Border Control or Immigration Reform

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? If the egg, who would have sat on it and waited for it to hatch? What would have happened to the lone egg? It makes perfectly logical sense that the chicken came first.

So, which comes first, stricter border control, or immigration law reform? Do we let the immigrants get in without a fight and then enforce stricter laws? Or, do we make the border hard to cross and leave the laws how they stand? Republicans solve the problem by enforcing stricter border control. Democrats want reform.

So, what should come first? What will solve the problem?

In recent debates, presidential candidates in the GOP seem to be spending more time trying to decide how to keep illegals from crossing our borders. Candidates in the DNC see things differently however. They want to deal with the immigrants who have already made it over.

There is talk in the DNC of new immigration reform that could possibly surface this coming December. If you ask me, that's a smart move for them. Especially for the party that is looking to secure Hispanic votes.

With the upcoming election, citizens want reassurance from candidates that something is being done about the problem of immigration. Illegals want reassurance too but on a different level. They see reform as bought time here in America and possibly increased chances for naturalization.

From what I see, democrats have figured out how to answer both.

Taken from: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/24/democrats-consider-new-immigration-reform-push/

Romney and Perry at it Again

If it weren't for the gray hair and neck ties, I would have guessed they were school mates fighting over who caused the mess in the cafateria.

Perry and Romney seem to be the two candidates in the GOP who just don't see eye to eye on certain things. It's obvois too.

In recent comments on immigration, presidential hopeful Rick Perry focused his remarks on a law Mitt Romney signed in Massachusetts which provides acces to health care for those without insurance. Perry accused Romney of knowingly singing the Health Safety Net Fund without making specification that would ban the government for paying for te health care of illegal immigrants too. It is supposed that the program paid for over 1.1 million patients at hospitals and clinics in Massachusetts. Although undocumented, it is supposed that illegal immigrants were included in that number.

Romney was quick to remind Perry of a law he signed allowing cheaper in state tuition for illegal immigrant college students in Texas. Romney called the program "a magnet for illegal immigration."

So maybe they are both to blame. Let's just get this mess cleaned up why don't we?

Taken from: http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/10/24/romney-denies-okaying-health-care-illegals

Health Care for Illegals

Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is fighting off claims by a Los Angeles newspaper that a bill he singed was costing the Massachusetts state government 400 million dollars to provide heath care for illegal immigrants.

In 2006, Governor Romney signed into a law a health program called Health Safety Net. The purpose of this program was to make immediate medical attention possible for those who persons who could not afford it and did not have substantial insurance coverage. Among that group of people who received medical care were many illegal aliens.

An official statement put out by the Romney campaign was quick to point fingers at Romney's successor Governor Patrick. Spokesperson Andrea Saul was sure to point out too that his successor was a democrat! He said, "Federal law requires emergency medical care for illegal immigrants. And if illegal immigrants are getting access to additional health care in Massachusetts, it's liberal Gov. Deval Patrick that has made it easier for them to do so. "

Saul continued to hound Governor Patrick saying that all the logistics and "regulatory activities" of the Health Safety Net Fund were organized after Romney left the office.

Sometimes I feel like politics is more of a "who broke the window?" game than anything else. Don't you feel our time would be better spent taking action to fix the broken window than to try and figure out who did it?

Taken from: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/24/romney-blames-successor-for-illegal-immigrant-health-care/

Obama Deports Innocent Criminals

President Barack Obama's administration was bombarded with criticism from Latinos who feel the new harsh deportation policies doesn't represent the American way. To demonstrate disapproval, a "day of protest" was organized by many Latino activists.

Under the Obama administration, the officials of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) have enforced a program called Secure Communities. The program aims to detain and deport undocumented citizens they come across through routine traffic stops and other major or minor violations of the law.

When you take into consideration that over one million illegal aliens have since been deported to their native countries, many people are in favor of supporting continued enforcement of the Secure Communities Program. A majority of those deported are drug lords, sex offenders and convicted felons, but others whose "crimes" seem miniscual and forgiveable are feeling personally the ruthless policies of ICE's program.

"Critics say it results in the deportations of immigrants who are in the United States illegally but have no criminal arrest records." Among the one million who have been deported are many mothers of American children who are forced out of their homes because of an insignificant and innocent violation of the law.

Watch this video about the controversy of Obama's harsh deporting regulations.

Taken from: http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/17/politics/latino-obama-protests/index.html

Mitt Romney & Rick Perry Get Physical In Heated GOP Nevada Debate

Romney scored some serious style points on this one.

Romney plays Offense in Immigration Game

Rick Perry's claims of Romney hiring illegal immigrants were fodder for a recent heated debate in Nevada. Romney hit back strong and resisted defeat.

The Texas governor accused Romney of hiring illegal immigrants to do lawn care in his Massachusetts home. He continued to accuse him of the highest degree of hypocrisy saying that even though Romney knew of the illegals working at his home, he let the issue go for a year.

Romney fought back with force as he pointed out the amount of money Perry has been spending on tuition for illegal Texan college students and with testimony that he had hired the illegals and informed the lawn care company of their undocumented workers.

Romney showed a high level of emotional intelligence and personal security in his rebuttal. He knew he had nothing to hide and fought hard for a fair debate scrutinizing Perry for extending his allotted 30 second statement time.

Not willing to play games with Perry, Romney spoke over claims Perry was making and said, "You get 30 seconds. This is the way the rules work here,"

Perry was hit hard after Romney insinuated that his performance hasn’t been up to par in recent GOP debates. Romney's new game strategy seems to be offense all around and it seems to be working according to recent approval ratings.

Score!

Taken from: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/romney-sustains-attacks-pushes-back-during-nevada-debate-033426968.html

Frontline

My professor just recently recommended this video to our class in the Frontline series published by PBS about immigration. It uncovered truths about a detainee camp in southern Texas and exactly what the government program called ICE has been doing to handle illegal immigration. I would recommend it!

This video really opened my eyes to the issues this country faces with immigration. My head is still spinning as to what could possibly be the best solution to allow these aliens a chance at the American way while still staying within the law.

Maybe this is just my sheer ignorance in all things political, legal and modern, but I had no idea that the United States maintained a detainee facility in Southern Texas, let alone that we had already found and deported hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants.

What a devastating idea that the Secure Communities program under ICE is tearing apart thousands of families with American children. While that is horrible to think about and the effects dramatic, it really shows undocumented citizens the justice of the legal system we live by in America. Aliens shouldn't just expect to receive mercy from the government because they came across the border and had a child and should therefore not be separated from them.

Then there's the question to be asked of why didn't those illegal parents of the American born children apply for naturalization? They knew they were just one arrest away from a flight back to their native countries. If they cared enough about their children they would have taken theprecautions and steps necessary to avoid deportation.

But maybe the legal system should show more mercy and make the application process simpler and more affordable for illegals. This would undoubtedly increase the number of applicants I fear at an alarming rate, but it would also give illegal families a greater chance at the American dream.

Watch the video here.

Who's laughing now?

I'll admit it. The cruel possibility of thousands of illegal aliens being electrocuted on the Mexican American border briefly crossed my mind after listening to Michele Bachmann's speech. I didn't however proclaim it to thousands of people on the record at a bus tour kick-off speech.

These were Cain's words, "When I'm in charge of the fence, we going to have a fence. It's going to be 20 feet high. It's going to have barbed wire on the top. It's going to be electrocuted, electrified," Cain said. "And there's going to be a sign on the other side that says it will kill you."

Just days after his likability rose to 34% in the GOP, Cain made these statements to a group of people in Tennessee. The speech he delivered was passionate. His motives were clear and points precise. Anyone listening would know just where he stood on border control. But for a candidate in a political party who so desperately needs a large Hispanic vote to beat Barrack Obama in this upcoming election, I would think twice what kind of jokes you think are funny.

But we'll see just who's laughing now when the next polls are released. Cain's comments may have proven detrimental to his likability among followers.

Cain addressed rebukes made by Hispanic advocacy groups concerning his "insensitivity" towards illegals potentially being electrocuted while attempting to come to America. He said, "what's insensitive is when they come to the United States across our border and kill our citizens."

His point was valid and very much appreciated by many American citizens including myself. Way to stand your ground Mr. Cain!

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/16/electric-fence-remark-was-a-joke-cain-says/

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/17/bachmann-border-fence-is-no-joke/

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/10/17/hispanic-advocacy-groups-rebuke-cain-over-electric-fence-joke/

The Great Wall of the South

Presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann seems to think building a fence is the answer to America's growing illegal alien population. That's what I thought was the best solution too in 5th grade when I was first introduced to the concept of an illegal alien and still thought building with Lego's was fun.

Come on, Michele. Who's going to build it? How much is it going to cost? Is it electric? How high is it going to be? Were you thinking white picket, duplos or cement? Whatever it is, it isn't going to work. Sorry Michele.

Maybe we should have a contest. It would probably look something like this:

Entries are now being accepted for the first and only "Protect the Borders" wall building contest. Entries will be judged on thickness, height, durability and practicality in closing the Mexican American border, destroying American relations with foreign countries, destroying opportunities to hopeful foreigners, and destroying all ties made between naturalized citizens of the Hispanic race and Americans. To be eligible for contest, applicants must not be naturalized citizens and be fluent in English. Applicants must be voting age. Documentation of citizenship required upon request.

Of course that's not practical either, but if building a fence is her idea of patrolling the borders, she'll have as much success getting entries for this bogus contest as she will in winning the election.

Something needs to be done, but it's time to go back to the drawing board.

Taken from: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/10/bachmann-signs-pledge-to-build-double-fence-along-entire-border-by-2013/

Rick Perry Educates Illegals

As the election campaign rolls forward with all deliberate speed, Texas governor and 2012 presidential candidate Rick Perry still wants lower in-state tuition for illegal immigrants. His campaign spokesman predicts thats where he'll likely stay too for the entire election as he tries to draw more attention to his create jobs platform.

"It's unfortunate to see Gov. Perry being part of the parade on the backs of the undocumented and the immigrant community," said Trey Martinez Fischer, a Democratic state representative who chairs the Mexican American Legislative Caucus in the Texas legislature.

Republican candidates walk a fine line in gaining Hispanic support. Perry's moderate immigration policies have given him significant Hispanic backing in previous elections. The views expressed by Governor Perry on immigration certainly aren't radical which may prove helpful in the general election as well.

Mr. Perry has recently apologized for a statement he made calling his opponents "heartless" for not creating education opportunities for illegal immigrants. He's sorry for what he said but he has yet to buckle under the opposition and switch views which may prove advantageous for him in the election.

Consistency is attractive in a candidate but adamancy doesn't prove you're right Mr. Perry.

Taken from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204450804576625263692859964.html

Environmentally Friendly Immigration

Until last week, laws protecting the "endangered" environment were hindering border control from ironically controlling the border. Why? Because our nation has become so obsessed with preserving every blade or grass, flower blossom, and uncontaminated square foot of land in this country. I'm pro-"save the planet" but in the game of illegal alien hide and seek do the benefits of a few bushes and wildflowers outweight the cost of these illegals crossing our border?

Thanks to Utah Governor Rob Bishop, these laws are no longer impeding and hindering our nations effort to control the border. The bill was obviously much appreciated. It passed 26-17.

"The policies of the United States unfortunately and unwittingly make it easier for illegals to come across public lands," Bishop said Wednesday at a House Natural Resources Committee meeting.

Let's not be too critical. Border control does have access to land reluctantly granted by the baysitters of environment protection, but they unfortunately(and possibly all too conveniently for environmentalist) can't can't use it without permission. What a novel idea.

"Agents 'cannot secure the border if they cannot access the border' said officers in The National Association of Former Border Patrol.

Taken from http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/10/05/house-panel-approves-bill-to-lift-environmental-regulations-that-impede-border/?intcmp=obnetwork

A Modern Day Ellis Island

Kwon. Garcia. O'reilly. If you were born lucky, one of these last names might just be your golden ticket to a subsidized college degree in the American education system. And it’s certainly not the luck of the Irish or ancient ancestral honor.

Since taking office in the Texas state government over ten years ago, Governor Rick Perry has taken careful precautions not to ostracize the Hispanic population in America. And as the governor of the largest border state in the nation, the 2012 GOP candidate claims to have expertise on the issues at hand regarding the Mexican-American border.

In 2001, Perry fully supported a law in the Texas government that would potentially allow illegal alien students to receive in state tuition at local Texas universities at a cheaper cost than legals with official in-state documentation.

Perry’s rivals in the 2012 debate offer only criticism for his soft tactics to woo the Hispanic vote. His rebuttal: you’re heartless.

“If you say that we should not educate children who have come into our state for no other reason than they've been brought there by no fault of their own, I don't think you have a heart," Perry said.

Perry doesn’t believe it’s the American way to not provide education opportunities for its residents, legal or alien. “The bottom line is, it doesn't make any difference what the sound of your last name is. That is the American way,” Perry said.

Earning your college degree just might have more to do with how you introduce yourself to financial aid advisor on the first day than what you actually study during the whole semester.

Taken from

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/09/28/heartless-immigration-stance-may-help-perry-woo-hispanics/

The value of a Hispanic Vote

What would you do for a Hispanic vote? Learn Spanish, dance the Macarena, develop a tolerance for jalapeño peppers? How about change your platform on illegal immigration?

As the 2012 presidential election approaches, the number of Hispanics living and working here in the United States is a fast growing demographic that continues to increase at a steady rate. This years presidential candidates are finding that new statistic hard to ignore, and in response are reevaluating their stand on immigration.

Unemployment, health care, foreign policy, the economy, and immigration are some of the many pressing issues on the ticket this election. But for candidates in the GOP, concerns of immigration seems to be their all access pass in the quest to rally support from potential young Hispanic voters.

The possibility of Hispanics in the United States being illegal immigrants themselves is high, but the GOP doesn't think it is worth taking a chance by not targeting Hispanics in their campaign strategies.

Some candidates in the GOP and RNC have even gone as far as producing Spanish language TV commercials. This however has only received scrutiny due to studies revealing that most voters of the Hispanic race are English speakers as well.

Immigration is a sensitive issue for many potential Hispanic voters who may probably still have strong ties to their native countries and family members struggling to cross the border. This issue therefore is a sensitive topic for many candidates as well as they are hesitant to walk the fine line and cross boundaries themselves in pressing the issue.

Taken from

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/the_gop_challenge_on_immigration_kLHJJFbkgYEtNmFatxEFUK