Spokesman for President Bush Posts on Free Republic About Immigration Bill

Thursday, June 14, 2007 | Kristinn

[kristinn]

A spokeman for the Bush administration sent an e-mail to Jim Robinson and myself confirming the authenticity of a post on Free Republic this afternoon regarding the immigration bill currently before the Senate as having been posted on behalf of the White House.

The spokesman, Nicholas Thompson, works for the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives. The Politico reported yesterday that Thompson and Kerrie Rushton, associate directors in the Office of Strategic Initiatives who work under Karl Rove, would be engaging the blogosphere on the immigration bill.

Thompson's post is on the thread titled Penalty Mitigation in the Immigration Reform Bill, a vanity posted by philman_36. Thompson posted at comment #53.

Thompson's e-mail to Free Republic included a brief introduction and the text of his posted comment:

Hi,

I just wanted to let you know that I just posted a response to the post "Penalty Mitigation in the Immigration Reform Bill."

The White House appreciates the opportunity to respond on Free Republic.

Response:
I would like to point out that the Secretary is authorized to reduce or mitigate penalities against employers who in good faith are trying to comply with the law. Certainly, we understand that not all employers knowingly hire illegal immigrants; this will remain the case, especially before the bill’s new secure documentation requirements are fully phased in. We do not seek to wrongly penalize honest employers who unknowingly hire illegal immigrants, therefore we reserve the right to reduce or mitigate their penalties if the employer can show good faith compliance in following the law.

For those employers who do knowingly hire illegal immigrants, please know that we intend to penalize these employers strongly, and the Administration has already stepped up these penalties in the last couple of years. For example, a 2005 program, “Operation Rollback,” assessed $15,000,000 in civil fines to employers, an amount greater than the sum of administrative fines collected in the previous eight years and was the largest worksite enforcement penalty in US history. In the first quarter of FY07, criminal and civil forfeitures have totaled $26,700,000 for employers.

As a reminder of what’s in the bill, fines for hiring an illegal worker are $5,000 maximum per illegal worker for the first offense, $10,000 maximum per illegal worker for the second, $25,000 maximum per illegal worker for the third , and $75,000 maximum per illegal worker for the fourth. In addition, the bill increases the maximum criminal penalty for a pattern or practice of unlawful hiring twenty-five-fold, from $3,000 to $75,000, and would impose a prison term of up to six months. This represents a significant increase in fines for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants.

Nicholas Thompson
White House Office of Strategic Initiatives

[pissant]

I’ve communicated my anger to them.

Tony Snow, if you still are lurking, there is no way this expensive Kennedy abortion will EVER gain conservative support.

Build Hunters fence, start deproting all the damn illegals, and end the anchor baby nonsense. Then we can talk about a guest worker program.

[DesScorp]

Dear Nick,

Forget it. We have no confidence in you or the administration whatsoever anymore. This bill is amnesty no matter how you cut it, and like the 1986 bill, will simply ring the dinner bell on the Mexican border. The 86 bill promised us enforcement too, and we saw how that turned out. Furthermore, we little people believe that you’re more concerned with agriculture and constructions lobbyists and their lust for ultra-cheap labor than you are for your own rank and file party members.

In closing, we’ve supported this administration through thick and thin, and in turn, you stabbed us in the back and called us racist because we didn’t smile. Go to your friends in the Democratic Party for the support you crave. You won’t find it here.

[jdm]

Additional background...

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

The White House [Nicholas Thompson] Response to The Corner   [Kathryn Jean Lopez]

Nicholas D. Thompson from the White House is back and responding to two Corner posts from yesterday (they actually came in before now but got caught in a cyber black hole. First, in response to Andy's "Re: Chertoff Friday" :

In response to Andy McCarthy's comment about delaying legalization, just to reiterate, the temporary worker and Z visa programs cannot begin until benchmarks for enforcement are met. These benchmarks include constructing 370 miles of fencing and 200 miles of vehicle barriers at the border and increasing the size of the Border Patrol to 18,000. The government MUST meet these benchmarks before the Z visa and Temporary Worker program is launched.

I would also like to point out that there are currently 13,000 Border Patrol agents, and increasing their number to 18,000 will be double the number when President Bush came into office. Already we have seen the number of apprehensions for illegally crossing the Southern border down 27% from this time last year, so 5,000 more agents will certainly help with enforcement. The administration has also increased worksite enforcement, making 3,667 administrative arrests and 716 criminal arrests in FY 2006, more than 7 times the number in FY 2002.

Thank you for the opportunity to respond.

Nicholas Thompson
Office of Strategic Initiatives
The White House

For more information on triggers and border security in the immigration plan, please see Myth/Fact: Ten Key Myths About the Border Security and Immigration Reform Agreement

And second, in response to Mark Krikorian's "Paper Barrier" post:

In response to Mark Krikorian's post of the excerpt from Kris Kobach's article in the NY Post, I would like to point out that the argument a gang member qualifies for the Z-visa as long as he "simply" signs a "'renunciation of gang affiliation'" is absolutely, egregiously wrong.

First, just to be clear: Any former gang member (or other applicant) convicted of a wide range of criminal conduct or otherwise determined to be a danger to the security of the United States is not welcome in the Z-visa program — whether s/he has renounced their gang affiliation or not. The range of crimes that disqualify applicants from the Z-visa program extends into the thousands and perhaps the tens of thousands, and includes: any felony; any three or more misdemeanors; any aggravated felony; any serious criminal offense; crimes involving moral turpitude (with a narrow exception for certain misdemeanors committed before age 18); and violations of a law relating to a controlled substance.

Even if a gang member (or other applicant) has not been convicted of a crime, s/he is still ineligible for the program if the Government concludes that s/he is sufficiently dangerous. For example, among those ineligible are any gang member (or other applicant) about whom there are "reasonable grounds" for regarding as a danger to the security of the United States; who the Government knows or has reason to believe seeks to enter the U.S. "solely, principally, or incidentally" to engage in unlawful activity; or about whom there are reasonable grounds for believing has committed a serious criminal offense outside the U.S. Again, these bars to eligibility apply whether or not the alien is currently in a gang, was never in a gang, or was formerly in a gang and renounced their affiliation.

Actually, "simply" signing a renunciation of gang affiliation gets the applicant no advantage whatsoever in the Z-visa process. It does not exempt the applicant from the requirement of a clean record, as discussed above. Nor does it exempt the applicant from the requirement to hold a job, pay a fine, pay fees, or anything else expected of a Z-visa applicant. Nor does it exempt them from the requirement while in Z-visa status to maintain employment, meet English requirements as a condition of renewal, stay out of trouble, or do anything else required of other Z-visa holders.

Finally, the bill provides sweeping new powers for DHS and DOJ to use in cracking down on alien gang members. This bill would, for the first time, give the government tools to keep out gang members who are not themselves criminals or security risks. Specifically, the bill would bar any alien if DHS, DOJ, or a consular officer "knows or has reason to believe" that the alien "has participated" in a gang, or "knowing or having reason to know" that the alien's participation "aided" or "supported" the illegal activity of the gang. No conviction is required; indeed, no criminal activity is required. If you have associated with a gang and helped "aid" or "support" its illegal activity, you are not going to be allowed into the country. Also, renunciation of gang affiliation will not get you off the hook on this one, either; the phrase "has participated" means that if you've done it at any point in the past, you are barred.

Thank you for the opportunity to respond.

Nicholas Thompson
Office of Strategic Initiatives
The White House

Source

[underbyte]

******Just wish a strong Third Conservative Party could muster the finances and votes it needs to overcome the GOP RINOS and the Liberal Democrats and establish itself. This would take a massive effort considering taking over not only the Presidency but the Congress as well. That can’t be done in one election.*******

Well if 75% percent of the country feels as strongly as we do it may happen on it own

[Labyrinthos]

Mr. Thompson,

We do not need new laws to enforce the laws already on the books. Illegal aliens and the people who hire them are criminals. If you vigorously prosecute the employers, then the jobs will dry up and the illegals will stop coming and might even go home.

In addition, if you cut off all benefits to illegals and their anchor babies, except for life and death medical treatment (which you should bill to the Mexican government or withhold from foreign aid), then the illegals will stop coming and might even go home. If you spend the money that has already been allocated to build a wall across our southern border and hire more border agents, then the number of illegals trying to cross the border will decline to manageable levels. If you stop releasing illegal aliens with an appearance ticket to appear in court atsome time in the distant future, then given the choice between incarceration pending the court appearance or immediate deportation, the illegals will stop coming and might even go home. If you withhold federal funds from every state and municipality who gives sanctuary to illegal aliens, then the illegals will feel unwanted and stop coming and might even go home. If you require every state and local law enforcement agency that receives federal funds to check the legal status of every person charged with a violation, misdemeanor, felony, or other crime, and to turn illegal aliens over to ICE for prosecution and deportation, then the illegals will stop coming and might even go home.

The last thing you want to do is give amnesty to illegal aliens — again — because that just encourages even more illegal immigration for the next amnesty.

LASTLY, I WILL NO LONGER GIVE MY HARD EARNED MONEY TO THE NATIONAL GOP, LOCAL GOP, GOP PACS, GOP CANDIDATES OR ANY OTHER PERSON WHO SUPPORTS THE CURRENT IMMIGRATON REFORM EFFORTS OF YOUR ADMINISTRATION. RATHER THAN GIVING MY MONEY TO THOSE WHO SUPPORT AMNESTY, I WILL DONATE MY MONEY IN THEIR NAME TO THE MINUTEMEN!

[unspun]

By Robert Novak: President Bush did himself no favors last week by denouncing those opposed to the immigration bill as uninterested in the nation's well-being. On its own, the decision to combine border security with naturalization of illegal immigrants has always been the President's way of holding a national priority (security) hostage to a policy (legalization) that he views as desirable.

Exactly.

How dumb do they think we are, as the President's and Sen. Reid's ratings slip toward the level just this side of "tar and feather?"

[JerseyHighlander]

$15,000,000 is about 6 hours of illegal alien payroll in the state of California.

It's an absolute joke. This program had something like 1 federal employee per 25,000 illegal aliens. From 1992 to 2002, the number of employers who were fined for hiring illegal aliens dropped by 99%.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20041107-9999-8n7jobs.html

Perhaps most tellingly, investigators are spending less time going after employers: Since 1999, investigative work hours dedicated to work-site enforcement have decreased by more than half. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents spent a total of 471,210 work hours investigating employers in 1999. They spent only 177,975 work hours doing so last year (2003).

That's right, in 2003, if you believe the low ball number of 12,000,000 illegal aliens, only 177,975 hours of Federal employee time went into investigating illegals in the workforce.

For a grand total of 9 minutes of Federal investigative time per illegal alien in the United States.

But now all of a sudden the Federal government is promising to turn around Z visas in less than 24 hours. Once again the White House has taken an official position to blatantly lie to the American people in a coordinated attempt to

[bnacat]

In the history of modern American politics I cannot recall a case where a major political party has played a game of chicken with its primary base of supporters. But this is it and this is how it will play out-—

1) 2007 - Republicans go bi-partisan and pass an immigration amnesty for the estimated “12 million” residing in the U.S.
2) 2008 - Republicans are “surprised’ by major election defeats-—White House, Senate and House belong to Democrats.
3) 2010 - Democrats solidify holdings in House/Senate; tax cuts expire
4) 2011 - Democrats pass universal health-care and really raise taxes; extended family (15-18 million) of the “12 million’ are almost settled into the U.S.
5) 2012 - Democrats retain White House and majority in House/Senate.
6) 2013 - Universal health-care costs spiral out of control, Democrats raise taxes some more, economy falters
7) 2014 - Economy tanks, Republican gain seats in the election BUT IT’S TOO DAMN LATE!

[Just another Joe]

He could have done the same thing by reading this prepared statement on the radio or television.

As it is, it looks like he has posted and left.
Not the way to gain credibility on FR.

[Yaelle]

Dear President Bush and the White House,

I voted for you twice and am still proud to have made that choice. I support the War on Terror and know how essential the Iraq portion of it is.

Yet this bill should die a painful death and you should veto it if it survives.

The laws on the book now against illegal immigration are not enforced. I heard you say today that a border wall cannot be built. Yet the Great Wall of China was built, as were the pyramids at Giza, and we really did put a man on the moon. America CAN protect her own sovereignty, and in these trying times, with so many enemies lurking, we MUST.

All employers hiring illegals should be fined, today. ALL of them. Don’t start looking to go softer on those poor employers who did not INTEND to hire illegals. If I knew that everyone no matter how small would be fined a couple grand for each illegal in their employ, I’d go out today and buy a lawn mower and can the gardening service. Or hire a teenaged American boy.

Here in SoCal, there are no good jobs for teenaged boys any more. I have three young sons and they have no chance one day to earn some extra money doing good, hard work around the neighborhood. Fast food jobs are held by heads of households, as are all retail help positions. A boy can’t even head over to the strawberry fields or apricot orchards. I guess the only thing left for the gangbanging inner city teens to do is to sell the drugs brought over by the illegal Mexican drug lords.

This country does not need a return to Jim Crow times. We aspire to be a somewhat classless society and are repulsed by the thought of a permanent underclass, unprotected by safe working laws and forced to work for a fraction of the actual cost. And we middle class are tired of paying the REST of the societal cost of that cheap product or service: the free health care (and its sequela, the untimely and dangerous emergency care left for our families), the free daycare-to-college education (and its sequela, the worthless and dumbed-down public education for our children), and the loss of quality of life in our cities by whole populations of unassimilated people who show no interest in becoming American, speaking our language, or even learning common civility.

Being American, and being a legal immigrant in America, means something, Mr. President. We have a unique moral history and a pride that we all belong here and would fight for the right to be free here. Allowing usurpers all of those privileges while turning away the huddled masses of people all over the world waiting in line to become free, to become Americans, those who know what it means and care, is like you allowing a burglar into the White House and helping him take a bundle of priceless antiques home with him.

Benjamin Franklin worried whether we could “keep” our Republic. It will always be a difficult task. But you needn’t accelerate discarding this great nation. Change your position on this bill and insist on first stopping all illegal border crossing and then enforcing our current immigration laws.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Yaelle

[michigander]

I wonder if poor Nicholas realized what he was getting himself into when agreed to help “engage the blogosphere” on behalf of the White House.

Evidently not. Unless “engage the blogosphere” translates to one reply on one thread.

Be very suspicious if the White House starts talking about being 'engaged on the border'. LOL!

[sageb1]

“If they did have, the wall would already be built.”

Frankly, I don’t think they plan on building the wall. After all, former Presidente Fox said a wall would be built over his dead body. The White House is so desperate over this, they would probably prefer that we focus on Global Warming right now.

[gidget7]

“Build a REAL fence and not the “Invisible fence” that is being proposed.”

I second that!! It’s the law, you signed it, and the money is there for it, BUILD IT!!

[AuntB]

Some are patently obvious like the one handing out false ID’s in Portland where 550 or so working at one company had no valid SSN. Others on a case-by-case basis. You’ll see later I make allowance for employers, few there may be, who were legitimately fooled. All other options I think are non-negotiable.

BTW, that Portland ware house had hundreds of US CITIZENS lined up this morning to take those jobs!

WHERE'S THE FENCE?!

[DrewsMum]

Kudos

Give me someone’s phone number and I can tell you within 20 minutes what kind of car they drive, their criminal background, where they work, if they are married, how many times and to whom, and a butt load of other info and it won’t cost me a dime. Any citizen can do it. You can find it out if you want to. These employers don’t WANT to. It’s all a load of crap and the administration is protecting them. Let’s just call it what it is.

[unspun]

BTW, Mr. President, since we may have your ear:

What about the sovereignty sell-outs to the UN on the high seas -- and in dark, Congress-avoiding planning toward para-governmental unification with Mexico and Canada?

[DesScorp]

“We do not need new laws to enforce the laws already on the books.”

The government can’t get it through their thick heads that we don’t trust them on immigration anymore. Even when ICE agents catch illegals, often, they let them go. US immigration enforcement is nothing but a Potemkin village. It’s all for show, but the real game is Catch and Release. President Bush can’t risk those lobbying dollars from Agriculture and Construction lobbyists. They’re going to have their amnesty and ultra-cheap labor, the country be damned.