Posted on 07/14/2007 7:23:33 PM PDT by Tennessee Nana
Robert Divine, former chief counsel of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, told the Rotary Club of Chattanooga Thursday that there needs to be a multifaceted approach to addressing the immigration issue in America.
Mr. Divine served part of his time with the agency as acting director and also as acting deputy director. He said that people will find a way to come to the United States since there is a demand for work here and a supply of workers south of the border.
"We do not have the will and the resources, in my opinion, to put toward a border … that can on its own prevent (illegal immigration) from happening," he said at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
Mr. Divine was appointed by President Bush as chief counsel of the immigration services and served in that capacity in Washington, D.C., from July 2004 until November 2006.
Mr. Divine, who now works in Chattanooga and leads the immigration group for law firm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC, said it is essential to have mechanisms for employment verification and allowances for some people to stay in America.
"I've never heard anybody who's in charge of immigration enforcement ever say that they thought that they could deport 10 million people," he said.
The U.S. Senate last month prevented an immigration reform bill from moving ahead in the chamber.
Many opponents of the bill rejected its path to citizenship for illegal immigrants currently in the United States.
Mr. Divine said that the debate over amnesty for illegal immigrants is really "a pretext for nativism and protectionism."
"It's not really about 'the law must be the law,' " he said.
After hearing the talk, Bill Chapin, of Lookout Mountain, Ga., said Mr. Divine's "discussion showed the complexity of the issue."
"There is no single answer for such an emotional and complicated situation," he said.
E-mail Michael Davis at michaeld@timesfreepress.com
“I haven’t heard ANYBODY in ANY responsible position suggest we are going to identify, round up and deport 10 million people.
It’s not going to happen.”
They will leave on their own when the true patriots demand it from our whores in D C, J O R G E!!
Since we’re fighting this debate as a matter of law, not consequence, Jorge does, indeed, have a point: there will be a moderate inflationary ‘shock’ in raw material pricing. This will ripple through the economy.
All this tells me, of course, is to get rid of all Federal farm/ag price supports and subsidies.
Still, our wallets will take a short-term hit until the market readjusts.
I'm still waiting to see the mass roundup and deportation of 12 million illegals.......Meanwhile don't "waste" your time. Cause it's NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
How many illegals work for you, Jorge??
Ice cold milk?
I'm not sure. I think a few of them might do my laundry.
bump
“You do realize that you are posting on a CONSERVATIVE web site?
If YOU can post here ANYBODY can.”
Uh, no Jorge....we are all subject to the scruitiny of the admin moderators, and Jim Rob’s scruitiny. You are obviously pro illegal immigration, and whack anyone who isn’t. You do nothing but antagonize those of us who want a wall, and legal immigration. You offer no intellectual discourse.
This is a joke right?
Nah. He’s making his case as a socially-concerned economic libertarian. Why call the cops?
Freedom of speech doesn’t mean Freedom From Being Offended.
I know nothing of his other political leanings. Let it go.
Again. If they let YOU post here, why wouldn't they let me? What is your point?
You are obviously pro illegal immigration, and whack anyone who isn’t.You do nothing but antagonize those of us who want a wall, and legal immigration. You offer no intellectual discourse.
Talk about lack of intellect.
You OBVIOUSLY have NO CLUE as to what my position is in this debate.
I have ALWAYS stated that I am FOR A WALL on the border, and have NEVER said otherwise.
Guess you didn't know that did you?
77! I would have figured the first five. :-D
Oh well, he probably still votes.
“I have ALWAYS stated that I am FOR A WALL on the border, and have NEVER said otherwise”
Yeah : ) You say you are for a wall, but hundreds of your posts speak otherwise !!
“You OBVIOUSLY have NO CLUE as to what my position is in this debate”
That’s right we dont know ...but there have been clues..
over the last few months you attacked anyone who was against giving amnesty to the 25,000,000 illegal aliens...
If not outright namecalling, you employed slurs and suggested that the other posters were hateful and bigoted...
Because he hopes they will ban me from FR to save him from having to defend his weak positions. I don't blame him.
Of course he doesn't even know what my real arguments are. He accused me of opposing anybody who wants to build a wall on the border.
Fact is I have ALWAYS supported building a wall on the border as an issue of national security FROM THE BEGINNING.
It's amazing how some people want to ban me without knowing where I really stand.
“Nah. He’s making his case as a socially-concerned economic libertarian. Why call the cops?”
“Socially conserned? In what way? This is a conservative website, not a “catch-all” for so called libertarians.
Yeah : ) You say you are for a wall, but hundreds of your posts speak otherwise !!
THEN YOU SHOW ME ONE POST OF MINE that says OTHERWISE.
I challenge you to post it HERE!
You sir are a liar!
Sure, many at FR are on a short fuse lately, but the onus is still on you to make a cogent argument.
I lost many FRiends in the March Rudy Wars, but you need to adjust - and not just bait those who disagree with your opinions, particularly if you know they’re in the minority of the privately-held site.
You’ve been here longer than I have - you know the terrain.
There ya go again...
Giving Jorge a wide rhetorical berth, what I discern his motive is is to avoid any sense of xenophobia about the matter of border enforcement.
My FRiend Nana is a legitimate, legal immigrant who went through the entire legal process and headaches and is now one of us. I don’t know Jorge or his motives, but I’ll listen to him until I get reason to believe otherwise.
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