No House Republicans vs. Senator Frist’s amnesty plan. By Rep. Tom Tancredo
The United States Congress stands at a historic crossroads on immigration policy. Two roads diverge. Will the nation get another amnesty program or will it get secure borders to halt illegal entry into our country? House Republicans must choose, because they can’t have both.
The recently passed Senate bill giving amnesty to 12-15 million illegal aliens presents a challenge to House Republicans, but it also presents an opportunity. The House should respond with a strong reaffirmation of the enforcement-first strategy for border control and immigration-law enforcement, an approach strongly favored by a large majority of the American people. If House Republicans abandon that path, they will invite the desertion of their conservative base and the certain loss of the House in the November elections.
[Read on.]
Hat tip: Allah, who reminds us why a wall is only half the answer:
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... According to the CBS article, [T]he little-acknowledged reality is that nearly half the estimated 12 million undocumented foreigners in the United States entered on bona fide U.S. visas - and simply never left. Authorities call them “overstays” who have been largely overlooked in the vitriolic debate on immigration… Many borrow the social security numbers of legal residents or use falsified documents to build what appear to be legal identities, making it difficult for employers to know when someone is undocumented. Others work informally, as maids, gardeners or in other jobs where employers rarely require paperwork, despite federal law.
The irony of Bush calling his amnesty plan “comprehensive immigration reform” is that we really do need comprehensive reform, including an effective system of detection and deportation of overstays and other illegals. How many federal agents would it take to run such a system, though, given the massive numbers of illegals who are already here?
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