Posted on 02/16/2005 7:32:36 AM PST by kellynla
Senate Republicans' new point man on immigration said that it is unrealistic to assume that the 10 million illegal aliens in the United States can be deported and that the only alternative is to create a temporary worker program that has them come forward on their own. Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican and the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee's immigration subcommittee, also said he thinks new temporary workers from overseas must return home after their work visa ends, but he is skeptical about how successful it would be to have illegal aliens return home before applying for the program in the first place. "A program that told people you'd have to leave to go apply for it would be viewed as sufficiently punitive that people would say, 'Look, I'll just take my chances under the status quo,' which to me is not good," Mr. Cornyn told The Washington Times in a recent interview in his office in the Senate Hart Office Building.
As a senator from Texas, he has been involved in the immigration issue since he was elected in 2002, including sponsoring his own temporary-worker bill in 2003. He plans to hold a series of hearings, beginning with border security and document fraud issues, but hopes eventually to put together a broad package of immigration reforms. His earlier bill would have created both seasonal and nonseasonal systems and be open both to illegal immigrants already here and foreign workers from overseas. The nonseasonal visas would last for 12 months and be renewable for up to 36 months, during which time the government would store part of their wages, which would be paid to the worker when he completes his agreement by returning home.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
This is why Cornyn was elected from Texas. He's a Bush man.
Spencer Abraham was removed in 2000 for the same open border attitude. Maybe when Texas has finally had all they can stand they'll give Cornyn the same treatment.
My take on this;
I don't see an upside for current illegal immigrants to apply for this status and suspect the ones who do apply surely won't return home when their temp status is over.
I also see a whole bunch of new folks applying from other contries. This is a cheaper method of entry than paying coyotes and they still have the option of remaining as an illegal when their temp status is over.
To sum up my views.......... I see a whole bunch of new folks headed our way.
Sending people back to Mexico to apply is pretty asinine. What's the difference is they apply from San Diego or Monterrey? It just creates traffic on the roads.
they need to just go home...
I am tired of Mexico dumping it's problems on our back porch!
Vicente Fox was elected to solve Mexico's problems.
Let him do his job or let them find someone else who can!
Mexico is one of the wealthiest countries in the world and it's time for Mexico to take the training wheels off and start peddling through life on her own!
This is a ridiculous statement. It is unrealistic for us to get ALL the drugs out of America, but we sure do our best!!! Same goes for illegals.
What an ass.
Hey Cornyn, how about eliminating their job possibilities here and sending them home on their own by cracking down on corrupt employers.
Another jackass open borders Bushie.
Like Hatch before him, another Republican succumbs to the opinions of fellow committe member Ted Kennedy. No surprise. However the guest worker program and the Dream act and all the other worthless schemes they want so much will never get through the House.
How many illegals are there in the country today?
Of the number of illegals in the country today, how many are from Mexico, South America, and the rest of the world?
Fine -- but it's gonna take another $10k to build your house, another $$$ to mow the lawns, another $$$ to babysit your kids, another $$$ to clean your buildings, another $$$ to eat at a restaurant, another $$$ to buy food.
I'm all for cracking down on employers of illegals, but we need to provide some way for people to be here legally without waiting in line 10 years to immigrate. Guest worker program plus massive increase in legal immigration. Problem solved.
Or you could spend billions chasing down Jose who's building your neighbor's house.
At 10-20k per prisoner (and you know Mexico ain't payin' s***), let's say you find a million illegals, congratulations, that's $10-20 billion a year for incarceration, plus building the prisons, plus finding all of them.
Well I guess I have to send a nasty gram to this idiot.
Thanks, Senator, for the sanity. As for SCG...he was last seen spewing unbridled trash talk and hatred against President Bush the Great and anyone who supports him. Doctors and other concerned ones cautioned him he would end up like Robert Byrd, Al Gore, and Ted Kennedy, but he just kept right on spewing.
That's exactly how I see it as well. There's too many in that body, particularly in California who understand the devastating effects illegal immigration is having. Not to mention the growing outrage nationwide over this invasion has many starting to fear for their own political lives.
several hundred thousand went home, either by their own power or with a little help...
if you do a search on operation wetback you can get the facts...
Good idea...but this is a Bush man and he will continue to promote Bush's agenda. There is a point when they do not care what 'we the people' say.
That begs a question. (Again!) For the umpteenth time I'll present this question to the President's guest worker supporters.
What about "undocumented workers" with career jobs? That is, good paying jobs held by undocumented workers for several years? They own homes, have families, etc. I know that it happens.
Are Americans going to be asked if they want those good-paying, responsible jobs "undocumented workers" have held for years? I thought Americans had to refuse the jobs first then the search for 'willing workers' began.
The "guest worker" plan may be fine for temporary work but what about "undocumented workers" who have careers? Would guest worker proponents have the "guest worker" plan renege on the promise to ask Americans first?
Thanks, Senator, for the sanity. As for kell,...he/she was last seen spewing unbridled trash talk and hatred against President Bush the Great and anyone who supports him. Doctors and other concerned ones cautioned him/her he would end up like Robert Byrd, Al Gore, and Ted Kennedy, but he/she just kept right on spewing.
Yes and on this issue GWB and the two senators from TX do not care what the people say.
PLEASE back that up with something.
President Bush the Great?
Is your next idea to erect a 50 foot. monument to him? Built by "guest workers"?
That sounds insensitive. I'm sure you didn't mean to be insentitive.
"Spencer Abraham was removed in 2000 for the same open border attitude. Maybe when Texas has finally had all they can stand they'll give Cornyn the same treatment."
A work visa program is not an open border program. A work visa program is completely useless if you have open borders.
That's why this program is useless unless we first get control of our illegal immigration problem.
Once we have reasonable control of our borders, such a plan may have value. As it stands now, it's a completly useless waste of taxpayer money.
This thread includes lots of folks who seem to have little or no Christian charity or sense of treating others as they would like to be treated. Most of the illegal aliens are simply trying to make the best life they can for themselves and their families. Why should they be denied the benefits of America any more than the lazy, layabout sons and daughters of many American citizens? Because of some accident of birth? Sometimes I would like to prevent people from the little towns in Texas (and especially other people from north of the Red River) from coming to Austin, but those people need to make a living just as much as I did 42 years ago when I moved to Austin from one of those little towns. The same goes for people born in Mexico who need to make a living.
You're history dude!
If this was such a HOTTY issue--illegals---why didn't 'our holy than though congresscritters' close these fluid borders many many yrs ago? If they had...today we'd not be having the probs with illegals we have. I have an opinion on the why of that one....better not post it, however.
Do you think that Eisenhower conceived of, implemented, and appropriated the money for Operation Wetback? Or was this a decision that was made and implemented by The Prez and Congress, with imput from state govt and agribusiness.
At the time that Operation Wetback was put in place, what else did Congress and the Prez do to offset/mitigate the effects of Operation Wetback? Did they create a guest worker program?
HOGWASH! Remember the "Broken Window" theory? Previous NYC mayors said that the "squegee men" were too many to crack down on and let them run free. Guliani went after them with warrants and they evaporated on their own.
Now, start deporting those illegals you catch and advertise the fact. Remember that Texas article where a green and white striped (civilian) chopper flew over a housing worksite? The illegals thought it was "La Migra" and not only bailed, people in the neighborhood were packing their bags and fleeing as well (it was on FR about a year ago but I can't find it. Anybody?)
The Bush apologists use the "There's too many" argument as if we had to send back every single one. Old Chinese proverb: "The longest journey starts with the first step." Just start enforcing the immigration laws and see how many "self-deport".
Someone made a very perceptive point here recently. If those illegals are allowed to come out of the shadows, they sure aren't going to stay in the low-paying jobs and will aspire higher for those other jobs "Americans won't do". And, guess who will fill those abandoned crappy jobs?
Cornyn is nothing more than a puppet. Unless someone pulls his string he is clueless. I have always felt that was the case with the other TX senator also.
Fill in the dollars as best you can. I don't think anyone would argue those would all be more expensive???? How much more I don't know exactly and is probably debatable anyway.
and what about the legal immigrants who have been obeying the laws of this country waiting to become citizens while these illegals "cut in line" are all of these people supposed to just stand there and "take it" while illegals pull down their wages???hmmmmmm
And what about American taxpayers are paying BILLIONS of their hard earned money to educate, feed and house these illegals!!
Vicente Fox and Mexico needs to sovle their problems instead on dumping them on our back porch!!!
Get a grip!
Will ya!!!
>>>"I'm all for cracking down on employers of illegals, but we need to provide some way for people to be here legally without waiting in line 10 years to immigrate."
JohnnZ, Maybe you meant to say:
... "I'm all for cracking down on employers of illegals, but we need to provide some way for people to be here ILLEGALLY without waiting in line like those FOLLOWING OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS and taking up to 10 years to immigrate (BECAUSE THE ILLEGALS HAVE CLOGGED THE SYSTEM)."
If they can stream in here by the thousands each month, we should be able to figure out a way to have them stream out of here by the thousands each month. A rewards program for turning them in wouldn't even have to be the first thing we do.
We should choose who we want to be immigrants, not the other way around.
Hoppy
I agree with the thought, but then I ask what would the dims do that would be any better?
While I agree completely with you on the need to close the borders my experience with a guest worker program was to go to college for nothing, or at least in the field I wanted to.
Why bother becoming a computer programmer when thanks to the H1-b program I can be displaced overnight by someone willing to work for half the wage?
That's the problem, they import foreigners to compete with American citizens then when fewer of us go into these specialized trades they say we need more foreigners because fewer Americans are going into the specialized trades.
That's exactly what Cornyn's guest worker plan would do, except it would be in every sector of the economy and not just the tech industry. Instead why don't we put more emphasis on legal immigration quotas and send the illegals and the guest workers packing?
do you have an answer or do you want me to do your research for you
gezzzzz
if you don't know look it up and if you do know say so!
make a point or move on!!!!
Cornyn and Bush are right on with their approach.
LOL how inaccurate. The woman that beat him is even more encouraging of immigration. Abraham was defeated because he was a pathetic Senator. Period.
I say exactly what I mean. If you can't read, take your head out of your *** and maybe that'll help.
LOL one riot, one ranger. You plinked this one . . stone cold! Good shot.
No it was very accurate, Abraham lost as much as much as 3 to 5% of the vote because of his immigration stance alone according to exit polls, enough to cost him to the election.
I think we should just pass a law that requires employers of illegal aliens to provide them with health insurance.
and what makes you think that even if these TEN MILLION illegals are granted "work visas" that when they expire they will go home...meanwhile educating, feeding and medicating millions of illegals is costing us BILLIONS!
My take -- illegals get same treatment as the folks back in Mexico for guest worker status, but if they want to get on a citizenship track from guest worker status they go to the back of the line.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.