McCain defends immigration reform bill

By: EDWARD SIFUENTES - Staff Writer

NORTH COUNTY TIMES
MAY 30, 2007

CARLSBAD -- In a brief visit to North County on Tuesday, Republican presidential candidate John McCain defended the Senate's immigration reform bill against critics, including some local lawmakers.

McCain, R-Ariz., is among a bipartisan group of about a dozen senators who negotiated the controversial immigration bill that would give an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants a chance to legalize their status. He is also one of about 10 candidates seeking the GOP nomination for president.

McCain was in Carlsbad to speak at The Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital D5 Conference at the Four Seasons Resort. He gave a brief interview to a group of local reporters prior to his talk.

During the conference, McCain answered questions from Wall Street Journal reporters on the country's technological competitiveness and government regulation of the Internet. The crowd was made up predominantly of technology industry executives.

In his remarks before the conference, McCain said the immigration bill takes a comprehensive approach that includes stronger enforcement at the border and bringing illegal immigrants out of the shadows to improve the nation's security.

"We cannot have 12 million people in America where we don't know where they are and what they're doing," McCain said. "Since 9/11, this has become a national security issue."

The Senate immigration bill would make some of the most substantive changes to the nation's immigration system in 20 years. Among other things, it would create a guest worker program and adopt new criteria for future legal immigration. But the proposal has been criticized by both liberals and conservatives.

Some Democrats have called the bill too harsh on immigrant families, while some Republicans have called it amnesty for people who broke the law by coming into the country illegally.

In his comments to reporters Tuesday, McCain took on some of those in his party who call the bill amnesty.

"Anything short of rounding up 12 million people and deporting them is called amnesty by the opponents of this legislation," he said. "I'll point out that (illegal immigrants) will have to pay back taxes, they'll have to pay a fine, they'll have to go back to their country of origin, and it's at least 15 years before they are in anyway eligible for citizenship."

McCain's comments came shortly after President Bush also defended the bill during a speech in Georgia. Bush said opponents "determined to find fault with this bill will always be able to look at a narrow slice of it and find something they don't like."

One of the staunchest opponents of the bill's legalization provision is Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Solana Beach, whose district includes Carlsbad. Responding to the president's speech, Bilbray said in a statement Tuesday that the public wants stronger border enforcement, not amnesty.

"Amnesty for 12-20 million illegal immigrants isn't a 'narrow slice' (of the bill), it's the whole darn pie," Bilbray said. "The American people want us to secure the border and crack down on the number one incentive for illegal immigration, which is illegal employment. They don't want another amnesty."

On other matters, McCain said Tuesday that people should give the president's new strategy for Iraq a chance to work. Bush's plan, outlined in a speech in January, would raise U.S. troop levels in Iraq by 21,500 -- from 132,000 to 153,500. It also calls for the Iraqi government to increase its own forces and to do more to quell sectarian violence.

"I don't know how long it's going to be necessary," to keep the military presence in Iraq, McCain said. "I know it's going to be very tough because we mismanaged the war for a long period of time. I think we are showing some successes ... but I also understand that there are some difficult challenges."

McCain also told reporters that California and other states' decisions to move their presidential primaries earlier in the year to gain political influence is "not good for America." He said there is not enough time for voters to get to know the candidates.

"It's just been collapsed way too early," McCain said. "Now it's all too quick. It's not healthy for the process, but I don't have anything to do with it, I have to play by the rules as they are."

-- Contact staff writer Edward Sifuentes at (760) 740-3511 or esifuentes@nctimes.com.

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/05 ... _29_07.txt

Comments On This Story

Note: Comments reflect the views of readers and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff.

John wrote on May 30, 2007 2:13 AM: " As a former Bush supporter, all Ive got to say about this bill is Balderdash, Contact your reps folks Write ,Phone Email, Visit, whatever ya have to do, This bill just plain sucks. "

Catherine wrote on May 30, 2007 2:21 AM: " SECURING our borders are imperative for a secure America. We cannot be a symbol of freedom and liberty to the world, when we the citizens are prisoner to a treasonous government that threatens to chain us with the weight of involuntarily supporting criminals who flood across our borders. If they stop the demand for cheap illegal labor by enforcing current employment laws and shutting down several major companies who employ illegals, the rest will take notice. As the jobs dry up, illegals will stop entering our country and those here will go home to Mexico when landlords can no longer rent to criminals without a heavy fine. Send them back (It is do-able)and enforcing law is the answer...NOT AMNESTY! If this bill is past, it will be impossible to keep AMERICA from falling from the inside. If illegal aliens and insecure borders continue to exist, our infrastructure will crumble as literally as did the World Trade Center towers. Unfortunately, the victim of such a tragedy will not be only one city. It will be the entire NATION and all of her people. As I see it, those who would give cause to this (BUSH, MCCAIN, GRAHAM, CLINTON, OBAMA, KYL, CHAMBLISS ETC.) are no more patriots than those who buried those airplanes into one of the greatest symbols of American ideals. "

John McCain = Backwards logic wrote on May 30, 2007 2:22 AM: " Not all illegals want to come forward, or enter the system. At what point will our representatives decide to fund enforcement of existing laws, when the new amnesty fails as miserably as the 1986 attempt?... Enough already. No new laws, just enforce the laws that are already on the books. "Presidential hopeful, John McCain", he'd have better odds buying a lotto ticket, then becoming the next president. I'm tired of being sold out, by those who are supposedly representing us legal residents. Remember us, the voters? Thank you, Brian Bilbray. "

Escondodo wrote on May 30, 2007 3:15 AM: " I know people who have been in the USA for several decades and feel no need to become citizens. They like things just the way they are, being on extended vacations from their true homes. US rights and benefits - yes, please; US citizenship and responsibilities - no thank you. "

pablo wrote on May 30, 2007 3:56 AM: " Zitizenship n. Status available exclusively to lawbreakers. Purchased for only $5,000. A standing whereby a person gains all the rights and benefits of a citizen, but none of the responsibilities. I am totally fed up with illegal immigrants and will never vote for any politician that supports any version of amnesty for any of them. Please: Secure the borders. Mandate all employers verify an employee’s eligibility to work here. Enhance immigration law to make anyone found to be in this country illegally after a date certain (say 90 days from the president’s approval) ineligible for a visa, guest worker status or citizenship at any time thereafter. Make possession of false ID and/or the use of a fraudulent SS number by anyone found to be in this country illegally punishable with immediate mandatory deportation. Make the manufacture and/or sale of stolen or false ID by anyone (legal citizen or illegal alien) punishable with a minimum 1 year in prison. "

Mary wrote on May 30, 2007 4:07 AM: " 1. Security doesn’t come first in this bill. This bill would immediately legalize illegal aliens that are currently in the country. The only way Congress will actually see to it that the border security and enforcement provisions in the bill will be implemented is if they have to do them before they even consider an amnesty for the people who are here. 2. Illegal aliens won’t have to pay back taxes — where do we get the same deal? The whole idea that illegal aliens shouldn’t have to pay the taxes they already owe for working in the United States is utterly and completely offensive because it actually gives them a privilege that American citizens aren’t getting: forgiveness for taxes owed to the IRS. 3. If passed, this bill will make taxpayers pay the legal bills for illegal aliens seeking amnesty. Tucked away on page 317 is a provision that would allow lawyers in the federally-funded legal services program to represent illegal aliens, which they are presently barred from doing. 4. This bill rewards illegal aliens for breaking our laws. There are tens of millions of people who respect our laws and our country, waiting patiently, in line, often in their home countries, to get a chance to come here. Under this bill, illegal aliens will immediately be eligible for a “Z Visaâ€