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Who Are the Real Saboteurs of Immigration Reform?
Townhall.com ^ | April 17, 2014 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 04/17/2014 4:34:12 AM PDT by Kaslin

Solving the illegal immigration problem should not be hard. No one knows how many foreign nationals are residing illegally in the United States -- estimates range from 11 million to 20 million. But everyone understands that it is an untenable situation that must be addressed.

The two extreme positions of the Left and Right probably have little public support -- on the one hand, blanket amnesties and open borders, and on the other, deportation of all foreign nationals who reside here without legal authorization.

Polls show that most Americans want something in between.

Close the border. Allow entry only to those who have legal permission. Ensure that employers hire only those foreign nationals who have valid green cards. Permit those who have resided here for a while, who are without criminal records and are employed, to apply inside the U.S. for either a pathway to citizenship or legal residence.

Require that those residing here unlawfully pay a fine for breaking the law and wait in line until immigrants who followed the law are first processed. Reform legal immigration to make it ethnically blind and predicated on skill sets and education rather than on proximity to our borders or on family connections to those residing here unlawfully.

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


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: identitypolitics; illegalaliens; immigrationreform
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1 posted on 04/17/2014 4:34:13 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

What a disappointment to see VDH come out for amnesty for illegals!


2 posted on 04/17/2014 4:45:11 AM PDT by Piranha (Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have - Saul Alinsky)
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To: Piranha
Explain exactly where you get that idea?
3 posted on 04/17/2014 4:47:32 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Kaslin

Agree...sad to read this. He’s a great guy, otherwise.

This ruse REALLY gets me mad:

“Require that those residing here unlawfully pay a fine for breaking the law and wait in line until immigrants who followed the law are first processed.”

They’re trying to throw a bone to conservatives, yet ANYONE WITH A BRAIN will know the fines will get waived for just about everyone, except maybe some Swede with $1M in the bank. They are TOYING with us, when they come out like this.

As to “waiting in line”, that’s NEVER going to happen either. Instead, there won’t be a line - they will just hire enough people to process the forms and have them legalized practically overnight.

...and why the hell is he using the talking points of the left in the first place?


4 posted on 04/17/2014 4:53:46 AM PDT by BobL
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To: Kaslin

“Explain exactly where you get that idea?”

Once you let them stay and work that is AMNESTY, as they are now immune to punishment for BREAKING THE LAW.

Unfortunately Ted Cruz’s position is no different. The only thing stopping this crap from happening is that Cruz doesn’t want to give citizenship to these people, whereas the Democrats insist on it.

...but it doesn’t matter, we will be a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT country in two generations, and not for the better, if we don’t figure out a way to get the Illegals to go home.


5 posted on 04/17/2014 4:56:05 AM PDT by BobL
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To: Kaslin

The majority does NOT support what VDH is proposing here.

The ONLY way is for these people to go back to their home country and re-apply to come legally.

To do otherwise is flipping a big ol’ F.U. to all of the LEGAL immigrants who obeyed our laws and came here the proper way.


6 posted on 04/17/2014 4:56:46 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Piranha

You obviously didn’t bother to read the article. The purpose of commenting on an article is to discuss the merits of the article not the excerpt.


7 posted on 04/17/2014 4:57:23 AM PDT by McGavin999
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To: Buckeye McFrog

Sheesh, he’s not proposing anything he’s explaining REAL positions of both sides.


8 posted on 04/17/2014 4:58:30 AM PDT by McGavin999
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To: McGavin999

“Sheesh, he’s not proposing anything he’s explaining REAL positions of both sides.”

It certainly sounds as though he’s “disappointed” that we cannot “compromise” and let the ILLEGALS stay and work here legally...i.e., Amnesty.


9 posted on 04/17/2014 5:00:38 AM PDT by BobL
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To: Kaslin

Who is talking about mass deportation? That’s a red herring. In some cases aggressive enforcement may lead to many immigrants going home (see President Eisenhower’s initiative)but for the most part as the current laws are enforced fairly most illegals will go home. We really need to follow the lead of Canada and review our policy of granting citizenship as a birthright. One cannot do this in a welfare state and expect anything other than what is happening now.


10 posted on 04/17/2014 5:02:00 AM PDT by MSF BU (n)
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To: Kaslin

So... when people come out FOR murder and AGAINST murder, the rational thing to do is pass a law forgiving murders already committed.

And when people come out FOR bank robbery and AGAINST bank robbery, the rational thing to do is pass a law forgiving bank robberies already committed.

The law is the law; either it means something or it means nothing.


11 posted on 04/17/2014 5:02:07 AM PDT by Jack Hammer
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To: Kaslin
RE :”Permit those who have resided here for a while, who are without criminal records and are employed, to apply inside the U.S. for either a pathway to citizenship or legal residence.
Require that those residing here unlawfully pay a fine for breaking the law and wait in line until immigrants who followed the law are first processed.”

This is where it breaks down, and where he contradicts himself.

The Rubio-Schumer amnesty bill still allowed them to get some federal benefits during probation while Rubio claimed it didn't. Any amnesty bill will end up putting illegals at the front of the immigration line, then they will demand all their relatives get amnesty too.

12 posted on 04/17/2014 5:10:23 AM PDT by sickoflibs (Obama : 'You can keep your doctor if you want. I never tell a lie ')
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To: Kaslin

I’m for amnesty for illegal aliens ! They get amnesty from prosecution for illegal entry and theft of American services provided they go home along with their anchor babies. If they don’t 10 years in prison and the anchor babies get deported to their country of origin that has jurisdiction over them. The home country can provide for their citizen’s children until they are deported after serving their sentence. You start doing that they will not come.
If we have to amend the Constitution to read “ Citizenship by birth can only be conferred by legal citizens and those who have immigrated legally and have received citizenship status. Birth on U S territory does not confer any privileges or benefits to non citizens or their children.”


13 posted on 04/17/2014 5:11:45 AM PDT by bonehead4freedom
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To: Jack Hammer

I was thinking exactly the same. Yes, you can change the law and have it apply retroactively, and say it’s not Amnesty, but that is not what’s being proposed here.

If that were proposed a bank robber facing 30 years in jail, might only face 20 years, if the law changes before his trial (and maybe if it changes after), and future bank robbers would only be looking at 20 years.

Using the same logic, if “Comprehensive Immigration Reform” were simply a change in laws, then EVERYONE who enters the country, legally or not, should be allowed to go a Social Security Office and registers to stay here, work here, and bring family over, after paying some token “fine”. No one’s promising that - they’re saying, NO MORE ILLEGAL ENTRY after this second Amnesty, just like they promised after the first Amnesty.

Bottom-line...anything that legalizes these people is Amnesty. It’s NO DIFFERENT than when towns get rid of penalties for paying old parking tickets, and yes, they call that AMNESTY.


14 posted on 04/17/2014 5:13:13 AM PDT by BobL
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To: Jack Hammer

I get mad when people try to redefine the language. It’s like meeting Republicans from California (San Francisco area). They will INSIST that they’re conservatives because they only support increasing the state budget 8% per year, rather than 10%. If you ask them about abortion, gay marriage, the environment, etc. you’d swear you were talking to Blabbermouth Shultz. They will INSIST that they are the real conservatives, rather than the religious nutcases out there on the right.

AMNESTY is AMNESTY...either you keep it a crime punished by the threat of DEPORTATION or it’s AMNESTY.


15 posted on 04/17/2014 5:18:51 AM PDT by BobL
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To: Piranha
Anything short of kicking their asses back across the border is amnesty.
16 posted on 04/17/2014 5:19:54 AM PDT by Excellence (Marine mom since April 11, 2014)
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To: Kaslin; Piranha; P-Marlowe
Permit those who have resided here for a while, who are without criminal records and are employed, to apply inside the U.S. for either a pathway to citizenship or legal residence.

This is where he gets it.

That said, a personal contact leads me to believe that the Chamber of Commerce is concerned only with the "immediate deportation" argument of many conservatives. Those conservatives have their point; it is inappropriate to have illegals here when we know they illegally entered the country. It is condoning illegal entry into the US.

The Chamber's argument is that the service, agriculture, and construction industries would collapse if illegals were "immediately removed." This, they say, would cause a depression level recession in the country until it was sorted out. They believe those industries are the location of so many illegals that it wouldn't be able to replace their jobs with able workers very quickly. They have a point. Any deportations, some of these people say, should take place over about a decade to allow for a gradual transition.

That is another of many excellent arguments for a bill that does one thing at a time (omnibus bills should be outlawed) and the first change must be total control of our borders, coasts, and visa programs.

With that simple step, everything else will eventually return to balance on its own. Stop the inflow and attrition will over time take care of everything else.

As for those illegals already here, green cards and pathways to citizenship are irrelevant. There is already a green card and immigration program. If they want one, then have them do it according to the current system. Their turn will eventually come up from their own side of the border, and then they'll be legal. It's true that some might find a way to apply on their side and return to this side while they wait. My sense is that no security program is absolute, so they always can gamble on making it through a 2nd time. Some might find a way to have someone else apply for them on their side while they stay on this side. We already have a worker verification program in place. If it's doing its job, then they are at risk.

So, the bottom line is this, we don't need a deportation program. All we need is a total control of borders, coasts, and visas program. Everything else will fall into place.

17 posted on 04/17/2014 5:20:52 AM PDT by xzins ( Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Those who truly support our troops pray for victory!)
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To: BobL

Yep; agree.


18 posted on 04/17/2014 5:21:21 AM PDT by Jack Hammer
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To: BobL

Yes, you’re right.


19 posted on 04/17/2014 5:21:58 AM PDT by Jack Hammer
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To: Kaslin
Permit those who have resided here for a while, who are without criminal records and are employed, to apply inside the U.S. for either a pathway to citizenship or legal residence.

Respectfully, just exactly what part of this sentence does not loudly SCREAM amnesty?

The very fact they came here illegally automatically makes them criminals with a yet-to-be-documented criminal record.

20 posted on 04/17/2014 5:22:47 AM PDT by Gaffer (Comprehensive Immigration Reform is just another name for Comprehensive Capitulation)
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