Rove Presses Lawmakers On Illegal Aliens

The Los Angeles Times provides additional details on Karl Rove's meetings with lawmakers on immigration reform.

The great immigration reform debate will be focused on a single issue - amnesty:

At recent presentations led by Rove, administration officials have told groups of lawmakers that under Bush's plan, any worker who is here illegally would first have to pay a substantial fine before being granted a temporary work visa. The fine is seen as a gesture to critics who have said any such legalization amounts to granting workers amnesty for breaking the law.

Administration officials have told lawmakers that workers who participate in the program and then return to their native countries would be allowed to reapply for a guest worker visa after a year.

I have, and I will continue to commend the President for his willingness to take on this contentious issue. Nevertheless, imposing fines on illegal aliens and legitimizing their presence in the U.S. will only encourage more illegal aliens to come. It's hard to imagine that any fine would discourage these immigrant wannabees. The only solution that would discourage future illegal aliens is the Kyl/Cornyn proposal that would create a guest-worker program that requires illegal aliens to return home before applying to work in the U.S. legally.

The administration plan as described in these reports will surely be opposed by Congressman Tom Tancredo and the 90 member House Immigration Reform Caucus.