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 challenge you to show me and EVERYBODY ELSE here the "slurs" and accusations I made that others were "bigoted" in this debate.
SHOW US!
I bet you can't do it.
“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.”
EXACTLY........
Sales tax is a drop in the bucket compared to income tax.
And to say you don’t know if it’s under the table makes you a liar.
A challenge? To a duel? (sigh) How common..
Dont bring a pocket knife to the party while I stand here with a bazooka...
I DON'T CARE what people's motives are in this debate or if they are personally xenophobic. That's none of my business.
All I can respond to is what people post. And I understand their concern for the issue of illegal immigration, with or without a racial aspect to the topic.
Whatever, Dude. Was just trying to keep your microphone time.
State your case and don’t attack dissenters, that’s all I’m sayin’.
If your train of thought gets stalled by folks who flame and whine, the truth always wins out.
"Bazooka?" LOL!
You said I " employed slurs and suggested that the other posters were hateful and bigoted... "
I asked you to SHOW ME WHERE.
You obviously can't do it.
You are a LIAR.
There ya go again...
Good Reagan imitation. Too bad he was telling the truth and you are not.
....and I bank on it.
There ya go again...
Polly wanna cracker?
There ya go again..
Nah, to dip in the guacamole.
Please refrain from the insults. FReepmail me and I can be your proxy on this thread.
The schoolyard stuff is beneath all of us in these times, and I’m guilty of some of it myself.
Breathe. Have a smoke. You too, Nana.
Polly lost the debate and parrots the same cliche over and over. This is too funny :)
Oreos and guacamole?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
What insults? I thought I was being nice.
You are worthy of better rhetorical device.
Ah, you just woke a sleeping giant, Sir.
You don’t call TN a liar here,Sir. You don’t.
TN has more guts and brains in her Kiwi Magnolia pinky then you could ever dream of having. TN risked her life to save this republic and deserves your respect.
On the other hand, you have completely revealed yourself, so thank you for that.
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