Free Republic

The Immigration Bill: Comprehensive or Incomprehensible? By Fred Thompson Saturday, May 19, 2007 Most Americans know that we have an illegal immigration problem in this country, with perhaps as many as 20 million people residing here unlawfully. And I think most Americans have a pretty good idea about how to at least start solving the problem – secure our nation’s borders. But there’s an old saying in Washington that, in dealing with any tough issue, half the politicians hope that citizens don’t understand it while the other half fear that people actually do. This kind of thinking was apparent with...

Calls for speedier regional economic integration between U.S., Mexico WASHINGTON – The controversial "Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007," which would grant millions of illegal aliens the right to stay in the U.S. under certain conditions, contains provisions for the acceleration of the Security and Prosperity Partnership, a plan for North American economic and defense integration, WND has learned. The bill, as worked out by Senate and White House negotiators, cites the SPP agreement signed by President Bush and his counterparts in Mexico and Canada March 23, 2005 – an agreement that has been criticized as...

Over 1,000 New York Republicans crowded into the ballroom of a Times Square Sheraton Thursday night to hear from presidential contenders Rudy Giuliani and John McCain, but the real elephant in the room was immigration reform. Neither candidate addressed the issue in their speeches, even though rank-and-file conservatives spent Thursday talking about little else. McCain, of course, helped shape the immigration compromise that has so many conservatives in open revolt. For his part, Giuliani issued a statement in which he didn't really take a position on the bill, which would provide amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants living in the...

--snip-- We must not sell out, and we must fight for the rights of our people that have been here!" he shouted, a crowd of 50 or so cheering and applauding as the short speech closed. "This is our land and we're going to fight for just and humane comprehensive immigration reform!" --snip La Raza, LULAC and the union issued a news release announcing the town hall meeting that was an ultimatum. They said U.S. Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn, R-Texas, were "on notice" that "we want workable reform and we want it now!"

With the immigration * compromise * in the Senate, President Bush and the Senators have detonated the slow-motion trigger on a Republican debacle in 2008. Let's count the ways: 1) The typical (median) American worker has seen his income stagnate under George W. Bush. Immigration is not the only reason for this wage stagnation, but it is certainly one of the reasons. With this immigration bill, the GOP is telling hard-pressed workers: Go look to somebody else to help you. 2) As complicated as this immigration deal is, it rests on a simple compromise: The Democrats get the amnesty they...

It's in the national news today that the sparring Republicans and Democrats are hard at work trying to craft an immigration bill that is palatable to both parties. It's a funny deal. The parties are sweating out a bill to make the politicians happy, but no one is asking what American voters and citizens think about it. And Americans don't like it. [Snip] They're talking about a bill that will grant amnesty to illegal aliens and put them on a path to citizenship, and a guest worker program. The Democrats love this idea because they think they'll get the majority...

Will Congress pass it? Will America buy it? The immigration battle in our country has just begun that's for sure. But another battle getting less attention is the battle to make America's most powerful institutions more diverse. In many ways the immigration deal and the record breaking Census Bureau figures also released yesterday that say that America has become more diverse, with minorities topping 100 million for the first time in 2006, go hand in hand. So as Congress struggles with immigration reform, the population of the United States is growing increasingly darker. Our lawmakers and society at large need...

MEXICO CITY – The Mexican government, opposition politicians and analysts on Friday mostly applauded the comprehensive immigration accord reached by Senate Republicans and Democrats and the White House but also crossed their fingers that it will become law.