I, called Securing the Border, would increase the number of INS investigators and enforcement personnel, lengthen criminal sentences for alien smuggling, beef up the Border Patrol and use U.S. military troops until the Border Patrol reaches full strength. It would stop granting visas in countries that refuse to cooperate in combating alien smuggling.

Title II, called Screening Aliens Seeking Admission, would tighten the visa program to reduce the risk of aliens using fraudulent passports, require in-person interviews before issuing all visas, and bar any alien who is a member of a terrorist group or supports terrorism. Most people don't understand why this isn't already the law.

Title III, called Tracking Aliens Present in the United States, would establish a comprehensive entry-exit control system with registration and fingerprinting (which the INS has promised for years but never implemented). At least 40 percent of illegal aliens are visa overstayers. Several of the 9/11 hijackers had overstayed their visas.

Title IV, called Removing Alien Terrorists, Criminals, and Human Rights Violators, would authorize the INS to deport any alien who was inadmissible in the first place or is suspected of being a terrorist. This title would reverse several court decisions that accord unreasonable "rights" to terrorists claiming asylum, and would prevent the courts from releasing criminal aliens into the community.

Title V, called Enhancing Enforcement of the Immigration and Nationality Act in the Interior, would protect Social Security cards against counterfeiting and fraudulent use. This title would increase the number of INS investigators, as repeatedly requested by the INS, and double the number of INS detention beds.

Title VI would eliminate excessive review and dilatory, abusive tactics by aliens in deportation proceedings. It would also exclude aliens who knowingly make a false asylum application.

Title VII would clean up the problem of voting by illegal aliens. It would require verification of citizenship for voters and applicants.

Title VIII, called Reforming Legal Immigration, would repeal the infamous Diversity Immigrant Program which admits 50,000 immigrants a year, mostly from the Third World, including countries that sponsor terrorism, and helped the Fourth of July LAX murderer win U.S. residency. It would reform the abuses in the refugee program and in the extended-family visa program, and reduce the number of legal immigrants by 20 percent.

This would still leave immigration nearly double the traditional level. The INS is unable to cope with its current backlog of 5 million applications.

Gekas, chairman of the Immigration Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee, will start hearings on his bill next month. He should then add one more section requiring the INS to screen out aliens with diseases, such as the West Nile virus, malaria, Chagas disease, intestinal parasites and tuberculosis.

The BBC reported that the current epidemic of the West Nile virus (a central African disease) was probably brought to America for the first time three years ago by an imported exotic bird. The Centers for Disease Control reported that 16,000 foreign birds passed unscreened for West Nile virus through JFK airport in 1999. Where are the environmentalists when we need them?

[Sabertooth]

Bush will allow loads of immigrants in so he can get more taxpayers on the rolls.

Why? Because the baby boomers will bankrupt social security if he doesn't.

If averting bankruptcy is really the reason, where's the logic in President Bush extending a brand new prescription drug entitlement to seniors, just before the Baby Boomers retire?

The GOP low-ball is $320 billion over the next ten years. The Democrats want it to be a cool $1 trillion. And that's before even half of the Boomers are on Social Security, and before the inevitable cost overruns and expansions.

Why is Bush intent on obligating us to trillions of dollars in new obligations, if we need to let Illegals run roughshod over our borders just to pay for the debts already owed?

[Orion]

Because the baby boomers will bankrupt social security if he doesn't.

While it would not be good for me (born in '67), bankrupting Social Security would be the best thing to happen to the USA since our victory in WW2.

Why perpetuate the problem with an even bigger problem?

[B4Ranch]

We share the same tough skin. People resort to name calling when the facts go against them.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Oh, the truth will bring your enemies out of the wood work..What is disturbing, is that it seems all these folks are putting their party before country. And this party is avoiding this issue in a very big way..

[FreedomFriend]

I agree. I've stated that social security needs to be phased out. Saving it will only drag the country down.

[Marine Inspector]

Agreed.

[Marine Inspector]

Agreed.

[nanny]

There is one tiny hole in that theory - these people, by and large, are not paying taxes - SS or otherwise. Most work for contract labor and they are obligated to pay taxes at the end of the year. Now we are all sure they are rushing in to give the government 30 to 40% of their salary - right?

[Melas]

Perhaps the consensus isn't as great as the rabid anti-imigration crowd would have us believe? As an American, a Texan, and a Republican, I consider myself as much a part of the grass roots as anyone, and I am not alarmed that a nation 1/4 our size to the South is somehow going to ruin everything by crossing our border. The very notion defies logic.

If the name calling hasn't taken over this thread already, I'm sure it will start now.

[Joe Hadenuf]

As an American, a Texan, and a Republican, I consider myself as much a part of the grass roots as anyone, and I am not alarmed that a nation 1/4 our size to the South is somehow going to ruin everything by crossing our border. The very notion defies logic.

What defies logic is that some seem so uninformed. This invasion is not just from Mexico, it's coming from El Salvador, China, Nicaragua, Russia, Pakistan, Canada. But you knew this right?

[4Freedom]

"Why? Because the baby boomers will bankrupt social security if he doesn't."

Go to the Center for Immigration Studies website. The average illegal alien will use $52,000 more in social services in his lifetime than he pays for.

Almost every anchor baby born to an illegal alien in this country collects social security.

The parents and grandparents of immigrants that are allowed to come to this country under 'Family Reunification' go on social security even though they never worked a day, in the USA, in their lives.

There are some immigrants collecting more than $1,400 per month SSI and receiving 100% of their medical expenses from Medicare. They never worked a day in this country.

So you can see that massive, unregulated legal and illegal immigration does nothing to stave off the collapse of Social Security.

If anything, it hastens it!

[Brownie74]

[gubamyster]

and I am not alarmed that a nation 1/4 our size to the South is somehow going to ruin everything by crossing our border. The very notion defies logic.

I'm not sure what logic you are using. The Center for Immigration Studies estimates that illegals take $55K more from the system than they contribute over their lifetime. This fact alone should be alarming to you. You should check out their website for more interesting facts that may defy your logic.

[FreedomFriend]

I also think that it is time for real immigration reform. This includes a ten year moratorium, the elimination of the "Anchor Baby Amenment", the establishment of English as the National Language in Government, the revoking of welfare among illegals, and the enforcement and prosecution against those employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens. Furthermore, immigration should be reformed as to where newcomers do not exceed 75,000-100,000 per year, and at least eighty percent should come from the countries of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Why is it that we can think of these common sense solutions, yet we are completely ignored by our so called leaders and politicians? Is there an unspoken agenda here?

[4Freedom]

"Is there an unspoken agenda here?"

Si!

[Melas]

Now, can you explain to me why that level of spite and vitriol is called for? Do you always get so insulting when anyone disagrees with you?

[4Freedom]

It's a shame, but a lot of your predictions for the future have a good chance of coming to pass.

Things are certainly going to get a damn sight worse before they get better.

Where did I put that black magic marker? I know it's here somewhere.