A Roadmap on Immigration for 2012
Recently, at a conference on the economy at the George W. Bush Institute in Dallas, Meg Whitman did a mea culpa for the entire Republican Party and how it treats the immigration issue.
“My view is that the immigration discussion, the rhetoric the Republican Party uses, is not helpful; it’s not helpful in a state with the Latino population we have,” Whitman said during a brief interview following a speech at a George W. Bush Institute conference on the economy. “We as a party are going to have to make some changes, how we think about immigration, and how we talk about immigration.”
Whitman was right on all points, of course. Some of us have been saying the same thing for the last several years.
Let’s face it. Whitman’s epiphany sounded a lot better than what she allegedly told her ex-housekeeper Nicky Diaz Santillan after firing her in June 2009 — shortly before Whitman announced her candidacy for governor. Whitman had employed Santillan for nine years and treated her like what the former eBay CEO described as “a member of our extended family.” That is, before the housekeeper asked for help in legalizing her status. After that, it was: Adios, Nicky.
Diaz Santillan alleged that Whitman fired her in a phone call, saying: “From now on you don’t know me, and I don’t know you. You never have seen me and I have never seen you. Do you understand me?” Then, Diaz Santillan said, Whitman hung up. The housekeeper said she felt as if she had been tossed away “like a piece of garbage.”
Now Whitman is saying that the Republicans’ approach to immigration is garbage.
Personally, I think that Republicans have to figure out how to even talk about immigration without sounding like one of the characters from The Wizard of Oz. Most of the time, on this issue, Republicans either come across like the Scarecrow (no brain), the Tin Man (no heart), or the Cowardly Lion (no courage).
No brain: Rather than think deeply about illegal immigration and how to control it, as well as how to fix the immigration system so more people can come to the United States legally, some Republicans merely recite bumper sticker slogans like “Deport all illegals” or “Seal the border.”
No heart: Rather than see the current debate as simply an extension of a conversation that has been going on since the late 1770s when Benjamin Franklin warned that German immigrants would ruin the young nation, some Republicans still portray the immigrants of today as inferior or dangerous.
No courage: Rather than admit the obvious – that illegal immigrants only come to the United States because there are U.S. employers here who hire them, some Republicans steer clear of proposing employer sanctions for fear of angering their supporters and benefactors in the business community.
Before I spell out what should be the Republican approach to the immigration issue, let me make perfectly clear what’s wrong with the current approach.
It’s not that Republicans are tough on illegal immigration (if it doesn’t involve being tough on employers), or that they value the rule of law (except for wanting to change the 14th Amendment to eliminate birthright citizenship), or that they care about border security (as long as it’s the southern border), or that they care about American workers (as long as they’re not trying to weaken labor unions in states like Wisconsin).
It’s that Republicans can’t seem to talk about the immigration issue in a candid and honest way that eschews racism, acknowledges labor needs, and holds everyone accountable. The message is bad, and the tone is worse. It’s always us vs them, with Latinos on the “them” side.
The GOP needs a cleansing on the immigration issue. To get it going, any Republican running for president next year should:
(1) talk about how it’s unfair for illegal immigrants to jump the line when others have had to play by the rules and wait their turn;
(2) admit that Americans won’t do the jobs that illegal immigrants do at any price, and explain that this is why we need a guest worker program;
(3) stress that some of the estimated 10.3 million illegal immigrants in the United States should have a pathway to earned legal status if they meet conditions, including returning to their home country to be processed for legal reentry;
(4) call for harsh penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants and make sure they’re enforced since we’ll never fix this problem unless we attack it at the roots;
(5) promise a complete overhaul of the system by which immigrants can legally migrate to the United States so we can bring in more of them through the front door and do it a lot quicker than we do now; and
(6) condemn in no uncertain terms the racism and nativism that poison this debate and threaten to make the Republican Party obsolete before the end of the century.
This is the only roadmap for 2012 Republican presidential hopefuls to survive the pitfalls of the immigration debate. Every other path leads to the political margins and to eventual defeat.
This ‘dialogue’ is so full of weird racial double standards that it is really quite amazing to read it year after year in America.
Black folks have no trouble blithely stating they ‘invented’ jazz in a culture full of things they didn’t invent including musical notation, the instruments and the whole nine yards.
But European Americans, entirely awash in their own innovations and contrasting those accomplishments with the lack of innovations South of the border and observing the difference is racist and so we can’t take credit or say our culture is better than Latin America’s and not want that culture here. The fact that Latino’s come here says that they acknowledge this qualitative difference with their feet but say the complete opposite with their rhetoric. Why not just say Republicans are bigots cuz Democrats all want to join them and change the entire nature of the party? Oh no, no matter how many Democrats barge in unwanted it will still be the Republican party with the same values and make up cuz it’ll keep the name.
If every one South of the border is so equal then why are they gate crashing a bunch of racists? It’s incredible how Latin American cultures will jealously guard and claim for their own the least innovation but if an American whispers in the right ears then suddenly Americans are responsible for 21 years of dictatorship in Brazil starting in 1964.
You don’t hear the same credit for all the positive things Latin America has gotten from America – no, it would be too much to expect to have a ‘dialogue’ about stereos, car assembly lines, stock markets, business models, forensic models and the rest of the list a mile long. No, that’s not obvious but some obscure ‘Ripley’s Believe It Or Not’.
European Americans are evil and the Third World are those paintings with the kids with the giant sad eyes and without their astrophysicist lab coats on cuz we stunted their growth. 500 years of failed nations in Latin America whose only glimmer of success is to whatever extent they’ve copy catted American innovation is a myth and a racist one at that.
Right, it’s totally racist to assume that Latinos will not bring along failure into the U.S. with them but total reality to suggest they will instead bring success with them even though the legacy of failure exists and the legacy of success does not – that all makes total non-racist sense.
It’ll all work out just fine because success is really just in the eye of the beholder and there was really no Industrial Revolution or Enlightenment – they were just lucky and people in the Third World unlucky.
German immigrants actually did well because they were dopes who had luck rub right onto them once they reached America just like will happen with Latinos. In what world do you see this vast potential from Latinos and in what world is it racist to point out there is no evidence of it? In what world does failure become success by means of immigration? Does that mean European emigres to the Third World will become failures? Success travels, so does failure.
It’s all osmosis I guess and intrinsic brilliance is just a pipe dream. The Roman Empire dominated for hundreds of years, not because they were superior, but because they were equal. Right, it all makes sense.
Everyone in the world gets to guard the tradition, integrity and hegemony of their cultures but Europeans – what a weird coincidence how it worked out like that. No reverse racism or anything, only on my part.
Everything the West has built for itself is an open society at the beck and call of the Third World because they have some ‘right’ to it lost in the mists of history and selfish thinking where Americans are racist morons who are never right and Latinos are innocents who only come for jobs and who are never wrong, not about anything.
There are no Latino gangs growing across the U.S. – it’s just my racist imagination working overtime cuz peace, order and innovation are just words and not some real thing I can measure and handle or take credit for. Only people not from the West can do that because they have an invisible moral shield where what goes for them doesn’t go for everyone else because they are superior spiritually.
To say that the Latino rhetoric on immigration is one giant ball of lies and hypocrisy with its own racism mixed in is only the polite version.
Very, very, very, very well said!
Well said. But this is becoming tiresome.
If PJM continues to publish this Rube, I’m off them. The Rube isn’t and never was a blogger, and is no conservative. The Rube’s presence is merely as red meat, to boost comments and page views. He is insulting, and PJM is insulting also. Enough already.
The rube is a Latino who is in favor of more Mexican immigration into America and turn America into a Spanish speaking Latin American nation. Often I have read his comments in my local newspaper and explode in anger. Wonder if this rube would be in favor of massive Chinese immigration to Mexico.
Why is insisting immigrants get in line and play by the rules racist? Open borders in a welfare state will ultimately collapse the system.
After reading Meg Whitman’s recent comments I am glad she lost the election. Latinos are just not capable of creating a prosperous nation. The only reason why Mexico is as prosperous as it is is because they border America and 10% of their population since 1965 has immigrated to America and have sent close to $800 Billion in money transfers back to families in Mexico. Since the 1965 Immigration Reform Act the Dollar has collapsed by 90% and real wages have declined by over 400% . America was still on the Silver Standard in 1964 the last year before the 1965 Immigration Act and minimin wage workers earned $1.25 a hour paid with 5 90% silver quarters which today currently are worth $8 for each silver quarter which all 5 silver quarters added up are worth $40 and minimin wage workers currently earn $7.25 a hour. Latinos work for a lot less than American citizens because they live crowded together often 10 people living in a 2 bedroom apartment or living in a garage and so their living expenses are almost nothing so their able to take jobs from American citizens.
Without a doubt, there are some very valid points in this comment.
It is high time Euro Americans stood up for our culture. We have an astoushing rich heritage and have provide the world with the concept of democrary, with modern science, medicine, classical, rock and many other forms of music, dance, not to mention art and literature. Our American constitution is based on Euro thought and ideas and philospohy.
There are positive and negative aspects to every culture. Latino culture has its good points and its bad ones.. like a total refusal to adopt the concept of the rule of law.. in Latino culture it really is “do anything you can get away with”. That is why Latin countries are corrupt, crime ridden failed states. PaRT of that culture is what drives Navarrette to push for amnesty and preferential immigration treatment for lawbreakers.. he obviously does not think the law should matter when it comes to Latinos. It is those ideas, if they take root in America that will destroy our country\.
I have had a real problem with the Whitman maid issue, and the way it was played in the media, ever since it happened. The woman lied to Whitman when she applied for the job (used her sister’s green card, because she wasn’t legal to work here like her sister was), and then concealed that fact for nine years. In the middle of Whitman getting ready to run for Governor, the woman comes to her and says “I’m illegal and you need to help me become legal, so I can continue to work for you.” If Whitman had done what the maid asked, someone inevitably would have found out, and she’d have been excoriated over it. Trust me, the Dems would have found a way to call her a hypocrite, and imply that she was evil because she was somehow “exploiting” this woman–never mind that she was paid $23.00/hour.
Instead, she fired the woman, and was excoriated for that. The thinking by some is that she should have come forward immediately with the information that the woman was in the country illegally, and who and where she was. Of course, if she’d done that she’d have been labelled a heartless racist for ratting the woman out. The only reasonable thing she could have done, years ago, is use a maid service like Jerry Brown does, or just not hire a maid in the first place. Whitman’s solution was bound to result in difficulties for her, regardless.
“It’s that Navarette
Republicanscan’t seem to talk about the immigration issue in a candid and honest way that eschews racism, acknowledges labor needs, and holds everyone accountable. The message is bad, and the tone is worse. It’s always us vs them, with Latinos on the “us<strikethem” side.Oh, WAIT….
Sigh… how long must we endure this drivel from Navarrette Junior? Until he wears us down with illogic, I guess. I refuse to waste my time going into all the myriad things wrong with this latest presentation, but one of the most egregious is that he has set up a bunch of strawmen about Republicans, businessmen, conservatives, etc., and then used those absurd conflicting assumptions to accuse all of us of being hypocrites.
Mr. Navarrette Junior, you supposedly graduated from Harvard? With the lack of logical thinking skills you exhibit, how in the world did you ever pass any courses? What kind of numskull major did you have, anyway? Whatever, please just stop your barrage of nonsense.
NOTE TO PJM: Mr. Navarrette Jr. continues to fail to provide any useful or constructive dialog to your pages, so please consider dropping him ASAP.
It seems the fairness doctrine is alive and well at PJM.
Seriously, though, considering it’s ALL this Johnny One Note seems to have to offer, I’ve got to wonder what incriminating photos he’s got of the editors…
Just one thing– amending an amendment (even the 14th) is following the rule of law; if you lived in the 20s/30s would you be bemoaning the fact that the 21st Amendment was passed?
Claiming that legally changing the law is somehow not respecting the rule of law is so illogical as to almost invalidate the rest of the argument.
NOT respecting the rule of law is like, ummm, I don’t know, crossing a border illegally or something like that. Heck, not respecting the rule of law might be like establishing sanctuary cities.
Plus, most conservatives I know also think businesses should be held to account– but if police officers can’t check immigration status without everyone getting their panties in a wad, why should we expect a small businessman to do it? And, if we do make them do it, who would they call? A judge already said that law enforcement would cause an “undue burden” on ICE if they requested immigration information.
Mr. Navarette, you continue to accept the Left’s premise in this argument, and then rather foolishly think that they are going to play by the rules in this particular fight. Good luck with that.
Also (and I am going to say this after every one of your articles) is the staff at PJM not reading these articles? They are all nearly exactly the same:
“Republicans are racist, bigoted xenophobes who are going to lose the election if they don’t cede the legal and moral high ground to people who have broken the law to be here. Anyone who disagrees with me is either stupid or a dishonest, racist, bigoted xenophobe.”
I don’t know if PJM pays for this drivel or not, but if you do, you could save some money in these tough economic times by simply reprinting Mr. Navarette’s first-ever column every couple of weeks. No one would notice, I promise.
What’s funny is that small businesses can’t check with the intention of not hiring – they send in the I9 and the soc.sec. number. Then the s.s. admin comes back and says ‘there is a mistake in the number, please get the right one’ and back and forth until the illegal gets one that works. There is no ‘this is the 3rd # that didn’t work, and it has been reported to immigration enforcement’, or recognition that the numbers are more different than just a typo (a 2 instead of a 5 on the 10 key, for example), etc., just ‘that one didn’t work, try again’ repeatedly.
This comes from direct experience. A small business can do everything the law requires, and still end up with an illegal on staff (paper work gets fully processed after hiring when you report the new employee to the government), and once there, firing is not really an option, since that opens up lawsuits and bad press (the latter sometimes being the death of a business, especially in any area even a whiff of blue).
From TheCableGuy “amending an amendment (even the 14th) is following the rule of law”
EXACTLY. How can Ruben write that trying to put through an amendment to the Constitution is NOT following the rule of law? That kind of illogic should be embarrassing
Thanks for providing specific actions that you believe will solve this problem that has arisen over 45 years of LBJ’s immigration law. I’ve read the law on the government website, and agree that it is unenforceable, just like the drug laws, with unintended consequences of creating massive problems. A law that has never been enforced means there is no law. Germany does not have illegal immigrants because they have a simple law that gives prison time for any employer who hires one.
Many of these people have American children. It would be heartless to deport the parents without their children, and you cannot deport Americans. Republicans need to focus on this moral issue. Many of these families have been here for decades, and they seem to me to the ones that need a path to citizenship.
Americans rightfully resent foreigners who fill welfare rolls and get free medical care paid for by taxpayers. If you stand on any street corner in the world and hand out gold coins, guess what? People will take them. It seems to me the problem is the welfare mentality that seeks a safety net for everyone by re-distributing working people’s money.
The issue that divides most is language. Would Spanish-speaking immigrants be willing and able to learn English? An acquaintance told me many have used the software Rosetta Stone to learn English, but the software is expensive and requires a computer.
The impact on my state has been due to the explosive growth in illegal immigration over the past 30 years. All of the construction industry is now Spanish speaking, and the wages are half of what they were before this occurred. That has a positive side, exemplified by two roofs, one installed on a 1700 sq ft house back in 1980 which cost $17,000 and took a week of labor versus one installed on a 2700 sq ft house last year which cost $5,000, and took less than 2 days; only the team leader spoke English on the one installed last year. The type and quality of the shingles were the same.
Prior to LBJ, guest workers from Mexico were a part of the fabric of life in Texas. They performed the farm and ranch chores and were not resented. Those were the days before massive welfare, and there were no free giveaways to anyone. It’s ironic, how Texans back then were mostly hard-working and drug-free, families stuck together, and no one cared if your roots where someplace else, because it was your character that counted. Now, people don’t think in terms of individuals, but, like Marxists, they think in terms of groups.
the language issue is a farce
the differences between spanish and english is negligible
the problem is that the statists prefer the “babel”ers as the divide and conquer strategy is easier to implement
why do europeans speak more languages? because the languages they speak all derive from a root language—- Latin—-
dont believe the hype
Well, that will come as a shock to those who converse in the most commonly-spoken language on the European continent–German. English has far deeper roots in Anglo-Saxon pre-German than it does in the Johnny-come-lately Norman French which has its roots in Latin.
(2) admit that Americans won’t do the jobs that illegal immigrants do at any price, and explain that this is why we need a guest worker program
It seems to me that the vast majority of Americans who could do these jobs but won’t identify as Democrats.
And as usual, the clue that Ruben is not serious in his “concern” is the fact that every “conversation” begins with an accusation of “racism” hurled at those who don’t agree with him. Playing the race card is a Lefty tactic and doesn’t do much to legitimize Ruby’s argument.
It’s simple. No automatic citizenship for kids born here from illegal aliens. Deport ALL illegal aliens. Build the fence and until completion put soldiers on our borders with shoot to kill orders. All kids born here to illegal aliens are to be deported as well. They are NOT legalized citizens. The Constitution regarding children born here was written about the slaves of that time and does NOT apply to illegal alien children born here. Get rid of ALL illegals. Check ALL people when there’s doubt of citizenship. This also will help to identify enemies of the U.S. who are here to cause destruction to our people and country. Quit being squimish about this and start having the backbone America used to have.
“Deport ALL illegal aliens.”
Both Dem & GOP “leaders” constantly yap about how we can’t deport EVERY illegal. Well, WHY NOT? Think of the jobs “created”…..bus drivers & boat captains would be employed for the next decade AND they’ll make enough money to actually pay taxes. Think of the economic growth….bus & boat manufacturers will increase their number of employees, both industries will turn profits AND they’ll pay taxes too. Yep, deportation…a win-win for America. Take heed, “leaders.”
Why is insisting immigrants get in line and play by the rules racist? Open borders in a welfare state will ultimately collapse the system.
“No brain: Rather than think deeply about illegal immigration and how to control it, as well as how to fix the immigration system so more people can come to the United States legally, some Republicans merely recite bumper sticker slogans like “Deport all illegals” or “Seal the border.”
Tell, just tell me, what is so very wrong with wanting to have some legitimate borders in this country, ones that can actually be guarded and monitored so that no criminals and TERRORISTS can simply enter our country whenever they want? Anybody who does NOT vote for the proper guarding and enforcement of our own borders has NO BRAINS.
Even though Obama’s Department of Homeland Security (which certainly provides no “Security” for this Homeland) doesn’t want to admit it, we DO live in an age where people who want to KILL us, such as terrorists, can simply waltz through our borders and sneak through just about anything, from guns to nuclear weapons. And everyone in Washington simply ignores or minimizes this problem. I guess they will only pay attention to it when an American city goes up in a nuclear fireball or if some deadly chemical or biological weapons are smuggled in through our Mexican border.
But then, of course, it will be too late, right? Who do we complain to after that happens? Oh, of course, Homeland Security will be very sorry and will simply say that “Given the size of our southern border, there is no way to adequately monitor it.” That will be a lot of comfort to all of the dead people who are killed from that weapon of mass destruction that goes off.
And what of all those criminals and gang members that come in through our southern border with Mexico? That doesn’t really make life too nice for a lot of Americans, now does it? Yet you never seem to hear anything from Washington about that, either.
Seal the boders, make them secure, make sure criminals, gang members, and terrorists are not coming through, and THEN talk to me about legal immigration.
Let me fix this for you, Reuby:
No brain: Rather than think deeply about illegal immigration and how to control it, as well as how to fix the immigration system so more people can come to the United States legally, Reuben Navarrette merely recites knee-jerk accusations of racism.
Guess what, Reuby… you ARE the problem. You are both racist and a race-baiter. You see everything in this world through the lens of how it helps “your people,” and it seems “Americans” aren’t who you see as your people. Por la raza, todos…
I keep hearing that illegals come here because evil businesses hire them. It couldn’t possibly be because they know that about every ten years or so our poor excuse of a government caves to their vocal minority (soon not to be a minority) and grants them all clemency? Nah, couldn’t be. Couldn’t be that they recognize that politicians pander to these law breakers in the hopes of buying their vote.
Mine the border already and be done with it.
“(2) admit that Americans won’t do the jobs that illegal immigrants do at any price, and explain that this is why we need a guest worker program;”
Wrong again. But you should be used to that by now. I have applied for some of those “jobs that Americans won’t do.” There are, occasionally, times when any income is preferable to chewing on your shoelaces.
There can be no rational discussion of immigration policy if the border is not secured first. Period.
“whitman was right on all counts”
stopped “reading” there— if it was sarcasm then so be it but i’m not reading this person’s drivel anymore
Reuben,
Even if you wish to write about Hispanic issues, is there not anything else you can write on besides illegal immigration?
How about how the following:
a) How will the impending implosion of California affect Anglo-Hispanic relations in the state and even nationwide? Do California Latinos believe in the Democratic agenda of spend, spend, spend all the way to bankruptcy.
b) How is it that comparably Hispanic states like New Mexico and Texas are not one-party Socialist states? Why is California different?
c) The out-of-wedlock birth rate in the Hispanic community is approaching 50%. Not as bad as in the black community, but alarming enough. What is being done about it?
d)Will multiculturalism create a Spanish “Quebecization” of the USA, where Hispanics, who have a greater need to be bilingual will come to dominate the public sector and civil service?
There’s a lot to chew on Reuben. Broaden your writing a bit, even if you wish to keep it on the Latino question.
Short Ruben Navarette:
All Latino good. All gringo bad. Mean white lady victimized poor brown lady. White lady bad. Brown lady good. Illegal onslaught against American sovereignty good if done by Latino. Now white America play dead while Latino tsunami washes over them. Say anything? RACIST! All Latino good. All white people bad.
PJM could print crap like that and we’d learn just as much from and about Ruben Navarette and everybody would have 6 more minute of their Sunday back.
If you want to hear racism, listen to “Latinos” complain about illegal immigrants (or even LEGAL immigrants) from such countries as Russia and China. Self awareness does not seem to be a trait found in the Latino/Hispanic culture.
“(2) admit that Americans won’t do the jobs that illegal immigrants do at any price, and explain that this is why we need a guest worker program”
Except that according to the Census Bureau, 60% of illegal households are on welfare.
That is just AWESOME! Wonder who they help elect
Ruben, once more, takes up the cudgel of immigration/racism to bash Republicans; and once more, he has failed to listen to the conversation before leveling his accusations.
As to his six-points, I would just respond:
Ruben, you must have buried your head deeply into a sand-hill not to have heard the many conversations occurring on points One, Four, Five, & Six.
It is only in your fevered little mind that the “Bull Connors” of the world dominate the conversation.
As to point Two, there are many documented occurrances of legal residents taking the jobs that were occupied by Illegals (such as after a very large INS raid that cleaned out the shop-floor, and a couple of the management desks too for violating employment law), where those employers found they had plenty of qualified applicants once they were forced to offer a livable wage.
On point Three, all I can say is: Duh! Where have you been?
A commenter above wondered how, with your demonstrated lack of logic, you matriculated from Harvard. One can only assume that you majored in Partying & Prevarication.
And why would you throw up Meg Whitman as an exemplar of the GOP? All she is is someone who could (and did) self-finance her campaign. She probably ran as a Republican because she knew she couldn’t win the Dem Primary against Moonbeam – another Bloomberg moment in America’s politics.
His head is not in a sandhill. His head is in a colonoscopic posture, ie, he has an excellent view of the interior of his colon, and of its content.
Immigration should be very sharply curtailed. We have more people than we need. Deportation of all illegals would not be so difficult if they were denied welfare and employment. Unable to survive economically they would have to leave the country or resort to criminal activity- in which a substantial percentage of them are already engaged. As criminals they would be subject to arrest and deportation. We need a law requiring execution of deported persons again found in-country. This can be done on the spot,as the proof of the violation is the physical presence of the offender on our side of the border. Thus, there would be zero recidivism.
The savings over a decade would be in the hundreds of billions and would also severely cripple the voting strength of the obamanites, reduce the crime rate, the illegitimacy rate, population growth, unlicensed drivers and uninsured vehicles on the road, welfare rolls, drug dealing, and many other harmful activities. The government of Mexico would be forced to assume responsibility for its citizens instead of trying to hold the USA accountable.
The mexican people are certainly capable of self direction and self support. They are not neanderthals, forced to assume the role of “the white man’s burden. Lets turn them loose, on their side of the border, and let them do for themselves.
Ruben do you enjoy being a race pimp? Are you proud to be the Latino Jessie Jackson Jr? It would be nice if you sold your one note trumpet and used some tome to become a good American. You are officially really. really boring.
We get it already, Reuben. You can’t control your tribalistic instincts, and your main loyalty is to your latino tribe. That is exactly why I think we should deport as many illegal aliens as we can. We don’t need more latinos who can’t get past their tribal loyalty. You don’t see me advocating that illegal aliens from Ireland should be allowed to stay.
Well said, and I would add something to this point:
“(6) condemn in no uncertain terms the racism and nativism that poison this debate and threaten to make the Republican Party obsolete before the end of the century.”
Understand that the racism here comes from the Democratic Party, and its efforts to secure voters as a block by pretending a friendliness that is actually both patronizing and contrary to the values that attract immigrants to the United States.
I would be in favor of a guest worker program with the following conditions:
1. An Israeli style security fence must be built first on our southern border.
2. No more anchor babies which will require a constitutional amendment.
3. Must pass a U.S. and country of origin background check – criminal, medical etc.
4. Can’t receive any type of welfare, food stamps etc while on program and neither can spouse/significant other.
5. It expires every 5 years and must be renewed by Congress.
6. Each participant must have an employer sponsor who signs a surety bond which will cover the cost of a potential deportation.
7. The program is not a path to citizenship. We already have ways of doing that.
8. Guest worker will receive a special tax I.D. # and will pay normal witholding taxes – no exemptions allowed, must claim 0. No tax return can be filed with these #s. You pay the witholding and that’s it.
Oh and by the way did anyone notice I didn’t use the word “Latinos”?
Mr. Navarette: Can’t you see the inherent contradicion in stating that the Rep candidate must admit illegals do work that Americans will not do at any price, with the argument for employer sanctions. You are naive, mi amigo.
I would expect you to know that the owner of the apple orchard does not sit on the side of the road signing up illegals to pick his fruit at harvest time. Rather, he notifies a labor broker and the labor broker delivers labor to the field. It works that same way for all farm work. Sanctioning the farmer would only waste produce, which would put upward pressure on prices.
Yes, we need a guest worker program, just leave it at that and getter done.
UNNOTICED PROBLEM AND ITS SOLUTION: 0.5 TRILLION IN SUSPENSE FUND
SSA has 4 funds (buckets of Congressional IOUs): Retirement, Disability, Medicare, and Suspense. Suspense contains earnings that cannot be matched to an identifiable worker. They stay in there until it is resolved as belonging to someone else, to an unknown person, or a double reporting of a single work episode. Most of it is from bogus IDs. Putting a stop to this will make sorting the illegal alien thing easier. Issue 900-series SSNs to illegal aliens, asking them to report everywhere they ever worked in the US and under what ID so their records can be corrected. Anyone who does not want a 900-series number is of interest to Homeland Security (do they have warrants outstanding or belong to toxic organizations?). Once illegals have numbers, they are paying taxes, WC, income tax, FICA etc. As largely younger workers, they will not be retiring and will have the low disability rate of younger workers. As illegals, their ID requirements would probably need to be enhanced by digital photo and fingerprints, so email etc. could check up on their 900-number not being used by someone else who would rather not go to an SSA office for a 900-number, such as a person with warrants outstanding. Note that this amount of work would be needed if a slug of illegals are put on a path to citizenship.
Well Ruben, since we all want to be grown ups, I have a suggestion. How about Mexico go first? By Mexico I mean the Mexican light skinned, white, ruling class that looks like it came from Germany but speaks the spanish of Spain. I mean, let the Mexican ruling class open their southern border to the free flow of people, and indians. How about the Mexican ruling class opening the northern border for the free flow of gringos into Mexico with their guns, and their money, and waving the stars and stripes to establish an occidental English speaking rule of law in various enclaves? Just think of it as twenty first century Manifest Destiny, hey Ruben?
In all honesty, Pajamas Media should just replace Ruben’s blog with a video that’s just him pointing at the camera and screaming “RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACIST!”
It’s one thing to have a Leftist blogger, but if he keeps talking about the same thing over and over again, I just wonder what the point of keeping him around is.
Mr Navarrette,
When I first started reading your op/ed pieces in the San Diego Union Tribune I found you to be a refreshing conservative voice in a liberal leaning paper. Towards the end of your tenure your tone became more of a right-leaning (sometimes barely) rambling in the same manner of La Raza. Today, you are unreadable because EVERYTHING must be cloaked in Hispanic/Latino terms.
You,Sir, no longer speak nor write as an American conservative. You now speak as a counterweight to the Latino Left. IMO, you are really now nothing more than a “hyphenated American” pushing an agenda that is selectively beneficial.
Lots of United States citizens seem rather understandably upset about the high rates of unemployment and underemployment as well as other economic difficulties facing the United States. Yet it is claimed in the article that we must acknowledge labor needs – as though were a labor shortage – and welcome more Latin American immigrants — most of whom are unskilled. Some are skilled but it seems unlikely that many of them sneak in illegally. Some are competent in English and have at least rudimentary understandings of the system of laws in and the culture of the United States; but it seems unlikely that many of them sneak in illegally either. The way to legal immigration might well be made easier for those whom we need or want. And, as noted here Mexican immigrants seem to be faring a tad better of late than lots of other folks.
As noted by 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Bea in his opinion dissenting from the majority holding that the Arizona immigration laws are unconstitutional,
In a context of federal unwillingness to offend la Raza and some (but far from all) Latin Americans by enforcing immigration laws, and thereby discouraging unlawful activity, it seems unlikely that many will agree with and be moved to action as encouraged the author’s entreaties. Yelling “Racist!” has become an old card to play and probably won’t help.
Illegal – look it up.
We have laws that deal with this, enforce them.
Anchor babies, parents should have thought of that before breaking the law.’
Send them ALL home and let them clean up the sewer that is mexico rather than brining all those problems here.
Deport them ALL, seal the border, fix the immigration system.
Next…
When is this moron EVER going to understand that Republicans have no problem whatsoever with “immigration?” What the GOP objects to is ILLEGAL immigration–sneaking into the country without the country’s knowledge or sneaking in under false pretenses (student or tourism visas and then hiding out instead of going home.) No country can survive without SOME control of its own borders. All that needs to be done is for enough invaders to get in that they can overwhelm the legal population otherwise.
Ms Whitman needs to understand that principle as well–and, despite Mr. Navarrette’s maunderings, I suspect she does understand the difference quite clearly.
Ruben, you do have some good points to make, but it would help a lot if you were distinguishable from a Democrat in making them. Is it really that hard to believe your conservative opponents aren’t just racists cleverly disguised, but actually mean what they say?
Why do so many people look at the issue as “ether/or,” as in “We must deport them all,” or “We must establish a pathway to citizenship?”
Excuse me, but why must we do either? Yes, we should seal the border to stop more people from entering the country illegally and draining the nation’s financial resources with demands on education, welfare, health care, etc. But we do not have to deport 20 million illegals, NOR do we have to provide them with a “pathway to citizenship.” They already HAVE ONE, of course. It involves entering the nation legally and following the rules.
Frankly, I do not care if 20 million illegals stay in the United States and never become citizens. At least they won’t (legally)be able to vote for a larger welfare state. Why must they be made citizens? What does it matter if someone who has been in the country illegally for 10 years is still not a citizen 40 years later?
In other words, my solution is simple: guard the borders better and do nothing else. Those who want to be legal citizens can return to the native countries and then return legally to follow the naturalization process. Those who do not want to do that can remain in an illegal status into their old age.
Sir,
With all due respect you answered your own question. “Why must they be made citizens?”, is blatantly obvious. The Democratic Party is feeding this machine, and encouraging more lawlessness in the form of these “poor people” into the country under the pretense of them becoming good little dependent Democrats! They are already conditioned to the Marxist mentality in whatever South American country they fled, and therefore preprogrammed drones. The inclusion of 20+ million (and counting everyday) into the society will all but guarentee a Democrat majority from now until the end of the nation.
Navarrette snidely states:
“…or that [Republicans] value the rule of law (except for wanting to change the 14th Amendment to eliminate birthright citizenship)…”
Here’s a message to Navarrette: Legally changing the U.S. Constitution via an amendment IS following the rule of law. It is crossing the border without permission or documents that violates the law. Or does Navarrette wish to deny U.S. citizens the right to amend their own Constitution through a proper legal process? There have been 27 amendments to the Constitution. Are we not allowed any more? or must they first be cleared through him and the citizens of Mexico?
But amending the Constitution is not necessary. The purpose of the 14th Amendment was to grant citizenship to freed slaves. Section reads:
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
The phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” was not tossed in for nothing. If a child is born on U.S. soil but his parents are citizens of Mexico, he is not a U.S. citizen because he is a citizen of Mexico, on the basis of his parents’ citizenship. the authors of the 14th amendment certainly did not intend for it to permit people to sneak across the border in order to have their babies and then collect generous welfare benefits paid for by U.S. citizens.
PJM, please spare us from further condescending moralizing from this one-note concern troll.
Mr, Navarette:
“After that, it was: Adios, Nicky.”
Was it now? Would you happen to know if Ms. Diaz-Santillan has returned to her native land?
Or is the fact that a known illegal, after serving her political purpose, was released to walk our land something we are supposed to overlook?
“(4) call for harsh penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants and make sure they’re enforced since we’ll never fix this problem unless we attack it at the roots;”
I think most native Americans support this measure, and understand that it would be an integral part of solving the illegal immigration problem, but it is a measure that should be taken in tandem with sealing the border.
When a ship is sinking, the most important step you can take is to seal the breach in the hull to stop the ingress of water.
“(2) admit that Americans won’t do the jobs that illegal immigrants do at any price, and explain that this is why we need a guest worker program;”
Admit that you’re full sh!t in repeating this tired old canard, Here’s a show you may have heard of:
http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/dirty-jobs/
Maybe you should watch and see what kind of jobs that native Americans and legal immigrants WILL do before you spout this bunk.
“(6) condemn in no uncertain terms the racism and nativism that poison this debate and threaten to make the Republican Party obsolete before the end of the century.”
Well, I condemn YOUR racism and tribalism. Your mendacious screeds,(of what “race” are “Latinos”? It’s an artificial racialist label for Mexicans), poison the debate and threaten to make America as prosperous, peaceful,powerful and well-regarded as the Mexico that your fantasy “Latinos” have emigrated here from by the end of the century.
Unlike many of the other commenters here though, I hope that you continue to be allowed to post here at PJM.
Reading your tripe is invaluable intelligence into the mindset of the political opposition who talk “Immigration Reform”, but when you boil their position down, are only shrilly demanding that our Immigration Policy consist of pronouncing:
“Bienvenidos muchachos!”
Mr Navarrette is a self proclaimed spokesman for the Latino population in America. Worse, the media(including PJM) have bought into his proclamation even to the extent that he is syndicated in my daily newspaper, the Pueblo Chieftan. He pops up everywhere that a spokesman for the Latino community is needed. Please PJM, enough of this collectivist claptrap! Close the damned border and let ‘em queue up to immigrate legally. Then we don’t have any more problems defining “undocumented workers, etc., etc.,….”
Mea Culpa my glutemus maximus. Saying (admitting) the Republicans are all wrong in how they approach illegal immigration only distracts the headline readers from the real issue.
The real issue is immigration policy. Period.
A million (+-) LEGAL immigrants are headed this way every year and we CANNOT sustain the inflow.
Legal, illegal, Spanish, German, Irish, Mexican, Paraguayan….. doesn’t matter.
‘We the People’ MUST FORCE the conversation to change from ‘hope’ to reality.
http://www.numbersusa.com/content/resources/video/educational/immigration-numbers-charts.html
H/T to RightNetwork http://rightnetwork.com/posts/immigration-by-the-numbers-off-the-charts
All we need to do is to have even more “smart” outreach to the illegal immigrant community. Then, we will learn far better ways to assimilate. We must cease our racist ways and do our very best to welcome all
illegal immigrantsnew voters and to encourage them to participate fully in our society.Hypocrisy is one of those qualities that goes unnoticed until it is irrefutably pointed out as a disgusting fact.
The same people that lobbied and cajoled the US Congress in 1965 to open OUR USA BORDERS to immigrants from other nations that had no historical involvement in both the founding of our country and in the subsequent 200 years of our development, are the same who claim that Christians, or non-Jews should never be permitted to immigrate to Israel as citizens.
Apparently unfettered immigration and destruction of nationalism is good for the gander but never for the goose.
MEG WHITMAN,GEORGE BUSH,RUBEN NAVARETTE :Three Stooges for the globalsit plutocracy in its quest to globalize,that is,to third worldize, and exploit the United States.
“(2) admit that Americans won’t do the jobs that illegal immigrants do at any price, and explain that this is why we need a guest worker program;”
Total BS.
Well Ruben, following is probably the only piece you’ve written that I ever agreed with:
“(4) call for harsh penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal
immigrants and make sure they’re enforced since we’ll never fix this problem
unless we attack it at the roots;”
Other than that, we have no problem other than illegal aliens violating our immigration laws.
We NEED to abide by Immigration Laws, NOT re-write them!
When we actually have much closer to a 10% unemployment rate nation-wide, we don’t need one single ILLEGAL ALIEN entering this country looking for employment.
And I rather seriously doubt Mexico will do a damn thing about verification of criminal/non-criminal background checks.
And your numbers are bad. Our Census Bureau actually estimated we have between 10 Million and 12 Million ILLEGAL ALIENS here in the USA. Their typical is LOWBALL estimates when it’s a count that could possibly have a negative interpretation or impact. As they’ve shown well in past years, they sandbagged by a factor of three.
So that 12 Million ILLEGAL ALIENS overnight became 36 Million by real numbers!
Being ILLEGAL ALIEN here is US law breaking. That calls for prison sentence and a return trip home (with threats of serious bodily harm if there is ever another trip north as illegal)
leticia olalia morales of 15501 pasadena ave #8 tustin ca 92780 submitted fake documents and paid 5000.00 dollars to obtain a US tourist visa. she is now applying for citizenship.
Hey Ruben!
I am married to a lovely lady from Bolivia. I am also the immigration sponsor for two family members, also from Bolivia. I support efforts to STOP all illegal immigration and remove all rewards given to those break the law.
So, Ruben, am I schizo or are you just another racist leftist?
Can even Latinos obey the law? Si! Se puede!
I think illegal immigration is taking away American jobs and destroying our country..
word.
Brittany- you dont have any factual information, you don’t know what your talking about. wooooooowwwwwww. dont come on here if your just going to say dumb things
Pamela- why dont you stop being such a bitch
okay guys calm down. im just saying that there are 12 million residents here illegally and while obama promises that he’s going to make them all leagal he can’t because he knows that that would destroy america.
gary- sgreed