FederalRepublic.net

In the continuing immigration bill fiasco in Washington, the Senate has approved an amendment allowing a 370 mile, triple layer fence between the United States and Mexico on our southern border:

The Senate endorsed a chance at citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants Wednesday but also voted to build 370 miles of triple- layered fencing along the Mexican border in increasingly emotional debate over election-year immigration legislation.

Taken together, the votes gave fresh momentum to legislation that closely follows President Bush’s call for a major overhaul of the nation’s troubled immigration system.

The vote was 66-33 against a proposal that would have removed provisions giving illegal immigrants in the country more than two years an eventual chance at citizenship.

A few minutes earlier, the Senate had voted 83-16 in favor of construction of the fence and 500 miles of vehicle barriers, the first significant victory in two days for conservatives seeking to place their stamp on the measure.

Read the whole article

Powerline has more:

Senator Jeff Sessions’ amendment to the Senate’s immigration bill, which requires the construction of a fence and erection of vehicle barriers, passed the Senate this afternoon. The Associated Press’ report conveys a sense of the passions that were generated by the floor debate. The vote wasn’t close, however; the Sessions amendment passed 83-16. Which means that even most Democrats have figured out how serious Americans are on the issue of border security.

In a related note, Right Wing News is carrying a quote from Rush Limbaugh today communicating how the issue of immigration is affecting the conservative base:

“I’ll tell you what, this issue is causing more divisions in the Republican Party than any issue that I can recall in a long time, including the Dubai Ports deal. I can’t recall an issue. I’ve been doing this for 18 years. It will be 18 years in August, a big anniversary coming up. I can’t remember. I’m trying to think. There have been some, but I can’t think of any single issue which has Republicans, slash, conservatives more up in arms than this one — and particularly with the apparent lack of response at the highest levels of government, House, Senate, White House.

The House Bank was a big deal, and the House Post Office, and some of those corruption scandals that existed back in the late eighties and early nineties, but this is incredible.” - Rush Limbaugh

In an effort to promote security enforcement at the border first and foremost, Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia proposed an amendment to the pending immigration bill in the Senate that would demand the borders be certified as secure by the Department of Homeland Security before any guest worker provisions begin. However, the amendment was voted down:

Bill backers on Tuesday defeated two amendments that would have gutted the Senate bill. In votes that crossed party lines, the Senate rejected 55-40 a requirement that the border be secured before other immigration changes are made. They also voted 69-28 to scuttle a Democratic amendment to exclude foreigners and recent illegal immigrants from a new guest worker program.

Michelle Malkin is carrying the list of GOP Senators who have rejected this common-sense security amendment and sided with open border Democrats, including Sam Brownback, Lindsay Graham, and Chuck Hagel:

Bennett (UT)
Brownback (R-KS),
Chafee (RI),
Coleman (MN),
Collins (ME),
Craig (ID),
DeWine (OH),
Graham (SC),
Hagel (NE),
Lugar (IN),
Martinez (FL),
Murkowski (AK),
Shelby (AL),
Snow (ME),
Specter (PA),
Stevens (AK),
Voinovich (OH),
Warner (VA)

More at the Washington Times:

The Senate yesterday voted against securing the border before implementing provisions that would grant the right of citizenship to millions of illegal aliens and that would double the flow of legal immigration.
 
The amendment would have delayed the “amnesty” and guest-worker provisions in the Senate’s comprehensive immigration-reform bill until the border had been sewn up successfully. The majority of Democrats, 36 of 44, were joined by 18 Republicans and the chamber’s lone independent to kill the amendment on an 55-40 vote.

Read the whole thing

From the Associated Press

(AP) — A civilian border watch group considers President Bush’s crackdown plan on illegal immigration insufficient and is sticking to plans to start putting up a short border security fence on private land along the Mexican border.

-Snip-

Chris Simcox, the head of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, said last month that unless military reserves or the National Guard were deployed to the border and the White House endorsed more secure fencing, his group would begin constructing fencing on private land along the border.

Last week, the group said construction would begin May 27 because it was not anticipating any imminent effort to put troops on the border.

On Tuesday, Minuteman spokeswoman Connie Hair reiterated that position, despite the president’s announcement to have guardsmen fill in on some behind-the-lines Border Patrol jobs while that agency’s force is expanded by 6,000 by 2008.

“This is a token deployment of unarmed and grossly inadequate numbers of National Guardsmen to the border, placing them in the same demoralizing position as the Border Patrol … outmanned and outgunned against the international crime cartels,” Hair said.

Link

I agree with the Minutemen about the defense of our border. Before President Bush dreams of having his guest worker program implemented, the border must be secure. Both the Minutemen and the American people realize this. However, what seems to be a bid to win centrist and liberal support, the President has called for a comprehensive immigration bill instead of calling for a two tier approach - one bill for defense, another for citizenship or guest worker provisions.

The problem with a comprehensive bill is not the bill itself, but the legislative focus involved. The security of our border must be a priority and defensive plans must not get shuffled in and lost under a host of other non-priority immigration measures like the guest worker program or the so-called “path to citizenship.”

While I think the President has finally offered some strong leadership on immigration, an issue that many Americans tie to the War on Terror, I don’t think his focus is quite right. The defense and security of the border must come first. Afterall, if the border is not closed to new illegal aliens, what good does a comprehensive guest worker program do for our security? Absolutely nothing.

The following links are public responses and reactions from various sources to President Bush’s immigration plan:

Michelle Malkin: “Too little, too late.”

Captain’s Quarters Blog had this to say:

Will that translate to increased support for this administration? I doubt it. Anyone paying attention to Bush’s immigration policies already knew he was a centrist on this issue. He may get some grudging respect from centrists and liberals for not caving to his base, but that won’t translate into support for a president they already consider the Second Coming of Richard Nixon. The only cause Bush helped tonight was the policy he has consistently put forth on immigration — which once again shows Bush as a man who follows his own lights and beckons people to follow.

Powerline Blog’s reaction:

…and he blew it. He should have given the speech I told him to. As soon as he started talking about guest worker programs and the impossibility of deporting 11 million illegals, it was all over. President Bush keeps trying to find the middle ground, on this and many other issues. But sometimes, there isn’t a viable middle ground. This is one of those instances.

Right Wing News’ commentary:

This was not an impressive speech. He said he’d send the National Guard to the border for a year, where they wouldn’t be actually apprehending any illegals, but everything else is the same old, same old.

So, in my view, this isn’t even an olive branch to people who are serious about defending this border and dealing with illegal immigration.

Overall grade for the speech: F

Scott Ott at Scrappleface.com has written a great article articulating the speech conservatives wish they would of heard from the president tonight:

Good evening my fellow Americans, and those of you from other lands who are pursuing U.S. citizenship legally. Tonight I’ve come to praise immigration, not to bury it.

This nation was built through the blood and toil of restless refugees yearning to breathe free. Our canvas has been painted in a thousand shades of humanity. Our national language reverberates with the sweet song of innumerable accents. It’s a vibrant symphony that brings unity from diversity.

We are a nation of laws, not of men. That’s what sets us apart from the monarchies, dictatorships and democracies-in-name-only. Our Republic was founded to protect the weak from the strong, and to defend the rights of the individual in his person and property.

Americans remember where we came from, and so we’re a merciful people. America is the land of second chances.

And so, if you sneaked into our great country–like a thief in the night–to take for yourself the benefits of citizenship without bearing the burdens that come with that high position, I have a message for you tonight.

On behalf of all legal U.S. citizens past, present and future, let me say this: ‘Get off of our land. Get out of our country. We’re giving you a second chance to do the right thing.’

If you have difficulty locating the exits, just ask any legal U.S. citizen and he’ll show you the door. If you linger too long, you’ll get an armed escort.

Once you have returned to your country of origin, you may apply to re-enter the United States legally.

It’s inconvenient. It’s slow. It will cost you. But as millions of naturalized citizens will tell you, it’s worth the wait to wake up each morning, to take a deep breath of freedom, and to hold in your heart the meaning of that old song: “This is my country. Land of my choice.”

Read the whole thing at Scrappleface

In response to tonight’s prime time speech on illegal immigration given by President Bush, I offer my own critique of his so-called “plan” for immigration reform:

First, the United States must secure its borders. This is a basic responsibility of a sovereign nation. It is also an urgent requirement of our national security. Our objective is straightforward: The border should be open to trade and lawful immigration and shut to illegal immigrants, as well as criminals, drug dealers and terrorists.

It is imperative the United States secure its borders first and foremost. As a nation of laws, we must enforce the laws already on the books or create new laws to replace those entry laws that have become ineffective in stemming illegal aliens from crossing our border. As a sovereign nation, it is the duty of our government to provide for the defense of our citizenry. As the world becomes ever more dangerous, our government must secure what is our weakest link in our defense - the holes in our border. The government must prevent undocumented, illegal aliens from trespassing onto our soil, enslaving our citizenry with higher taxes, more crime, and the corruption of our justice system.

Training thousands of new Border Patrol agents and bringing the most advanced technology to the border will take time. Yet the need to secure our border is urgent. So I am announcing several immediate steps to strengthen border enforcement during this period of transition:

One way to help during this transition is to use the National Guard. So in coordination with governors, up to 6,000 Guard members will be deployed to our southern border. The Border Patrol will remain in the lead. The Guard will assist the Border Patrol by operating surveillance systems analyzing intelligence installing fences and vehicle barriers building patrol roads and providing training. Guard units will not be involved in direct law enforcement activities that duty will be done by the Border Patrol. This initial commitment of Guard members would last for a period of one year. After that, the number of Guard forces will be reduced as new Border Patrol agents and new technologies come online. It is important for Americans to know that we have enough Guard forces to win the war on terror, respond to natural disasters, and help secure our border.

While the deployment of near 6,000 National Guard troops is a welcome start to securing our open borders, the suggestion of National Guard helping with logistics and intel is only a bandaid to the real problem - our government not taking a strong stance to secure our border. Both the northern and southern border must be defended with the National Guard under the control of state governors and given law enforcement responsibility at both the northern and southern borders. We must give the Border Patrol the help they need, while striking a nerve with new illegals by providing state law enforcement support though use of the National Guard.

Second, to secure our border, we must create a temporary worker program. The reality is that there are many people on the other side of our border who will do anything to come to America to work and build a better life. They walk across miles of desert in the summer heat, or hide in the back of 18-wheelers to reach our country. This creates enormous pressure on our border that walls and patrols alone will not stop. To secure the border effectively, we must reduce the numbers of people trying to sneak across.

Therefore, I support a temporary worker program that would create a legal path for foreign workers to enter our country in an orderly way, for a limited period of time. This program would match willing foreign workers with willing American employers for jobs Americans are not doing. Every worker who applies for the program would be required to pass criminal background checks. And temporary workers must return to their home country at the conclusion of their stay.

While the reality is true that 12 millions illegal aliens cannot just be lifted out of our territories, it does not give Congress an excuse to propose or pass a buttoned-down, reformed version of amnesty. Illegal aliens must be punished harshly or deported if necessary, in order to quell new illegal aliens from coming into our country. It would be wise for the president to take a hard line on this matter and not reward illegal immigrants for their unlawful behavior. Allowing illegals to get in line behind immigrants who come here legally at the citizenship counter promotes an attitude of irresponsibility and unlawfulness. Knowing full well they will be rewarded with a path to citizenship upon arrival, immigrants will continue to offer an illegal unskilled labor force that drives up crime and dries taxpayer dollars.

While President Bush continues to push his guest worker program, the idea that immigrants will do the jobs Americans won’t do continues to be inherently false. There are true Americans everywhere who clean up pig feces, who straighten up hotel rooms, or do any number of low level labor jobs around the country. The fact is that Americans have always done what it took to become successful, a trait inherent to our society that values hard work, individual determination, and natural, God-given rights. To think otherwise is not only uneducated, but absurd.

Fourth, we must face the reality that millions of illegal immigrants are already here. They should not be given an automatic path to citizenship. This is amnesty, and I oppose it. Amnesty would be unfair to those who are here lawfully and it would invite further waves of illegal immigration.

The bottom line is that illegal aliens must be punished for breaking our immigration laws one way or another. One way is to massively fine illegal immigrats for breaking our entry laws or committing fraud by using someone else’s Social Security number to obtain a job. They should not be offered citizenship, but rather deported when found out.

Fifth, we must honor the great American tradition of the melting pot, which has made us one Nation out of many peoples. The success of our country depends upon helping newcomers assimilate into our society, and embrace our common identity as Americans. Americans are bound together by our shared ideals, an appreciation of our history, respect for the flag we fly, and an ability to speak and write the English language. English is also the key to unlocking the opportunity of America. English allows newcomers to go from picking crops to opening a grocery from cleaning offices to running offices from a life of low- paying jobs to a diploma, a career, and a home of their own. When immigrants assimilate and advance in our society, they realize their dreams, they renew our spirit and they add to the unity of America.

President Bush is right, America is a melting pot. It is a melting pot rich in history and common virtue that allows us to take pride in our American heritage. However, by refusing to assimilate into our American culture by breaking our entry laws and refusing to learn English, illegal immigrants have struck at the foundation of Americanism. They have shown no respect for the American way of life, nor the capitalist economic system and constitution which have led the way to freedom for millions of other immigrants who have come into our country the legal way. I suggest Congress make English the official language of the United States, starting first by printing all federal signs and literature in English and promoting other English-language laws under the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

While I can sit here and denounce the president’s immigration plan all day, the proposed plan is definately a start to promoting a secure border, while allowing immigrants to enjoy the promise of America. We must secure the border first and foremost, then create immigration laws that promote legal immigration and stem illegal border crossings.

Read the full text of the president’s speech here.

Brad Warbiany from The Liberty Papers has written a great article on illegal immigration in terms of a classical liberal/libertarian point of view. I’ve quoted what I think are the best and most important statements in the article:

So immigration isn’t really an easy issue. But simple answers, like “close the borders and deport them all” just don’t cut it. I think we can possibly secure the borders, but politically and ethically can’t just send 12 million people home (if we could even find them). Simple answers like “we have no problem with immigration, just illegal immigration” doesn’t work. I could easily say “driving 56 mph in a 55 zone is wrong because it’s illegal”, and that doesn’t answer the question of whether the policy is right, because the numbers of people who desperately want to come here are much, much higher than our immigration quotas. And simple answers like “give them all amnesty” doesn’t work, because it destroys the incentive for people trying to immigrate here to follow our laws. It rewards bad behavior.

We need to ask ourselves what is the right immigration policy for our nation, because only that will tell us how to handle the millions of illegals we currently have here. And when it comes to designing the policy, we need to ask ourselves what kind of a country we are, and what these immigrants truly represent.

Brad is right on the money in his above statements. It’s just not logical to attempt to deport 12 million illegal aliens, but we can’t just give every one of them amnesty. That type of action would destroy any respect for the rule of law, reward illegal behavior, and start a trend of more unlawful behavior.

Last, we do still have the security issue. But liberal immigration policies and secure borders are not mutually exclusive. We can secure the borders and still find to keep tabs on who is coming into this country and how. Perhaps that’s a guest worker program, perhaps that’s a new take on our INS and its goals. That may include a combination of things, with a guest worker program combined with restricted social services for a worker’s family. Either way, the nuts and bolts aren’t insurmountable. If we focused half the energy we spend screwing around with the tax code for special interests on developing coherent immigration and security policies, we could get it done and still have secure borders.

If immigrants want to come to America, we should welcome them into our land of opportunity, but do it in a smart way. We can secure our borders, while allowing people to migrate to our great country and make a better life for themselves. The Congress could allow more liberal immigration quotas and cut regulatory obstructionism in the form of waiting periods and red tape.

Immigration is a thorny issue. But when we stand around and say “we don’t want you here”, I have to break ranks. When they say “these immigrants are damaging our economy”, I have to break ranks. I don’t have all the answers as to how to fix the problem, but I know that I refuse to close our country to people who want to live the American Dream. We have to enforce our laws, but when our laws are contrary to the very fabric of America, those laws need to change.

I agree with Brad’s conclusion in his article. Immigration is a thorny issue, but it is an issue Americans CAN solve. Americans are very welcoming people and respect those who enter the country in a legal manner, but take offense to those who come here by breaking our laws. By having a sound, secure border and a liberal immigration policy, our nation can improve the illegal immigration situation, but keep our borders protected from illegal entry and other crime.

The last few years, the American economy has been through much, including multiple hurricanes, high gas prices, and two major wars. The argument illegal aliens would flood our country with cheap labor and replace Americans on a mass scale is just absurd. The American economy is the greatest economy in the world and I have no doubt our economy would welcome new migrant workers with open arms.

Read the rest of this common sense article at The Liberty Papers.

Gillian Flaccus has written an article for the Associated Press expressing the motivation of immigrants and sympathizers to keep the pressure on Congress for immigration reform:

Illegal immigrants and their supporters vowed to keep up the pressure on Congress for reforms after more than 1 million people stepped out of the shadows and poured into the streets in a nationwide show of economic clout.

A day after rallies, boycotts and marches in Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Miami and elsewhere, the challenge for immigration advocates was to extend the momentum of Monday’s “Day Without Immigrants” into a sustainable effort to get immigrants more involved in the political process.

“We have far exceeded our expectations,” said Mahonrry Hidalgo, chairman of the Immigration Committee of the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey. “The events are intended to show solidarity and, at the same time, send a message that injustice against the immigrant community is unacceptable. This is not the end of our struggle. It is the beginning.”

On the contrary Mr. Hidalgo, the protests on May Day demonstrated illegal aliens and their sympathizers have no respect for the laws of the United States. Instead of taking the steps necessary to enter this country legally to enjoy all aspects of the American dream, illegal aliens have denounced this country’s laws without speaking, bringing about higher crime and abuse of American taxdollars.

The boycott was organized by immigrant activists angered by federal legislation that would criminalize an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants and fortify the U.S-Mexico border.

What about millions upon millions of American citizens who are angry with illegal aliens for crossing our border illegally? It is the right of the United States to control who comes across the border. For our own safety, we must be able to know who crosses our border and when.

Marchers standing shoulder-to-shoulder sang and chanted and danced in the streets wearing American flags as capes and bandanas. In most cities, those who rallied wore white to signify peace and solidarity and waved signs reading “We are America” and “Today we march, tomorrow we vote.”

In Los Angeles, marchers held U.S. flags aloft and sang the national anthem in English as traditional Mexican dancers and Korean drummers wove through the crowd. In Philadelphia, about a thousand people from different marches converged in the historic area near the Liberty Bell.

Immigrants may try to appear patriotic as much as they please, but it does not excuse the fact that illegal aliens broke U.S. immigration law.

The impact on some school systems was significant. In the sprawling Los Angeles Unified School District, which is 73 percent Hispanic, about 72,000 middle and high school students were absent _ roughly one in every four.

In San Francisco, Benita Olmedo pulled her 11-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son from school.

“I want my children to know their mother is not a criminal,” said Olmedo, a nanny who came here illegally in 1986 from Mexico. “I want them to be as strong I am. This shows our strength.”

Sorry Ms. Olmedo, but the truth is, you ARE a criminal. You’ve broken our immigration laws and Americans are angry about it. Instead of standing up for your illegal actions, it would be wise to teach your children that the rule of law must be respected if you are ever to be a productive citizen. These protests do not show the strength of the immigrant community, legal and illegal alike. It shows those who are protesting have no respect for the United States or the rule of law. We must enforce our immigration laws and secure our borders from illegals such as these.

By David Schwartz

PHOENIX (Reuters) - Lawmakers in Arizona, a fast-growing border state that is the biggest U.S. entry point for illegal immigrants, called for a crackdown on undocumented workers on Monday, as millions nationwide protested to demand new rights and respect for foreign residents.

Republican legislators prepared to introduce potentially one of the toughest state anti-immigrant proposals, a $100 million package that would deploy National Guard troops to the desert border with Mexico and use radar to track anyone trying to sneak across the border.

“I am not just going to stand by while this country is being destroyed,” said state Rep. Russell Pearce, a Republican and outspoken opponent of illegal immigration.

Hundreds of people protested in Phoenix, the nation’s fifth-largest city, joining millions across the United States who took to the streets and boycotted work and shops to focus the nation’s attention on the contribution of an estimated 12 million undocumented workers to the economy.

As the 2,000-mile (3,219-km) U.S. border with Mexico has been fortified in heavily-populated areas, immigrants increasingly have entered the United States by crossing the Arizona desert.

Arizona recorded more than half of the 1.2 million arrests made last fiscal year along the frontier.

Link

Arizona is finally taking the steps many border states should’ve taken a long time ago - securing the border. Illegal immigrants must understand they cannot just walk across the United States border and break entry laws without consequence. By placing National Guard troops at the state border, Arizona lawmakers would give border control agents much needed help in enforcing immigration law, while sending illegal aliens a message that it is illegal for them to break our entry laws. The protection of the homeland must be first and foremost in our lawmakers’ minds and the first step to securing our homeland is to close the border of this great country to illegal entry from Mexico.

Today, thousands of immigrants - legal, illegal, or sympathizers marched across 50 cities in the United States, protesting for Congress to grant amnesty rights to millions of illegal aliens. Michael Conlan, in his article for Reuters, explains the view of one immigrant sympathizer:

“If these people are good enough to pay taxes, they’re good enough to be citizens,” said Chris Delgado, a tax preparer from Skokie, Illinois, who came to a Chicago rally.

It seems to me that if immigrants are paying income taxes, either they are legally allowed to be here or are committing a crime by making up or stealing someone’s Social Security number. Wouldn’t the latter be considered fraud? I say if illegal immigrants, or any immigrants for that matter, are good enough to be citizens, they’re definately good enough to enter our country in a legal manner. Afterall, isn’t the debate in Congress about how to go about securing our borders and defending our society from illegal aliens?

In Chicago, more than 300,000 people marched for so-called “immigrant rights” :

More than 300,000 people marched through the streets of Chicago for immigration rights as cheers, songs and the beat of drums drowned out the sound of cars honking in support.

A seemingly endless sea of people holding signs calling for amnesty for illegal immigrants and an end to deportation and raids walked beneath a colorful array of flags chanting “we want to pay taxes” and “we want to own homes” in Spanish.

By calling for amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants, it is my opinion those marching have no respect for the rule of law or the United States. Millions of immigrants have entered our country illegally and it is time for Congress to do something about it. We must not reward illegal behavior or compromise our country’s values. We must stand up for what is right and punish illegals who step over our border illegally and fine those companies that hire illegal aliens.