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Immigration Bill Doesn’t Secure the Border
Heritage Foundation ^ | 4/29/2013 | James Carafano

Posted on 04/29/2013 5:33:06 AM PDT by IbJensen

Must Washington fix our broken southern border? You bet.

Will the comprehensive immigration reform bill help? You bet it won’t.

The number one flaw of the bill is it starts by giving amnesty to the unlawfully present population in the United States. As soon as the bill passes, those in the country contrary to U.S. immigration law are granted status to stay.

Amnesty immediately creates an incentive for illegal border crossings and overstays. Thus, the bill’s strategy would drive up the cost of securing the border. To make matters worse, the draft law states that anyone who was present in the U.S. before 2012 qualifies—creating massive opportunity for fraud, since there is no proof required that applicants have been here for several years.

While supporters of the bill trumpet its “border security” features, in reality, the law delivers nothing new—other than the promise of spending a lot more money and running up our debt.

The bill trashes fiscal discipline, exploiting “a loophole in the Budget Control Act (BCA) that allows Congress to spend more than allowed under the spending caps adopted in 2011.”

In other words, Washington is willing to draft a bounced check to justify an amnesty bill.

To make matters worse, there is very little likelihood that that Americans will get much for the next border security buck spent.

The Secretary of Homeland Security has repeatedly stated that our borders “have never been more secure.” In the past five years, the White House has never asked for this additional border security funding. Yet, this bill lavishes billions of additional spending on the department with no clear requirements on how the money is spent. At least $2 billion could legitimately be labeled the Secretary’s slush fund.

Supporters of the bill trumpet requirements to “certify” border security, yet its standards are in some ways weaker than existing law. Present law requires gaining “operational control” of the whole border, while this bill sets standards only for “high-risk” sectors. Since smuggling trails shift to where the security is not, even if the standards were attained in one area, the traffic would just go somewhere else.

In addition, the Department of Homeland Security has been trying unsuccessfully to define credible metrics for border security since 2004. Even if it had effective “triggers,” that does not guarantee a secure border. Border crossing conditions constantly change. Even if the goal is achieved, there is no guarantee it will stay that way.

We can do more to secure our borders. But we don’t need an amnesty bill and bogus border triggers to make our borders safe and sovereign. Nor does Washington need to throw more buckets of money toward border security.

Our government could cooperate more effectively with Mexico and the border states. Congress could modernize our legal immigrant and non-immigrant programs, including effective temporary worker programs. The government could enforce our workplace and immigration laws.

In short, the promise of border security in this case is merely an excuse for a bloated bill that would promise anything to push amnesty, regardless of cost or practicality.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: aliens; amnesty; carteldeocho; illegalaliens; mclame; mexicanburglars; rubio
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To: bert

IMO it is, but more in the sense of diluting the traditionally white demographic for the purpose of control.


21 posted on 04/29/2013 6:01:56 AM PDT by skeeter
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To: ASA Vet

About 2 days. But they would need harsh ROE. The more practical solution is to build the type of multiple parallel fences they have in San Diego along the entire border. The fedgov already owns the land, the 100 yard strip. They could solicit bids from a dozen fencing contractors, and with rewards and penalties, get the entire thing built in a matter of months.


22 posted on 04/29/2013 6:04:16 AM PDT by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: skeeter

23 posted on 04/29/2013 6:05:49 AM PDT by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: skeeter

They clearly don’t. Libs want more votes, and R’s want cheap labor for business.


24 posted on 04/29/2013 6:08:14 AM PDT by EEGator
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To: amihow; stephenjohnbanker; ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas; Gilbo_3; Impy; NFHale; BillyBoy
RE :”They dont give a damn about citizenship”

Dems made US citizenship their precondition demand for working with GOP and Rub and the others caved in on it immediately.

If its not important then why will Dems reject a bill without it?

Hell, if Rubs bill really doesnt allow them to get any US benefits for 10 years (I am skeptical of this claim) and it had no citizenship there is no way Dems would support it.

25 posted on 04/29/2013 6:09:13 AM PDT by sickoflibs (To GOP : Any path to US citizenship IS putting them ahead in line. Stop lying about your position.)
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To: IbJensen

True, just start the ball rolling and the rest will happen. Attack it from the position of fining employers and cutting all benefits and they will go home.


26 posted on 04/29/2013 6:24:07 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: IbJensen

There is no intention to close the borders. For decades we did not have an influx of illegals from Mexico. They are being let in in order to lower yhe standard of living for America and to help tip the scales toward socialism.


27 posted on 04/29/2013 7:33:27 AM PDT by informavoracious (The ancient Greeks and Romans thought they were on the "right side of history.")
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To: IbJensen; 1_Inch_Group; 2sheep; 2Trievers; 3AngelaD; 3pools; 3rdcanyon; 4Freedom; 4ourprogeny; ...
Ping!

Click the keyword Aliens to see more illegal alien, border security, and other related threads.

28 posted on 04/29/2013 8:41:39 AM PDT by HiJinx (When one has possessions he is as often possessed by them as possessing them. Jubal Sackett)
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To: Liz; All

” “The [immigration] bill will not flood our cities with immigrants. It will not upset the ethnic mix of our society. It will not relax the standards of admission. It will not cause American workers to lose their jobs.” - Ted Kennedy, 1965 “

For those who missed this.


29 posted on 04/29/2013 10:54:18 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker
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To: sickoflibs; IbJensen; Tennessee Nana; Liz; TADSLOS; EXCH54FE; GeronL; Travis McGee

” Rubios delay full amnesty for 10 years reminds me of Ryan’s cut medicare in 10 years.”

Same lie, different subject.


30 posted on 04/29/2013 10:57:46 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker
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To: sickoflibs; amihow; stephenjohnbanker; ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas; Gilbo_3; Impy; NFHale; ...

” Hell, if Rubs bill really doesnt allow them to get any US benefits for 10 years (I am skeptical of this claim) and it had no citizenship there is no way Dems would support it. “

I think they might....

” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano declared that she, President Barack Obama and other political officials at the top of this administration have the authority to decide which laws to enforce, and which ones to ignore.”

Does it matter what the bill says?


31 posted on 04/29/2013 11:04:58 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker
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To: ScottinVA

Ask Serbia how not securing its’ border worked out for them?


32 posted on 04/29/2013 11:06:51 AM PDT by jpsb
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To: bert

“So long as the president and the attorney general are black, the border will never be secure”

So, what excuse did Bush and his LATINO atty general have?


33 posted on 04/29/2013 11:08:23 AM PDT by AuntB (Illegal immigration is simply more "share the wealth" socialism and a CRIME not a race!)
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To: stephenjohnbanker
RE ” Hell, if Rubs bill really doesnt allow them to get any US benefits for 10 years (I am skeptical of this claim) and it had no citizenship there is no way Dems would support it. “
......
I think they might....”

A few might, but the Dem base wants them voting and the GOP $$$$ base, the Romney club, they want their labor.

The unions who are key to Dems =$$$$ they demand the voting and are not that hot on the labor part.

Recall a story about a month ago between Chamber of Commerce and Unions on key parts of this bill, You and I were not invited.

34 posted on 04/29/2013 11:24:50 AM PDT by sickoflibs (To GOP : Any path to US citizenship IS putting them ahead in line. Stop lying about your position.)
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To: sickoflibs

” A few might, but the Dem base wants them voting and the GOP $$$$ base, the Romney club, they want their labor.”

Yep, to both.

” Recall a story about a month ago between Chamber of Commerce and Unions on key parts of this bill, You and I were not invited. “

Both parties selling America down the river, and yes, we and most of America were not invited.


35 posted on 04/29/2013 11:28:37 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker
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To: IbJensen

Even if a bill was presented that says the border will be closed immediately it would end up a joke. They would “deem”it as closed after making a show of doing something. But we know it will be a sham considering the people who run the government.


36 posted on 04/29/2013 11:29:24 AM PDT by dforest (I have now entered the Twilight Zone.)
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To: IbJensen

Of course not. All it does is send a message: “Run for the Border!”


37 posted on 04/29/2013 11:29:35 AM PDT by Little Ray (How did I end up in this hand-basket, and why is it getting so hot?)
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To: stephenjohnbanker

always great readin your comments


38 posted on 04/29/2013 11:31:25 AM PDT by advertising guy (clearly, semi automatic high capacity pressure cookers should be banned)
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To: advertising guy

Thanks.


39 posted on 04/29/2013 11:34:43 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker
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To: stephenjohnbanker
RE :”Both parties selling America down the river, and yes, we and most of America were not invited.”

If you look at the GOP ruling $$$$class demands its a bunch of stuff when mixed together blows up.

Amnesty (votiNG) to get more poor workers + tax cuts for the GOP ruling class plus extend retirement age to 70 = suicide bomb.

The Senate is the worst.

40 posted on 04/29/2013 11:39:51 AM PDT by sickoflibs (To GOP : Any path to US citizenship IS putting them ahead in line. Stop lying about your position.)
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