Thread: Bush Tells Graduating Students That We Need 'Immigrants'

Bush gave the commencement at Miami-Dade University and told a cheering crowd that we need to 'assimilate' all 'immigrants' here right now, even the ones who are here illegaly.

Bush, in Miami Commencement Address, Urges Immigration Overhaul

By Catherine Dodge

April 28 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush, addressing graduates at a Miami college, repeated his call for major changes in the nation's immigration system with the aim of securing the borders and keeping the U.S. an ``open and welcoming society.''

``We need a system where our laws are respected,'' Bush said in an address at the Kendall Campus of Miami Dade College. ``We need a system that meets the legitimate needs of our economy. And we need a system that treats people with dignity and helps newcomers assimilate into our society.''

The Bush administration is working with lawmakers from both parties in the U.S. Congress to build support for a revamping of immigration laws that would combine a path to citizenship for undocumented workers and a guest-worker program with stricter border enforcement.

With Democrats behind the president's approach, immigration may be the best chance Bush has for passage of major domestic legislation in the final 20 months of his presidency. First he needs to overcome objections from within his own Republican Party. The critics favor tougher border security and call Bush's proposal to create a path to citizenship for some of the 12 million undocumented workers in the U.S. akin to amnesty.

Bush, in his speech, highlighted the accomplishments of several immigrants at the school.

Hispanic Representation

Miami Dade College enrolls and graduates more Hispanic students than any other college in the U.S., according to the school's Web site. The college's 165,000 students on eight campuses come from 150 nations. About 66 percent are Hispanic, and many are first-generation immigrants, said college spokesman Juan Mendieta.

``It says something about this college that more than half of the students here were raised speaking a language other than English,'' Bush said. ``This school has helped open the door of opportunity for hundreds of thousands of immigrants, and that is why Miami Dade proudly calls itself Democracy's College.''

House Republicans blocked Bush's plan last year when they controlled the chamber. Winning their support this year in a Democratic-controlled House is crucial because Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, told the president he needed to deliver a significant number of Republicans on the politically sensitive issue.

Senate Debate

In the Senate, where there's less resistance from Republicans, Majority leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, has set aside the last two weeks of May for debate. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff have been meeting for several weeks with lawmakers to reach consensus. The Senate last year passed a measure similar to Bush's approach.

``I support comprehensive immigration reform that will allow us to secure our borders and enforce our laws once and for all, keep us competitive in a global economy, and resolve the status of those already here without amnesty, and without animosity,'' Bush said.

Immigration reform also was the subject of the president's weekly radio address. In it, he said that his proposals are gaining support in the Congress.

Before the speech, Bush attended a Republican National Committee fundraiser at a private home in Key Biscayne with 52 attendees that raised $1 million, according to RNC spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt.

-- Editor: Sobczyk

To contact the reporters on this story: Catherine Dodge in Washington at Cdodge1@bloomberg.net ;

Last Updated: April 28, 2007 17:21 EDT

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... refer=home

Broward County, (the Ft. Lauderdale - Pompano Beach area), many of the high schools have "block schedules" where the students will take 4 classes and half way through the year switch to four new classes, instead of the traditional way of the same six or seven classes for the entire year.

At first I thought it was to give the students a variety and change during the school year, but then I came to find out that "block scheduling" works better for schools and school districts which have a very high drop out rate. That way if a student drops out, say half way through the school year, they might only lose credit for four classes instead of for six.

It's amazing the way some of these states finagle around the truth and around what is really happening there. It's sad when school districts have so many drop-outs that they start to cater to them.

They take ESOL classes and get spoon fed through high school. My daughter was very angry that she had to work really hard to get the grades that the others got just for showing up. If they don't finish high school they write the GED which is based on grade 10 work. What is sick about it is that they can write it in Spanish. That is why many of the students that go to Miami Dade Community College don't end up graduating. College officials claim that 80% of those who start college need remedial help. There is one easy answer and that is stop the Spanish version of the GED.

I was reading the comments on this after the article I posted about this. One person jokingly wrote that no one stood up or clapped and finally one person in the back asked if the president could repeat his speech in Spanish.
This visit was not good for the Miami Dade Police Department. They needed K-9 and avaiation in my area. They were able to get a couple but one had to come from the college and avaition couldn't go immediately as they normally due to the president's visit.

I bet some folks are very sorry they ever invited him.

True. There were protests by people. In fact the Cubans were protesting travelling restrictions to Cuba. Gee if there are such human rights violations that we need the wetfoot/dryfoot policy then why would they want to go over there? Wouldn't their relatives get in trouble by the government? Also why would they want to support Castro by spending money there? I guess it would be to make it easier to bring their relatives over while other American residents have to wait the 5 years and get citizenship to bring their immediate relatives over. To me paying smugglers is illegal and those who make land in that manner are illegal. These days you very seldom find they came on a raft as they did in the past. They are smuggled in on go fast boats.

It's amazing Swatchick, how lightly some of these people take illegal immigration. A little over a year ago I was talking to some close married friends, one is from a Latin American country and one is from a European country.

They were so "matter of factly" telling me that the parents of one of them would soon be coming to Miami "for good". I said, "Really!?" (Being happy for them that they had gotten their papers). I said, "So they got their papers to come?!" They said, "Oh no, they'll just have to be here illegally for awhile."

I'm thinking, wow....here they are telling a U.S. citizen this as though it's nothing.

I can't tell you how badly I felt for our country. The lack of respect....when we have given these two people a chance to live in America....that's what we get in return. It truly broke my heart that they would take our laws so lightly......especially people who we consider to be close friends no less!!

.....And George W. Bush just encourages this because he is so soft and weak on protecting our borders (and thus protecting U.S. citizens) and enforcing immigration laws.

Originally Posted by LegalUSCitizen

Bush, in Miami Commencement Address, Urges Immigration Overhaul

By Catherine Dodge

April 28 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush, addressing graduates at a Miami college, repeated his call for major changes in the nation's immigration system with the aim of securing the borders and keeping the U.S. an ``open and welcoming society.''

``We need a system where our laws are respected,'' Bush said in an address at the Kendall Campus of Miami Dade College. ``We need a system that meets the legitimate needs of our economy. And we need a system that treats people with dignity and helps newcomers assimilate into our society.''
The Bush administration is working with lawmakers from both parties in the U.S. Congress to build support for a revamping of immigration laws that would combine a path to citizenship for undocumented workers and a guest-worker program with stricter border enforcement. With Democrats behind the president's approach, immigration may be the best chance Bush has for passage of major domestic legislation in the final 20 months of his presidency. First he needs to overcome objections from within his own Republican Party. The critics favor tougher border security and call Bush's proposal to create a path to citizenship for some of the 12 million undocumented workers in the U.S. akin to amnesty.

Bush, in his speech, highlighted the accomplishments of several immigrants at the school.

Hispanic Representation

Miami Dade College enrolls and graduates more Hispanic students than any other college in the U.S., according to the school's Web site. The college's 165,000 students on eight campuses come from 150 nations. About 66 percent are Hispanic, and many are first-generation immigrants, said college spokesman Juan Mendieta.

Senate Debate

``I support comprehensive immigration reform that will allow us to secure our borders and enforce our laws once and for all, keep us competitive in a global economy, and resolve the status of those already here without amnesty, and without animosity,'' Bush said.

Immigration reform also was the subject of the president's weekly radio address. In it, he said that his proposals are gaining support in the Congress.

IMMIGRATION SYSTEM NOT BROKEN
It would be to our advantage and Mexico’s if we momentarily helped Mexico keep it’s people home.
If we sent the money that illegal immigrants are costing us now to Mexico, I would gladly give up part of my SS because it would secure the future of my grandchildren. If we gave amnesty to 20 million now, we will have to do the same in 10 years.
By doing this we are destroying America and Mexico. We do this because of greedy corporation.
Our immigration system is not broken, as Bush said in florida. Our Government that refuse to enforce immigration laws is broken.