Posted on 9/9/2001, 5:14:39 AM by Typhoon
LatelineNews: 2001-9-9] WASHINGTON - Following months of increasing interest in immigration and a three-day state visit by Mexican President Vicente Fox, Democrats asked on Saturday that Americans set aside their fears of change and loosen regulations on immigration.
Rep. Ed Pastor of Arizona used the Democrats' weekly radio address to emphasize the party's support of a revamped immigration policy in response to the nation's changing needs.
''Attracting ambitious workers from all over the globe is a sign of our national strength, not a weakness,'' he said.
The focus of the issue should be redirected ''to take advantage of, rather than fear, the economic and cultural evolution of our nation,'' said Pastor.
On Friday, business leaders told a Senate Judiciary subcommittee that the nation's economy will have an estimated 161 million jobs by 2008, and only 154 million Americans available to fill them.
Labor leaders also suggested that forcing immigrants to accept substandard pay and working conditions will in time only create the same situation for American workers.
Parts of the issue have crossed party lines. A bill passed by the Senate on Thursday night - extending the deadline for illegal immigrants to apply for visas - also has the support of President Bush and Republican lawmakers in the House.
But Pastor said his party's goal includes much more, such as expanding limits on some immigrant visas and exempting Canada and Mexico from limits entirely.
''There are millions of resident undocumented immigrants in this country ...,'' he said. ''This is their home, and they are not going anywhere.''
in other words, the race is on for the foriegn vote.
But what is your solution? Export 3 million of them back? Whos going to pick your food? You? Your too busy trapped in your own hate for people that you fear and for what? Think if their all shipped back we still won't have a drug problem? Think that we'll see people clammering to pick strawberries and melons? This is a situation tha tcan play into either parties hands. Bush screwed up by trying to float the trial balloon on it in the first place. If he backs down, Tom Dashite is your next President.
I have no problem with anyone wanting to immigrate here...just do it the LEGAL way. As for which party will rule the govt. here....does it really matter anymore...they are both leading us in the same direction dickhead!
I mean the dickheads are all leading us in the same direction. We need a new party because neither one of them care about us..its thier own agenda and not what is in our interest or our countries interest.
Yes! There is this little thing called "the rule of law", and ILLEGAL ALIENS are breaking it.
So you're saying you have no problem with an amnesty?
"Rule of law"? That's not in a Bushie's lexicon.
Now, "political expediency" is another matter...
NO, thats not what Im saying! if they came here legally there would be no need for amnesty!..DEPORT THE ILLEGALS
You said...
I have no problem with anyone wanting to immigrate here...just do it the LEGAL way.
Legal is legal, right?
To: National Desk Contact: White House Press Office, 202-456-2580 WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released today by the White House:
A "Principles Plus" Approach to Migration and Mexico
"We share a lot of principles. We both recognize how important the contribution is to our economy that the Mexican workers have made. We want people to be treated with respect. We both have a mutual and shared responsibility to make sure our border is safe, and that we enforce the border. I hope to come forward with a program that will pass the Congress that deals with guest workers with some sense of normalization. And I would like to do that as soon as possible."
President George W. Bush and President Vicente Fox September 6, 2001
With new leadership in Mexico and the United States, the time has come to see migration as it truly is, one of the major ties that bind our two countries. How we deal with the movement of people into our country from Mexico must serve the needs of the U.S. economy and other important interests. We must ensure that those here illegally do not gain advantage over those who play by the rules. And we must not forget that the huge majority of Mexicans among us are hard working people who contribute to our communities and economy, and simply want the best for their families.
As a nation that wants its neighbors to be prosperous as well as democratic, we understand Mexico's needs. Mexico wants to make migration a positive contributor to its development, a source of prosperity for Mexican families, new skills and fresh entrepreneurial spirit. We want Mexico to succeed. It is in our national interest for Mexico to succeed.
Since February, a high-level U.S. Mexico working group, chaired on the U.S. side by Secretary of State Powell and Attorney General Ashcroft, has conducted a ground-breaking dialogue on migration and labor issues, and border safety. The working group has covered a lot of ground, and will continue to examine these issues in the months ahead.
The guiding principles for the United States in this historic dialogue of friends and neighbors have been:
-- Humane Approach: Migration between our countries must be safe, legal, orderly, and dignified. The system should be humane, family-friendly, and respect the enormously valuable role immigrants continue to play in building our nation.
-- Protection of American Workers: The immigration system must not disadvantage American workers, while we ensure an adequate labor supply for U.S. employers when American workers are not available.
-- Fairness: The immigration system must be fair. Our most important obligation is to those who follow the rules and abide by the law. The only path is the legal path.
-- Commitment from Mexico: We invite Mexico to join the United States in an authentic partnership to keep our shared borders orderly and safe, and ensure the integrity and success of any new policies.
We are working with Mexico on options for a potential new program for temporary workers. Among other things, it would focus on President Fox's concept of "circularity", the process by which a worker from Mexico works for a specified time in the U.S. to support the family, but also to develop valuable skills, new experience, and a vision to contribute to the modern development of Mexico.
We seek an approach that would rest on a carefully worked out partnership between our two countries that recognizes the contributions undocumented Mexicans are making in the United States and enables us to bring together willing workers and willing employers. This is an issue that will require close consultations with the U.S. Congress and U.S. civil society.
Published 9/7/01
TOLEDO, Ohio -- President Bush yesterday said he would ask Congress to legalize Mexican aliens if they would take jobs others pass up and called for the abolition of laws that bar American companies from employing border-jumpers.
"I mean, the truth of the matter is that if somebody is willing to do jobs others in America aren't willing to do, we ought to welcome that person to the country and we ought to make that a legal part of our economy," Mr. Bush said as he and Mexican President Vicente Fox prepared to depart the White House for Toledo.
"We ought not to penalize an employer who's trying to get a job done, who hires somebody who's willing to do that kind of work," Mr. Bush added.
The president said he will try to expedite congressional approval of guest-worker status for illegal Mexicans, although he stopped short of promising to honor Mr. Fox's request for an agreement by the end of the year.
"There's obviously a sense of urgency in the president's message," Mr. Bush said of the Mexican leader. "I hear that sense of urgency, and my administration is willing to work as hard as we possibly can to get something done in a constructive fashion."
But Mr. Bush was unable to explain how he can grant legal status to any of the estimated 3 million Mexicans living illegally in the United States without prejudicing would-be immigrants from Mexico and other nations who have been waiting for years to immigrate legally.
"I fully recognize there are a lot of people who have stood in line, who have said: 'I'll abide by the laws of the United States,'" Mr. Bush told reporters on the South Lawn. "We're trying to work through a formula that will not penalize the person who's chosen the legal route, and at the same time recognizes the contribution that the undocumented has made."
Both presidents painted illegal immigrants in heroic terms, with Mr. Bush even calling them "innocent, hard-working people." While he refrained from criticizing Mexicans for crossing the border illegally, he lambasted smugglers who accept money from the Mexicans to assist them in their illegal crossings.
Although Mr. Bush has repeatedly emphasized he opposes blanket amnesty for all 3 million illegal Mexicans, he has not called for the deportation of even a fraction of them.
"The focus is more on how to create a new program that works, less on any type of punitive actions such as that," White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said aboard Air Force One in response to questions from The Washington Times.
Mr. Bush was vague about how many illegal Mexicans might be granted guest-worker status and how many guest workers might eventually be granted permanent residency. He has bristled at suggestions that he is trying to co-opt Hispanic voters for his re-election bid in 2004.
"One of the things I have told the president is I am willing to consider ways for a guest worker to earn a green-card status," Mr. Bush said yesterday. "I hope to come forward with a program that will pass the Congress, that deals with guest workers with some sense of normalization."
But he seemed to acknowledge he faces stiff congressional opposition from Democrats and Republicans alike.
"This is an incredibly complex issue," he said. "To make matters even more complicated, we've got to work with the Congress, and we've got to come up with a solution that Congress can accept."
Although unemployment in the United States is at its highest level in years, Mr. Bush indicated Americans should be willing to share the job market with illegal Mexican immigrants.
"This is an employment issue in the United States," he said. "We've got employers who can't find workers and, therefore, then employ undocumented workers.
"And under our law that's illegal," he added. "And it seems like to me we ought to have a direct and honest assessment of reality."
Mr. Bush spent considerable time assessing that reality with his Mexican counterpart before departing for Toledo.
"I explained this to President Fox, that there are many in our country who are undocumented and we want to make sure that their labor is legal. And so part of the issue is how do we match a willing employer with a willing employee, to recognize the value of the work, and to legalize that part of the process.
"And that's where we need to think creatively on a guest-worker program," he added.
During a speech to 10,000 enthusiastic supporters in Toledo, which has a sizable Mexican population, Mr. Fox said he must be willing to let his countrymen immigrate to the United States if they are to return some day to help build prosperity in Mexico.
"In Mexico, we do not ever forget our beloved countrymen," said Mr. Fox, directing his comments to Mexican-Americans in the audience at the University of Toledo. "Not only do we not forget them, but we also recognize with pride that we have learned so much from you from your courage, your determination, your perseverance and your valor.
"And I want to tell you not only that we love you and respect you, that we need you back in Mexico, that we will be working to welcome all of you back in Mexico to promote the growth about a great nation and to work together to construct a better future for our country," he added.
Meanwhile, first ladies Laura Bush and Martha Sahagun toured a Hispanic art exhibit at a museum in Chicago yesterday, according to Reuters. After the exhibit tour, Mrs. Sahagun spoke about immigration issues and pleaded with those pursuing wealth and progress not to leave the poor behind.
"Globalization must never forget it has a human face," she told guests at a luncheon at the Terra Museum of American Art, which is hosting a touring Smithsonian exhibit featuring the work of Hispanic artists from across the United States.
maybe to you if your a sympathizer but they dont deserved to be "legalized" after they have already broken the law to begin with.
Just like Krintong's Marc Rich pardon made him "legal"?
Whether it's one millionaire criminal, or millions of criminal aliens, the king/president has the right to wave his royal scepter and make them all "legal"?
This won't tell everyone else "to hell with obeying the law", as well as being a world wide magnet to bring in millions more amnesty seekers?
That tends to put your, "ERT! Wrong answer! Im not a mexican hater! I dont hate anyone because of their race or nationality." in question.
You threatened me on Freepmail, remember? Non-veiled, remember?
Yes, I disagree with that decision, but the legal implication is clear.
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