The Daily Beast forecasts immigration politics in the GOP-controlled Congress:
If the GOP votes as expected this month, Steve King will be in charge of immigration legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. For proof that a meteor hit D.C. on November 2, listen to the ideas running through the head of the likely next chair of the immigration subcommittee. King has called for an electrified fence along the border. He wants to interpret the 14th Amendment of the Constitution to deny birthright citizenship for immigrants who have children here. He has dubbed illegal immigration not just a “slow-motion terrorist attack” but a “slow-motion holocaust.” “The line of scrimmage has moved closer to our goal line,” King tells me, “and you’ve got a different team calling the plays.” What gives liberals tremors is not just that Barack Obama’s immigration agenda is dead. It’s that King’s swaggering personality will dominate the debate for years.
This article appears in Nov 25 – Dec 1, 2010.
There is the main problem with immigration reform. Both parties are rallying their base or playing for certain groups to vote for them without really caring about our country. We have right that is represented by Mr. King, where he feels perfectly justified with comparing our illegal alien issue to the Holocaust. Where putting a electric fence seems like a logical idea. On the left we have people like Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Reed and others that are pushing this bureaucratic monstrosity of a “Dream Act” which repeals sections the Immigration Act of 1996 to give more rights to illegal aliens applying for college than US citizens. Where there are so many loop holes to allow as many illegal aliens to become US citizens. On the left the idea of checking an state ID to vote in elections is called racism. Where the left does not trust our local law enforcement to enforce SB 1070 fairly and with professionalism.
We have to meet in the Middle of this issue somewhere. Maybe we can start with the Dream Act and just allow the provision to give citizenship if you serve honorably in the US military. Maybe the right can stop with this 14 Amendment idea where we should take away citizenship to people born in the US. This part of the 14 amendment shows the true meaning or our country. Where it does not matter what your parents did, you are a US citizen if you are born here. Maybe the left will stop acting like people that want to enforce our immigration laws are “racists”
There is a middle somewhere, and people like King and Grijalva are not going to take us there…
You have to remember that this has been a hot button topic for a decade. The middle ground vanished years ago, I suspect in 2002 or perhaps 2003. Sanity and logic concerning this has not yet returned to the actual debate.
While King carries on about “an electrified fence along the border”, the 14th Amendment of the Constitution being open to popular mandate and “a slow-motion holocaust”, I for one don’t see that middle ground, logic or sanity returning any time soon.
Perhaps his supporters can explain how one can tea bag for less taxes and less government in our lives and wail for a wall that will cost untold billions to build and untold more billions to maintain and would increase the government in our everyday lives. The contradictions in the debate keep growing and as long as they do, there will be no middle ground: it’s just stretched too thin.
Joel,
It is not all the right’s fault on this issue. When any sort of enforcement of our immigration laws or when a state tries to do what the Federal Government is failing to do about immigration, the left cries “racism.”
Then the right is completely wrong when it comes to their almost complete silence about the root cause of our broken immigration system. The employers that hire illegal aliens and use them as basically as indentured servants to use and abuse. The GOP does not want to lose the support of big agribusiness, factory farms, and other industries that use cheap illegal labor to keep profits high.
That is where America needs to start about illegal alien issue, the businesses that hire them. Our foreign worker system in America is based on quotas for certain jobs set by the state department. If we start raiding businesses that hire illegal aliens and start sending shift supervisors, managers, and even CEOs to jail for hiring illegal aliens. It will force these industries to demand for more foreign worker visas. This will help with giving foreign workers a step towards applying for citizenship. Which will help the US by making sure the foreign worker that wants to permanently stay in our country a job that will better his chances to immigrate here.
The next issue is stopping illegal aliens from using our social services such as our public school system and making it harder for them to function in society. On a local level programs such as KIDCO that are meant to help poorer families should makes sure the people that benefit from our generosity are legally supposed to be here.
Then giving illegal aliens a chance to enlist in the military to gain citizenship would be a good way to help the aliens that really did not have a choice in coming here. I
It would be really easy to ask for less government and still push for more money for the Border. We pay 250 BILLION dollars a year for non-war related overseas assignments of our military. Why do we have hundreds of thousands of troops still in Europe? Aren’t the Europeans strong enough to handle their own continent? The entire Dept. of Homeland Security gets around 50 Billion dollars a year and only a small fraction goes to Customs and Border Protection. Shift some of the money, assets and people used for overseas military assignments to our border..
Nate, you might want to brush up on your recent American history. When McCain/Kennedy were talking immigration reform along the lines that you are, it was the Right that shot them down. When Kyle proposed his Z Plan, it was the Right that shot that down in flames. I have yet to see the “Left” shoot anyone’s plan down on this issue.
I’m not sure what “Left” is these days. From what I read and listen to, it seems to be anyone to the left of Himmler is “Left”. I don’t quite accept that premise myself but I see that label used constantly like that these days.
Once again, you need to brush up your recent American history. Why some folks act like this is something that just sprang up in the last few months is beyond me. This issue has been burning bright for over a decade. The Bush White House did a few large scale corporate raids but found that the raids were in conflict with the Basic Pilot Program. George Bush gave a smiling “Thumbs Up” regarding this program. The work place raids ceased long before the 2008 Elections.
As for public schools, you will need to get the Supreme Court to over-turn Plyler v. Doe, 1982. As long as the law of the land says that public schools are open to even children that you do not like, they will be open to children that you do not like.
As for Europe being able to take care of itself, I think you’re being short sighted. Kyle seems to still feel that the Russians are a threat as to his dislike over the START Treaty. Is it an actual distrust of the Russians or just mere political grandstanding?
This is about businessmen who use cheap labor. This is about businessmen who pushed NAFTA and destroyed the Mexican economy making the American labor market look attractive. It’s not a right vs. left thing, but a corporate vs. will of the American people thing. By injecting current politics into it, I believe that you’re missing the actual history of the last ten years.
I am fully in favor of granting citizenship to anyone who serves honorably in the military. That seems very reasonable and fair. I am not in favor of granting citizenship to any illegal alien simply because they went to college (at a large cost to the taxpayers, I might add).
I know my history. George Bush was not a conservative President in any sort of means, except for social issues. Which personally I don’t care about social issues in politics. He is a globalist and has sold out the American worker.
I remember many “immigration rights groups” where pretty mad at the Z visas also, they even had rallies against it because they were against the 3,500 dollar renewal fee that the worker would have to pay every 3 years. It was a middle of the road reform plan. Where the right called in amnesty and the left called it too hard and not enough for illegal workers. The Far Left of this issue does basically want illegal aliens to have as little work as possible to gain citizenship. This “Dream Act” is a perfect example of far left wanting to give a backdoor to illegal aliens. I am fine with allowing them to join the military, but the college part I do not agree with. Mostly their college would be paid for by grants and other social programs that are meant for US citizens. After they complete their military service, I am all for giving them the most benefits our country has to offer. However, this Dream Act is not the answer.
Again, I know my history. George Bush was a friend to big business and had many supporters of industries that directly profit from illegal alien workers. The GOP is trying to act hard with their “build the dang fence” crap, but we don’t even need a fence. We just need to force current immigration laws. We don’t even need 1,000 more BP Agents on the border. We need a 1,000 more ICE agents to investigate and conduct raids against employers of illegal aliens.
I never said I “do not like” illegal alien children. They are the biggest victims in this case. However, we do need to turn over Plyler v. Doe. It is not the US fault for illegal aliens bringing their children. We should not be paying for it.
How I am being “short sighted.” on the European issue? France has a nuclear deterrent. Germany, England, and developing eastern European nations have a big enough army to defend themselves. We can keep a small continency force, but we don’t need 10,000 troops in England, 10,000 in Italy, and thousands in other European countries. Personally Kyle is a relic of Cold War stances. Russia is a concern, but I am confident Europe can handle it.
I really don’t see how I am missing history. I admitted the GOP has dropped the ball on the illegal alien issue and is ignoring corporate interests. You are right about this being a corporate vs. will of the American people. The will of the people want a secure border and to enforce current immigration laws. I was just using the left vs. right concept based on the original article posted here.