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SCHUMER TRIES TO MOVE GOAL POSTS -- But American People Demand More Than Border Security As Price For Amnesty Conversation

 

By Roy Beck, Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 11:39 AM EST - posted on NumbersUSA

It is as if Sen. Schumer (D-NY) and Pres. Obama are moving the goal posts to the 40-yard line and hope to convince a gullible America that it is the real goal line.

They are trying to sell the idea that amnesty bills were defeated several times in 2007 merely because our southern border wasn't "secure." Now, they are claiming that just because arrests are down on the Mexican border that it proves the border is secure and Americans are ready to talk about amnesty.

Folks, not only is the 40-yard line not the goal line, but the ball hasn't come close to crossing the 50-yard line yet.

For years now, opponents of immigration reform have continually promised that they will engage in a conversation about immigration reform once Congress showed it was serious about securing the border. Our witnesses will confirm today showing that has clearly been made.

-- Sen. Schumer at Senate hearing on May 19

Sen. Schumer, don't put false quotes in our mouths.  NumbersUSA has never made such a promise.

I'm not aware of any major anti-illegal-immigration organization ever having made that promise. And the leaders of the rule-of-law movement in Congress -- such as Sen. Jeff Sessions and Rep. Lamar Smith -- certainly have never made such a promise. 

Yes, we want to secure the border.  But we also want to secure U.S. workplaces so unemployed Americans no longer have to fear that unscrupulous companies will give U.S. jobs to illegal foreign workers instead of U.S. workers.

Even if our borders were 100% secured, millions of illegal aliens a decade would still settle in the United States by overstaying the visas that allow them to enter legally.  Tens of millions of foreign citizens enter the United States legally each year.  Unless we have a vigorous system of interior enforcement, millions of them will continue to be tempted to stay.

The most important interior enforcement is to take away their chance at getting a job and earning a living.  Discussions of amnesty cannot be considered until these interior enforcement goals are met:

  • E-Verify is fully in place. 
  • The Social Security no-match letter program is fully re-instituted. 
  • The Administration fulfills its promise to aggressively prosecute employers who are breaking immigration laws. 
  • The feds provide the training and accept into the 287(g) detention and removal program every local and state police department seeking to participate   (most are still in a waiting line).    

Until Americans can be assured that jobs will be available only to them and not to illegal foreign workers, we don't have security and there will be no way to stop future illegal immigration.

Sen. Schumer has shown no interest in seeing that any of those things are accomplished.

Frankly, it appears his only interest is entirely cynical and that is to turn illegal aliens as fast as possible into Democratic voters.  Now, I have no problem with people becoming Democratic voters.  But running an immigration program just to tip the political balance is despicable.  Sen. Schumer seeks political advantage by giving the shaft to 14 million unemployed Americans, most of whom would like one of the jobs currently held by the 8 million illegal alien workers.

Here's another first down that Schumer needs before anybody can consider discussing an amnesty:

  • Congress has to eliminate the Chain Migration categories that would allow all the 11-18 million illegal aliens to bring in an endless stream of relatives for decades to come.  If anybody wants Americans to seriously consider amnesty, they have to assure that it will result in a finite number of foreign nationals taking U.S. jobs and no more.

Finally, the government hasn't even achieved the first down that Schumer claims. 

His claim of a secure border is ludicrous.  Nobody in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California can keep a straight face while saying that virtually all drug-runners, people-smugglers, illegal job seekers and gang members have stopped crossing the border.  

 Schumer's definition of securing the border seems to be merely that arrests have dropped. Wow, I guess the recession and unemployment crisis is over because there was a slight drop in April of the number of Americans who lost their jobs.  Since only a half-million more Americans lost their jobs in April, I guess the economy is strong and healthy again!

But please don't expect logic, common sense or common decency from Sen. Schumer.  He looks right past the 14 million unemployed Americans and says:

We can pass strong, fair, practical and effective immigration reform this year.

And by that, he means illegal aliens get legalized and permanent access to U.S. jobs -- plus a path to the voting booths for 11-18 million illegal aliens. 

During a press conference last month, Pres. Obama said the Administration would not pursue amnesty until they could prove to the American people that they've secured the borders. 

That's the same game that Schumer is playing.

With our faxes and phone calls to the White House, let's help the President come up with a real definition of "secure borders" and persuade him that we want a whole lot more than than.

Contact the Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and make it clear that amnesty discussions must be preceded by far more than border security. 

ROY BECK is Founder & CEO of NumbersUSA

Views and opinions expressed in blogs on this website are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect official policies of NumbersUSA.
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