Immigration articles

Republican National Hispanic Assembly

These are news articles and editorials on issues related to immigration.

President Regan

"I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it and see it still."

Ronald Reagan,
Farewell Address January 11, 1989

2006

Apr. 9. Debate on immigration bill gets heated
Speaker Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Frist: "It remains our intent to produce a strong border security bill that will not make unlawful presence in the United States a felony".
Mar 30. Immigration and the GOP: Is It Still The Party of Regan or Tom Tancredo?
The immigration debate is making party leaders think of what might be the repercussions of this debate and how will it effect the future of the party?
Mar 30. A Nation of (numerous) Laws: Immigration Foes Just Want a Little Respect
The US is a nations of laws. this principle is a bedrock of our country. The article takes a look at current legislation, the law beakers and law makers and the growing negative sentiments.
Mar 30. American Dreams, Foreign Flags
Linda Chavez talks about the thousands of Hispanic marchers with foreign flags on the American streets protesting the immigration bill, but also that like every generation of immigrants before them, Latinos start out on the bottom rungs of the economic ladder, but they don't stay there. 2nd and 3rd generation Hispanics speak fluent English, attend college and are the Hispanics in general are the largest growing small business owners in the nation.
Mar 30. Bush Right To Take Stand
Bush has used much of his political capital on selling his comprehensive immigration plan. Conservatives should support a guest worker program, facts speak for themselves, here is why.
Mar 30. GOP Risking Hispanic Votes On Immigration
The battle among Republicans over immigration policy and border security is threatening to undercut a decade-long effort by President Bush and his party to court Hispanic voters, just as both parties are gearing up for the 2006 elections
Mar 30. Mel Martinez: Point Man on Divisive Issue for the Senate
Senator Mel Martinez is serving as the bridge within the GOP on the issue of immigration He is the only foreign born member of the Senate..
Mar 28. Bob Dole's Old Running Mate Ponders Republican Strategies
Jack Kemp, who ran with Dole during his 1996 presidential bid, said the GOP needed to take cues from both the current illegal immigration debate and the racial and social implications of Hurricane Katrina to reach out to people whom he said the party often isolated.
Mar 23. Bush Tells Congress to Tone Down Immigration Talk and Pass Law
At a meeting held in the White House, President George W. Bush stated Congress had to tone down the immigration debate and remember American values.
Mar 20. Cantankerous Conservatism: replaces compassionate conservatism, at least for a moment.
Fred Barnes of the Weekly Standard writes talks about the political ramification of the current immigration debate, along with a laundry list of current national topics as part of a "paleoconservative" agenda. "The paleocon message is not an electoral winner--unless you believe voters are eager to hear ideas that are gloomy, negative, defeatist, isolationist, nativist, and protectionist," say Barnes
Mar 16. Senators Near Compromise On Immigration Reform
With a deadline quickly approaching members of the Judiciary Committee came to a quick compromise approving comprehensive reform.
Mar 16. First Orders Order Security First
Due to the sluggish delays in the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senate Majority Bill Frist will introduce his own version of immigration reform, with an emphasis on border security.
Mar 16. Business Groups Seek Senate Win After House Defeat
Citing the future economic prosperity of the U.S., Business groups lobby congress on behalf of a guest worker program and comprehensive reform.
Mar 15. Immigration Bill Deadline Still Stands
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist stands firm he will have an immigration bill on the Senate floor by the March 27 deadline.
Mar 15. Frist, Specter Jockeying Over Immigration Bill Deadline.
Senate Judiciary Committee is under a tight deadline, created by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. The Chairman and the Leader are debating what bill will hit the Senate Floor.
Mar 13. Immigration Leaves GOP in Tough Spot
The immigration bill buts the GOP between two important groups - the Latino voters - which the party has been courting and some ultra conservatives who make up a part of the GOP base. RNHA Chairman Pedro Celis quoted on the political ramifications of this debate.
Mar 11. All Cops, No Economics
Wall Street Journal. The immigration debate is finally picking up some Beltway steam, which is long overdue. The problem is that it's moving in a direction that could do real damage to the economy, not to mention to the Republican Party.
Mar 5. Not perfect but on the right track
San Diego Tribune. Specter wants to (1) create a temporary guest worker program that would allow hundreds of thousands of foreign workers to fill jobs in the United States for up to six years and (2) allow millions of illegal immigrants who are already here to remain indefinitely, provided they register with the Department of Homeland Security, pay back taxes, abide by the law and remain employed.
Feb 22. Mike Turner House Bill (H.R. 4437) falls short on immigration Reform
Congressman Mike Turner. My concern with the legislation is that it makes all illegal immigrants felons. The extreme punishments in the bill mandate that those who assist illegal aliens are also felons. If the Senate sends back to the House a bill that meets my guiding principles, without turning good Samaritans into felons, I look forward to the opportunity to vote for an immigration reform bill.
Feb 15. John Cornyn: Registration must be part of immigration reform
Dallas Morning News. A primary goal of immigration reform should be to secure our borders and protect this country from harm. Because screening the 10 million illegal aliens here will help reach those goals in the least amount of time, congress should advocate for both strong enforcement and a way to register and identify them.
Feb 9. Faith Communities Call for Immigration Reform
Christian Post. In a statement released last week, World Relief urged churches and congregants alike to push for comprehensive immigration reform..
Feb 2. President Takes Dual Tack on Immigration
Wall Street Journal. President bush drew big applause during his State of the Union address with a renewed call for "a rational, humane guest-worker program" to keep the economy humming. But that appeal came only after Mr. Bush issued a much sterner one first -- for tougher enforcement of immigration laws, more vigilance on the border and an immigration policy that "reflects our values."
Jan. 23. The Immigration Temptation
Recent history bears this out. Anti-immigration sentiment is a kind of fool's gold--apparently a winner, but invariably disappointing.

2005

Dec. 29. Tom Tancredo's Wall
WSJ. The Colorado Congressman tries to make America the world's biggest gated community.
Dec. 19. Hard liners do not speak for the GOP
Miami Herald. The Republican Party's traditional values will prevail in the end. Instead of trying punitively to enforce unrealistic law, the majority of the GOP will eventually come together around an immigration policy worthy of the label Republican -- one that encourages the American Dream and rewards work, even as it restores the rule of law and enhances national security.
Dec. 17. Boehner Votes “No” on Immigration Bill
Press Release. U.S. Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) last night voted against an illegal immigration bill he described as “well-intentioned but fatally flawed.”
SURVEY: The Terrance Group survey of registered likely GOP voters
Survey of attitudes of GOP voters as it relates to immigration reform and various proposals.
Dec. 13. Rules likely to reject guest worker legislation
The Rules Committee of the House of Representatives is likely to deny legislation allowing for a guest worker program as proposed by Representative Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and President Bush.
Dec. 9. Immigration Spin Control
The restrictionists (Jim Gilchrist, a third-party candidate backed by anti-immigrant conservatives) lost a special Congressional election in California that they'd been promoting for weeks in one of the nation's most conservative districts, only 2 hours from the boarder. Proving most Americans are not on their "ultra-conservative" side.
Nov. 29 Economic Growth and Immigration
REPORT. Immigration Policy Center. If the U.S. economy is to maintain at least 3 percent annual growth in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the coming decade and beyond, the U.S. labor force must continue to expand.
Nov. President Discusses Border Security and Immigration Reform in Arizona
The American people should not have to choose between a welcoming society and a lawful society. We can have both at the same time.
Nov. 16 Immigration Poised to be a Hot Topic in 2006
With the 2006 elections right around the corner, special focus is being placed on candidates and issues. It is no secret the Immigration will be at the forefront of the political debate. The attached article provides detailed analysis of the immigration issue, how it is shaping campaigns and even highlights key districts in the nation and the players in those races.
Nov. 8 Martinez vows immigration reform
Senator Mel Martinez of Florida announced he will be co-authoring a new immigration bill, as the subject is expected to hit the Senate floor early next year. The Senator feels current pieces of legislation do not successfully address the immigration problems.
Oct. 12. An intelligent immigration policy.
Virginia Cavalier Daily: Although illegal immigration has only recently become an issue in the Virginia governor's race, it has long been simmering across the country. Last month, Republican gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore raised the issue by denouncing a publicly funded gathering site for illegal immigrant day laborers in Herndon.
Oct. 6. Will Bush Step Up — or Let Immigration Issue Fester Further?.
Roll Call: It’s time for President Bush to demonstrate leadership on immigration reform before the issue splits his party and the country any further.
Sept. 26. Immigration – The Hispanic Presence.
CTPost: Editorial on how Immigration and how immigrants fulfill a huge business need in all sectors of the economy.
Sept. 23. Bush, Rove Press Congress on Immigration Reform.
LA Times: White House political strategist Karl Rove is offering lawmakers new details of an administration-backed guest worker program that would temporarily legalize the status of millions of illegal workers.
Sept. 21. Hispanics and Katrina.
Linda Chavez: It's hard to imagine now with the scars of Hurricane Katrina still fresh, but my bet is that the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast will be a boon to Hispanics in the region. There will be plenty of jobs to go around, and, as always, immigrants will be among the first lining up to do them. It's too bad Congress hasn't done its job as well, passing genuine immigration reform that would let more immigrants come legally to do those very jobs.
July 31. A free market includes labor.
LA Times:. The militarization of the Mexico-U.S. border has not increased the rate of arrest. Rather, it has reduced the probability of catching migrants to a 40-year low by channeling them to remote areas where their chances of capture are very small. . At remote border locations, however, the risk of death is greater. The mortality rate has tripled; 300 to 400 migrants die annually.
July 17. More Immigrants, More Jobs.
Wall Street Journal: For those of us who believe that the melting pot is a vital and unique feature of American society, this finding that the new immigrants are integrating into our modern economy is highly reassuring. Even more encouraging is the knowledge that a generous immigration policy can coexist with high rates of economic growth and low unemployment.
May 11. Hispanics trying prayers as shortcut over border.
Arizona Republic:. Concerned about the growing animosity toward undocumented immigrants epitomized by armed civilian patrols at the U.S.-Mexican border, some Hispanic Catholics hope to solve the illegal immigration problem through a different sort of tactic: prayer.
May 4. Immigration Reality Check.
WSJ:. "Seal the border" populists on cable news and talk radio maintain that anti-immigrant sentiment in the U.S. is ascendant. But a recent Senate vote shows more support for the type of guest-worker initiative that President Bush proposes.
Apr. 7. Voters Favor Work-Permit Immigration Reform.
Roll Call:. Despite massive agitation for a restrictionist immigration policy, a new poll shows surprising support for proposals to allow foreigners and illegal immigrants to obtain work permits and earn their way to citizenship.
Apr. 1. La Vida Robot.
Wired Magazine:. How four underdogs from the mean streets of Phoenix took on the best from M.I.T. in the national underwater bot championship. An example of the kind of kids that the "Dream Act" intends to help.
Mar 10. The Old and the New.
WSJ:. Everyone knows by now that two major items on President Bush's second-term agenda are Social Security and immigration reform. Less known is how closely related the issues are.
Feb. 28. Law and Borders.
Weekly Standard. An excellent article on conservatives views on immigration policy and the principles under which a solution must be sought.

2004

December 21. What is an American?.
Claremont Institute: This excellent article reviews an immigration restrictionist book, presents the principles which should inform all debates on immigration and describes what makes an American.
November 22. Nix on Nativism.
WSJ: Ignore the anti-immigrant right. Bush did.
August 3. Keep open the golden door?.
Washington Times: Immigrants enrich us with their vitality, their tireless work ethic, their talents, entrepreneurial spirit, and -- perhaps most important of all -- their appreciation of the freedoms and economic opportunities we as Americans by birth too often take entirely for granted.
July 18. Bush Touts Stalled Immigration Proposals.
Fox News: In a speech Thursday to the League of United Latin American Citizens annual convention in San Antonio, Bush reiterated his backing for his sweeping immigration proposals.
June 28. Immigrant nation … trading freely and building wealth.
Jeff Kemp. A struggle is under way for the soul of the Republican Party between a minority of protectionist xenophobes and those who are pro-trade and pro-immigration.
May 3. GOP sifts for gold in Latino vote.
Fresno Bee. There's a new savior for Latino immigrants in California, but you probably won't find this hero speaking Spanish or invited to dinner by community activists.That's because it's the Republican Party that has come to the rescue of undocumented immigrants and their efforts to assimilate in the Golden State.
Jan 27. Our Border Brigades.
WSJ. Their entry to America is not without its problems and costs. But a sensible policy would tackle those, as Mr. Bush proposes to do, rather than pursue the fantasy that we can or should close our borders like some isolated ancient kingdom.
Jan 16. Hispanics: Key To GOP's Future.
FrontPage Magazine. President Bush's immigration/amnesty proposal will probably be remembered in history as the idea that saved a political party.
Jan 9. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses....
The Federalist. Summing up, the plan is intended to confront the realities of illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants are in the U.S. now -- between 8 million and 14 million of them, according to various estimates.
Jan 7. Fair and Secure Immigration Reform.
The Whitehouse. President's Bush blueprint for immigration reform.

2003

Oct. 29. Border Politics.
Weekly Standard. With The Latino Population booming, one issue that could come into play in 2004 is President Bush's signal that he would help Hispanic immigrants gain legal residency.
May 27. Shattering Myths About Immigrants.
Washington Post Group. Regardless of ethnicity or nationality or economic resources, immigrants are the same the world over. That's because a big part of what shapes their character is not the country they come from, but the fact that they leave it in the first place, risking whatever they have--including their lives--in search of a better life.
May 25. What world migration means for business.
CNTET News.Com. Immigration is changing the world more than at any other time in history, opening up business opportunities and introducing new challenges, according to Harvard University professor Marcelo M. Suarez-Orozco.
May 12. Thousands of Central Americans can stay.
President George W. Bush delivered good news to the immigrant community by extending Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for an additional 18 months to Hondurans and Nicaraguans.
April 29. Judiciary Sets Hearing on Hastings Citizenship for Soldiers Bill.
The House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration has agreed to hold a hearing on a bill that would make legal immigrants serving on active duty in America's armed forces immediately eligible for U.S. citizenship.
April 10. Hastings Bill Would Make Soldiers Citizens.
Washington Congressman Doc Hastings (WA-4) introduced legislation to make legal immigrants serving on active duty in America's armed forces be made immediately eligible for U.S. citizenship.
April 6. Marine granted posthumous U.S. citizenship.
San Francisco Gate. A Mexico-born 21-year-old Marine who died in Iraq will be buried as an American after he was posthumously granted U.S. citizenship on Sunday.
April 4. Hiring of illegal immigrants is rife – but no one is responsible .
Dallas Morning News: Who are we kidding? Sure there is a law on the books making it a crime to knowingly put illegal immigrants to work. But it is not a law that most Americans take seriously. And until they do, it is difficult to take seriously demands for tighter control of our nation's borders.

2002

October 16. Help Wanted.
Wall Street Journal Editorial. Proper immigration reform in short is smart politics. But most important it will make America safer and economically stronger.
August 1. The GOP's immigration fumble.
Wall Street Journal article of Gephart's and Byrd stands on immigration and the GOP's inability to get immigration legislation passed by the Democrat control Senate.
July 28. America's immigration disaster.
British immigrant whose husband was killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is given "green card" after she was initially deported.
March 21. Immediate action needed on 245(i).
RNC grass roots press release urging people to ask the Democrat controlled Senate to pass the 245(i) legislation approved by the Republican house at the urging of the president.
March 14. Letter to Senator Daschle.
From the Latino Coalition urging approval of the 245(i) immigration legislation.
March 12. House set to "cloak' amnesty.
House of representative sets to pass 245(i) immigration reform again.
March 7. Bush Speaks to Hispanics About Immigration, Trade.
President Bush discussed the importance of trade relations with Mexico and Latin America and stressed the need to approve Immigration Law Section 245(i)
Jan 28. Distinguishing Terrorists from Busboys.
An excellent article on immigration reform from the conservative Weekly Standard.
Jan 17. An influx of entrepreneurs is saving Houston and Los Angeles.
At a time when the events of Sept. 11 and a recession have resuscitated nativist sentiments, many businesses and communities are finding that immigrants, rather than a source of weakness, are helping to stave off the chill of economic hard times.
Jan 9. Immigration remains an important priority for the president.
Statements made by Ari Fleischer, press secretary to the president, on the importance of the immigration reform agenda. Also a plug for an Article by Linda Chavez on immigration reform after Sept. 11.

2001

November 7. America's Immigration Disaster.
An excellent article from the Claremont Institute on our dysfunctional immigration system.
October 24. US Census Estimates Shows 31 Mln Foreign-born Residents.
Washington Post: Roughly 8 million illegal immigrants live in the United States, early estimates from the 2000 census show. Their presence swells the country's foreign-born population to more than 31 million people.
August 17. Alien Notion: The Right Case for 'Amnesty'.
Wall Street Journal: The best -- the only -- conservative argument against this is that it rewards people who've broken the law. So perhaps the amnesty could include a modest fine, as well as some requirement to pass an English course or otherwise show the desire to assimilate. As for the danger that amnesty will be an incentive for more illegal immigration, any reform is likely to include a regular work-permit system for future migrants as well.
July 30. Amnesty Shootout.
Wall Street Journal: While an all-out amnesty may not be politically feasible at this time, both Messrs. Fox and Bush recognize the need for some degree of amnesty for illegal Mexican workers already in the U.S. coupled with a guest-worker program to facilitate safer and more orderly border crossings.
July 25. Markets Dictate Liberalization Of Immigration Law.
Wall Street Journal: As a general proposition, it is not a good idea to have large numbers of people -- a caste of noncitizens -- living in the country outside the law. It leaves them prey to exploitation by employers and criminals, and prevents them from returning to their homelands for fear they could not get back.
July 10. Bush Promises to Speed Up Immigration Process.
Washington Post: Standing before 29 new United States citizens, President Bush ordered today immigration officials to adopt a six month standard of processing immigration applications and urged Congress to "act swiftly" on immigration reform.
July 2. Open Nafta Borders? Why Not?.
Wall Street Journal: North of the border, the solution to the problem of illegal immigration is to make it legal, or at least to normalize the movement of people.