Governor Huckabee signs 'No-Amnesty' pledge as Roy Beck watches. |
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What Huckabee Signed
Report by Roy Beck, executive director of NumbersUSA
and president of Americans for Better Immigration
(January 16, 2008) I just returned from a day in Greenville, South Carolina where I monitored campaign rallies of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.).
Newspapers and internet news purveyors are beginning to report on a press conference held late afternoon at North Greenville University in which Huckabee signed a No-Amnesty pledge sponsored by Americans for Better Immigration, which rates Members of Congress, congressional candidates and Presidential contenders on immigration issues (see our Presidential Grid).
I spoke at the press conference and thanked Huckabee for making it clear that he (1) opposes allowing millions of illegal aliens to remain in the United States and that (2) he would not give them any special path back into the U.S. once they are caused to return to their home countries.
I began my remarks to a busload of journalists and photographers by noting that we never endorse candidates, will not be endorsing anybody in the Presidential race and that my appearance at the press conference should not imply endorsement. Rather, my participation today was to congratulate Huckabee for his expression of willingness to make an iron-clad pledge against amnesty and for attrition through enforcement.
We have offered to appear at a signing like this with any candidate who will take the pledge. Gov. Huckabee contacted us several days ago expressing interest in discussing the pledge and signing it.
Here is the pledge:
I pledge to oppose amnesty or any other special path to citizenship for the millions of foreign nationals unlawfully present in the United States. As President, I will fully implement enforcement measures that, over time, will lead to the attrition of our illegal immigrant population. I also pledge to make security of our borders a top priority of my administration.
We allow candidates to take our suggested language on the pledge and mold it to their own style but subject to our approval.
Before accepting this pledge, I emailed the following assumptions contained in the pledge to which Huckabee would have to agree. Staff responded that they were accepted. I then met with Huckabee today to ensure that we were both on the same page and to shake hands on the following agreement:
Governor Huckabee understands his pledge to mean that:
1. The 12 million illegal aliens now here will have to go home.
2. They will not get any legal status while here that allows them to remain long-term.
3. Once in their home countries, they may apply for re-admittance to the U.S. as immigrants, visitors or temporary workers through normal channels.
4. But they will not receive any special privileges on the basis of their having been in the U.S. illegally, such as being put to the front of a line.
5. There will be no new categories or programs through which they may re-enter.
6. There will not be an expansion of green cards in any existing categories that will speed up their movement to the front of the line.
I told the governor that each of those items deals with a trick that one lawmaker or another has tried to use on the American people over the last four years. I told him that I had to be able to assure the 530,000 activist on-line users of NumbersUSA that I had specifically gotten his assurance that he would reject any of those tricks.
It should be noted that most illegal aliens would not qualify to stand in any existing lines, particularly under Huckabee's overall plan which advocates for the elimination of the chain migration category for adult siblings and an end to the visa lottery.
My prepared statement at the press conference included this:
“Every candidate claims to oppose amnesty, but few define amnesty the way most Americans do. I applaud Gov. Huckabee for defining amnesty correctly, and for pledging to fully enforce laws that would take away the jobs and benefits magnets that draw illegal aliens here – and that keep them here.
“What a contrast to Sen. McCain, Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama, for example, who say they reject amnesty and then, in almost the same breath, say that most illegal aliens will have to be allowed to stay permanently. All three have repeatedly voted for amnesty. In the past week, Sen. McCain and Mayor Giuliani have clarified on national TV that they intend for most illegal aliens to be granted the very things they broke immigration laws to steal: an American job and U.S. residency.
“In a time of economic insecurity for many Americans, and rising joblessness, it is important to know which candidates would permanently fill American jobs with illegal foreign workers. I am pleased that Gov. Huckabee is saying he will not do that. He is taking a stand in favor of American workers, their families and their communities, all of whom need to be assured that once these illegal workers leave this country they will not be allowed back through special new catetories or by increasing the number of green cards in existing ones.”
About Sen. Thompson, Gov. Romney, Rep. Paul and Rep. Hunter
I was asked at the press conference whether the pledge signing would raise Huckabee's amnesty rating from "GOOD" to "EXCELLENT." I was pleased that the reporter had looked at our Presidential Grid.
The answer is that we would and we have. I told reporters that until recently, Huckabee had been rated only "fair" because some of his statements on TV had been confusing and ambiguous. We had pushed for more clarification and were happy to get it with the signing of the pledge. Believe me, these candidates' interest in getting their no-amnesty positions right are related in no small part to the incredible pressure they feel from citizens across the country. Many of you have challenged Gov. Huckabee. Several grassroots organizations, bloggers and radio hosts have hammered him when they felt that he was waffling or perhaps even seeming to try to leave loopholes for amnesty. While Gov. Huckabee and his staff have continually claimed they were misunderstood, voters have every reason to want iron-clad promises after all the tricks that Pres. Bush and other politicians have tried to pull on us. I believe today's signing is a tribute to all of you who have refused to accept any less.
Agreeing to the six points of assumptions about the pledge makes Huckabee's amnesty stance arguably the most ironclad.
But Thompson, Romney and Hunter already have earned EXCELLENT amnesty ratings because of official statements on their websites, comments to the media, ads and assertions during debates. Nonetheless, I would be pleased if each of them would tighten their positions even more by making sure that all of the six assumptions noted above are included in their plan.
To earn our EXCELLENT rating, a candidate not only has to be foursquare against granting any amnesty but also has to be very specific about plans to push illegal aliens out of the country by Attrition Through Enforcement. Thompson, Romney and Hunter meet those criteria.
Ron Paul has a powerful stance against amnesty. But we rate him as GOOD right now because of some recent statements that suggest a less than full commitment to Attrition Through Enforcement. We hope to see him strengthen that soon.
For those who are unfamiliar with the standards by which ABI rates immigration positions, ABI advocates policies of less immigration that (a) protect American workers, (b) reduce the burden on taxpayers, (c) encourage the recruitment and training of lower-skilled Americans who are outside the labor market, (d) conserve natural resources, and (e) allow for a less-congested quality of life with maximum individual freedom.
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