Thread: Bush renews immigration bill call

A 1986 law outlawed the hiring of illegal immigrants, but it has not worked well because it is relatively easy to get fake documents, and some employers hire in violation of the law.

His proposals to find a way to put illegal immigrants in a guest-worker program to give them a legal status have generally had more support from Democrats than Republicans.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has informed Bush he must deliver dozens of Republican votes before she would be willing to bring any legislation to a vote. That is likely to be difficult for Bush to achieve with the 2008 presidential race already under way.

Bush seeks momentum for immigration overhaul | Politics | Reuters

Nope. We cannot offer amnesty or work of any kind to them.

Here's my immigration reform:

1. Enforce our border laws
2. Enforce our employment laws
3. Increase worker visas for low skilled labor if needed
4. Repeal or amend the 14th Amendment

Absolutely no amnesty whatsoever.

My car was rearended last week by an illegal immigrant. I was just sitting at an offramp waiting for the light to change. A minivan came up and hit me at around 20mph. I asked the driver, who barely spoke English, for insurance form. He gave me a piece of paper that didn't look like an insurance form. When I asked for his driver's license, he gave me his Mexican ID card. Even the Mexican government doesn't accept that ID card as official proof of ID. Only the American government and businesses take that ID card.

That's when I called the police.

It took a while for the police to get there. He waited for a few minutes and then started walking. I told him he couldn't leave the scene of accident, but didn't want to physically restrain him. So he just walked away. There were 5 police cars and a helicopter looking for him. They never found the guy. But at least his car was impounded after causing more than a grand of damage on my car.

By saying repeal the 14th Amendment, I'm going to guess you're referring to the expansion of due process and equal protection to everybody including non-citizens. The amendment seems like a stop-gap until the passing of the 15th Amendment, which enfranchised and guaranteed the citizenship of former slaves.

In the current situation, if they give amnesty to illegals, then more and more people would sneak in as they know that they can bye pass the system.

But we will have to be sympathetic to the illegals already present in the country, if we hunt them more would go underground and will be exploited. We should find a proper way to identify and work with them, its good for the economy and law enforcement.

So a guest worker program for the people already inside the country along with more visas, tighter border control, hefty fines to employers who willingly employ undocumented workers. That might work.

In the long term, something has to be done at the Mexican govt level. Immigration (Legal and illegal) cannot be stopped, it will only stop if America loses its pre-eminence or if Mexico's standards rise up dramatically.

by far the most effective way to reduce illegal immigrants would be to immediately reduce taxes for U.S. companies that are willing to invest and create infrastructure in mexico, followed by serious bilateral talks aimed at boosting the mexican economy.

it's not as if mexicans LIKE to brave a dangerous desert crossing, face border patrol agents, get ripped off by their scouts/guides, live in a culture not wholly familiar and welcoming to them, and face the possibility of getting expelled.

but when it's that or watch your kids live the same rotten life you do, well...

Originally Posted by Ironduke

By saying repeal the 14th Amendment, I'm going to guess you're referring to the expansion of due process and equal protection to everybody including non-citizens. The amendment seems like a stop-gap until the passing of the 15th Amendment, which enfranchised and guaranteed the citizenship of former slaves.

I should have been more specific about which part I want amended.

Section 1
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.

This part of Section 1 of the 14th Amendment grants citizenship to anyone born within the borders of United States.

I think it should be amended to be "Anyone born within the border of the United States shall receive the same legal status as the parent at the time of the child's birth." So a citizen's child born here will be a citizen; a permanent resident's child will automatically have a green card; a person on work or student visa will have a child with a visitor visa.

I know of people who specifically come here to give birth to their children so they can be US citizens, then go back to their home countries. They come back in the future either to visit or to escape political turmoil at home. The illegals use this to get them legal status in this country.