Politics blamed for porous borders: Tancredo says Dems, GOP gain from illegals

Rocky Mountain News ^ | Oct. 31, 2002 | Lynn Bartels

[madfly]

U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo says the Democratic and Republican parties are key obstacles to solving America's illegal immigration crisis.

"Democrats want it for votes. Republicans want it for cheap labor," Tancredo said. "Therefore it is desirable to have people coming across illegally."

The Littleton Republican, who has helped ignite a national debate on immigration, said the United States must decide whether it wants a border it is willing to enforce.

He made his comments Wednesday during an immigration debate on The Aaron Harber Show at KBDI-Channel 12.

Also appearing on the show was former Colorado governor Dick Lamm, a Democrat who for years has sounded the alarm about the effects of mass immigration to the United States. He said Colorado's growth debate is really an immigration debate.

On the other side of the issue were immigration attorney Donna Lipinski and Estevan Flores, a sociology professor at the University of Colorado at Denver and the executive director of the Latino Research Council.

Flores said it is impossible to stop illegal immigration as long as Mexico and United States exist side by side and have such disparate economies.

"Alan Greenspan, the noted economist, pointed out the boom of the '90s was supported by immigrant laborers and illegal workers," Flores said. "You can't have it both ways."

Lipinski said she repeatedly talks to employers who say they can't find workers - a statement Tancredo couldn't wait to refute.

"They only give you half the line really," he said. "The rest of that sentence should be, 'We can't find workers at what we are willing to pay.'"

The panelists found common ground in some areas: The Department of Immigration and Naturalization needs to be reformed, and the United States should explore "guest worker" programs.

Lamm said the advantage of such programs is workers would come but their families would stay behind so schools would not be impacted.

Lamm and Tancredo were critical of the United States for granting amnesty to illegal immigrants several years ago without having a secure border in place to stop the flow of more undocumented workers.

Tancredo said he opposes granting another blanket amnesty to the 10 million or so illegal immigrants in the United States because it sends the wrong message.

"Why would you go through all the brain damage to come here legally when it's so easy to come here illegally?" he asked.

Lipinski said it's not as easy as Tancredo claims, pointing out numerous deaths of Mexicans trying to cross the border.

But Tancredo said his office works with hundreds of people trying to handle immigration problems legally, through green cards or visas.

"Do you know what I should tell them? 'Do you know there's an easier way? Sneak into the country. Because if you do it the right way, you're really kind of a sucker because eventually we're going to give amnesty to everyone,'" he said.

[madfly]

Tancredo ping

[madfly]

Tancredo ping

[junta]

The way the Southwest is going they will begin to deport Americans before they deport non-Americans. The Left has the momentum they give their masses the magic words of "fairness, equality, racism, dicrimination, ect., ect." and the rest of America goes fetal in front of their stupidvisions when the Left shouts at them. Till the Right learns how to fight back, and I think they are learning we won't be safe.

[madfly]

Tancredo ping

[madfly]

Tancredo ping

[madfly]

Tancredo ping

[cousair]

Tancredo is absolutely right, and we MUST control our borders. I avidly support President Bush and his administration, but I think this will have a big effect on his re-election in "04. Many Americans have been killed by illegal aliens in this country and they continue to come across our borders almost at free will. We simply are not safe if this continues. The cost to we, the taxpayers is beyone imagination. Immigration can only be done in a legal way. Anyone coming any other way should be deported IMMEDIATELY. This issue is number one on the list....the war is second.

[madfly]

ping

[madfly]

Tancredo ping

[MissAmericanPie]

I noticed something here locally and I have no real explaination for it, just a guess. I use to spend several minutes shouting into the face of Jack at Jack in the Box to make my order understood to a non-english speaking worker.

Over night it seems that these workers are vanishing from a great number of fast food places to be replaced by teen agers earning their first pay checks. I love it. I don't know what happened and wonder if perhaps it was the letters Social Security sent out to employers about bogus SS numbers being used by some of their employees. If that is it, good job and cuddos to the SS Department.

[madfly]

Congressman Tom Tancredo (Rep. CO)

[madfly]

Good News. It's important that our kids get a good work ethic and work experience. They also learn how to communicate with real people and spend less time playing shoot-em-up with video games in a violent virtual world.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

It's certainly true that both major parties are in cahoots on this issue for different reasons. (Although Bush too seems to think that Republicans can eventually capitalize on the "amnesty for votes" bonanza. I think he is terribly mistaken in this regard.)

It is pitiful that our federal government overreaches into so many areas where it doesn't belong, yet deliberately and purposefully turns a blind eye to illegal immigration across our borders which should be one of its fundamental legitimate concerns.

[AmericanInTokyo]

This Congressman put his finger right on the problem. Man, is there ever going to be a backlash in favor of independent, conservative candidates who don't go along with Walter Mondale and Karl Rove on this continuing illegal immigration idiocy.

It is a shame that it may come to more multiple snipers from foreign countries here, more mass landings of crafts on porous borders, and more border crossers with al-Qaida agendae, to wake more people up.

Tancredo warned us. Anything more than happens here on out, cannot be blamed solely on the Clinton Administration.

White House and Congress and Governors and State Legislatures, DO..YOU...HEAR...THAT??

[ffrancone]

IN 5 DAYS, THEY'LL BE VOTING DEMOCRAT

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TODAY TO HELP TAKE BACK THE SENATE?

TakeBackCongress.org

A resource for conservatives who want a Republican majority in the Senate

[Nyralthotep]

My wife is a naturalized citizen who used to be a Mexican citizen but we went through the process which took a little over 5 years to get her naturalized. We both are continually disgusted at how the INS only enforces policy in the border towns but nowhere else.

Here in Colorado the reason for the Hispanic growth boom is simply because of the illeagals.

I hate having to pay out of pocket for my kids to see a doctor and see illegal couples get full benfits coverage for their kids who were born here. It really makes me wonder why we even went through the whole process to begin with at times.

Tancredo is right on!

[skeeter]

Good to see Tancredo hand 'em their heads... this issue might finally be gaining some momentum. About damn time.

[skeeter]

Over night it seems that these workers are vanishing from a great number of fast food places to be replaced by teen agers earning their first pay checks.

I noticed the same thing... maybe the owners are wising up to the fact that their paying customers really appreciate being understood.

[3AngelaD]

That's just the tip of the Social Security situation. I listen to a Spanish language FM station on the way to work in the morning. Yesterday they had this long call-in segment regarding Social Security. The main thrust of the questions were asked by people who had come here illegally and worked using false Social Security numbers. They were calling in to find out how to consolidate their Social Security accounts now that they have received amnesty ("regularized their immigration status") and have been assigned a legally valid Social Security number. They want to make sure they get the maximum payout.

The Social Security administration apparently has a program under way to facilitate this process for all these people who, by their own admission, broke our laws twice. The SS Administration is putting on a series of weekend programs at Washington, D.C. public libraries to explain to people how to go about this consolidation of accounts process.

Some of these people who were calling in had used three or four false Social Security numbers, some of which were assigned to American citizens who are still alive and working in our economy. One guy wanted to know how he could get credit for all of the Social Security quarters that the person whose stolen SS # he used had accrued. It would behoove everyone to check up on their Social Security records regularly to make sure they have not be edged out by an illegal immigrant.

[madfly]

ping

[heleny]

explore "guest worker" programs.
Lamm said the advantage of such programs is workers would come but their families would stay behind so schools would not be impacted.

I fail to see why the families would stay away from the US. If both parents become "guest workers," they may have more children when they are here, and they would want to keep their family intact. Unless we withheld free education/healthcare/WIC/school-lunch/etc. and automatic citizenship, none of which seems likely with our current government members (besides Tancredo), the "guest workers" would have no incentive to keep their children with the grandparents in their home country.

[heleny]

check up on their Social Security records regularly to make sure they have not be edged out by an illegal immigrant.

The SSA now mails statements of accrued credits, so that helps verify one's contributions. I was surprised to get my statement from the SSA some days ago.

[Pa' fuera]

It would behoove everyone to check up on their Social Security records regularly to make sure they have not be edged out by an illegal immigrant.

Amen. Imagine that an illegal steals your SSN, then fills out a W-2 as exempt. There will be no federal withholding credited to your number, but all the earnings will go on your record. You'd be on the hook for all the federal income tax on those earnings, plus you might get thrown into a higher tax bracket on your legitimate earnings. Oh, but these illegals don't harm anyone, they just want to help their families!!!!

[aeronca]

"Over night it seems that these workers are vanishing from a great number of fast food places to be replaced by teen agers earning their first pay checks"

Maybe they were caught hiring illegals. The link below allows people to run checks anywhere in the U.S.A. to see who and what businesses have been fined for violations.

http://www.cis.org/sanctions

[FITZ]

Imagine that an illegal steals your SSN

They can hurt you more than that ---they can commit crimes and your Social Security number is used and you'll fail background checks, they can ruin your credit by applying for credit cards with your Social Security number. I don't know why Bush doesn't see this as a serious crime.

[aeronca]

Note: (Post #26) if you run a search, just select your state and county and leave the rest of the fields blank. Just to get an idea of those in the entire state who got caught.

[FITZ]

They want to make sure they get the maximum payout.

It's completely foolish for anyone to believe these people are here to save Social Security, they are here to get in on it, if they can't get in on that, they'll get in on SSI and welfare. You rarely see a Hispanic immigrant working past 62 years of age, and many have expensive health problems by then.

[MissAmericanPie]

Thanks so much, what a handy idea, I'll check it out.