Bush Defends Immigration Deal

President Slams Critics Who Say Plan Offers Amnesty To Illegal Immigrants

(CBS/AP)  At a training center for Border Patrol and immigration agents, President Bush offered a rhetorical confrontation Tuesday to critics of his immigration plan, CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller reports.

"I'm sure you've heard some of the talk out there, people defining the bill. It's clear they haven't read the bill," Mr. Bush said. "They're speculating about what the bill says and they're trying to rile up people's emotions."

Mr. Bush appealed to skeptics of the plan to give it a chance, saying it will make the borders more secure and treat illegal immigrants with respect — but not amnesty.

"My answer to the skeptics is, 'Give us a chance to fix the problems in a comprehensive way that enforces our border and treats people with decency and respect. Give us a chance to fix this problem. Don't try to kill this bill before it gets moving,'" Mr. Bush said.

He attacked opponents of the plan, suggesting they "don't want to do what's right for America."

"The fundamental question is, will elected officials have the courage necessary to put a comprehensive immigration plan in place," Mr. Bush said against a backdrop of a huge American flag at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.

He described his proposal, which has been accepted by a bipartisan group of senators, as one that "makes it more likely we can enforce our border and at the same time uphold the great immigrant tradition of the United States of America."

Mr. Bush spoke at the nation's largest training center for law enforcement. He chose the get-tough setting as a counter to conservative critics' ferocious denunciation of a Senate proposal as being soft on people who break the law. Hoping to blunt that message, Mr. Bush emphasized that any new options for immigrants and foreign workers would not start until tougher security is in place.

The presidential stop came during a congressional recess, with senators back home and facing pressure from both left and right on the immigration plan. His aim is to build momentum for the legislation, perhaps his best chance for a signature victory in his second term. The Senate expects to resume debate on it next week.

Mr. Bush repeatedly cast the matter as one of political courage.

"Those determined to find fault with this bill will always be able to look at a narrow slice of it and find something they don't like," the president said. "If you want to kill the bill, if you don't want to do what's right for America, you can pick one little aspect out of it.

"You can use it to frighten people," Mr. Bush said, "or you can show leadership and solve this problem once and for all."

The bill would give temporary legal status to millions of unlawful immigrants, provided they came forward, paid a fine and underwent criminal background checks. To apply for a green card, evidence of legal residency, they would have to pay another fine, learn English, return to their home country and wait in line.

The plan also would create a guest worker program. It would allow foreign laborers to come to the United States on a temporary basis, but with no guarantee they eventually could gain citizenship.

Both the new visa plan and the temporary worker program are contingent on other steps coming first. Those include fencing and barriers along the Mexico border, the hiring of more Border Patrol agents and the completion of an identification system to verify employees' legal status.

The legislation also would reshape future immigration decisions. A new point system would prioritize skills and education over family in deciding who can immigrate.

Georgia's senators both played leading roles in producing Mr. Bush's deal with the Senate. However, they have also said they may not support the final bill, depending upon how it is amended.

[peter776-2009]

Ozilot, I respectfully disagree. The issue of illegal immigration is crystal clear: Millions of uninvited people have invaded my country and they need to go back wherever they came from. The sooner the better. You are correct in your observation that greed is driving this invasion, but it is not the greed of the average person in this country driving this debacle. That honor belongs to the wealthy and the corrupt politicians, who just can't pass up the chance to have a team of virtual slaves in their backyards pruning their roses for pennies on the dollar, or manning their turkey packing plants with people who will not demand a living wage. We have a relatively new phenomenon in this country, namely the ever-increasing concentration of wealth in the hands of the very few (1% of the population in the US now owns 38% of the country's wealth) that is merging with illegal immigration to produce a disaster for this Republic the likes of which have never been seen before. Our culture , our institutions and our democracy are in peril from these twin evils. We average American citizens need to take our government back from the rich and the corrupt, and demand that government act in OUR INTEREST.

[bellal-2009]

If we truly want to fix illegal immigrantion perhaps we need to help those countries, especially Latin AmericaPosted by ozilot at 06:38 AM : May 31, 2007


Well, on this we agree but the Hugo Chavez's and Fidel Castros' of Latin America are not the answer.

[bellal-2009]

But the fact is that consumer demand has motivated businesses and other parties to encourage in not outright participate in smuggling people into this country with little to no consequences...
Posted by ozilot at 03:45 PM : May 31, 2007

I disagree, ozilot, it's twisted logic to think that undocumented labor has any place in a real economy. Demand didn't create this problem greed created this problem. You can have a huge demand for anything if it's cheap enough. The whole argument is ridiculous.... I think I need a couple dozen undocumented workers to help me make jam and sell it for less than anyone who uses legitamate labor. Obviously there will be a demand because it's cheaper than the competition.

[frankinaz]

Starting with Mexico, and many other countries:
These countries need to clean-up their own societies! What is really bothersome is the fact that this country sends out millions of dollars in aid and assistance to countries such as Mexico and others, but very liitle of that money is received by those who need it the most: The common citizens. It is pocketed by the corrupt top leaders and their corrupt governments. Then many of those common citizens enter this country
illegally, and further burden the legal U. S.
taxpayers with their problems. This "double dipping" of legal American taxpayers is absurd, ludicrous, and it needs to end now!

[realpatriot1]

nottellin1,

I'm doing so well that I'm over $20,000 in debt.

There are plenty of people in far worse shape than me so I consider myself fortunate but by no means comfortable.

[coffeehead-2009]

After all it isn't as if the world said "oh look there is America" IT WAS AMERICA SAYING "SEE WE ARE PROPEROUS AND FREE, GIVE US YOUR WEAK YOUR POOR YOUR TIRED..." and now we are upset that people bought into this argument and are coming!

Well - that was in consideration of "mayflower americans" (I've decided that is the title of those of us who have generations of funding invested in this country. NOW? Well now wer are ALL WEAK TIRED and POOR and I find it very selfish to suck off the "weak tired and poor".
Besides - tell our original settlers that they would have to give THEIR food, homes and future earnings to these newcomers and the statue of liberty would have come down ages ago.
No one buys any argument today - we just are irrelevent. No welfare payments and I'm in on the plan...


Low-skilled legal immigrants and illegal aliens in the U.S. are receiving much more in federal social welfare benefits than they pay in taxes at a net cost of $89 billion a year to American taxpayers, according to a Heritage Foundation study.
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20070524-104520-5637r.htm

[coffeehead-2009]

After all it isn't as if the world said "oh look there is America" IT WAS AMERICA SAYING "SEE WE ARE PROPEROUS AND FREE, GIVE US YOUR WEAK YOUR POOR YOUR TIRED..." and now we are upset that people bought into this argument and are coming!

Well - that was in consideration of "mayflower americans" (I've decided that is the title of those of us who have generations of funding invested in this country. NOW? Well now wer are ALL WEAK TIRED and POOR and I find it very selfish to suck off the "weak tired and poor".
Besides - tell our original settlers that they would have to give THEIR food, homes and future earnings to these newcomers and the statue of liberty would have come down ages ago.
No one buys any argument today - we just are irrelevent. No welfare payments and I'm in on the plan...


Low-skilled legal immigrants and illegal aliens in the U.S. are receiving much more in federal social welfare benefits than they pay in taxes at a net cost of $89 billion a year to American taxpayers, according to a Heritage Foundation study.
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20070524-104520-5637r.htm

[peter776-2009]

The illegal immigration issue has nothing to do with race -- it has to do with millions of people who, uninvited, have invaded my country without permission and now expect to be granted amnesty. What kind of thinking could ever logically lead to such an expectation? The rules are for everyone -- not just some and not others. If illegal immigrants can't even follow basic rules like entering the country legally, then they obviously do not belong here and should go home without passing Go. This is a very simple issue that should never be permitted to be clouded by the confused, vacuous, disingenuous cries of "racism" spouted by those like Ozilot and RandalIDS.

[nottellin1]

You've already stated that your husband has a successful business, that you own 3.5 acres, and you grow your own food and raise your own meat. Congratulations, you've done well. Why not give someone else a chance?
Posted by realpatriot1

You must be doing really well too because apparently you are not seeing that if these invaders are legitimized by this bill, it will be detrimental to the lives of many middle class Americans and will REMOVE THEIR CHANCE to do well.

[realpatriot1]

toldyouso,

I do have an answer for your question. If the people in the "legal line"(more on that later) want the jobs they can already apply for them. Apparently, there are no takers to your plan in the "legal line". Naturalized citizens could get the jobs too. Again, no takers.

Now let's talk about people waiting in the legal line. What are these people waiting on? These are people here working waiting on citizenship. Undocumented workers aren't keeping them from jobs, they have jobs. Undocumented workers aren't making the citizenship process take any longer either, government bureaucrats are doing that.
The legal line argument is totally bogus.

If someone can sneak across the border, forge a social security card and get a job picking tomatoes 7 days a week then why can't you hard working Americans who are blaming them for stealing your jobs?

Toldyouso, you've already stated that your husband has a successful business, that you own 3.5 acres, and you grow your own food and raise your own meat. Congratulations, you've done well. Why not give someone else a chance?

[nottellin1]

Not one to be left out, here is a bit of a plan to address the "jobs we won't do part".

Here is a better plan:

1. Secure the border. I%u2019m quite sure it will cost less than 2.5 TRILLION dollars.

2. Give authorities (law enforcement, border guards, TSA, etc) the authority to detain & deport illegal aliens without the courts. Either you are here legally or bye, bye. It can be written into a law that people shown to be here illegally do NOT GET THEIR DAY IN COURT.

3. Once the borders are really secure, we%u2019ll consider a limited number of %u201Cguest workers%u201D.

Bottom line: yes , we want to identify who is actually here, but we don%u2019t necessarily want them to stay.

Rather than make it easier to live her illegally, we need to make it harder. If employers stopped hiring illegal%u2019s, no more pay check, they would leave.

[klingon69]

Ahhhh. so you have never heard my solutions? There is a part 1 and 2 Here they are:

1. Principals of any company of any size face a 10K fine for each illegal they are caught employing. IST offense

2. Principals of any company committing additional offenses face mandatory 1 year to 5 years in prison. If a 3rd offense the business is confiscated and resold on the open market

3. Any American citizen caught aiding or abetting the harboring of an illegal or fleeing illegal is guilty of a felony and for the first offense will get probation, additional offenses, mandatory prison time

4. Illegals when caught (and they can easily be caught, look at the Walmart, hotels, restaurants, home depot, WIC office, hospitals, schools, Six flags, race tracks, etc) are deported the first time. REcurring offense mandatory prison time.

Those in prison are leased out as prison labor to migrant farms for a nominal fee--but no money goes home and the incentive to sneak here is gone.


Posted by toldyouso21 at 04:44 PM : May 30, 2007

Yes, this would be a workable idea. Good going

[starleo146]

Give it to them toldyouso. they just don't get it racism, racism this is illegal versus legal.

[toldyouso21]

Yep. Nothing uglier than a minority racist who always screams racism--I had to distill it down to just the salient comment you made--enjoy...and please feel free to show my comparable remarks you little racist, you. rotflmao:

already told go ahead send the illegals back...I can at least aford to have white people do my laundry, mow my lawn, clean my house (oops a white lady is already doing that...but my former Brazilian maid did a better job!)

Taxing corporations that take away jobs from the U.S...if that could have been done it would have. Your other suggestion of increasing taxes on imported goods...so instead of $3.50 a gallon of gas you want to pay $10.00 gallon...be my guest Posted by ozilot at 04:22 PM : May 30, 2007

[toldyouso21]

Here is my comment about racism to you ozilot--note who called out racial slurs and who does not? But maybe to you--racism is only what is said about YOUR race and not what you say about others, right? LOL

BTW, we equate illegals with Hispanics because the majority who come here illegally and stay are Hispanic. As for my racism--perhaps it is time we do embrace a little bit of that--because racism is really to be cognizant of race and the ramifications of such--either to the detriment of other races or in defense of one's on. And your last remark about crackers--sounds pretty racist and also lets us know exactly the mind set we are all dealing with--now...we just have to imagine a bunch of people with your and La Raza's mindset in charge of this country.

Think you won't be racist? You and your ilk will be more racist than any white group ever thought of being--just look at the Sudan, Haiti, Cuba etc--racism does not begin and end with whites--every group does it--at least whites DO give other groups some kind of chance--which is a lot more than most races do.
Posted by toldyouso21 at 09:33 AM : May 30, 2007

[toldyouso21]

ozilot: here is one of your remarks--you can post my racist remarks at anytime. LOL

By the way toldyouso, when was the last time you did anything for the country besides wave your racist rag?

"You crackers make me laugh and cry at the same time!


Posted by ozilot at 09:21 AM : May 30, 2007"

[toldyouso21]

Yes. I realize in the last 2 posts, I had more than 2 questions--because once I started writing I realized that the proponents never address any of those points. They just resort to calling me a racist, crazy--the sort of tactics people use, when they have no real arguement.

I love the remarks of ozilot calling me racist--especially after posting how a white woman is his maid but does not know how to clean as good as a Brazilian maid he had. but then, those who point fingers-----ah well. Look closely, RandalDS and ozilot are the racists--they just fail to see it, because they are rooting for illegal actions committed by persons of color ---so they told themselves that made it alright and everyone who deplores it--racists. LOL

[toldyouso21]

THEY SAY: "At least this is an attempt to fix the problem, we have to try something"

I ask: What is the difference between the fix of 1986 and now? (except for the fence)--most don't know what the fixes of 1986 were supposed to be. (the same as now) NO ANSWER
*****************************************
THEY SAY: "this time we will have enforceable laws that we know will work"

I say: most are the same laws and they were not enforced by choice, why do you think this time is different? NO ANSWER
******************************************
THEY SAY: "we have to do something to get this under control, we can't possibly deport them all, we can't even find them"

I say: The same was said in 1986, which is why we still have another, larger problem now, and how can we say something cannot be done that is not even attempted? NO ANSWER
*************************************
If the above issues are really the issues, then we can enforce the laws, penalize and get rid of the law breakers and reward those who followed the law--replace the illegal immigrants with ones from the legal line--and enact and enforce laws which send employers and companies who ignore them to prison.

[toldyouso21]

I find it very interesting that proponents of illegal amnesty NEVER address these 2 questions that I have asked in response to their justifications for illegal immigration.

THEY say: "They do the jobs Americans won't do and if they leave our economies will collapse."

I ask: Why don't we replace the illegal immigrants with ones from the Legal lines and make working in certain industries for a certain period of time a stipulation for coming here?
NO ANSWER
*****************************************
THEY Say: "The illegals are escaping terrible conditions in their countries and most are honest and hard working --we just want to give them a chance, , just like previous generations of immigrants have had (including YOUR ancestors)"

I ask: The immigrants in the legal lines are also coming from horrendous conditions, may be honest and hard working, where is their chance, why should the needs of the line jumpers trump the needs and place in line of the ones who obey the law?" NO ANSWER
*******************************************
THEY SAY: "Americans who are against illegals are just racists hiding behind the 'law' they really just want to keep out Hispanics or other people of color"

I ask: "What do you imagine the legal lines are mostly made up of? Most are people of color and we welcome them" NO ANSWER

Then, they will talk about how long this post is--but they won't address the questions/comments

end of part 1

[rodm54]

Illegal aliens and the Americans who hire them at the expense of other citizens are cheaters.

A pox on both houses.