Recently many of the illegal immigration marches have indeed been called immigration marches, which in itself is deceptive. Additionally if you support immigration to this nation, then why support it carrying a foreign flag?

If you truly support immigration and this nation and you are truly exercising your right to free speech thanks to our Constitution perhaps then one might consider holding up an American Flag while demonstrating instead of a Mexican Flag in defiance of our laws here. Illegal Immigration is about jumping the fence or sneaking into our nation illegally.

You see, I support legal immigration to my country if an individual proves worthy to become one of us and pledges to support our nation's values, unity and strength. I do not support illegal immigration at all. I do not believe this to be a partisan issue; I believe this to be an American issue.

And I support counter viewpoints to a point. But I cannot support illegal aliens until I know who they are and what their intentions are, probationary period can prove that, tracking ID Cards and checks for diseases, prior criminality and character. We have too much to lose by indifference. This issue must be addressed correctly and implementation, streamlining and enforcement are key to getting it done.

By: Lance Winslow
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington.

Next week New Haven, Connecticut plans on issuing an ID card that will be available to illegal immigrants. Besides providing a pass to municipal services like libraries and parks, the card will work as a debit card for parking meters and be valid identification to present to police and banks.

What kind of crazy idea is that? Why would a city want to make life easier for immigration scofflaws? One of the justifications for the card is that because it's difficult for illegal immigrants to open bank accounts, they're targeted by muggers who know they carry a lot of cash. One might object that the city is discriminating against one class of criminals on behalf of another one.

The truth is, though, that New Haven's politicians are hardly the only ones pushing policies that encouraging migrants to violate immigration laws. There are more than 30 "sanctuary cities" where it is illegal for police to ask about immigration status. Nine states currently allow illegal immigrants to receive driver's licenses, although that will change when the federal "Real ID" act goes into effect in 2008. (In two other states, illegal immigrants can get driving certificates that can't be used as ID for most purposes; such certificates are legal under Real ID.)

Then, of course, there's the dead-for-the-moment campaign for some sort of amnesty or semi-amnesty, which, besides insulting immigrants who have played by the rules, would reassure the next generation of border-jumpers that they have little to fear. Even guest worker programs can encourage illegal immigration; agriculture workers on H-2A visas, who are allowed to stay in the country only seasonally, often bring along family members who illegally stay year-round.

It isn't that it's impossible to stop the flow of illegal immigration. According to a 2005 report on the Minuteman Project, volunteers on the Arizona border proved that auxiliary personnel simply watching the border are highly effective at reducing the flow of illegal migrants.

It would take tens of thousands of such personnel to plug all the leaks in the border, but that's not so daunting a number when you consider that they can be trained in three days, rather than the two years that are needed to train the Border Patrol officers they'd be assisting. A handful of jurisdictions are now allowing local police officers to assist in enforcing immigration laws -- a job that's traditionally been left to a relatively small number of federal agents -- and there's no reason why the IRS can't make it a priority for their auditors to look for employers who dodge tax liabilities by keeping illegal workers off the books. (Enforcement is at least as important in the interior as it is on the border -- a large percentage of illegal immigrants have overstayed their visas rather than snuck through the border.)

The problem is that beefed up enforcement by itself, to the extent that it's effective, threatens to hamstring an economy with a demonstrably growing demand for labor. From 2002 to 2006, a period of consistently low unemployment, the Migration Policy Institute estimates that 1.8 million new permanent immigrants entered the U.S. annually -- about a half million of them illegally. As cases of crops that have gone unpicked following crack-downs on illegal farm workers vividly illustrate, America has a shortage of legal labor. Raising immigration quotas by forty to fifty percent would make enforcement a much easier job; as legal immigrants fill the jobs currently being filled by their illegal counterparts, many of the latter will simply leave on their own.

Among the many idiocies of the immigration bill that failed in the Senate last month was that it barely contemplated the number of immigrants the country needs or wants. The bill left the actual quotas basically untouched.

Perhaps, because it's somewhat counterintuitive to argue that we must respond to out-of-control immigration by welcoming more immigrants, the reason that few politicians straightforwardly advocate increased immigration quotas is that they're afraid such a policy won't fly politically. But the outrage over immigration is driven not just by the presence of immigrants per se, but by the widespread lawlessness that the current system has wrought. It's rather shortsighted, even cowardly, to facilitate that lawlessness while shying away from real reform.

By: John Tabin
http://johntabin.com
From The American Spectator.

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The protests of illegal immigrants over the weekend underscored what a huge problem the country is facing. While America has always been a melting pot, immigration must be legal and controlled. We can no longer afford to shoulder the enormous cost of feeding, educating and providing medical care for the millions of illegal aliens now residing in our country. The government seems to make no effort to send them back to where they came from, police officers cannot enforce immigration laws which makes them toothless tigers and the federal agency charged with enforcement is so overwhelmed they cannot keep up. This bill in front of Congress that makes it a felony to assist/hire illegal aliens is a definite step in the right direction and we need to enforce the current laws along with securing our borders. Hospitals that provide care for the uninsured illegals make up the money by overbilling those of us that are fortunate enough to have health insurance and this drives the cost of health insurance through the ceiling!!

I don't understand what is wrong with the law enforcement in this country. For the last week there have be THOUSANDS of illegal immigrants demonstrating in the street IN PLAIN VIEW, so why didn't ICE (formerly INS) or whatever they are called now GRAB THEM UP?? Jesus Christ!! Here they are by the thousands and the enforcement people are too frigging LAZY to go grab them? Yet they all stand around and bitch about the problem--it's like when you are driving through a construction zone and 1 guy is working a 7 more are WATCHING him work--and then everyone bitches about why the roads take forever to build!! Am I the only one who is noticing this?? Are we now a nation of MORONS?? Citizens and legal immigrants are being taxed into the stratosphere to pay for all the services that the illegals use up--schools, ER visits, food stamps, section 8 housing, etc., etc., and NO ONE does anything about it. After TEN YEARS, local cops are finally getting certified (what the hell is that by the way? CERTIFIED? Green card? No? You are under arrest! What kind of certification do you need for that?) to ARREST the illegals but if they make BAIL before the freaking INS shows up THEY LET THEM GO!!! WTF? Here's how it works--grab them up, legal ones stay, illegal ones are on the next plane out. Real simple! We can no longer afford to be the world's police force either--we need to take care of our own people for a change!

I have nothing against immigrants as long as they are here legally, it takes a lot of courage to leave everything behind to try for a better life. America needs to stop automatically granting citizenship to anyone born in the country to illegal aliens. These "anchor babies" are paid for every step of the way by the taxpayers. First, we pay for the hospital to deliver them, then food stamps, WIC, Medicaid, education and last but not least, incarceration. Americans are the most generous and charitable people in the world, but we can no longer continue to support the world!!

By: Teri Davis
Teri Davis (Limo Barbie) owns and operates Dependable Limos. She has been nationally recognized by Limo Digest magazine for excellence in the field. Dependable Limos was first runner-up for Small Limousine Company of the Year for the United States in 2003 and nominated for Mid-size Limousine Company of the Year in 2004.

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On May 16th a group of Senators proposed an immigration bill

Many Americans are dubious above all, about the enforcement provisions.

Immigration for most Americans, has to do with what is right for the future of America, but what is right for America. is, in many cases, in conflict with special interests.

Enforcement is the most controversial aspect but many other aspects are highly controversial.

It cannot be stressed too much that Americans support some kind of fair measure, but there is a wide diversity of opinion over what constitutes fairness.

President Bush and other conservatives have made reckless statements, maybe insulting would be a better word, against many fair minded people who have come to distrust promises made by congress on this and other issues.

Why Is The 700 Mile Fence Now Only 350 Miles?

Many senators claim that border security is properly addressed. If, that's true the question logically arises as to why the 700 mile fence agreed to last year, has now instead, become a 350 mile fence.

That suspicion increases as we learn that so far a mere 2.2 miles of that fence has been constructed

There is also the question of amnesty. Technically amnesty is defined by the Merriam-Webster online dictionary as : the act of an authority (as a government) by which pardon is granted to a large group of individuals.

Because there are fines and other measures involved for those now working illegally, proponents deny that the bill provides amnesty.

Maybe that's true technically, but it doesn't seem to pass the smell test when thinking about the spirit of the law, to say nothing of those who have been patiently waiting their turn.

Likely, millions who have waited for years, will still have substantial waits behind many who came illegally in the last several years and will be allowed to stay and work.

The bill will allow an estimated 66 million new immigrants over the next 20 years, according to the Heritage Foundation.

This has huge implications for the future of America. Those implications could possibly be negative.

There are so many qualifying provisions in this immigration bill relating to border security and citizenship requirements, that the necessary time for a healthy debate should not be treated with impunity.

All factions seem dissatisfied at the moment.

A reasonable case can also be made for doing nothing, until many highly questionable portions of the bill are improved.

Many Costly Services Not Classified As Welfare Cost Taxpayers Billions

Welfare and other costly services are a major problem.

Undoubtedly, most immigrants do not come here for the purpose of receiving welfare, but they still use services that cost billions.

This new proposal seems to have loopholes galore that would cost taxpayers billions more.

This at a time when the Government Accountability Office (GAO) just issued a report stating, that on present course, combined with known demographics, we face a long range debt of over $50 trillion dollars.

Yes, that's trillion with a t.

If this bill passes in the Senate, it still must pass in the House

We should not let in pass until it becomes a bill which the American people trust.

By: Mick McNesby
Mick McNesby is a former tax advisor, consultant and negotiator. He was a frequent guest on political talk shows in Atlantic City, N.J., discussing the benefits of the lower cost of government. He can be visited at http://conservative-politics-infofind.com.

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From the Anatolian Times, anatoliantimes.com, a Turkish newspaper

A landmark compromise on the thorny issue of immigration came under scrutiny in Congress Friday as some Republicans slammed the plan as a blanket amnesty and some Democrats argued it did not go far enough. "The agreement as it stands is hopeless. It is a framework that still has to be fleshed out," said Vanessa Cardenas of the Center for American Progress, after US lawmakers late Thursday struck a deal with the White House on sweeping immigration reform that could allow 12 million illegal immigrants to legalize their status.

The pact, announced by a group of Democratic and Republican senators, would provide a path to permanent residency and citizenship for the vast majority of illegal workers, establish a merit-based points system for future immigrants, and set up a low-wage temporary worker program.

It also would also provide 18,000 more Border Patrol agents, and scores of radar and camera towers on the US border with Mexico.

The deal could hand President George W. Bush one of the few successes in Congress of his second term in office; in the Senate Monday, 60 of 100 members were expected to give a procedural green light for the bill to be debated.

"I look forward to signing this legislation as soon as I can," Bush said on Friday.

Debate will get under way, a legislative source said, but stressed that was no guarantee about terms set out in the deal.

Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid, who has said he would like to improve the deal with amendments, gave colleagues until next weekend to approve a reform plan apparently in a bid to keep the immigration issue from becoming a focus of campaigning ahead of next year's presidential vote.

Conservative Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney jumped on the issue, saying he was strongly opposed to the deal. But Democrat Hillary Clinton said only that she would analyze the deal carefully -- not if she supported it.

With critics on both sides, Democrat Ted Kennedy and Republican Jon Kyl face an uphill battle for their bill despite being backed by Bush.

"I voted for amnesty in 1986 and learned that illegality only promotes illegality. So I won't repeat the mistake," said Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, referring to a prior effort to allow people in the United States illegally to normalize their status.

Democrat Bob Menendez did not sign on either, despite the fact he was one of his party's lead negotiators on the case in recent weeks.

"I could not sign on to the agreement announced in principle because it tears families apart, says to many that they are only good enough to work here, but not good enough to stay," said Menendez.

Some Democrats have asked for reforms that would allow separated family members to be reunited, and a way for future participants in a temporary workers' program to seek permanent residency, ideas not in the current plan.

Lawmakers and the White House will have to narrow the divide over the details in a few months if they hope to give Bush a deal he can sign before year's end.

The Senate's final version of the deal, once approved, must be debated in the House of Representatives, where the Democrats hold sway. If it is revised a committee must iron out differences between the competing versions, and then put the result before both houses.

Last year immigration reform got bogged down in committee, amid opposition from conservative Republicans, and Cardenas warmed that could happen again.

"Anti-immigrant groups have a strong base that takes action, and politicians listen to them," she said.

In my opinion this is not a success but instead it is a possible defeat for people of the United States. If this compromise passes it will show that even people who break the law can be rewarded if they put the right spin on an issue and stage enough protests. This is true especially if the law breakers can gain the support of far left celebrities and politicians that are more worried about getting votes than they are about the welfare of this country.

David G. Hallstrom, Sr.
Resources For Attorneys

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