Trust The People On Immigration Reform

After hundreds of thousands protested in favor of rights for illegal aliens this week, top Republicans in both the House and Senate say they don't support legislation's tough language contained in the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act approved by the House last December.

CNN reports that both House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee say they want language that would make entering the country illegally a felony dropped. I'm not sure CNN accurately describes the joint statement by Frist and Hastert, which reads:

America is a nation with borders and borders matter. We are a nation of citizens and citizenship matters. We are also a nation of laws and laws matter. We have an important immigrant heritage and honoring that heritage matters.

In December, the House of Representatives passed a strong border security bill aimed at securing our borders and preventing illegal immigration.

However, on December 16, 2005, there were 191 House Democrats who voted to oppose House Republican efforts to reduce the crime of unlawful presence in the United States from a felony to a misdemeanor. Instead, they voted to make felons out of all of those who remain in our country illegally.

While we are disappointed with the House Democrat’s lack of compassion and the continued efforts by Senator Reid to block action on immigration legislation so that Congress can proceed to conference, it remains our intent to produce a strong border security bill that will not make unlawful presence in the United States a felony.

Those advocating rights for illegal aliens and the Democrats have overplayed their hand here. Just yesterday Rasmussen Reports published new polling results showing those polled trust Republicans more than Democrats on the issue of immigration. Just 31% trust the Democrats more.

Trust on Immigration: Republicans 37% Democrats 31%

The Democrats are losing ground. In late March, Rasmussen found the two parties were equally trusted.

The Rasmussen polling also found Americans remain divided on legalization of illegal aliens and building a border barrier:

Just 41% favor letting immigrants move towards citizenship by paying a fine, paying back taxes, and learning to speak English. Forty-two percent (42%) are opposed.

Forty-two percent (42%) believe a barrier along the Mexican border would significantly reduce immigration while 39% disagree.

Still, 57% believe a barrier should be built. Just 31% disagree.

A separate Rasmussen poll found that a plurality of Americans, 46 percent, would vote for a candidate who favors more enforcement on the immigration issue over a candidate who favors expanding the ways that foreign workers can legally get jobs in the United States.

Both surveys were conducted April 1-2, 2006 and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.

An earlier Rasmussen poll found that two-thirds of Americans believe it doesn't make sense to debate new immigration laws until we can first control our borders and enforce existing laws. That survey was conducted March 30-31, 2006 and also has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.

In February, a Quinnipiac University poll found little sympathy for illegal aliens. Three fifths of those polled didn't want it to be easier for illegal aliens to become citizens. Only in blue states, where Sen. John Kerry won the 2004 Presidential contest, was there slight support for making it easier for illegal workers to become legal.

The Quinnipiac poll also found American voters opposed to providing benefits to illegal aliens:

84 percent in favor of requiring proof of legal residency in order to obtain government benefits. 72 percent opposed to allowing illegal immigrants to get drivers' licenses.

The Quinnipiac poll was conducted from February 21 - 28 and has a margin of error of +/- 2.3 percent.

The Democrats are trying to turn those protesting in support of rights for illegal aliens into Democratic voters.

According to The Hill, liberal activists and Democratic strategists say that the rallies provide them an opportunity to roll back President Bush’s close to 40 percent support among Hispanics in 2004.

The New Democrat Network, a centrist Democratic-allied organization, in conjunction with a group of former Clinton administration officials, has formed the Hispanic Strategy Center to help incubate groups around the country that could help Hispanic residents become more politically effective. In the next few weeks, the New Democrat group will launch an advertising campaign intended to work with the on-the-ground organizational development of the center.

It is wrong, but nothing new, for the Democrats to put crass politics before the county's security. What is needed instead of political calculation is real immigration reform. As I have posted before, real immigration reform would eliminate incentives for illegal immigration, provide the foriegn workers we need. Such a proposal would have the following features:

A guest worker program admitting two million foreign workers a year. Why so many? In fiscal year 2004 1.1 million illegal aliens were apprehended along the Southwestern border alone. I'm sure we didn't catch them all. No illegal alien in the U.S. would be allowed to participate. Illegal aliens must return to their home country before being allowed to participate. There must also be provisions, perhaps bonds posted by employers, to ensure guest workers return to their country of origin.

Enactment of the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act passed by the House last December.

Prohibit state and local governments from providing government services to illegal aliens.

Prohibit local governments from enacting “sanctuary” programs for illegal aliens, preventing their employees from inquiring about or reporting an illegal alien’s status.

Detain and deport all illegal aliens when discovered. No one seriously contemplates a program to search out and detain illegal aliens, but when discovered they should not be released.

As President Bush says, America is a welcoming society. We are indeed a nation of immigrants. We are also a nation of laws. If you are here legally, you are more than welcome and greatly appreciated. If you are here illegally, please go back to your nation of origin and come back legally and play by the rules.

UPDATE: This story has hit a nerve on the right side of the blogosphere.

At Captain's Quarters, Ed Morrisey posts that a possible way out of the current congressional stalemate is to simple combine the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act with the proposed Senate Compromise.

At Riehl World View, Dan wonders where the real Republican leaders went. As does Confederate Yankee.

More thoughts at Diggers Realm, Hyscience and Polimom.

Comments

[Dennis]

I have been reading all these blogs and opinion columns, and have arrived at one conclusion. Most people in this country understand and agree that 'illegals' should not be allowed or receive 'amnesty'. However, as usual, congress and corporations keep trying to pass a 'comprehensive' bill, which is supposed to solve it all at once. We know it won't happen, so the corporations love it. The law allows for sealing the borders and ports,which should happen at once, but won't. We, the people, have been outbid by the corporations who own Congress.