Thread: Bush Tries To Mend Immigration Fences

08/15/2007
Bush Tries To Mend Immigration Fences
By: Joe Murray , The Bulletin
http://www.thebulletin.us/site/printerF ... d=18701581


Two months after a bruising battle with members of his own party over the ill-fated Kennedy-McCain-Bush immigration bill, a law that would have granted instant legal status to the 12 million illegal immigrants who broke into the nation, President Bush applauded efforts by his administration to toughen immigration enforcement by enforcing the laws already on the books.
The newly-announced reforms are being spearheaded by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez.
"Today, members of my cabinet announced a series of important new administrative actions to address border security and immigration challenges. These reforms represent steps my administration can take within the boundaries of existing law to better secure our borders, improve worksite enforcement, streamline existing temporary worker programs and help new immigrants assimilate into American society," the president said on Friday when announcing his 26-point plan.
Under the new plan, the White House has pledged to add 18,300 border patrol agents, build 370 miles of fencing, construct 300 miles of vehicle barriers, add 105 camera and radar towers, and provide three additional unmanned aerial vehicles, all of which will be done by Dec. 31, 2008.
The president will also maintain the policy of "catch and return."
For years, apprehended illegal immigrants were merely issued citations and let free into the general public. Recognizing that illegals are not likely to appear on their court date, the White House "has ended this practice and instituted a policy of 'catch and return,' ensuring that all removable aliens
caught trying to cross the border illegally are held until they can be removed."
While Bush still had a tone of bitterness over his failure to get the Kennedy-McCain-Bush bill passed, his 26-point plan announced Friday was clearly an olive branch to the base of his party.
"The plans outlined today by Secretaries Chertoff and Gutierrez, if implemented, would go a long way toward reversing decades of failures on the part of this and previous administrations," said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).
Stein further explained that "taken together, tighter border enforcement, more interior and worksite enforcement, document reform and entry/exit controls will lead to significant reductions, over time, in the number of people living illegally in our country. When illegal aliens and their employers become convinced that we are determined to enforce our laws consistently, fewer people will come illegally and many who are here will leave on their own."
Another issue of contention among conservatives is the hiring of illegal aliens by private employers. To help reduce the incentive, fines will be increased by approximately 25 percent.
"We're going to continue to clamp down on employers who knowingly and willfully violate the laws. But at the same time, we want to make sure that employers who do want to do the right thing have effective tools and clear guidance so they can maintain a stable, legal workforce," Chertoff stated on Friday. This newfound tough rhetoric was well received by conservatives who were dejected by the manner Bush treated them during the past immigration debate.
"The Achilles' heel of the employer sanctions law has always been the lack of an effective method to verify the documents that workers present to employers. It has allowed both illegal aliens and employers seeking cheap illegal workers to flout the law with impunity," noted Stein.
"We agree with the administration that employment verification laws and procedures need to be strengthened. However, it was the administration's decision to handcuff these improvements to an unacceptable amnesty proposal that has denied them this important tool," added Stein. This raises the question of whether the president's 26-point plan will succeed in rebuilding the bridges that were burnt during the early summer immigration debate.
"It will go a long way," stated Colin Hanna, president of Let Freedom Ring (LFR). Hanna has been involved in trying to craft a sound immigration policy though LFR's project, WeNeedAFence.com. And while Hanna thinks Bush's plan will help restore relationships on the right, he recognizes that the tone of the debate has become counterproductive.
"It is tragic that the bridges got burned in the first place, as the tone of the debate has opened the door to demagoguery on both sides," explained Hanna. "I believe the enlightened conservative view is that we should make illegal immigration harder and legal immigration easier. ... You cannot do the second without establishing credibility on the first."
And with the Bush administration attempting to establish such credibility with its 26-point plan, conservatives will be watching to see if the White House's words mesh with its actions.
"The plan put forth today - which amounts to enforcing existing laws and securing our nation's borders - is one that could and should have been implemented from day one of this administration," Stein said. "We wish they had done this earlier, but even at this late stage they have an opportunity to regain the confidence and support of the American public. We will now see if words are matched by action."

Joe Murray can be reached at jmurray@thebulletin.us.

This raises the question of whether the president's 26-point plan will succeed in rebuilding the bridges that were burnt during the early summer immigration debate.

Not with me it won't. Once a traitor always a traitor.

He needs to apologize to the American People and forfeit his salary and pension. We need to take his cooks and housekeepers away and ground Air Force One.

It's not enough retribution for a Traitor, but it's a start.

I think its time he stood up and served Scooter Libbey's jail time as well as Ramos and Compean!

Too Little Too Late.

"Help Immigrants Assimilate" he has no intention of making them leave.....

Just another way to put illegals before Americans.

Find the thread about the new immigration forms to be used - and remember the new rules and all the 'temporary' workers that are being made available.

He had/has no intention of doing anything and I am beginning to suspect that much of the hype about the bill was just that - a charade. There may have been some who truly opposed it.

So, they had a vote, we voiced our opinion and they voted our way. We stopped amnesty.

Plan B - Just make them all temporary, but legal, workers.

Amnesty without a vote.

This amounts to a "Baffle them with BS" approach to "immigration reform".

Originally Posted by POTUS

This amounts to a "Baffle them with BS" approach to "immigration reform".

How true! It reminds me of the story of the wounded snake that convinced a man to give him a 'lift' to the other side of the river. The snake appeared to be so sincere and after all, he was wounded. Once they were safely on the river bank, the snake bit the man. The startled man asked the snake how he could betray his kindness. The snake replied, "I'm a snake...it's my nature."

You forgot to mention he has to resign as well.

Originally Posted by Judy

He needs to apologize to the American People and forfeit his salary and pension. We need to take his cooks and housekeepers away and ground Air Force One.

It's not enough retribution for a Traitor, but it's a start.