Thread: Commentary: We must consider amnisty for some illegal immigr

Commentary: We must consider amnisty for some illegal immigrants




Dan Thomasson, Scripps Howard
Posted May 17, 2011 at 6 a.m.

WASHINGTON — Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Hispanic Voter, the president loves you despite that big fence along the border and an additional 10,000 federal agents patrolling it as a sop to anti-immigration forces. With his campaign apparently already in full swing, President Barack Obama finally has decided it may be desirable to do something more about the problem than just trying to keep people out.

He went to El Paso, Texas, the other day, looked south and talked about finding a way to open citizenship avenues for the nation’s 11 million undocumented residents, the huge preponderance of whom are from Mexico and Central America. It’s about time. The president won the overwhelming majority of Hispanic voters in 2008 by promising to bring about a rational and civilized immigration policy, including pathways for naturalization. He has yet to deliver.

He listed a few things the other day that needed to be done to bring some rationale to this growing disaster — more border security funding, cracking down on employers who hire the undocumented because they work cheaper, opening new pathways to citizenship and revising the way we treat illegal immigrants who just work here. Well, what didn’t he mention? Amnesty, that’s what.

There are 11 million aliens in this country and if you think that they all are going to be deported, you are crazier than a jumping bean. Who gets rid of such a horrendous number of people, many of who are enormously productive whether they are tending a garden or providing vital services? No one, that’s who. From a logistical standpoint alone it is impossible in the first place. In the second place it would knock the heck out of our economy. So why not find a way to keep the deserving? It won’t be easy, but it needs to be addressed.

Obama may or may not have done a great job in making the border more secure depending on whether you’re a Democrat or Republican. He has taken pride in the huge increases in the Border Patrol that has doubled in size to 20,000 since 2004. Deportations have increased dramatically and statistics also verify that southwestern U.S. border towns have among the lowest crime rates despite the all-out drug warfare in northern Mexico.

He told the audience in El Paso that the next thing the conservatives will want is a moat with alligators. For some, that’s not terribly far from the truth. But the fact is most thinking Americans have almost despaired of a rational, intelligent immigration policy from a Congress that seems unwilling to deal with the situation no matter who is in the White House. Ask George W. Bush.

Obama’s four principles for solving the problem are almost an exact mirror of Bush’s proposals that were rejected by Democrats and Republicans. In the Senate, Democrats have pledged to introduce a new version of the so-called DREAM Act that was adopted by the House in the last Congress. The act would provide some students a way to gain citizenship among other things.

In the midst of all the immigration turmoil, Maryland took a bold step that was out of line with most states. The legislature adopted, and the governor signed, a bill that would allow certain illegal immigrants under strict conditions to receive in-state tuition rates for college. It is a step toward bringing young, productive people into a nation that sorely needs them. But opponents are already trying to undo it in another example of nearsightedness.

Obama has failed to act aggressively toward immigration reform despite his campaign pledges in 2008. It is a political pattern he has followed since his inauguration. If there is any chance of adopting a policy that is forward-thinking and cohesive, he would have to go full out. It simply is not enough to mouth the words without putting his re-election on the table with hard-nosed support. But even then the chances are he would fail.

Immigration is a highly emotional issue that has defied resolution for decades while the number of illegal residents has increased steadily with no practical way to dissipate the pressure except the most expensive — law enforcement, a poor solution at best. Some form of conditional amnesty is necessary.

— Scripps Howard News Service
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/may ... artner=RSS

NO MORE FREAKIN AMNESTY. That will only be an invite for the next 25 to 50 million Illegal aliens, or more, to come here looking for the next amnesty...Amnesty only guarantees more people looking for the next amnesty.
No more.
The ONLY way to combay Illegal Immigration is by Zero tolerance. All rewards and benefits must be taken away, including false promises of amnesty...

I'm with you paulRevere!! We see what amnesty has done for us in the past and in no way will we tolerate that again!

Commentary: We must consider amnisty for some illegal immigrants

It has already been considered several times over the last few years (CIR twice & Dream Act twice). Each time it was considered the American public came to the same conclusion - NO!

The illegal alien supporters need to get over it, they lost. Let's concentrate on what the majority of the country wants, enforcement of our immigration laws.

I really think that what was at work when the ancient Chinese and Romans decided to open the gates and let the "barbarians" in, not caring which innocent people got hurt/destroyed, is at work in our nation.