Posted on 11/09/2004 2:41:55 PM PST by The Loan Arranger
MEXICO CITY -- Secretary of State Colin Powell said Tuesday that President Bush will place a high priority in his second term on granting legal status to millions of migrants who live illegally in the United States.
Powell spoke at the inaugural session of the U.S.-Mexican Bi-National Commission, which annually brings together top officials from both sides to discuss a range of cross-border issues. Powell was joined here by five other members of Bush's Cabinet.
"The president is committed to comprehensive immigration reform as a high priority in his second term, and he will work closely with our Congress to achieve this goal," Powell said, with delegations from both sides in attendance at a Foreign Ministry auditorium.
In separate remarks, Mexican Foreign Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez made no specific reference to the migration issue but praised the "high level of confidence and understanding between the two countries."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Leni
What the hell is wrong with deporting the illegals? Or doesn't the word 'illegal' mean what it used to?
Just passing through. Never mind me.
BARF BARF BARF!!!
Well, that didn't take long. The masses re-elect him and he continues on with his amnesty. The FTAA is just months away from passing as well. Better start learning spanish.
So let me get this straight, Bush waited until re-election to #1:
take Fallujah(in doing so letting a lot of our guys die)-we wouldn't want to risk a political campaign after all right,
and #2: to push his wildly unpopular amnesty plan to destroy what's left of our culture. Just checking to make sure I have it right.
I smell a Karl Rove....and it stinks.
Are we doomed to RINO leaders forever??!!
What we need is an Ellis Island in S California.
"Reform" in this situation translates into amnesty for illegal aliens, a completely open-ended guest worker program conceivably open to the entire world, and more legal immigration.
Of course most American oppose amnesty and want less legal immigration, but in this Bush and Kerry were together in having absolutely no regard for the mainstream positions of Americans.
Hopefully the GOP House will have the good sense to stop this before it really gets going.
Hmmmm. I doubt too many compliant (R) congress critters will be running for reelection in 2006 against someone as fully unqualified as Kerry was compared to W. Should be an interesting wakeup...
The only reform I want to see is those illegal butts walking back across the border into Mexico. Anything else risks the safety of the U.S.A.
Medved says it is not amnesty. After 3 years the workers line up at the bus station, and head back to Mexico. I wonder if they take the several children born in the USA with them? Inquiring minds want to know.
Comment. Consider the alternatives. 1. Deporting 12,000,000 illegals. How do you go about it, considering the scope? Rounding them up, putting them in concentration camps? How. Besides, you do it the American cities will drown in trash, the fruits and vegetables will rot in the fields. Shall I continue? 2. Status Quo. Unacceptable.
So what's wrong in matching the willing employer with the willing employee for the jobs Americans won't do anyway. Document the illegals and make them legal. Could use Israel experience. So Bush again is trying to do his best in the bad situation he did not create. This, though, would require sealing the borders. So, what would you suggest?
"Hopefully the GOP House will have the good sense to stop this before it really gets going.
"
Not a prayer. The Republicans will go along with the newly-elected President, and the Democrats will vote for this because they've wanted it for years. It will pass overwhelmingly, and President Bush will sign it in a big ceremony with Dems and Reps standing in line behind him, drooling.
If you're hoping for a Congress with backbone, I'm afraid you're in for a disappointment this term.
Yeah I am going to be really pissed when the federal government trumps the peoples voice here in Arizona... this is a blantent attempt by the mexican government to get prop. 200 here overturned or nullfied by the feds... mean while I get to listen to the news tonight along with the police scanner and listen to more crime that is occuring because of the increase illegal immigrant traffic... crime in the past 2 years has increase 40% according to FBI statistics and that is 40% increase cause by illegal immigration...once again it is from the FBI statistics..
I guess "reform" means open up the doors and let everyone in.
That's pure nonsense. We have trashmen here in St. Louis who are *not* illegal immigrants, and our trash gets picked up just fine. Pay agricultural workers a reasonable wage and Americans *will* do those jobs. If fruits and vegetables get too expensive, then that's more motivation for people to grow their own, or buy from local farmers and neighbors who *do* grow their own.
People can learn to mow their own lawns and change their own babies' diapers, too - it builds character.
This is payback for all those Hispanic votes that put President Bush "over the top" in last week's election.
" guess "reform" means open up the doors and let everyone in."
That's about it. But you knew this before the election. Bush made no bones about what he planned. Just follow the money on this one, and you'll see. FTAA is right behind. See how you like that one.
Sorry, but on this issue, our President already has his mind made up, and the Congress, like the good sheep they are, will follow right along behind.
ditto!
medved is smoking crack if he thinks this isn't amnesty. Get a clue.
As usual, I refer you all to investigate the FTAA and see it all spelled out for you. The FTAA will supercede our "outdated" constitution and make way for a western EU. Say hello to AmeriMexico and new world socialism.
There is no stopping it at this point. Everyone has been asleep at the wheel and all anyone has cared about for MONTHS is the election. Well, now Bush won and is selling you down the river.
On the one hand, I am super glad Kerry lost, on the other I am glad I wrote in Tancredo.
This is THE major issue on which I disagree with Bush.
This type of talk from Powell will do nothing except encourage even more of the Mexicam lower class to head north in the hope of getting amnesty. Just what we need;
another two or three million uneducated, unskilled beaners flooding the country. Yo habla espanol?
Not gonna happen and you know it better than me. You cite a local example, macroeconomically, there is not enough Americans to do the job. In Russia they all build characters by growing there own fruits and vegetables, been doing this for decades.
"Yo habla espanol?
"
Si, yo hablo espanol. And I have for years. Apparently you do not.
Comments? read all the comments from earlier this year we were all livid about this when he first brought it up,
sorry but I did NOT expect this.
Our fault we should have been more of an activist about this issue during the campaign. I dont beleive it was mentioned at all was it?
Only as long as yall keep electing them. Blackbird.
"This type of talk from Powell will do nothing except encourage even more of the Mexicam lower class to head north in the hope of getting amnesty. Just what we need;
"
Don't blame Powell. He's speaking for the President. That's his job...speaking for the President with regard to foreign policy.
Well, they got another thing coming.
Sure just come to Texas, right behind my home are tons of them in their nice, shiny NEW pickups. I reported them and no one did a thing about it. We have our home of 15 years up for sale because of it.
I mean come on W, dont do this to us.
"Well, they got another thing coming."
They sure do, and wait 'til you see what it is. I know you misspelled "think," but you're more right than you know. There are going to be a lot of things coming that you're not going to like.
Those who thought that President Bush is a real conservative haven't been following closely. He's not. Sure, he opposes abortion, sort of, and he's for the Marriage Amendment, weakly. Yes, he's kicking butt in Iraq.
What else is he doing? Are you paying attention. Have you been paying attention?
"I mean come on W, dont do this to us. "
Oh, please! This was announced a long time ago...way before the election. Don't tell me you missed it. Bush's "non-amnesty" amnesty has been in the works for a while.
Don't act all surprised.
Don't try to bring rational thought onto these threads.
"extreme financial penalties assessed to the Corporation or individual"
Ah, but, you see, there's the rub. That's just the problem. We can't have that.
That was tried after the 1986 amnesty.
Juries refused to convict, no matter how open-and-shut the case.
2nd, cut off all welfare
Too many gringos like welfare, amigo. You can even see 'em here on Free Republic. They're the ones more PO'd about WHO gets governmental largesse than the fact that said largesse even exists.
Actually, we do. The problem is getting a jury of the accused's peers to convict.
"Don't try to bring rational thought onto these threads."
Well, there is that. Obviously the lack of enforcement of existing laws for a long time creates a big problem. President Bush offered his solution some time ago. Make the illegals legal, he said. Problem solved.
He must be right, eh? After all, he has a mandate from all of us.
He could pay back the hispanic votes to the hispanics who voted him. If they voted they are legal.
"Actually, we do. The problem is getting a jury of the accused's peers to convict."
Well, yes. Unenforceable laws are worse than no laws at all. Problem is: we've all gotten so used to having all this nice cheap labor to mow our lawns, bus our plates, build our new homes a little cheaper, etc.
Economics will out, I suppose. And, on the corporate level, it's even more critical. Plus, it's all tied to the whole NAFTA and other things.
Oh, well. Learn Spanish.
He never said that and you must know it.
He wants to give them the chance to REGISTER and EARN the right to be here; if they don't, they go back.
Be honest: the ONLY way this would work is if the administration ships all those who don't comply back.
I'd rather go down spitting teeth! Blackbird.
"He never said that and you must know it.
He wants to give them the chance to REGISTER and EARN the right to be here; if they don't, they go back.
Be honest: the ONLY way this would work is if the administration ships all those who don't comply back."
Piffle. That's just eye-candy. It's amnesty, pure and simple, whatever the details. We're not going to send anyone back, except if they walk in the door and ask to go.
We haven't in the past, and we won't in the future.
If you think there's going to be any push to send illegals from South of the Border back, you're dreaming. It's far more likely that we'll deport errant Canadians who stray across our border illegally.
What does Bush think on the subject? Lets ask him(tell me after reading this he isn't clueless on this issue):
O'REILLY: A "Time" magazine investigation says, 3 million illegal aliens crossed the Mexican border, and we talked about this four and a half years...
BUSH: We have. I know it's a issue that you're concerned about.
O'REILLY: Every year, 3.5 million illegals come over. Why can't the federal government control that?
BUSH: Well, as you know, as the governor of Texas, I was very aware of this issue. There is a long border, that makes it hard to control. We have beefed up places along the border to try to stop the process of...
O'REILLY: With all due respect, though, it's not working, with 3 million...
BUSH: It's working a little better. They're doing a pretty good job down in Arizona, which is the main border crossing. But I was trying to get my words here for a minute. I was trying to give you some facts. I think there's a thousand more border patrol agents along the border, we're modernizing border techniques, we're using better surveillance methods to stop crossing at the border. Now, look, people are coming up because they want to work. You know, family values don't stop at the border.
O'REILLY: Absolutely,
BUSH: If you can make 50 cents in the interior of Mexico, and five bucks in the interior of the United States, you're coming for the five bucks, and they're poor.
O'REILLY: Ninety percent of them are, but 10 percent are bad guys.
BUSH: Well, look...
O'REILLY: A lot of bad guys coming here.
BUSH: I don't know how you got the 10 percent number, maybe...
O'REILLY: The border patrol you know, incarceration, violent crime, that...
BUSH: No question about it. It is a serious issue. I happen to believe the best way to enhance the border is to have temporary worker cards available for people. And I think it's best for the employers who are employing these people. I think it's best for the employees that are trying to find work. I think the long-term solution for this issue on our border is for Mexico to grow a middle class. That's why I believe in NAFTA (search)...
O'REILLY: We'll be in the grave.
BUSH: I don't think so. It's happening. Look, I wish I could have taken you down there and shown you the northern tier of states in Mexico ten years ago compared to today. I mean, it's happening.
Free trade helps lift lives, free trade develops commerce, free trade gives people a chance to realize their dreams. And so long as the wage differential is as big as it is, and so long as moms and dads feel the necessity to feed their children, they're going to come and try to make a living.
O'REILLY: So you're not going to militarize the border to stop...
BUSH: No, we're going to use the border patrol, beef it up, give it better technologies and better equipment to do its job.
O'REILLY: OK. You know a lot of people are not going to like that answer, you know that.
BUSH: Well it's a truthful answer.
O'REILLY: OK.
BUSH: I mean, as opposed as to what, putting a military on the border,
O'REILLY: Yes, [use the] military to back up the border patrol, to just stop the, rampant...
BUSH: No, I think the best way to do it is to give the border patrol the assets it needs to do its job.
"I'd rather go down spitting teeth! Blackbird."
OK. Me...I learned Spanish as a kid, growing up alongside the illegals of the 50s. It has served me well.
Even here, in St. Paul, freakin' Minnesota, I find that my Spanish has served me well. Amazing how many Spanish-only speakers there are here. Now, I'm learning Hmong, thanks to the nice kid down the street, who's teaching me. I'll work on Somali next.
Oh yeah, the Hmongs and Somalis? They're here legally. I figure it'll be worth my while to learn the languages. It always has been in the past.
Actually, the problem is that, for almost 120 years, seasonal workers crossed the border time and again, looking for work. There was a (much smaller) illegal immigration problem, but it wasn't the kind of mess we have now.
In 1965, Congress made that illegal. F*** the long-established customs of the Southwest, LBJ owed the AFL-CIO a favor.
So, former seasonal workers had two options:
1. Starve
2. Break the law
Guess which option won?
Next problem: formerly, crossing the border was never a problem. They crossed, they did work, they got paid, they went home and spent the cash.
Well, now that it was illegal, the following two options were in play:
1. Continue to cross and re-cross the border, risking arrest each time
2. Cross once and stay permanently, contributing to a huge problem
Again, identifying the option that won out is left as an exercise for the reader...
"Well, now that it was illegal, the following two options were in play:
1. Continue to cross and re-cross the border, risking arrest each time
2. Cross once and stay permanently, contributing to a huge problem
Again, identifying the option that won out is left as an exercise for the reader..."
Well, true enough, and there you have it. We have this huge "illegal" immigrant problem now, a problem that has been ignored. Now, a lot of those "illegals" have children born here. Their kids are US citizens.
Isn't it a knotty dilemma?
"I work for an employment service, the major reason for wage compression in the trades such as construction, cement, carpenters etc is illegal immigrants..."
Your post is right on the money!
I'll wait and see; so far, Bush has said what he means and done what he said.
I think the best we can hope for is to bring us back to the pre-1965 state of affairs, prosecute those who hire illegal aliens (we used to get convictions in those cases, before the liberals completely FUBAR'd the extant social and economic structures of the American Southwest), deter and detain those attempting to cross illegally from Mexico, and ignore those crossing BACK INTO Mexico (where they will likely apply for work permits).
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