Posted on 03/15/2002 1:36:05 AM PST by JohnHuang2
U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday denied he was considering legalizing over three million undocumented Mexicans living in the United States, government news agency Notimex reported.
Speaking to reporters in Washington, Bush said he hoped to work with Mexico on the matter, but said he would follow the will of the U.S. people.
"I don't think the wish of Americans is for an amnesty," said Bush, who added he had spoken about the issue with President Vicente Fox.
Bush and Fox are to meet March 22 during the UN Conference on Financing Development in Monterrey, where they will discuss immigration and post-Sept. 11 border security.
Just days before the terrorist attacks, Fox reportedly had been close to inking a deal that would have granted legal status to an estimated 3.5 million undocumented Mexicans and worker visas to many more.
"We've been working very closely with Mexico," said Bush.
On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would allow thousands of Mexicans living in the United States to apply for visas without returning to Mexico. The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate.
Bush called the measure "a good step" and urged its fast approval as a show of good faith to its southern neighbor.
The hotel and restaurant industries had been pushing hard for the bill, arguing they would be short staffed if thousands of their Mexican employees were forced to return home to apply for visas.
"What we need to do is find a way to guarantee that the wishes of employers are in balance with those of the workers," said Bush.
Several Republican lawmakers, however, have voiced opposition to loosening any immigration laws before a top-to-bottom overhaul of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and the U.S. Border Patrol.
Bush reiterated his administration's priority of achieving a safe and orderly border, and said he was confident he and Fox could agree on a plan.
"We've had a good dialogue and I don't think it's something that requires a law," said Bush.
stevensonjacobs@hotmail.com
That's what concerns me. The damage to America's sovereignty that this open borders, pro-any kind of immigration president can do in the next 3 years.
Good catch there Sabertooth.
Yeah, heard the same thing in '96. Gore almost won.
The attention span of the American people is vastly overrated. And apparently that of some FReepers', too. The Clinton dynasty only ended a little over a year ago and some can't see the differences in the administrations. No, I won't list the differences, just search FR, it all here (may I recommend anything by MiaT or Alamo Girl)
You are absolutly correct. It is just Mexicans who bother me;
Mexicans who come to my country illegally
Mexicans who won't even try to learn the language of their so called "new country"
Mexicans who bear allegiance to Mexico and not to their new country
Mexicans who spit on the US culture and claim parts of the US as part of a new Mexican province
Mexicans who sneak into the US and overload our social services.
Mexicans who obtain false documentation so that they may illegally participate in the American economy
Mexicans who vote illegally in our elections
The list is long but you are right, it does support your idea that it is just the Mexicans that I object to.
Now, if he signs CFR, the gloves are coming off.
Another 2,500 posts of the this crap?
Y'all are really stretching it.
The issue of what to do about illegal immigration is a complex and important one that deserves serious debate. However, rational discourse isn't possible with people who behave like frenzied sharks when there's blood in the water.
There is no simple all-encompassing solution, except for those who cannot distinguish between Mexican laborers who work hard, yet lived here in fear and poverty because of their immigration status, and Islamic terrorists hell-bent on destroying us?
People demand tighter control of the borders and deportation of the millions of illegal aliens without understanding or even thinking about the resources needed to bring this about. How much will it cost and how will we pay for it? The devil is in the details, but these pesky details and the enormous costs involved are rarely discussed by people who want less government in principle, while simultaneously demanding results that will require much more government in practice.
Start with the problem of illegal entry. Obviously, our current Border Patrol can't handle the flood of illegals now crossing the border. Divide the length of our borders by the number of border agents and you get something like one agent for every hundred miles or so. Since illegals cross the border on a 24/7 basis, you need more than four agents working 40 hours X 48 or 50 weeks to cover a single patch of territory 168 hours X 52 weeks.
How big a territory should each agent be responsible for? You have to factor in the inaccessibility and natural cover provided by much of that terrain factor and the surreptitious approach by illegals.
If you think about these problems (and I've only scratched the surface,) you begin to understand why the Border Patrol in its current form can't stop all illegals from entering the country. However, our current Border Patrol does manage to catch a large number of illegals attempting to enter the country each year. How many more government employees do we need to effectively patrol and safeguard our borders? If people think their current performance level isn't good enough, then they need to address and agree on what performance level is good enough and what will it cost to reach that level. At some point, the costs outweigh the benefits.
I've only touched upon one aspect of the illegal immigration issue. What about the millions of illegals already here? Deport them all? Sounds simple in theory, but it in practice it will require hiring many more INS agents to locate and deport millions of illegals who don't want to get caught. It will take an exponential expansion of the INS -- the same folks who extended the visa of Mohammed Atta six months after he flew into the World Trade Center -- not to mention the extra lawyers and immigration judges needed to handle the volume of deportation cases.
If wishes were horses beggars would ride and George W. would wave a magic wand and make the illegals go away. It doesn't work that way in real life, but it seems that many people do believe in fairy tales, given their indifference or obliviousness to the solutions, costs and tradeoffs involved.
I don't see anything wrong with giving amnesty to 200,000 Mexican workers who've worked hard and have lived here for many years. Ronald Reagan gave amnesty to millions and is still (fittingly) recognized as a hero among conservatives.
You say let's give the President the benefit of the doubt and then call him a liar. Of course the people who disagree with Bush on this issue tend to disagree with much of what Reagan did. On trade, they are protectionists, while Reagan was for free trade. On foreign policy they are isolationists, while Reagan fought and won the Cold War without firing a shot. They don't dare challenge Reagan's conservative credentials for fear of being laughed out of the forum, but don't hesitate to take pot shots at Bush for doing what Reagan did.
Why the double standard?
Well, I guess he finally read my emails, lol.
Seriously, what is he going to do about deporting them all?? After the amnesty bill he rammed down our throats on Tuesday, I don't trust him.
Are we supposed to forget that the 1986 amnesty was supposed to be a one shot deal? That it was offered in exchange for tighter border controls?
What are we supposed to think when the guy Reagan put in charge of the '86 program goes on record as being against granting any similar amnesty today?
That's a cheerful thought, lol. If one needs further proof how screwed up the immigration issue is in this country, this case proves it.
So true.
Three years is enough time for all his illegal buddies to start to really impact ares that up to now were not aware of the invasion.
Hey, maybe that's what we need for the ignorant and blind in this country to wake up and see what's going on.
If a burglar is fined, but allowed to keep his stolen merchandise, has the law really been upheld?
If the Senate approves and Bush signs the 245(i) modifications, we'll have a mini-amnesty for about 200,000 illegals, [And their great-great grandfathers' spawn, to the Nth Degree, in perpertuity] against the will of the American people.
And we'll also have a liar in the White House by the name of George W. Bush.
Dear Lord, forbid?
BORDERS!
LANGUAGE
CULTURE!
BTW, Mr. President, the will of the American people is to identify and to deport criminal aliens.
Unless you want to be accurate, in which case you will be likely to begin with something like: 'upwards of thirty millions "from all over the world."'
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