Thread: The Myth of Amnesty

So the opponents of the senate bill want to do nothing???? How about showing us some serious enforcement! And isn't she the one who vetoes about any kind of state legislation that tries to curb the problem?
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The Myth of Amnesty
The Senate Immigration Bill vs. a Disastrous Status Quo

By Janet Napolitano
Sunday, June 10, 2007; Page B07

On the subject of immigration, my plea to Congress is loud and clear: You can't quit now. Last week the Senate was on the verge of addressing our broken immigration system. No, the compromise bill wasn't perfect. But our current system is a disaster. I implore lawmakers to go back to the table, iron out their differences and give us an immigration system that is enforceable, and the resources to enforce it.

Opponents of the Senate immigration bill -- those who really want to do nothing -- merely yelled "amnesty" in place of reasoned opposition. They were -- and are -- just plain wrong. Don't let them derail your efforts.


No one favors illegal immigration. But there are upwards of 12 million people illegally in this country -- people who work, who have settled their families and who have raised their children here. For 20 years our country has done basically nothing to enforce the 1986 legislation against either the employers who hired illegal immigrants or those who crossed our borders illegally to work for them. Accordingly, our current system is, effectively, silent amnesty.

If we have no comprehensive immigration reform this year, and if we do not deal rigorously and openly with those already here, silent amnesty will continue. As a border-state governor who has dealt with immigration issues more than any other governor I know of, I am certain that continued inaction by Congress -- silent amnesty -- is the worst of all worlds.

Consider what happens when we have an immigration system that is based on silent amnesty and that is unenforced and unenforceable. To look "tough," what little enforcement we have ends up being arbitrary and unfair. For example:


· A man in the United States illegally was pulled over in Phoenix and charged with driving under the influence. Immigration officers arrested him, his wife and their 19-year-old son, who were also here illegally. An aunt says that their 12-year-old daughter -- who is an American citizen -- cries every day for the family members who had to leave her behind. This is a fair immigration system?


· The Immigration Customs and Enforcement agency has sent several top-ranking students from Arizona State University to a camp in Eloy, Ariz., to await deportation to countries they have never lived in. The students have earned top marks, have never been in serious legal trouble and by all measures are primed to become productive members of our economy. This is a wise immigration policy?


· A team from an Arizona high school that has a high percentage of immigrant students went to Upstate New York in 2002 to compete in a science fair. After winning the top prize, the students crossed into Canada to see Niagara Falls -- and were stopped at the border when they tried to return. After nine hours of interrogation they were allowed back into the United States, but a years-long legal battle ensued over whether they should be deported. We spent precious law enforcement resources on these high school students rather than on combating putative terrorist threats or, indeed, on infectious tuberculosis carriers. This is good homeland security?

Don't label me soft on illegal immigration. As a U.S. attorney (predating the Gonzales Justice Department), I supervised the prosecution of more than 6,000 immigration felonies. I govern a state where, in 2005, there were 550,000 apprehensions of illegal immigrants. I declared a state of emergency at our border that year, and I was the first governor in the nation to call for assistance from the National Guard. I have also established task forces on vehicle theft and the manufacture of fraudulent identification to complement federal law enforcement efforts.

State measures, however, will never substitute for federal legislation that addresses all aspects of immigration, from border security to employer sanctions to pathways to citizenship. It is fundamentally unfair and unrealistic to suggest that our system remain as it is and ignore the 12 million who ran the gantlet at the border and managed to find work in our country. It is not "amnesty" to require these individuals to earn the privilege of citizenship, as have the millions of immigrants who came before them. While illegal immigration is a crime, "amnesty" is a bumper sticker -- not a solution.

We need comprehensive reform, and we need it this year.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... inionsbox2

If we have no comprehensive immigration reform this year, and if we do not deal rigorously and openly with those already here, silent amnesty will continue. As a border-state governor who has dealt with immigration issues more than any other governor I know of, I am certain that continued inaction by Congress -- silent amnesty -- is the worst of all worlds.

Ok so why not just enforce the laws we have? Do they think we are stupid or what? We already have immigration laws...they just have to enforce them ...fgs. So what these jerks are saying is that if this bill doesnt pass, they wont enforce the law? That is what they are saying. They are acting like there are no current laws. Discusting. There is no such thing as "silent amnesty". There is only a silent government.

Accordingly, our current system is, effectively, silent amnesty.

Not enforcing existing law is defacto amnesty--give it up--your focus group is wrong and we ain't buying it!

I don't understand why we have to do anything about illegals except enforce the Laws and back up those who do!

If I go to another country I don't expect that they would welcome me with anything other then follow our laws!

I want to know the statistics of illegal immigrants voting in OUR elections!

I understand that there is a problem getting people for Jury Duty since only registered voters are called and they keep finding more and more voter fraud across the nation.

I wonder how many are in office due to the influence of an illegal immigrant wanting to change our laws to benefit themselves by voting in our elections!!

Welcome vicki1red1, great points you made.

First Bush refuses for 6 years to ignore our screams to close the border to the invasion!

Next, the invaders tell us that they are indeed taking over and for any one but Latino, to get out!, or we will be killed--Ignored by Bush and News media,

Illegal immigration is all but ignored by news medias until recently and now it is described as critical and we have to give amnesty to everyone in 24 hours.

The Bill is defeated, but the next day the news is flooded with Hilton--What happened to this critical issue and reporting it or at least covering it ad nauseum as it deserves!

Now, we have a president with indigestion when he hears it has not passed Congress--What is wrong with this picture? Why has Bush delayed so long to secure our border? Did he have a quota of Mexican citizens he had to get here so that we would be powerless and forced into this scheme of his?

I think we need a day of rest to ponder this before we rush to give an invading army the green light to take over--That is what the illegals say they are going to do! What do they have in store for the good people of America who have done more for them then there own Government and theie own kind?

Tell me what recourse do we have if after they all are given legal status? If we protest would we be arrested for hate crimes? GOD HELP US! Something is indeed wrong with this whole picture!!!

In response to the following above mentioned story:

A man in the United States illegally was pulled over in Phoenix and charged with driving under the influence. Immigration officers arrested him, his wife and their 19-year-old son, who were also here illegally. An aunt says that their 12-year-old daughter -- who is an American citizen -- cries every day for the family members who had to leave her behind. This is a fair immigration system?

MY God what is wrong with these people not taking their child with them to Mexico. They need to demand their rights from the Mexican Government. We vacation in Mexico and no one is being tortured in fact they love their Country!!!! Why would any one take a chance of illegally entering another country knowing full well they are in the wrong and when they get caught cry about it!

Just think if the organizers of the Mexican people in the streets actually went to Mexico and demanded at least a minimum wage of $5.00--paved roads and job opportunities! We would never even consider a fence on the Border--You forget that Mexico is a rich but corrupt country maybe the Mexicans need to stand up to their government not OURS!!!