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Good Idea, Bad Plan. Immigration plan won't work. (by Fred Barnes)
theweeklystandard ^ | 01/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | Fred Barnes

Posted on 01/15/2004 1:14:05 AM PST by dennisw

THERE ARE TWO THINGS to be said about President Bush's new plan for dealing with illegal immigrants. The first is that the plan reflects a beautiful sentiment. Immigrants slip into the United States illegally for all the right reasons. They want to find jobs, raise families, and decide their own destiny. They enrich America with their energy and their enthusiasm for freedom. This country would be far worse off without them.

The second thing to say about the Bush plan? It won't work. It doesn't stand a chance for two reasons. Illegal immigrants who would get special working permits for three years are never going back to their home countries. And the existence of a reward for illegally coming to America, namely the working permit, is bound to spur unlawful immigration, not curtail it.

In Mexico on Monday, Bush insisted he "expects that most temporary workers will eventually return permanently to their home countries." But why would they? Once they've held a job and received some of the benefits of American citizenship--such as a driver's license and the right to travel freely back and forth to their native country--they aren't likely to leave here willingly. The blessings of America are simply too attractive, the life too comfortable. It would defy human nature for them to migrate home voluntarily.

Nor would they be deported. At the moment, there are 8 million illegal immigrants in this country. So far as I can tell, there is no concerted effort by the Immigration and Naturalization Service to toss them out. Sure, the Border Patrol has been beefed up and more illegal immigrants are stopped at the border. But once they're in, they're pretty much left alone by authorities. Obviously the INS could find many of them if it wanted to. It doesn't. The job is too big and deportation too brutal a process.

The only exception is if illegal immigrants are seen as potential terrorists. But this applies to only a tiny number of immigrants and many of them are here legally (or at least they entered the country legally and then stayed after their visa expired). Most illegal immigrants come from Mexico or Central America and aren't terrorist threats. Getting them to leave is an extremely low priority for authorities. The bottom line is: We don't throw out many illegal immigrants anymore.

As for luring more illegal immigrants, the Bush plan would make America an even more lovely destination than it already is. As things stand now, illegal immigrants pay Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes with little hope of participating in those programs in their elderly years. Nor can they get drivers' licenses or green cards. But the Bush plan would change all that.

Consider how the proposed plan would be seen by a poor but ambitious young man in Mexico. He knows that getting in line for legal immigration would probably never get him to America and that staying in the United States on an illegal basis has its drawbacks. But now there's a legal alternative: Get across the border, find a job (a menial, entry level job will do), and sign up for a 3-year work permit that's renewable. This is quite an incentive. If the Bush plan passes, word will spread fast that now's the time to get to the United States any way you can.

AGAIN, let's applaud the thinking that underpins the Bush plan. And let's praise illegal immigrants for their moxie in getting here and making America a better country. But let's not have any illusions about the practical impact of the plan, which is that more will come and few will leave.

Fred Barnes is executive editor of The Weekly Standard.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aliens; fredbarnes
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1 posted on 01/15/2004 1:14:05 AM PST by dennisw
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To: dennisw
http://amnation.com/vfr/
When an establishment neoconservative like Fred Barnes at The Weekly Standard speaks with quietly devastating logic about how the Bush amnesty plan would only increase illegal immigration, you know that this plan is not going to go anywhere. The thought arises that Bush’s immigration proposal is like his “road map for peace in the Mideast” last summer: a transparently ridiculous and unworkable scheme, announced with messianic fanfare, signifying nothing. Nothing except Bush’s need to appeal to certain constituencies by making grand empty gestures in their direction.
I realize this explanation contradicts other theories I’ve advanced about Bush’s motives for pushing this insane scheme. I’m currently working on a sort of unified field theory of Bush’s political character that will, I hope, tie them all together. For the moment, let me leave the reader with the thought that, unlike our president, when I issue an obvious contradiction, I at least acknowledge it.


2 posted on 01/15/2004 1:15:23 AM PST by dennisw (“We'll put a boot in your ass, it's the American way.” - Toby Keith)
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To: dennisw
bttt
3 posted on 01/15/2004 1:41:06 AM PST by lainde (Heads up...We're coming and we've got tongue blades!!)
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To: dennisw
I'd be interested in your thoughts. When you have it all worked out I hope you keep me in mind for a ping.
4 posted on 01/15/2004 1:56:52 AM PST by DeuceTraveler
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To: dennisw
let's applaud the thinking that underpins the Bush plan

Let's not.

The idea is continue to supply cheap labor to business and people who need servants...and to hell with those who are hurt by the down side; those who have to pay for the schooling and health-care of the immigrants, those who have to tolerate their crime and uncivilized behavior on a daily basis.

5 posted on 01/15/2004 2:21:17 AM PST by liberallarry
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To: dennisw
Seems to me that for a (R), President Bush has actually done a pretty good job in co-opting the Idiot Left and their Mantras. He has done a terrific job on Taxes and Terror as well as a fair & a not so fair job on other issues. I think that opening discussions on such a difficult problem as Immigration, was pretty good stratergy. Better to approach it now, early in an election yr, this 1 issue could derail his reelection by possibly causing a splintering of the Conservative & Independent Bases. This would make the election much closer and could more likely result in the election of a Leftist President in 2005...I truly think that would be a National Disaster. I think Pres. Bush deserves another 4 yrs...with a more compliant Congress but I could still change my mind, November is a long time away.
6 posted on 01/15/2004 2:21:50 AM PST by iopscusa (El Vaquero)
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To: dennisw
Immigrants slip into the United States illegally for all the right reasons

excepting the ones that make up 30% of the prison population of the western states.


No Blood for Lettuce!

Click here and here for lists of crimes committed by illegal aliens.

7 posted on 01/15/2004 2:33:11 AM PST by putupon (Ground Control to Major Jorge)
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Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

The bottom line is: We don't throw out many illegal immigrants anymore.


"Borders? We don' need no steenkin' borders"

9 posted on 01/15/2004 2:45:12 AM PST by putupon (Thirty silver pesos for Judas Bush.)
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To: liberallarry; putupon
Amen, Amen, and Amen! I'm with you both in your thinking. Fred Barnes needs to come visit me in Dallas; I'll show him plenty of uncivilized aliens who enrich us NOT! Last night, for the umpteenth time since 10 of them moved into one house, my Mexican neighbors held a party on the lawn--at nearly 11pm. I ask them to stop the noise, but they don't speak English--as most of them don't really care about assimilating anyway; they just care about making money and having babies and having someone else pick up their medical bills (at least it is so in my neighborhood). To make matters worse, on a daily basis I have to pick up their broken beer bottles (thrown in my flwer beds and often on the sidewalks--shattered) as well as the caps and cig. butts.

On Tuesday, a White House volunteer for the comments line revealed inadvertently that phone calls to the White House opposing GWB's plan are nearly unprecedented in number and in angry tone.

Best regards,
Penny

Postscript: In the last year, I have alerted the INS no fewer than five times about this situation, but I've yet to have a response.
10 posted on 01/15/2004 3:35:31 AM PST by Penny
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To: Penny
A FReeper replied to me yesterday that I insulted the illegals and offended him/her w/ my NB4L pic and links; implying that someone who is against illegal immigration are racist xenophobes

I replied with a true take on what the LEGAL immigrants in my circle of acquaintances are saying:

Every immigrant I know, and I know many, who are green carded professionals at a teaching medical university. I’m talking physicians of every level from faculty to intern, from every corner of the world; South America, Indian Subcontinent, Asians, Middle Easterners. The majority who are political lean to the Left.

Being legal, and easily locatable, every one of them is constantly occupied with INS red tape and other miscellaneous Federal harassment.

These people are incensed that Bush is granting Amnesty to all these illegals when they have to put all the BS that they do.

Again, some I’m speaking of are medical university professors who have been in the U.S. for years saving lives and educating new doctors.

So the ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO HAVE VIOLATED AT LEAST FOUR LAWS TO EVEN BE HERE are offended and insulted, are they?

Well so are the LEGAL ones.

I am unable to speak for victims on the lists I provided the links to, but I would assume that the surviving ones are offended that their government knowingly left laws unenforced which would have protected them.

Ain’t that wonderful? At least everyone can agree on one thing, we are all offended.

11 posted on 01/15/2004 3:55:39 AM PST by putupon (Thirty silver pesos for Judas Bush.)
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To: iopscusa
I think that opening discussions on such a difficult problem as Immigration, was pretty good stratergy.

I tend to agree with you. Up until now, Washington has barely acknowledged to issue. I wouldn't expect the first plan to work well without some serious modification. My emotional reaction to illegals is to 'throw'em out and seal the borders', but this is a practical impossibility.

Just as an aside, I wonder what would happen if crowds of Anglos went to Mexico and started buying bunches of property?

12 posted on 01/15/2004 5:02:15 AM PST by tbpiper
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To: iopscusa
I think Pres. Bush deserves another 4 yrs...with a more compliant Congress but I could still change my mind, November is a long time away.

How much more compliant can a Congress be? Name one proposal sent by the WH that hasn't been implemented. Name one use of the Veto on any piece of legislation coming from that same Congress. Blackbird.

13 posted on 01/15/2004 5:15:47 AM PST by BlackbirdSST
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To: tbpiper
Just as an aside, I wonder what would happen if crowds of Anglos went to Mexico and started buying bunches of property?

Can't be done. The most you can hope for is to be a squatter. Gringo's can't own property in Mexico. Blackbird.

14 posted on 01/15/2004 5:19:47 AM PST by BlackbirdSST
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To: dennisw
This is the point and purpose of proposing this plan, the fact that it won't work. They can look busy while actually doing nothing to stem the invasion.
15 posted on 01/15/2004 5:21:02 AM PST by MissAmericanPie
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To: dennisw
Treason is not a "beautiful sentiment," Mr. Barnes.
16 posted on 01/15/2004 5:22:56 AM PST by Thorin
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To: dennisw
When the culture and the middle class is destroyed...
The wealthy and elite...wont miss a beat...it wont affect them in the least....
They dont mix anyway...they only use...
They love slave labor...and to have their surfs a different color than they...helps them to
feel better about the crumbs they let slip from their tables now and again...
The elite are the biggest cheap skates in the world...
Packing the nation with 15 million illegals will soon be 30 million
This will precipitate the biggest crime wave the nation has ever seen....
Of course the police state under the guise of Homeland Security will be ready for them and all other dissidents...
Welcome to America in the NWO
and largely thanks to the only man who could sucessfully deliver 'conservatives' to it...
We need a viable third party...not a 'Third Way'
imo
17 posted on 01/15/2004 5:24:21 AM PST by joesnuffy (Moderate Islam Is For Dilettantes)
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To: dennisw
They enrich America with their energy and their enthusiasm for freedom. This country would be far worse off without them.

If he is so enamoured of these people why go on and take apart the Bush plan? Does he have something else in mind?

18 posted on 01/15/2004 5:30:38 AM PST by raybbr
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To: putupon
Judas Bush - good!
19 posted on 01/15/2004 5:44:56 AM PST by Ed_in_NJ
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To: liberallarry
(snip)The idea is continue to supply cheap labor to business (snip)

That's only half the problem, here we are all victims of the two party system.Big buisiness Republicans want cheap labor, liberal Democrats want cheap votes.Niether party has anything to gain by actually doing something about the problem even though most Americans want something done.
20 posted on 01/15/2004 6:29:43 AM PST by edchambers (Where are we going and why am I in this hand-basket?)
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