Contact Tom Tancredo (R-Co), Chirman of the House Immigration Reform Caucus

Contact Congressman Tancredo ^ | 1.7.04 | Remember_Salamis

[Remember_Salamis]

Contact Tom Tancredo (R-Co), Chirman of the House Immigration Reform Caucus (HIRC). He's one of the few elected republicans with his head on straight. Here's their platform:

Rep. Tom Tancredo’s Four-Point Plan for Immigration Control

The United States has lost control over its immigration policy. Over one million persons enter our nation illegally each year and we have antiquated and error-prone systems for knowing who our legal visitors are and for enforcing their visa time limits. Every poll shows that over 75% of citizens support border security and strict enforcement of our immigration laws. They want our immigration policies fixed. Here is my four-point plan for achieving control of our borders and enforcing sensible immigration policies.

1. Secure our Nation’s Borders

Increase Border Patrol manpower from the present 11,500 to 20,000 (HR 3534). Use the U.S. Military until the Border Patrol reaches that manpower level (HR 277). Accelerate the use of new technology and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to identify and help apprehend smugglers and trespassers. Double the capacity of the detention centers for apprehended trespassers. End the “catch and release” policy by instituting fines and jail time for repeat offenders. Require stiff prison sentences for convicted “coyotes” and felons who return to the U.S. after deportation. Accelerate the implementation of the “USVISIT” biometric identifier program for all foreign nationals entering the country through our ports of entry. 2. Establish a Genuine Guest Worker Program

Enact a genuine Guest Worker Bill (HR 3534) to allow any foreign national to enter the US legally to work for up to one year in a job that cannot be filled by a citizen. Require employers to advertise all jobs on an internet bulletin board and for two weeks before hiring a Guest Worker. Require illegal aliens already in the U.S. to first return home and apply for jobs through the legal processes. 3. Improve “Interior Enforcement” of Immigration Laws

Provide adequate resources to the “Detention and Removal” branch of the Bureau of Customs and Immigration Enforcement (BICE) to allow apprehension and removal of all criminal aliens. Enact the “CLEAR” Act (HR 2671) to give local law enforcement incentives and reimbursements for participating in immigration law enforcement. Establish stiff fines and tax penalties for employers who violate the law by hiring illegal aliens, and devote adequate resources to identify and prosecute those employers. 4. Remove Incentives for Illegal Immigration

Employers who hire illegal aliens should face stiff fines and tax penalties (see#2 above). Federal and State agencies should be prohibited from recognizing the Mexican Government’s “Matricula Consular” ID card. States that grant driver’s licenses to illegal aliens should suffer loss of federal highway funds. Children born to illegal aliens should not be given citizenship status (HR 1567). Federal court rulings and other policies that require health and educational services to illegal aliens should be overturned. Amend Social Security Act to deny credits for wages earned in illegal employment or to self-employed engaged in illegal activities (HR 1631). Insist that the Government of Mexico extradite felony criminals who retreat into Mexico. Encourage the Government of Mexico to repeal its Dual Citizenship law.

Here's the other members of the caucus. What's funny is that there' only two democrats in the caucus and one of them's becoming a republican (Hall from Tx): Todd Akin (R-MO) Robert Aderholt (R-AL) Spencer Bachus (R-AL) J. Gresham Barrett (R-SC) Richard Baker (R-LA) Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) Joe Barton (R-TX) Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) John Boozman (R-AR) Allen Boyd (D-FL) Henry Brown (R-SC) Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL) Michael Burgess (R-TX) Dan Burton (R-IN) Eric Cantor (R-VA) John Carter (R-TX) Mac Collins (R-GA) Barbara Cubin (R-WY) John Culberson (R-TX) JoAnn Davis (R-VA) Nathan Deal (R-GA) John Doolittle (R-CA) Jim Duncan (R-TN) J. Randy Forbes (R-VA) Phil Gingrey (R-GA) Virgil Goode (R-VA) Sam Graves (R-MO) Jim Greenwood (R-PA) Gil Gutknecht (R-MN) Ralph Hall (D-TX) Joel Hefley (R-CO) Wally Herger (R-CA) Henry Hyde (R-IL) Robin Hayes (R-NC) J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ) Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) Duncan Hunter (R-CA) Johnny Isakson (R-GA) Ernest Istook (R-OK) Chris John (D-LA) Sam Johnson (R-TX) Walter Jones (R-NC) Steve King (R-IA) Donald Manzullo (R-IL) Gary Miller (R-CA) Jeff Miller (R-FL) Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) Charlie Norwood (R-GA) Butch Otter (R-ID) Mike Pence (R-IN) Chip Pickering (R-MS) Jim Ramstad (R-MN) Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) Ed Royce (R-CA) Edward Schrock (R-VA) Pete Sessions (R-TX) John Shadegg (R-AZ) Michael Simpson (R-ID) Lamar Smith (R-TX) Nick Smith (R-MI) Cliff Stearns (R-FL) John Sullivan (R-OK) Tom Tancredo (R-CO) Patrick Tiberi (R-OH) Fred Upton (R-MI) David Vitter (R-LA) Zach Wamp (R-TN) Dave Weldon (R-FL) Roger Wicker (R-MS)

[browardchad]

You don't notice Rush calling for enforcement of our immigration laws--and why not?

He did today, likely because he got hammered by his listeners, including me, and on exactly the same points you make. I don't think some prominent Republicans have yet awoken to the fact that not all the party faithful are CEO's of fortune-500 companies. (And George Will is too busy reading the unabridged dictionary to notice that Reagan isn't the president anymore.)

The difference between Republican and Democratic have-nots isn't in their bank accounts, it's in the fact that we don't have our hands out -- but neither do we expect to have our wallets stolen by our own party.

[WOSG]

The reason I think it is unfair to call this 'amnesty' is that the amnesty advocates want a blanket conversion of illegals into legals. That is what was done in 1986. That's not Bush's plan. In the guest worker plan, illegals have no special 'place in line' to get these guest workers visas. And after 3 years, they can apply but have no special place in line for the permanent residency vias. The only part that smacks of amnesty is the ability to apply for this from the US with a fee for being here. It's a path, but a narrow and confined one.

"Read: Keep your head down and I'll make you a citizen." only if there is a massive increase in the LPRs granted each year ... yes, it is a road to citizenship, but it is the same road that we already have in law. Guest workers need to apply for LPR like everyone else. This is far different from the amnesty bill proposals from the Democrats, which would blanket convert 10 million illegals into Democrat-voting-zombie-citizens.

To me, the key is how many permanent resident visas will they allow each year. IMHO they should abolish the Diversity Visa quotients and the Chain Migration visas and keep the same caps. We will then fill those #s with hard workers.

The other real problem is this: IMHO, the proposal is hardly worse than the status quo, but the status quo is not acceptable. We need to enforce the laws on immigration.

[WOSG]

I say that BUSH IS CRAZY LIKE A FOX on this issue.

He is angering his base but getting Fox on his side, Hispandering and in the end may not get any bill at all.

Congress would be nutz to touch this idea prior to 2005. And in 2005 .... let's make sure we have a Conservative majority to pass this:

http://www.house.gov/tancredo/Immigration/

[supercat]

I would like to suggest that there be ways for jobs that non-citizens are now doing be put up for grabs. For instance, if it was learned that a non-citizen was doing a laundry job in SE MA, it should be in a special classified section of the newspaper. If a citizen claims it, the non-citizen should be sent home and the job should be providing wages for us.

Presently, illegal aliens have a major competitive advantage over legal residents: unscrupulous employers can rely upon them not to report violations of wage, safety, or other such laws. If illegal aliens were free to report such violations (and were widely known to be so), such freedom would undermine much of the reason employers would want to hire them in the first place.

And if people are offered the opportunity to stay in this country legally if and only if they report their employment, and yet they refuse to do so, then the act of having offered them legal residency may make it politically much easier to deport them.

[MissouriForBush]

People who are here illegally do not truly deserve an American future.

Based on what you write in your posts, all I can say is I've got some oceanfront property in Arizona to sell to you.

[The_Eaglet]

A surprising threat to freedom-Campaign Finance Reform thread-day 29

[Stallone]

The 55 mph speed limit was ignored by the vast majority of Americans. All were BREAKING THE LAW. It was a stupid and unworkable law.

The newly-revised speed limit acknowledges something else - REALITY.

For decades, illegal aliens have entered America and lawmakers looked the other way. Americans have embraced them, hired them and protected them. Without their support, they would have withered on the vine.

Now Bush alone did not cause this. YOUR MANY FELLOW AMERICANS DID.

You are asking George Bush to deport them all, right now. Or, just pass the buck and ignore it like everyone else. It is preposterous, but maybe you don't know it - yet.

This principled stand of suicide, the kind of tin-eared McClintock nonsense that put us into the margins for nearly a decade, is sheer political stupidity. Yeah, yeah, it is better to die than compromise...give it up.

Instead, Bush challenges the conventional thinking and saves the best of them, and loses the worst.

He has established a datum reference line, and can be hardcore on those that don't follow the rules from now on. Like raising the speed limit to a more workable level, Bush has accepted the reality that VOTING AMERICANS LIKE YOU hire these people. HE IS DEALING WITH THAT REALITY.

It is BRILLIANT, and GOP'ers failing to see this is not only expected, because most blind Conservatives could not understand the concept of an Arnold vs. the unelectable McClintock, but rather it is the ONLY likely initial response I would have expected.

I would be truly stunned if even 10% of Republicans understood the rationale now. That there is one other person on this board that 'gets it' absolutely astonishes me.

But I believe that in time this initiative will be seen as yet another stroke of bold strateregy by this remarkable President.

Thank God for President Bush.

[Zipporah]

Your letter to Tancredo.. excellent and you echo my sentiments exactly.

[Zipporah]

"Logic of Bush is likened to a farmer looking the other way so that the FOX can enter the chicken coop, then giving the FOX legal status as "co-farmer" to protect the chickens from evil foxes.".. Excellent...

[MissouriForBush]

There is nothing bold or brilliant or "hardcore" about what Bush is doing. It is overall bad, bad policy -- plain and simple. It just saddens me that it is a bad policy move by a Republican, because I expected better.

[Stallone]

But it is brilliant, bold and innovative.

Take your time, it'll come to you.

[MissouriForBush]

It is bold, brilliant and innovative for RINOS.

[Texasforever]

Bush just lost my vote. I will vote libertarian

Hell Libertarians want completly open borders. But go ahead.

[SerpentDove]

Excellent post.

I'm glad Bush revealed his true colors. I always like to know the truth about who I'm dealing with.

[FUMETTI]

Thank you Zipporah...I hope that the switchboards are flooded in DC with people as passionate as us. It pains me to oppose President Bush on this issue, but the truly evil man here is KARL ROVE. He sucks!

[Texasforever]

Truth is Bush has revealed his true colors as a liberal but he also revealed his vulnerability for reelection, peeing off conservatives

Dream on.

[FUMETTI]

You say...

"The 55 mph speed limit was ignored by the vast majority of Americans. All were BREAKING THE LAW. It was a stupid and unworkable law. "

Is speeding and risking lives and increasing road rage better than? And BTW the law proved to be worthwhile because it saved lives. It was only raised because the oil companies wanted it raised. I never went more than 5-10 miles over the speed limit in my life; police tell me they won't pull over anyone doing less than 10 over unless in a school zone.

You say...
The newly-revised speed limit acknowledges something else - REALITY.

REALITY???? Maybe we should stop the screening of all air passengers because we failed on 9-11. RIGHT? Of course we now are TOUGHENING our screening and succeeding because no 9-11 has happened again. So strengthening our boarders and deporting those who broke the law is the best way to deal with this problem....and **THAT** IS REALITY!

You say...

"For decades, illegal aliens have entered America and lawmakers looked the other way. Americans have embraced them, hired them and protected them. Without their support, they would have withered on the vine."

Bullshit! You underestimate America and Americans. If some native born American is poor and need to feed their family, he/she WILL pick beans or clean toilets if they have to! And that will be true once it becomes harder to procure social services! Teenagers will love to work in hotels and pick vegetables. They don't NEED the minimum wage.

You say...

"Now Bush alone did not cause this. YOUR MANY FELLOW AMERICANS DID."

So we should throw the baby out with the bathwater and shrug our shoulders?

You say,

"You are asking George Bush to deport them all, right now. Or, just pass the buck and ignore it like everyone else. It is preposterous, but maybe you don't know it - yet."

That will be extremely popular and will be hard, but the only reason it is "preposterous" to you is that the INS is in shambles and the boarder patrol people are urged now NOT to arrest illegals! Gray Davis wanted to give them free college education and driver's licenses! Take away those incentives!!!

You say,

"This principled stand of suicide, the kind of tin-eared McClintock nonsense that put us into the margins for nearly a decade, is sheer political stupidity. Yeah, yeah, it is better to die than compromise...give it up."

No YOU give it up. You want our culture to be crushed and our traditions altered and the landscape so unimaginable that America as we know it will be another Latin country. Good ... because I won't give it up, buddy!

You say,

"Instead, Bush challenges the conventional thinking and saves the best of them, and loses the worst."

They are ALL bad if they broke the law! DUHHHHHH!!!!

You say,

"He has established a datum reference line, and can be hardcore on those that don't follow the rules from now on. Like raising the speed limit to a more workable level, Bush has accepted the reality that VOTING AMERICANS LIKE YOU hire these people. HE IS DEALING WITH THAT REALITY."

Well, if companies are fined bigtime for hiring illegals, it may hit them in their pocketbooks to stop. They have to comply with hundreds of regulations, so another one is not going to make them go bust.

You say,

"It is BRILLIANT, and GOP'ers failing to see this is not only expected, because most blind Conservatives could not understand the concept of an Arnold vs. the unelectable McClintock, but rather it is the ONLY likely initial response I would have expected."

You are the one who cannot see.

You say,

"I would be truly stunned if even 10% of Republicans understood the rationale now. That there is one other person on this board that 'gets it' absolutely astonishes me."

Buddy, three quarters of America oppose this. Screw 10% of the GOP...this means that Democrats and everyone else is opposed to this measure. THAT is reality!!!!

You say,

"But I believe that in time this initiative will be seen as yet another stroke of bold strateregy by this remarkable President."

And it will fail. The people will not forget this.

You say

"Thank God for President Bush."

Yes, and may the Devil take out Karl Rove.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

FIRST: Consider all the illegal immigrants in this country, the HUGE task of Homeland Security and trying to FIND all these people, card them, and keep track of them.

SECOND: Consider the fact that once they have a "3 year VISA to work here" they will pay taxes, thus taking some of the BURDEN off of all of us as tax payers paying for what up until now has been TOTALLY FREE health care.

THIRD: IF this is done correctly, and the FAMILY members are made to OBEY our laws, or they AND ALL THEIR families will be DEPORTED FOR VIOLATING our laws, this could have a POSITIVE influence on GANG related, and DRUG related activities.

So, instead of having a KNEE JERK reaction to this proposal, I suggest we think of how this could work.

LEGAL Immigrants DO deserve to be here. Other than my Cherokee relatives, I have ancestors who got here legally and worked their way through our system.

Those who get the three year work Visa's, could apply for permanent citizenship. If they LIVE by our rules and OBEY the laws of the land, and are good citizens, then they too can become Americans. Like MY Ancestors did, and MOST Americans Ancestors have.

Personally, I think this solves a HUGE problem. Because we will NEVER be able to HIRE enough agents to track down all the illegals in our country.

Once this is done, those found to NOT be carded, can be arrested and deported.

We still must address the border problem. But at least we can finger print and ID those who are here illegally NOW. This is NOT amnesty,.. and like I said, we can weed out the chaff (sp).

Just MHO. We are both still looking at this, but I think people are "reacting" and not looking into this in it's entirety.

It could be an act of genius. Which wouldn't surprise me, considering this President and his administration.

We still think history will prove that considering the proliferation of terrorism worldwide that this administration truly acted brilliantly.

Considering the LACK of any immigration policy for well over a decade (more like two decades) this is a necessary policy to catch up with "who" is in our country.

Once it is done, those pulled over for traffic violations, etc., can be deported or "held" for not being in our country with the proper "papers". Something that has been lacking for a LONG time.

People keep crying for "something" to be done, then when it is.. they WHINE about it.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

Sorry, disagree with ya on this one.