by John Hill
Stand With Arizona
Tonight the GOP candidates debated at the Reagan Library. There was a (far too) brief section on immigration. I must say first I found it inappropriate that the immigration questions of the candidates were asked by an anchor from the Spanish-language network which shamelessly pimps amnesty for illegals – Telemundo. That aside, let’s review the key points that each candidate put forward on the subject…
PERRY: Said we need “boots on the ground”, “drones in the air…secure the border”, and “only then” can we have an “intellectually appropriate discussion” about immigration reform (did not elaborate on his vision for “reform”). Referring to Obama’s speech in El Paso earlier this year, Perry said either Obama has “the worst intel of any president” ever, or he was “an abject liar to the american people” in his claims that the border has never been more secure.
ROMNEY: We need a fence, and ganets to man that fence. But said the “most important thing” agents tell him is that people come here because of the “magnet”. “Stop the ‘magnet’”…no jobs, no tution breaks for illegals (slam at Perry’s support for such in TX), no benefits, no amnesty. Take care of those coming in legally, and “stop giving a break” to those here illegally.
GINGRICH: Reagan only signed (and he supported) the 1986 amnesty because of promises that the border would be secured…it wasn’t. Said we need a legal guestworker program “outsourced to American Express and Visa” to avoid “fraud” English official language, new immigrants must learn American history (and american kids should too). Said we can’t deport people here 25 yrs and married with kids. Can’t deport them all.
SANTORUM: Praised LEGAL immigration, such as his anscestors. Says to come “according to the rules”. Said an immigrant’s “first action in America should be a legal one not an illegal one”. No ‘reform’, no more amnesty like 1986 – “no way”. Secure the border first, then we’ll talk.
BACHMANN: We are dealing in Mexico with narco-terrorists. To “not to secure the border is to give up American sovereignty”. Telemundo guy pressed repeatedly on what to do with the “11 million” here illegally. Bachmann said she spoke to legal Hispanics in Florida recently who said they want to “stop giving benefits to illegal aliens” and wanted to “stop giving benefits to their children” too. Said deporations needed to be handled in a ‘sequential’ manner, based on how long they have lived here, how they came, what crimes they have committed, etc. Bachmann said U.S. immigration system “worked great in 1950s and 1960s” when people had to show they arrived with “money in their pockets” and ”promised not to become a burden on the taxpayer”.
CAIN: Clean up the process to become legal citizens. Empower the states to do what the Federal government cannot and will not do (SB1070?)
HUNTSMAN: Said Reagan saw this as a “human issue”. Spoke in Reagan’s place using platitudes about compassion. Mentioned his two adopted daughters from China and India. Said legal immigration system is “broken” (which we usually hear from the other party’s candidates).
PAUL: Said states like Texas should not be forced to provide free healthcare and education to illegals. About a border fence, said America is “not about a barbed wire fence with guns”. Said “fences that keep the bad guys out may really be designed to keep us in”, restrict capital and human flows, etc.
So what did you think?
Loading ...UPDATE: If you missed the debate you can watch it in its entirety below. To see just the immigration section, go to the 60:35 mark:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
All of them were weak on the subject. How can we deport millions of illegals? Cut off the jobs and they’ll self-deport. Proven fact. My friends’ family went back home. One was deported after her 8th shoplifting conviction, however.
A fence to keep US IN? When is the last time you heard of a legal US citizen trying to cross the border into Mexico at a point other than a legal border crossing? Put up a damn fence that is hard to get past and make sure it is effectively patrolled! Stop the flow AND get the criminals already here back where they belong. And don’t give them any reason to come back (no aid, no medical care, no amnesty, no education, no work, etc.). If they want to come back, they are welcome to do so just ike all the other LEGAL immigrants have.
Put up that fence and electrify it. warning signs all over and touch at your own risk.
arrest their asses and send them right back over. put a microchip in them and if they come back, throw them in sheriff arpayo jail or one like it.
None of these specimens have a concrete plan to fix a long broken system.
There should be one more option in the vote section above, which should read NONE.
Every canidate thinks he or she can blow smoke. If the immigration issue is that simple, why hasn’t anything been done about it already. All they do is yap, yap and criticize each other. I have yet to see one canidate not compare past presidents and instead focus on his or her new ideas to get our country out of this mess.
It is a human issue and must be dealth in an appropriate manner. America donates billions to rescue people all over the world struck by calamity, but yet we can’t rescue those who work in our very own land doing the dirtiest jobs to make our lives more comfortable. Charity begins at home my friends. Regan was a man of wisdom. We prospered in the 80′s and 90′s.
First, I would not support any candidate who wants “immigration reform.” Our immigration system is not broken, but instead it is not being enforced. Our immigration system has allowed millions of people from around the world to peacefully and fairly come here in a legal manner. Changing the immigration rules to accommodate millions of people who chose to break our laws is wrong.
Why does nobody talk about what we can do to change Mexico. We should demand more from our southern neighbor. They need to make major changes so that their citizens don’t feel the need to leave by the millions. In 1970 there were 760,000 Mexican immigrants living in the U.S., while in 2008 there were 12.7 million Mexicans living in the U.S. About 11% of everyone born in Mexico is currently living in the U.S.
A vote for Ron Paul is for far left drug dealing, OPEN BORDERS, iran *sslicking and eventually a vote FOR OBAMA.
Paul raises good questions about the Fed but otherwise he is STARK RAVING CRAZY and most of his supporters are either stoners, on meds for schizophrenia (or should be) or are far leftists with short hair cuts.
Get off our planet you dumf*ck paulistinians, You’re either stupider than dirt or you’re all PLAYING INTO OBAMA.
I would agree that none of the candidates took a firm stance. The border must be closed first. Otherwise it would be paramount to bailing out a sinking boat with a huge hole in the hull; a losing battle. Yes, you must penalize the companies that hire illegals. As far as how do you deport eleven million, one at a time. If you came into the USA illegally, you must first leave and then apply for a visa so that you can come in to this country legally. Then you may apply for citizenship, just like generations of immigrants have done to create our great nation. Allowing these law breakers amnesty is a slap in the face to our forefathers, all of which were immigrants. Our ancestors all came here from somewhere else, unless of course you happen to be native american. I like Perry, but not the stance on this important issue. Illegal is illegal , cut and dry.
Evidently you have no clue of the current rules. You might not have even heard of the 10 years bar. Maybe you should read some of the criteria that would apply for those already here, to have them leave and then apply legally. Besides if you think they will leave by themselves or by force, you are living a dream. Let me put it this way, you and the others who think like you would give up before the give in. Look whats going on, they have jobs and the citizens don’t have any. What does that tell you? Wake up Sir. Ken. History doesn’t lie, they are going no where. Common sense approach is to put a fully implemented system in place while putting those already here on a conditional path to getting straight with the law.
Sadly, this won’t work. Most of the people that were here illegally didn’t take Reagan on the Amnesty back then. Why? I’ll ask another question that’ll explain why they didn’t. Why should they? They were getting everything they wanted and not having to pay into our system whatsoever. They weren’t really paying taxes. They had PAID FOR healthcare because most of them don’t fall under the system and have no reportable income- and therefore are eligible for Medicaid and other assistance. Becoming a Citizen wipes out access to those things- so taking us up on Amnesty would cut their nose off to spite their face.
I watched the debate from start to finish. I really believe Herman Cain knows what he is talking about and I believe he means what he says, and says, in all honesty, what he would do.
He is not an insider and knows how to get this country back on track. He may not be experienced a lot in foreign affairs, but, believe it or not, he knows a heck of a lot more than Obummer does. I believe he knows a lot more than people give him credit for.
“He’s not an insider” Really? I’d have thought one might’ve said that about Bachmann, but Cain’s technically been part of this same crowd through the job he held at the Fed.
Interesting that Bachman mentioned the 50′s and 60′s. Growing up in San Diego county during those decades, I know that area had a lot of illegals. Almost everyone had an illegal immigrant cleaning lady/housekeeper. Iowa, where Bachman lived until she was 13, is not a border state. They were all walking on eggs when it came to talking about illegals, and Ron Paul’s answer appears to show that he has a persecution complex if he thinks the border fence is keeping him in. I can promise that he is more than free to leave.
Bachman is wasting her money and our time. She is definitely walking on egg shells now. One would imagine she would have learnt a thing or two from Palin. Maybe it’s just to have it on her resume that she was a nominee in the race. Sad truth, it ain’t gonna happen for her.
I THINK THAY NEED TO PROVE THAY ARE AGENST ILLEGALS THAT ARE HERE LIVEING OFF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ,,MONEY OUR GRAND FATHERS AND DADS PAID INTO THE SYSTEM FOR THEIR WHOLE LIFE ,,SO IT WOULD BE A GREAT COUNTRY ,,IT WAS WORKING GREAT TILL ABOUT 1985 ,THEN IT STARTED ,,FALLING INTO THE DUMPS ,,, THEN IN 1998 IT WAS ON A DOWN HILL ROLL ,, THEN IN 2008 IT HIT LOW BOTTOM ,,AND IS SINKING DEEPER EVERY DAY … 2012 WILL BRING CHANGE ,NOT LIKE THE CHANGE WE GOT SO FAR ,,
We have a great immigration system, it works when it’s enforced. Send the people home, tell them there is a legal way to come into the country, and we welcome their desire to become American citizens. What we have is, immigrants that want to change it into what they left behind. I have no interest in becoming what others are fleeing. . .
None of them addressed the severity of the situation in a problem solving manner. At this point we are still lacking a good candidate. Close the borders by any means possible even if it means a 20 foot high wall with razor wire at the to top, machine guns, rockets and armed guards with orders to “shoot to kill” any illegal that tries to cross the border. The terrorists you keep out may save your life, the lives of family and friends and your country. Deport anyone not legally here ASAP no questions asked. Round’em up, ship’em out by any possible means and keep’em out!! Stop any type of immigration until our country is stable and our economy is back to the good side. No more welfare for any immigrant or healthcare. If they come into a hospital seeking treatment, treat them after calling INS or ICE and let them pick them up as they get off the treatment table. No more babiesase citizens just because they are born here to illegal parents. I’d your parents aren’t legal…YOU AREN’T LEGAL!! It’s not rocket science folks…. It’s just old fashioned values and common sense. If you don’t have enough food to put on the table for your family and can’t afford to buy more you don’t “invite” extra people to come dinner.
I agree 100% Nancy. The only person who understands the situation is Governor Jan Brewer. It’s too bad she’s not a Presidential candidate. She doesn’t back down. She’s fighting the federal government in court because she sees the crime, sees the danger of living anywhere near the border in Arizona. She’s seen ranchers and Border Control agents murdered by illegals. Now the drug cartels have taken up positions on the Mexican side of the border willing to kill anyone who tries to stop their drug smuggling, human trafficking and any other illegal activities they pursue.
I urge anyone who has any doubt about the urgency of keeping illegals out of our country to watch the show “Border Wars” on National Geographic. There have also been shows about the most dangerous prisons in The United States. Besides paying for their incarceration they are feared by even the most vicious prison gangs.
No amnesty of any kind. Send illegals back to Mexico no matter how cruel it seems. Our country and legal Americans have to come first during this time of economic disaster.
The only candidate that says he’ll be tough on illegal immigrants was Mitt Romney. I was not a fan of Mr. Romney but if he’s not just selling lip service then I’m going to take a closer look at his policies.
My solution to the illegal immigrant problem is severe and unpopular. 1st time violators of our border should get two freebies; ONE, a free ride back to the other side of the border and, TWO, a red X tattooed on their forhead. The second violation of our border allows the Border Patrol and concerned citizens to use the red X as a target to sight in on and blow their heads off…
I’m a little scare of Perry’s decision making regarding two issues which is forcing 12 years old to take vaccination and a highest execution of prisoners. We, as parents have right to decide if we are going to vaccinate our kids or not. Sometimes, the judges are wrong to execute wrong people who didn’t commit any murders so I’m afraid that Governor Perry is cutting everything by right or wrong. I prefer Mitt Romney who seemed to be more calm and better decision by working together with other leaders but not dictate like Perry so we will vote for Mitt Romney who has more detailed plan for the economy in his hands.
Don’t know Perry Well:)
What?s Going down i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I have found It positively useful and it has aided me out loads. I hope to give a contribution & help different users like its helped me. Good job.