Tancredo calls illegal immigration threat to U.S.

gjsentinel ^ | 08.16.03 | GARY HARMON

[VU4G10]

Illegal immigration into the United States threatens the future of the nation, a Colorado congressman told Mesa County Republicans on Friday.

 U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Centennial, drew two standing ovations from about 100 Republicans, even though he acknowledged his stand on illegal immigration runs counter to that of the party's leader, President Bush.

 Forcing a national debate over illegal immigration transcends party loyalty though, he said. At issue, he said, isn't so much whether the United States will have a Balkanized future, but whether it will have a future as a nation at all.

 Illegal immigration combined with "the cult of multiculturalism" and the welfare state threaten to undermine and bankrupt American institutions, he said.

 Tancredo joked that he actually was on his way to California to get in on the governor's race. In an exclusive interview with The Daily Sentinel, however, he said the stakes actually are a bit higher than a governor's race.

 He has visited California on several occasions with the hope of forcing illegal immigration to a top-level issue in the 2004 presidential race.

 One vehicle, he said, might be a referendum in the nation's most populous state that would limit access to any government services to citizens or legal residents only.

 "Even if I'm 180 degrees wrong," he said, "the subject at least deserves a debate."

 Tancredo said he advocates securing the nation's southern border using a 20,000-strong Border Patrol combined with high-tech equipment to prevent illegal border crossings.

 A guest-worker program might be in order for industries that couldn't otherwise find employees, but no such program could work without a secure border, he said.

 It's particularly important to secure the border, he said, because it isn't used only by Mexicans seeking employment.

 "Huge numbers" of Middle-Easterners frequently cross the border, often helped by Mexican drug gangs who charge $30,000 for the use of their expertise, he said.

 "I don't blame them," he said of illegal immigrants looking north for opportunity, but he noted the Mexican government relies heavily on money sent by illegal immigrants to their relatives to bolster the economy.

 That amounts to about $10 billion a year, a third of the Mexican gross domestic product, he said.

 Tancredo urged the Mesa County Republicans to insist that all candidates be held to account on illegal-immigration issues.

 Even if offices such as city council or county commissioner seem to have little to do with illegal immigration, candidates still should be forced to take a position.

 "Get them on record," he said.

[dirtboy]

I don't think you have the first clue about what the existing laws, effective Administrative rulings, or controlling court precedents are.

Arne, what part of "illegal alien" do you not understand? All we need to do is enforce the existing laws. Make it painful for employers to hire illegals - instead, the INS hardly bothers to perform workplace checks any more. Significantly reduce the flow on the border (you are correct that it can never be stopped completely - but that is no excuse for not making much of an effort).

There is no legislative agenda needed - however, the Administration, Congress and the business community winks and nods at the problem. You might think that's a good thing, and there is a fair debate to be had as to what is a realistic immigration policy. However, that does not change the fact that your opponents do not have to propose ANY legislative agenda, as the laws are already in place to combat this issue. They are simply not being enforced.

[ought-six]

"If you don't like the Mexican culture, there are roads that lead to Provo."

Mexican culture is fine in Mexico. But I don't want it dominating the United States, which it is quickly doing. The fact of the matter is, Mexicans in the U.S., illegal or otherwise, do not want to become American citizens. They do not want to assimilate. They want to export Mexico here, and they want to turn the United States into a Mexican territory. You thing I'm making this up? Tey checkin gout their websites, for God's sake. Start with mecha.com, and check its associated links. They make no bones about it. They are here, and they are organized, and they are coming after you.

[ought-six]

"I'll bet a lot of immigrants live in her district."

Yup. She and her sister are all for Mexicans, but are against Americans.

[Consort]

Why is Tancredo so alone?

He seems to be taking the maverick approach rather than putting together a coalition or cosponsors for his proposals.

[Veracious Poet]

"Good question. Frankly, GWB missed his window of opportunity on September 12th, 2001. He should have declared martial law and shut down the borders. Instead, he went on TV to proclaim that iSLAM is a religion of peace. Good grief George -- what on earth were you thinking. If I were prez, I'd declare martial law and impose the 18 points forthwith."

If you take GWB's immediate actions following 9-11 (and his inaction for that matter) to their logical extreme, it paints a sad picture of a liberal appeaser.

I couldn't stomach all of the Islam-is-good, Love-an-Islam TV coverage/events following 9-11...it would be equivalent to the Gov't. putting out public broadcasts that Japan and Germany are really our friends after Pearl Harbor.

What on the earth were they thinking?

Moreover, anyone with half a brain can see both illegal immigration and traditional Islamists for the threat they are - Enemies both foreign and domestic.

Does that ring a bell?

Until America runs both of the entrenched political parties from their corrupt positions of absolute control over our nation, the conflicts of interest and hidden agendas will roll roughshod over the non-political elite in America with the same passive resistance that has been evident since shortly before WWI...

Illegals once empowered in America will dilute the vision of the Founding Fathers due to their fear, ignorance and selfish interests...just like the Italians and Irish did in America as a result of their mass "legal" migration from the 1800s forward (take a look on the political impact they had on NYC for instance).

This isn't about keeping America racially neutral, it's about protecting the grand experiment begun by the Founding Fathers, which IMHO is already long since dead and rotting.

One more thing, before you label me a "racist", let me inform you my beautiful wife of 7 years is of Mexican heritage, whose family "legally" migrated to California long ago...in fact, her family is a major part of Olvera St. in LA, and her Uncle managed it for the city from the 1960s through the late 1980s.

I have no problem with people who come to this once great Republic to take part in the "American dream", as long as they REALLY want to observe our laws, heritage, language and culture.

Anything else is an abomination and should be held in the highest contempt, starting from the Federal Gov't down...

[MissAmericanPie]

"People are concerned about what illegal immigration is doing to our country even if the politicians still don't get it."

Politicians get it, it is the American public that doesn't get it. Border control does not fit in with the Trojan Horse both parties are pushing called Free Trade. A front for a political agenda that actually has little to do with Free Trade and more to do with bringing the American citizen under international law while scrapping the Constitution.

Do a google search of FTAA, Free Trade of the Americas Agreement that is to be implemented by 2005. Bush has pushed for the "Fast Track" ability to sign onto trade agreements and have the congress vote up or down on them.

The same congress that claims not to have read or understood GATT, NAFTA, and the Patriot Act. The same Senate that claims not to have read the package of 34 treaties ceeding the control of our resources to the U.N.

Now will they claim not to have understood that by passing this agreement that they ditched our Constitution and placed us under international laws that supercede our Constitution? Sure they will.

Time is growing short, very short, to educate oneself as to FTAA and what it's aims and intentions are. Much is said at the FTAA web site about the prosecution of those that protest this abomination by tagging them with the hate speech, xenophobia lable and urging judges hemisphere wide to find a way to lay heavy punishment on such cases, and little is said about Free Trade.

There is a devastating agenda afoot and both parties are in on it up to their eyeballs.

[Veracious Poet]

I hear ya, but the bushbots are going to rip their clothes and scream "sacrilege!"...always amazed at the number of that people don't understand the Global politics at play here.

God Bless...

[Imagine]

"I have no problem with people who come to this once great Republic to take part in the "American dream", as long as they REALLY want to observe our laws, heritage, language and culture."

So absolutely true. If the (legal) immigrants come to America to become Americans, that's fine -- to learn our culture and values and work ethic. But instead, they come and create a duplicate of the squalor they left in their home country, a lanquage/social ghetto if you will, isolated from America and producing only of like-kind. Then, they demand their rights that we support them -- thank's to the left-wing "hate-America" agitators in this country.

[brianl703]

They haven't a clue as to why they left Mexico. It's almost locust-like.

[ArneFufkin]

Sounds like a bargain to me. We're already paying more than ten times that already for services and benefits to illegal aliens.

My point was that the price tag associated with Tancredo's initiative would require a Congressional involvement. The entire Dept. of Homeland Security Appropriation was $28 billion this year, and Tancredo apparently didn't have time, between his media appearances, to fight for the funding of his 20,000 additional border guards through real legislative initiative within the real legislative body where we pay him to be a real legislator.

[JustAnAmerican]

"You know, I'm about ready to vote for this Tancredo guy in 2008.

Unless something changes, I fully intend on writing him in on the 2004 Presidential Ballot. As do most people I know.

[ArneFufkin]

If I were prez, I'd declare martial law and impose the 18 points forthwith

Well, at least that's a proactive proposal. I don't know how legal or well-received a declaration of Martial Law would be, but the proposal is certainly proactive.

[ArneFufkin]

That amounts to about $10 billion a year, a third of the Mexican gross domestic product, he said.

Mexico's GDP was $633 billion in 2002.

[ArneFufkin]

You're going to use your hard won voting franchise write in a guy for President who understates the scale of the Mexican economy by a magnitude of 21?

Here we go. The leading contender to replace Buchanan as hero among the chronic FR malcontents is rising to the fore. Mr. Tom Tancredo, king of the deadenders.

[Barnacle]

It seems that Arnie is simply asking all of you to put up or shut up when it comes to caterwauling over illegal immigration.

Caterwauling? And if you had heard Paul Revere caterwaul…

“The British are coming! The British are coming!”

You would have replied, “Shut up, I’m trying to sleep!”

[Barnacle]

I'd also be curious to see how many of the loudest screamers here have even thought it through enough to offer anything besides the same tired blustering.

There’s nothing new needed to be offered. Common sense has been spoken, and yes, even screamed because the politico’s refuse to listen. We’re all in the same boat.

And somebody better do something quick.

[Barnacle]

..I feel that illegal immigration is huge..

Damn right it’s huge. We’ve let it grow so huge that now; We have to pray it does,’t have a

“Bad Day”.

[Veracious Poet]

Classic illustrations and POV...

Let's hope & pray for the best. ;-)

[=Intervention=]

You asked for bills and evidence he had done something and then when we present them to you, you still say the man has done nothing.

[PRND21]

It figues...nice response.