Full Text: House GOP Leadership's Immigration 'Principles'

Republicans released a text of what they see as immigration reform.

They site some major concerns about current laws on the books for years already not being enforced or selectively enforced and some selectively not being enforced by Administrations past and present.

It looks like their main theme is;
"Border Security and Interior Enforcement Must Come First"

I tend to agree with the enforcement issues.


Full Text: House GOP Leadership's Immigration 'Principles'

The long-awaited House GOP leadership immigration “principles” document has surfaced. Titled “Standards for Immigration Reform,” the document breaks down each of the pillars of what House GOP leadership is pushing, including a claim that America’s “national and economic security” depends on granting amnesty through legal status to illegal aliens.

Below is the full text of the principles......................


PREAMBLE

Our nation’s immigration system is broken and our laws are not being enforced. Washington’s failure to fix them is hurting our economy and jeopardizing our national security. The overriding purpose of our immigration system is to promote and further America’s national interests and that is not the case today. The serious problems in our immigration system must be solved, and we are committed to working in a bipartisan manner to solve them. But they cannot be solved with a single, massive piece of legislation that few have read and even fewer understand, and therefore, we will not go to a conference with the Senate’s immigration bill. The problems in our immigration system must be solved through a step-by-step, common-sense approach that starts with securing our country’s borders, enforcing our laws, and implementing robust enforcement measures. These are the principals guiding us in that effort.

Full Text: House GOP Leadership's Immigration 'Principles'

reply to post by xuenchen


I agree with this part:

Individuals Living Outside the Rule of Law

Our national and economic security depend on requiring people who are living and working here illegally to come forward and get right with the law. There will be no special path to citizenship for individuals who broke our nation’s immigration laws – that would be unfair to those immigrants who have played by the rules and harmful to promoting the rule of law. Rather, these persons could live legally and without fear in the U.S., but only if they were willing to admit their culpability, pass rigorous background checks, pay significant fines and back taxes, develop proficiency in English and American civics, and be able to support themselves and their families (without access to public benefits). Criminal aliens, gang members, and sex offenders and those who do not meet the above requirements will not be eligible for this program. Finally, none of this can happen before specific enforcement triggers have been implemented to fulfill our promise to the American people that from here on, our immigration laws will indeed be enforced.

Since most of them (not the kids) have already broken the law regarding our current immigration laws that makes them "Criminal aliens" doesn't it?

Can someone please explain to me exactly what is wrong or broken with our immigration laws, aside from a lack of enforcement and border security?

VictorVonDoom
Can someone please explain to me exactly what is wrong or broken with our immigration laws, aside from a lack of enforcement and border security?

There used to be some issues with getting work related visas in the tech industry, that I know first hand. Big companies solved a lot of that by off-shoring the jobs though. I think Google, FB and the like are still complaining they can't get workers though so it must be true, even though tens of millions of Americans with degrees are unemployed.

As for the democrats immigration is broken because the want to get more voters for themselves.

And for republicans immigration is broken because they're afraid of not getting the immigrant vote they never get. Plus the left calls them racist xenophobes.

Hold the phone.

If current immigrations laws are not being enforced , which they ARE NOT.

There is no need for 'immigration reform'.

Just enforce the GD law.

reply to post by xuenchen


Geez...the "House Republicans Principles" look an awful lot like what they have been calling "Amnesty"

Youth

One of the great founding principles of our country was that children would not be punished for the mistakes of their parents. It is time to provide an opportunity for legal residence and citizenship for those who were brought to this country as children through no fault of their own, those who know no other place as home. For those who meet certain eligibility standards, and serve honorably in our military or attain a college degree, we will do just that.

Individuals Living Outside the Rule of Law

Our national and economic security depend on requiring people who are living and working here illegally to come forward and get right with the law. There will be no special path to citizenship for individuals who broke our nation’s immigration laws – that would be unfair to those immigrants who have played by the rules and harmful to promoting the rule of law. Rather, these persons could live legally and without fear in the U.S., but only if they were willing to admit their culpability, pass rigorous background checks, pay significant fines and back taxes, develop proficiency in English and American civics, and be able to support themselves and their families (without access to public benefits).

Hmmm.. Lets look at Pres. Obama's proposal from a couple years ago..

Citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants: The White House has said that it will reject any bill that doesn't include a pathway to citizenship for the millions of people in the country without papers.

The path to citizenship would be earned, meaning immigrants would need to pay back taxes along with "other hurdles," according to The New York Times. The White House's 2011 blueprint for reform says those other hurdles could involve criminal background checks, learning English and paying a processing fee.

fusion.net...

reply to post by Indigo5


Yup!

They are weaseling.

Why, I have no clue.

reply to post by Indigo5


Well the whole thing could just be an attempt at compromise.

Their main point is still to enforce the existing laws.

And this part about some kind of amnesty is confusing.

"these persons could live legally and without fear in the U.S., but only if they were willing to admit their culpability, pass rigorous background checks, pay significant fines and back taxes, develop proficiency in English and American civics, and be able to support themselves and their families (without access to public benefits). "

The chances of this actually happening on a large scale is slim at best.

The "illegal" immigrants probably can't and won't go that far.

So the same existing laws will still be existing laws.

Besides that, we don't know for sure what the Democrats will offer as a counter-proposal.

The whole thing could dry up.

xuenchen


Besides that, we don't know for sure what the Democrats will offer as a counter-proposal.

That's the thing. When you remove rhetoric and just look at the "meat" of the GOP proposal...it's almost the same as the Dems proposal.

Even the Enforcement first bit...President Obama has said that significantly improved border security and stricter enforcement of existing immigration laws should be part of any solution.

At the end of the day, I can't tell the difference between proposals on substantiative grounds.

Indigo5

xuenchen


Besides that, we don't know for sure what the Democrats will offer as a counter-proposal.

That's the thing. When you remove rhetoric and just look at the "meat" of the GOP proposal...it's almost the same as the Dems proposal.

Even the Enforcement first bit...President Obama has said that significantly improved border security and stricter enforcement of existing immigration laws should be part of any solution.

At the end of the day, I can't tell the difference between proposals on substantiative grounds.

Obama saying that and actually doing it are two different things.

He actually *can* do those things right now, and could have for 5 years already.

But apparently, based on current policies, he isn't.

Which leaves many question marks.

xuenchen

Indigo5

xuenchen


Besides that, we don't know for sure what the Democrats will offer as a counter-proposal.

That's the thing. When you remove rhetoric and just look at the "meat" of the GOP proposal...it's almost the same as the Dems proposal.

Even the Enforcement first bit...President Obama has said that significantly improved border security and stricter enforcement of existing immigration laws should be part of any solution.

At the end of the day, I can't tell the difference between proposals on substantiative grounds.

Obama saying that and actually doing it are two different things.

He actually *can* do those things right now, and could have for 5 years already.

But apparently, based on current policies, he isn't.

Which leaves many question marks.

As the Romney campaign gleefully pointed out when they were courting the Latino vote, President Obama has deported more Illegal Aliens in his first four years than any other President in history. President Bush deported 2 Million in his full 8 years, Pres. Obama Deported 1.4 Million in his first 4 years and almost another 380,000 thousand last year alone?

Illegal Immigration is at an all time low..

So...