The President's Speech
Frankly, I didn't watch the speech but I just finished reading the transcript of it & found a number of new things that I liked. Let's get to what I liked:
The bottom line on all this is that President Bush has outlined a serious, comprehensive plan that puts the pressure on the House and Senate to adopt most of the key provisions of his plan.
While the President's plan is getting criticized by Tom Tancredo and others of that mindset, I think the blueprint that he's put together will appeal to most serious people.
Originally posted Monday, May 15, 2006, revised 16-May 1:45 AM
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First, the United States must secure its borders. This is a basic responsibility of a sovereign nation. It is also an urgent requirement of our national security. Our objective is straightforward: The border should be open to trade and lawful immigration, and shut to illegal immigrants, as well as criminals, drug dealers, and terrorists.I loved that segment because he emphasized the "basic responsibility of a sovereign nation" and the "urgent requirement of our national security." Both points needed to be highlighted and he highlighted them early to have maximum impact.
We will construct high-tech fences in urban corridors, and build new patrol roads and barriers in rural areas. We'll employ motion sensors, infrared cameras, and unmanned aerial vehicles to prevent illegal crossings. America has the best technology in the world, and we will ensure that the Border Patrol has the technology they need to do their job and secure our border.These are important components in building the right infrastructure to prevent illegal aliens to make it into America. It provides for both a deterrent and for enforcement of our borders. Neither can be emphasized enough.
Training thousands of new Border Patrol agents and bringing the most advanced technology to the border will take time. Yet the need to secure our border is urgent. So I'm announcing several immediate steps to strengthen border enforcement during this period of transition:I'll be keeping a watchful eye on whether these things get done as a measuring stick for how serious the administration is about enforcement and sovereignty.
One way to help during this transition is to use the National Guard. So, in coordination with governors, up to 6,000 Guard members will be deployed to our southern border. The Border Patrol will remain in the lead. The Guard will assist the Border Patrol by operating surveillance systems, analyzing intelligence, installing fences and vehicle barriers, building patrol roads, and providing training.
...we'll increase federal funding for state and local authorities assisting the Border Patrol on targeted enforcement missions. We will give state and local authorities the specialized training they need to help federal officers apprehend and detain illegal immigrants. State and local law enforcement officials are an important part of our border security and they need to be a part of our strategy to secure our borders.Making local authorities part of "targeted enforcement missions" is smart. It's just another tool to beef up the enforcement and security forces.
More than 85 percent of the illegal immigrants we catch crossing the southern border are Mexicans, and most are sent back home within 24 hours. But when we catch illegal immigrants from other country [sic] it is not as easy to send them home. For many years, the government did not have enough space in our detention facilities to hold them while the legal process unfolded. So most were released back into our society and asked to return for a court date. When the date arrived, the vast majority did not show up. This practice, called "catch and release," is unacceptable, and we will end it.THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR. ENDING CATCH AND RELEASE OF ILLEGAL ALIENS IS A MUST!!! IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!
We've expanded the number of beds in our detention facilities, and we will continue to add more. We've expedited the legal process to cut the average deportation time. And we're making it clear to foreign governments that they must accept back their citizens who violate our immigration laws. As a result of these actions, we've ended "catch and release" for illegal immigrants from some countries. And I will ask Congress for additional funding and legal authority, so we can end "catch and release" at the southern border once and for all. When people know that they'll be caught and sent home if they enter our country illegally, they will be less likely to try to sneak in.The bottom line is that capabilities are being put in place that will make attempting illegal border crossings less profitable. It's the equivalent of putting in a security alarm on your vehicle.
...we need to hold employers to account for the workers they hire. It is against the law to hire someone who is in this country illegally. Yet businesses often cannot verify the legal status of their employees because of the widespread problem of document fraud. Therefore, comprehensive immigration reform must include a better system for verifying documents and work eligibility. A key part of that system should be a new identification card for every legal foreign worker. This card should use biometric technology, such as digital fingerprints, to make it tamper-proof. A tamper-proof card would help us enforce the law, and leave employers with no excuse for violating it. And by making it harder for illegal immigrants to find work in our country, we would discourage people from crossing the border illegally in the first place.This sounds alot like what Newt proposed this past March. I couldn't agree more with the idea.
The bottom line on all this is that President Bush has outlined a serious, comprehensive plan that puts the pressure on the House and Senate to adopt most of the key provisions of his plan.
While the President's plan is getting criticized by Tom Tancredo and others of that mindset, I think the blueprint that he's put together will appeal to most serious people.
Originally posted Monday, May 15, 2006, revised 16-May 1:45 AM
No comments.
