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Discretion, Not Amnesty (Newt didn't propose citizenship - did not propose Amnesty)
The Corner ^ | 11/23/2011 | Andrew C. McCarthy

Posted on 11/23/2011 10:32:54 AM PST by TBBT

All he said was, “Let’s be humane in enforcing the law.” That was my reaction last night when Newt Gingrich argued that the federal government should refrain from deporting illegal immigrants who had been in the U.S. for many years if the effect would be the break up of a family.

I did not take him to be proposing a new law conferring amnesty. To do what the former Speaker proposed would require no change in U.S. law. All you’d need is the sensible application of prosecutorial discretion.

A successful immigration enforcement policy, easily implemented under current law, would secure the borders; use the capability we have to track aliens who enter on visas to ensure that they don’t overstay; and target our finite law enforcement resources at (a) illegal immigrants who violate federal or state criminal laws (i.e., other than the laws against illegal entry), and (b) employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens and therefore provide the incentive that induces them to come. (An even better policy would deny illegal immigrants various social welfare benefits, but some of that would involve changes in the law so I put it to the side for present purposes.)

Such a policy would materially reduce the number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. — if they can’t work, many will leave and many won’t come in the first place. Such a policy would also call on government lawyers to exercise discretion (as they do in all aspects of law-enforcement) to decide which cases are worth prosecuting. Obviously, if an alien has been here illegally for a number of years but has been essentially law-abiding (again, ignoring the fact that it is illegal for him to reside and work in the U.S.), and if his ...

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: aliens; amnesty; andymccarthy; cnngopdebate; gopdebate; gopsecuritydebate; immigration; newt
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To: TBBT
What Newt didn't say last night, was to propose a blanket amnesty. However, Newt did promote limited amnesty. Such a policy would lead to more and more illegal border crossings.

Before we can figure out what to do with all the illegals here today, we MUST secure the Tex-Mex border FIRST --- CLOSE THE DOOR!

21 posted on 11/23/2011 10:43:11 AM PST by Reagan Man ("In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.")
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To: RainMan

I agree. Excellent post, so well said. How refreshing! Thanks.


22 posted on 11/23/2011 10:44:29 AM PST by presently no screen name
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To: laweeks

Yes! All persons who break the law must be prosecuted to it’s fullest extent! We have unlimited resourses of time and money to do so.


23 posted on 11/23/2011 10:44:41 AM PST by Lou Budvis
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To: TBBT; ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas; stephenjohnbanker; DoughtyOne; rabscuttle385; mkjessup; ...
RE :”All he said was, “Let’s be humane in enforcing the law.” That was my reaction last night when Newt Gingrich argued that the federal government should refrain from deporting illegal immigrants who had been in the U.S. for many years if the effect would be the break up of a family.
I did not take him to be proposing a new law conferring amnesty. To do what the former Speaker proposed would require no change in U.S. law. All you’d need is the sensible application of prosecutorial discretion.

Sounds like Obama’s current policy. Let illegals stay here and collect those food stamps and other benefits, and push up the poverty statistics for democrats to use to raise our taxes. And produce more kids born for free in emergency rooms to grow up and rally against capitalism and for Obama types.

Thanks Newt, Compassionate conservatism is back.

24 posted on 11/23/2011 10:44:48 AM PST by sickoflibs (Cain :"My parents didn't raise me to beg the government for other peoples money")
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To: TBBT

Newt is right on.


25 posted on 11/23/2011 10:44:57 AM PST by Logical me
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To: Lou Budvis
And you think you can force people to vote for amnesty supporters, willard, perry and newt, with that line. If so you are the one trying to reelect obummer, we have three other people running.
26 posted on 11/23/2011 10:45:14 AM PST by org.whodat (Just another heartless American, hated by "AMNESTY" Perry and his fellow demorats.)
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To: Gaffer

Feel free to leave the United States anytime you wish.


27 posted on 11/23/2011 10:46:09 AM PST by Lou Budvis
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To: TBBT

I have less of a problem with WHAT Newt said than in HOW he said it. Like Perry’s “program of the week”, this came across out-of-the-blue and caught everyone by surprise.

That’s not how you build support for ideas, and it’s not how good chief executives operate. I see it as another example of Newt having to prove he’s the smartest kid in the classroom, but as one hoping to garner support for the highest office in the land, his approach was wrong.


28 posted on 11/23/2011 10:46:53 AM PST by bigbob
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To: Lou Budvis

You come here and make me....


29 posted on 11/23/2011 10:46:53 AM PST by Gaffer
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To: Gaffer

They basically call for an easy documenting procedure that allows entire families to cross the border at will. And to let the “free market” decide how many workers they need.

They also call for a privatization of this documenting process. Just what we need when too much of our WOT army is private contractors.

Me thinks Newt is betting folks wont do their homework....


30 posted on 11/23/2011 10:47:58 AM PST by moehoward
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To: TBBT

Rush just drove a stake in to this monster with, “how long before the ACLU and the democrats take it to court and get them all made US citizens”.

So, IMHO Neewt is toast, next.


31 posted on 11/23/2011 10:48:21 AM PST by stockpirate (Real hero's don't wear capes, they wear dog tags.)
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To: org.whodat; RainMan

I’d rather try at something that is possible - not pie in the sky. See post #6 - Rain Man explains it better than Newt.


32 posted on 11/23/2011 10:48:44 AM PST by presently no screen name
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To: org.whodat
As rush said it leads to amnesty, how long would it take the rats to file ten million law suits. It is amnesty, you can put all the lipstick you want on the pig it is still a path to amnesty.

Rush is full of sh!! today. He is so brilliant than what is his plan?

33 posted on 11/23/2011 10:48:59 AM PST by Logical me
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To: buccaneer81
Yes, they cannot vote, plumb dumb, how long before a liberal judge would change that, 1 ten-thousands of a new york minute.
34 posted on 11/23/2011 10:49:28 AM PST by org.whodat (Just another heartless American, hated by "AMNESTY" Perry and his fellow demorats.)
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To: Reagan Man
However, Newt did promote limited amnesty. Such a policy would lead to more and more illegal border crossings.

Really? How? In essence, everyone here has amnesty now. Our current laws are not being enforced so there is no deterrent.

Plans like Newts might begin the process of actually stemming the tide.

Confession: I despise Newt because he caved when the government shut down occurred effectively surrendering.

35 posted on 11/23/2011 10:49:39 AM PST by Raycpa
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To: org.whodat

Then go get one of the other three elected nominee. I will vote for any of the GOP candidates in the general because all of them are better than 0bama.


36 posted on 11/23/2011 10:49:40 AM PST by Lou Budvis
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To: TBBT
If the people in both Parties who love that taxpayer-subsidized cheap labor so much then how about a deal?

During the years of being here ILLEGALLY there must have been times when document fraud occurred.

.. mean while there are hundreds (thousands?) of citizens in prison for document fraud. How about ignoring their crimes also? Or matching their punishment to what the ILLEGAL aliens will have to pay -- a couple hundred dollars.

37 posted on 11/23/2011 10:49:43 AM PST by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: fireforeffect
25 Years ago RONALD REAGAN granted amnesty to all the illegals in the USA.

And how, exactly is an illegal alien going to prove he's been here for 25 years?

Why didn't he apply for amnesty in 1986?

You're right in that workplace enforcement (and NO welfare) will drive the vast majority of them back to where they belong. The negligible amount that live here, somehow supporting themselves, not working and not taking from the U.S. tax payer, they're low priority for removal.

38 posted on 11/23/2011 10:50:44 AM PST by End Times Sentinel (In Memory of my dear Friend Henry Lee II)
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To: Owl_Eagle
"So they can come here, drop a baby, and suckle at the teet of Uncle Sucker for the rest of their lives."

An excellent summation.

39 posted on 11/23/2011 10:50:51 AM PST by moehoward
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To: BarnacleCenturion
Nice try, but if you allow millions of illegals to stay, that’s amnesty.

This is the point the pro-illegal Newt supporters don't want to address.

Entering the United States without authorization or not at an official entry point, is a crime with a penalty of six months in federal prison for the first offense and two years in prison for the felony, second offense.

Amnesty is defined as: the act of an authority (as a government) by which pardon is granted to a large group of individuals.

If the illegals do not have to answer for their crimes, they are, by definition, being granted amnesty.

Newt is in favor of amnesty, nothing less.

40 posted on 11/23/2011 10:51:13 AM PST by Prokopton
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