Thread: A Plan to End Stalemate on Immigration-Roberts, AZ Republic

A plan to end stalemate on immigration
by Laurie Roberts - Jul. 3, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

On the eve of the Fourth of July, as here in Arizona we prepare to both celebrate this country's birthday and fend off its attack, it seems a good time to ponder the cage fight now under way in the land of the red, white and black-and-blue.

On one side stands Gov. Jan Brewer, who this week unleashed an ad that went national - as everything she does these days is apt to do. There she was, standing in front of one of those warning signs posted in the desert, turf now essentially ceded to drug and human smugglers.


"Washington is broken, Mr. President!" a visibly angry Brewer says. "Do your job. Secure our borders."

On the other stands President Barack Obama, who has been forced to take on the issue of illegal immigration given Senate Bill 1070. On Thursday, he called on Congress to fix America's "broken and dangerous" immigration system and then announced that it won't happen because of Republicans.

"I'm ready to move forward," Obama said. "The majority of Democrats are ready to move forward. And I believe the majority of Americans are ready to move forward."

So who wins?

Brewer does. Thanks to illegal immigrants, she's a rock star to the right and a regular now on the national talk-show circuit. On Monday, she even made an endorsement in the Georgia gubernatorial race, where a Republican candidate called her "an inspiration to conservatives." Polls that had her trailing Democrat Terry Goddard just three months ago had her 18 points ahead this week.

And Obama does. Latino leaders have been grinding their teeth for a while now, ever since Obama punted on his promise to tackle immigration reform during his first year in office. This week, he was able to both issue the call for a bipartisan approach and bash Republicans.

So who loses?

Oh, that's easy. The rest of us. Because the border remains a sieve and 11 million people remain in the shadows.

Since this is the weekend for bombs bursting in air, let me toss out one of my own: an actual compromise. You know, that thing that used to be considered a sign of leadership and now is considered a sign of weakness?

I can already tell you that one side will blast it as surrender and the other will call it inhumane.

I call it the beginning of a plan aimed at ending our current state of stalemate.

No. 1. Stop holding our security hostage and get control of the border now. On Thursday, Obama said the border is "more secure today than at any time in the past 20 years." A few hours later, 21 people died in a shootout among rival gangs just 12 miles south of Nogales. Put down the talking points and fix it so that people with AK-47s aren't running through the desert. Fix it so that the people we've deported stay deported. Fix it with National Guard troops who are actually allowed to do what they are trained to do. That is, guard.

No. 2. Once we have control - and only after we have control - take up the issue of how to offer a chance of legalization to those who can prove they have been here since some set point in time that begins before any last-minute rush to the border to get in on the deal. They would need to have a clean criminal record, pay a fine and learn English. Yes, some hard-liners will try to stall on what "control" means. Yes, it's unfair to those who seek to come here the legal way, and yes, it's "amnesty." But it's also an acknowledgement that they are here and that we had a hand in their arrival. At least, our employers did, and we certainly never complained about the cheap labor.

No. 3. Create a tamperproof ID card and put employers on notice that if they're caught with ineligible workers, they're in big trouble.

No. 4. Establish a guest-worker program that fills the need for immigrant labor but only after being fair to the American worker, who will do most jobs, I suspect, if he or she is paid a living wage.

And No. 5. Along with securing the border now, pass the DREAM Act now.

Call it a show of a good faith. Call it a quid pro quo. Call it whatever you want, but this is America, and in America we don't punish people for crimes they didn't commit. Offer a break to those who came as kids and have stayed out of trouble. Make them jump through some suitable hoops, if you want, but give them a shot at a decent education and a chance to be citizens of the greatest country in the world, and who knows?

They might actually have something to contribute that'll make it even greater.

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8635. Read her blog at robertsblog.azcentral.com.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... z0sea21BE5

How about a limited amnesty for illegal aliens who become newspaper reporters and replace these anti-American traitors like Roberts?

NO MORE Amnesties. If you grant this one they will flood in expecting the next one and you will be forced to give it too them, AGAIN...And again and again after that

NO MORE

Break the cycle now or you never will. Its just kicking the bucket down the road again and inviting the next wave.

Take a stand now or be overrun. Its your choice.

1 secure the borders with fences, more border patrol, national guard.

2. make it hard for illegals to work by having workplace raids every day across the country, jailing both the illegals and the employers. No releasing of illegals for any reason what so ever.

3. actually investigate any family that comes in and applies for state and federal monies. show up after hours to the address listed and see how many people are living there and what kinda vehicles they are driving.
( if they are caught lying, prosecute them for providing false information)

4 make the 14th amendment say that no one entering this country illegally to gie birth will have their kid be given US citizen ship.

5. when illegals are before court, enforce the laws, the jail time and dont give them less jail time because they are illegal.

6. no more guest worker programs. we have 24 and that is more than enough with unemployment at 10 percent that we know of, maybe 20 percent that we dont know of

No. 2. Once we have control - and only after we have control - take up the issue of how to offer a chance of legalization to those who can prove they have been here since some set point in time that begins before any last-minute rush to the border to get in on the deal. They would need to have a clean criminal record, pay a fine and learn English. Yes, some hard-liners will try to stall on what "control" means. Yes, it's unfair to those who seek to come here the legal way, and yes, it's "amnesty." But it's also an acknowledgement that they are here and that we had a hand in their arrival. At least, our employers did, and we certainly never complained about the cheap labor.

Yes, First, secure our borders as much as humanly possible (which is a lot if our government wasn't traitorous). Second a complete moratorium on immmigration from anywhere until our economy is back on track. And our employers not complaining about cheap labor is irrelevant. There should be strict, very strict consequences for the employers who have and do use illegal labor. Huge fines, jail time and restitution to name a few - perhaps community service also. Now please don't bite my head off...k... its just trying to think... hurts a bit sometimes to do that but..... lol

But....
NO NO NO NO NO! If they were adults when they came here illegally, no matter how long ago, no matter what kind of life they've built here, no matter how good they've been since coming, no matter how many family members or children are here legally - THEY HAVE TO GO HOME! If they came here illegally or overstayed visas, etc., they already have a criminal record! ie - The crime of entering this country illegally. Punish the ones who have employed them too, but the illegals go home! All the way home. All the way to the rear of the line of those who have been waiting years to come here legally. That line is only for noncriminals also.

Laws must be followed with few exceptions or society decays into the kind of lawless chaos we see in Mexico.

NO MORE MASS AMNESTY - NOT NOW - NOT EVER. We survived without their labor before and we will do so again. We are trying to fix the problem of illegal immigration and what to do about those here illegally now, NOT add to it.

No. 4. Establish a guest-worker program that fills the need for immigrant labor but only after being fair to the American worker, who will do most jobs, I suspect, if he or she is paid a living wage.

We already have a guest-worker program and TOO MANY immigrants for the amount of labor that is needed to be done. Case in point - all the day laborers that are congregating and harassing people on street corners, getting drunk, urinating in public and undercutting jobs for American workers. AND of course, the American workers will do most jobs if paid a living wage - Americans are just as hard-working as any other people. BUT you have to stop illegals from undercutting them first and make the jobs available to them by getting rid of illegals taking any jobs in this country.

And No. 5. Along with securing the border now, pass the DREAM Act now.

Call it a show of a good faith. Call it a quid pro quo. Call it whatever you want, but this is America, and in America we don't punish people for crimes they didn't commit. Offer a break to those who came as kids and have stayed out of trouble. Make them jump through some suitable hoops, if you want, but give them a shot at a decent education and a chance to be citizens of the greatest country in the world, and who knows?

They might actually have something to contribute that'll make it even greater.

No - Dream - Act as it stands now but... Kids that were brought here as young children truly had no more choice than they did being born. Perhaps if someone is willing to sponsor the cost of their total care - medical, any financial, educational, and physical costs, and they are Americanized, AND they are willing to give up their foreign born citizenship and have generally shown themselves to be an asset. They will prove themselves to be an asset by giving up citizenship of their home country, and will not be a burden to Americans who have enough to take care of their own children. BUT - THEY CAN NEVER SPONSOR THEIR PARENTS or relatives or whoever brought them here illegally. Those persons still get deported. When they are old enough, and if they have stayed out of trouble, they either make the choice to be ALL AMERICAN or go back to their birth country. Once they become legal adult US citizens, they are subject to US laws and rights the same as any other legal citizen. No dual citizenship between the US and their original home country shall be permitted. Their allegiance is to the US and not the country they were born in or it is not. (All this applies to anchor babies also except of course they are already - by law, not by my definition - US citizens. The automatic citizenship thing needs to be stopped also of course).

This might sound too harsh or not acceptable to OBLs but it IS humane. Parents wrong choices - no matter the reason for them - have consequences for not just them, but for their children also. You sure don't have to be an illegal immigrant for that truth.

Is this suitable hoops without trying to punish a child for a choice that was made for him not by him? I do not like that so many anchors babies were born here and children of foreign countries were brought here, but this gives them as good a shot as any child gets - born in this country or not. I personally cannot help but feel for the children who were brought here at a young age. (whatever age the "young" cutoff is, I don't know but the Americanization or lack thereof of them should be a factor when they are not so young [and the above] in whether they stay or go).

Would this work? Perhaps not, but for the children, and the children only, it is worth a try I think. We all make choices, choices have consequences for good or bad - no matter the reason we made the choice in the first place. Adults are old enough to know better.

If the illegals don't like this - TUFF. They can take their kids home with them.

What do you think?

Originally Posted by Bowman

How about a limited amnesty for illegal aliens who become newspaper reporters and replace these anti-American traitors like Roberts?

Love It.

Good, succinct and to the points guys! While my brain was trying to work out the long rambling reply I gave, you guys were jumping in ahead of me! lol

this is a really simple deal

the constitution of this country DEMANDS that the president protect the borders of this country

IT DOES NOT DEMAND
that we grant amnesty to invaders sneaking in here

If I had my way every illegal would be tried for espionage in a time of war
by military tribunals ,

Anyone here illegally could have a 2 week grace period to get out
After that .................................

NO DREAM ACT
NO FAMILY UNIFICATION PROGRAM
NO AMNESTY

No one likes taxes, but AZ did vote a slight increse to their sales tax, in order to balance their budget. I wonder if they would be willing to pay an extra $0,05 per gallon of gas ? Use the money to fund their National Guard, on the border. Then send an invoice to Obama.