Thread: Santorum goes further than Trump on illegals

Posted: Monday, November 2, 2015 3:01 pm | Updated: 3:01 pm, Mon Nov 2, 2015.
By Eric Timmons

DAVENPORT -- Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum say he's the only one of the 14 remaining Republican candidates for president who doesn't support any form of amnesty for undocumented immigrants who live in the U.S.

Donald Trump, who has promised to "round up" and deport the estimated 11 million illegals had until very recently led the group of Republican candidates. But Mr. Trump also said he would allow what he called the "good ones" to reenter the country and live here legally.

Speaking at the Scott County GOP office in Davenport early Monday, Mr. Santorum, who is trailing far behind the leading Republicans in both national and Iowa polls, mocked Mr. Trump's position on immigration.

"He (Trump) says we're going to throw every one out except the good ones, I don't even know what that means," Mr. Santorum said.

Mr. Santorum, who spoke before a crowd of about 20, said that on immigration, there's an alliance between Republicans and Democrats that he wants to break.

"The Democrats are for more immigration for one reason: more votes," he said. "Republicans are for more immigration for one reason: cheap labor."

The former senator won the 2012 Iowa caucus but was eventually beaten to the GOP nomination by Mitt Romney.

But he insisted he still has a path to victory and said immigration was an issue that separated him from all of the other Republican candidates.

"Only one is against amnesty, me," he said. "Everyone else is for some form of amnesty, in other words for allowing people who are here illegally to stay here in one form or another, permanently."

Mass deportations would not have to be chaotic, Mr. Santorum suggested, as he estimates that half of the illegals in the U.S. are people who came on visas but chose not to leave when they were supposed to.

"All you do is contact them by phone, you call them, because you know who they are, you know where they are," he said.

After a warning, what he called a removal process would begin and once all those who have overstayed their visas are gone, the problem would be easier to deal with.

"Now you've reduced the illegal immigration problem in half, and it's a much more manageable situation at that point," he said.

In his first term, President Obama deported record numbers of undocumented immigrant at a rate of about 400,000 per year, a higher number than his predecessor President George W. Bush, according to the Pew Research Center.

However, in 2012 President Obama launched a deferred action program that gave temporary reprieve and work permits to some undocumented young adults who were brought to the U.S. by their parents before age 16.

Mr. Santorum said that in addition to removing visa violators, he would be "more aggressive" than the Obama administration on deporting illegal immigrants in general.

"Many of them, as you know, are criminals.," Mr. Santorum said of the undocumented population. "We released last year, Barack Obama, 32,000 illegal immigrants with a criminal record, who were in jail."

ICE, the Immigration Customs Enforcement agency, has put illegal immigrants that it deems to be low-risk on supervised release from detention centers in recent years to save money.

http://www.qconline.com/news/local/s...ad0553273.html

Im saving this article, we need to help more people know about Santorum's immigration positions.

W

Posted By Scott Greer On 7:07 PM 11/02/2015

Former Pennsylvania senator and Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum slammed Texas Senator Ted Cruz for having a weak position on immigration Monday.

During a speech given at the Davenport County, Iowa Republican Party headquarters, Santorum criticized political leaders of both parties for backing increases in immigration, and singled out Cruz in particular.

“It’s not just the Democrats. It’s Democrats and Republicans,” Santorum said of immigration supporters, according to the Quad-City Times. “It’s Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush and, yes, it’s Ted Cruz. Ted Cruz wants to take the H-1B program and increase it by 500 percent. He wants to go from 65,000 to 330,000. Again, ‘Mr. Conservative.’ Everybody [says] how conservative he is. He wants to increase it by five times.”

Santorum is referring to Cruz’s pledge to increase H-1B visas by “500 percent.”

One of the former Pennsylvania senator’s major campaign items is a promise to reduce immigration across the board and crack down on illegal immigration. In his bid for the presidency, Cruz is also touting his credentials in fighting against legislation aimed at legalizing illegal aliens, but has so far indicated no interest in reducing legal immigration.

Santorum — while critical of Cruz on immigration — praised him for being willing to filibuster bad legislation in the Senate in the Monday talk.

However, the Texas senator is outpacing the 2012 primary runner-up in the polls. According to the latest RealClearPolitics average, Cruz sits at seven percent nationally while Santorum is languishing at 0.4 percent.

http://dailycaller.com/2015/11/02/sa...n-immigration/

"He (Trump) says we're going to throw every one out except the good ones, I don't even know what that means," Mr. Santorum said.

IMO, it would suggest amnesty.

Santorum is correct, I've never heard him (Santorum) mention a word to suggest amnesty in any capacity, nor have I heard him say anything in support of increasing immigration. In an ideal situation Santorum should be our choice to stand against increased immigration and illegal immigrant amnesty. However, this is unfortunately not an ideal situation because Santorum is currently polling at somewhere around 1%.

By Jason Noble on Sunday, November 8th, 2015 at 8:06 a.m.

Presidential candidate Rick Santorum cast himself as the only candidate in the 15-person Republican field who opposes legal status for undocumented immigrants.

"I am the only person in this field who is against amnesty," Santorum said during remarks at the Republican Party of Iowa’s Growth and Opportunity Party event on Oct. 31. "Every other person in this field wants to allow people who are here illegally to be able to stay here in one form or another."

Of the 15 candidates in a GOP race that has focused heavily on immigration, is Santorum really the only one who’s "against" amnesty?

As previous fact checks on similar statements have noted, "amnesty" is a tough word to define, and can mean different things to different people. Santorum offers a pretty succinct definition in his statement, though, by noting that other candidates would "allow people who are here illegally to be able to stay here, in one form or another."

In a follow-up email, a campaign staffer said Santorum defines amnesty as "providing legal status to illegal immigrants."

Fellow presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has made similar statements, which we’ve previously found to be Mostly True. Santorum’s statement differs in important ways, however. In August and again in September, Cruz said "a majority" of GOP candidates have supported amnesty — wording that acknowledges some candidates’ views may have shifted over time.

Santorum, by contrast, asserts that every other candidate currently supports an immigration policy that could be defined as amnesty. That’s a much higher standard — and a harder one to support.

Let’s review each candidate individually, starting with those who have clearly indicated support for citizenship or legal status that meets Santorum’s definition of amnesty:

Jeb Bush: The former Florida governor has made clear that he supports immigration reform that would provide legal status to the millions of undocumented people currently living in the U.S.

Marco Rubio: The Florida senator was a member of the so-called Gang of Eight who pursued comprehensive immigration reform that included a path to citizenship. He has since taken more hardline views on immigration but still supports legal status for undocumented people currently living in the U.S.

Lindsey Graham: The senator from South Carolina was also a member of the "Gang of Eight" who led efforts to pass immigration reform in 2013, and supports a pathway to citizenship.

Carly Fiorina: The former Hewlett-Packard CEO said in June that she was open to legal status for the undocumented.

John Kasich: The Ohio governor has said he "doesn’t like the idea of citizenship" but believes it may be necessary.

George Pataki: The former New York governor supports legal-resident status for undocumented immigrants who have no criminal history and agree to 200 hours of community service.

Jim Gilmore: The former Virginia governor supports legal status allowing undocumented immigrants to work in the United States, but opposes a pathway to citizenship.

Other candidates supported citizenship or legal status in the past, but have tempered or reversed their views since entering the presidential race:

Rand Paul: In 2013, the Kentucky senator told undocumented immigrants in a speech that "We will find a place for you" and implied (according to the New York Times) that he supported a pathway to citizenship. In more recent presidential campaign materials, though, Paul states that he "opposes amnesty" and believes the U.S.-Mexico border must be "secured" before "issuing any visas or starting the legal immigration process."

Mike Huckabee: The former Arkansas governor has indicated support for a pathway to citizenship in the past, but used much tougher rhetoric this year, stating that he opposes "amnesty" and is unwilling discuss legal status until the border is secure.

Chris Christie: In 2010, the New Jersey governor plainly said he supported a path to citizenship. Last May, however, he said he opposed a pathway to legal status.

Donald Trump: Trump’s views on immigration have evolved over time, but his position now is among the toughest in the GOP field. He reportedly was supportive of the DREAM Act in a 2013 meeting with immigration activists and said just last July that he could support a "merit-based" system for allowing undocumented immigrants to remain in the U.S. Since then, though, he’s advocated for deporting all of the estimated 11 million undocumented people living in the country.

Finally, in direct contradiction to Santorum’s claim, some candidates have simply never supported amnesty as his campaign defines it.

Ben Carson: In a 2014 op-ed in National Review, the retired neurosurgeon proposed a guest-worker program for immigrants, but said all participants would have to apply from outside the United States — meaning undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S. would have to leave and apply to re-enter.

Bobby Jindal: The Louisiana governor has repeatedly refused to take a position on the millions of undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S. He argues that the border must be secured before devising a policy to address those already living here.

Ted Cruz. He has repeatedly stated that he’s the only candidate in the race who has never supported amnesty – statements that have been found to be Mostly True. Cruz voted against the 2013 Senate immigration bill and opposed a 2014 House proposal to grant more limited legal status to undocumented immigrants.

Correspondence with Santorum’s campaign team makes clear his statement was aimed at drawing a contrast with Cruz, who’s lately been gaining momentum in the GOP race. A Santorum aide pointed to a series of amendments Cruz offered to the 2013 reform bill, which laid out additional conditions for granting legal status to those who are undocumented. Among other measures, those amendments removed the bill’s pathway to citizenship and made it more challenging for undocumented residents to receive legal status. Santorum’s campaign says those amendments amount to support for amnesty, but they could just as easily be read as efforts to weaken the bill and undermine the amnesty measures it contained.

Our ruling

Santorum said, "I am the only person in this field who is against amnesty. Every other person in this field wants to allow people who are here illegally to be able to stay here, in one form or another."

While it’s true that seven of 15 GOP candidates currently support policies that meet Santorum’s definition of "amnesty," four candidates who once supported such policies no longer do, and two more have consistent records of opposition. The last, Jindal, hasn’t outlined his position.

We rate Santorum’s claim False.

http://www.politifact.com/iowa/state...te-who-doesnt/

I recently mailed the following to the Santorum Campaign and hope they will publish their immigration policy. Since he is lagging in the polls, creating a policy more controversial than Trump's could only help him.

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Senator Rick Santorum is trying to convince voters that he will be tougher on the issue of illegal immigration than Donald Trump or Ted Cruz. The best way for him to do this is to publish a list of policies that he would enact if he became President that would prevent illegal immigration. Although I have seen him give speeches on the subject, to my knowledge, he has not presented a detailed plan in writing about what he will do. The more controversial the list is, the more exposure it will get in the news. Below are my suggestions:

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PRESIDENT SANTORUM'S 20-POINT POLICY ON IMMIGRATION

==========[ SUGGESTED LIST OF POLICIES ]==========

IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
* The federal government through the presidential office will give authority to any state, county, or local government that wants to help enforce immigration law. The states and local governments will act as "agents" of the federal government through the President Office. States and local governments can assist the federal government just like they do with murder, drugs, theft, and other crimes. They will be allowed to create their own enforcement policies, but will be required to use the United State Congress’ standards for who are legal residents and who are deportable aliens. The enforcement can be handled like any other unlawful trespassing law. They can decide to give jail time, fines, and even deport anyone trespassing in the United States.

* The military and coast guard will assist the Border Patrol in protecting and securing the United States borders. Much of this can be training exercise for new recruits and the practice of how to use drone aircrafts.

* Every person booked into jail by law enforcement will have their fingerprints run against federal immigration databases whenever reasonably possible to determine if they are in the United States illegally. (Similar to "Secure Communities" programs)

* ICE will be allowed to raid businesses that are suspected of employing illegal immigrants. This practice started in the latter term of Pres. Bush and ended under Pres. Obama. They can coordinator with local police to aid them in locking down the businesses.

IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT POLICIES
* Public schools, colleges, and universities will be required to submit the personal information of students who do not offer proof that they are legally in the United States into an ICE database. This action by itself will not prevent students from being able to attend school, but rather determine how much resources are drained by illegal immigrants.

* No local program can give social or financial aid to anyone who is in the United States illegally other than emergency medical care. Every service has to verify legal residence. Every government agency has the right to refuse their services to anyone who cannot prove that they are legal residents.

* No federal agencies is allowed to prioritize one group of deportable illegal immigrants over another group of deportable illegal immigrants. All deportable illegal immigrants must be equal in reference to removal priority.

* Any federal, state, or local law enforcement agency can deny bail to anyone in the United States illegally if they choose to.

IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE
* Setup an entry/exit system. All new foreign visitors will have their fingerprints added into a federal database.

* Hospitals have to right to refer patients who fit certain predetermined profiles to immigration authorities without fear of being sued.

* The federal government will complete the border fence mandated by previously passed congressional laws.

* Cameras will be placed along the border in locations where Internet communications is available. The cameras images will be viewable to Internet users within the United States. This will allow Americans to help Border Patrol agents monitor the border. The software will allow citizens to forward picture frames that they believe might contain illegal immigrants sneaking across the border. Border Patrol will be able to focus more on wilderness areas while American citizens monitor the camera sectors. There are a lot of Americans who would love to help protect the United States border from their own homes. To prevent the cameras from being used by smugglers, the software will not tell the viewers the origin of the camera images.

* Increase the fines businesses have to pay for hiring illegal immigrants.

* If anyone proves that a business is knowingly hiring illegal immigrants, that person will receive 5% of any monetary judgment that the business must pay for committing the illegal hirings. Businesses will not hire illegal immigrants if they know the illegal immigrants they hire will squeal on them.

IMMIGRATION POLICIES
* English is the official language of the United States. All federal business with the federal government must be done in English unless congressional passed law preempts it. No government agency will be required or compelled to provide translators except when the person is suspected of a crime. No government agency other than educational teachers, law enforcement, the military, or foreign relations services is allowed to require or specify knowledge of a foreign language as part of its job requirement, preference, or description.

* Enforce section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act which charges the State Department with the responsibility of denying visas to countries that refuse to repatriate their citizens who are being deported.

* Immigration judges are allowed to take only 2 issues into account when deciding if a defendant should be deported. 1) Is the defendant in the United States illegally based upon the United States congressional passed immigration law? 2) Is the defendant a refugee or likely to obtain refugee status? No other factors matter. If anyone is in the United States illegally and is unlikely to be given refugee status, then that person should be deported. This should greatly speed up immigration trials.

POLICIES
* The maximum number of people who can be given refugee status will be 10,000 a year.

* The FBI is required to investigate every candidate for President of the United States to verify that they meet the requirements of the Constitution to be President of the United States. Idealistically, the investigations will begin at least 180 days before Election Day unless the candidate request for it to be done earlier.

* No government agency or organization that is partly supported by federal, state, county, or local money can withhold information in their possession from any immigration enforcement government agency that can be used to identify or deport illegal immigrants unless congressional laws prevent it.

* Create a policy that require the 14th Amendment's wording of "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" to be understood to mean the allegiance and citizenship of the child's biological parents at the time of birth and not the physical geographical location. Then stop issuing citizenship certificates to babies if neither parent is an American citizen. This will go to court and the Supreme Court will ultimately determine its meaning.

* ANY PREVIOUS EXECUTIVE ORDERS THAT SUPPORT AMNESTY MUST BE REPEALED.

Philip Brown