Just a straightforward question that will hopefully help me formulate some thoughts (including where I stand on the NY driver's license matter):

For those conservatives who opposed Bush's immigration reform bill with the cry that it was "amnesty" for the 13 million or so illegal immigrants in this country ... What is the plan being promoted by conservatives as it is related to arresting/deporting these people in our country? Is there any realistic plan or strategy for deporting this large number of people back to their native countries?

Please answer the question above if it pertains to you. Thanks!

-Steve
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Colorado Guy - New Mexico Guy - Montana Guy

After hearing at least one GOP debate in its entirety (back in May), I don't recall any candidate claiming to have a strategy for aresting/deporting all the illegals. In fact, unless I'm mistaken, every candidate on the stage conceded that the task was so unrealistic it didn't even merit consideration. The quesiton focused more on which plan to cope with the situation was best, but at no time do I recall any of them claiming to have a plan to eliminate or fix the situation.

In fact, every one of them said that any plan to do such a thing would be so expensive it would pose an unmitigatable liability to our economy.

And since pretty much the entire GOP constituency was represented on that stage, I'd say that the debate amogst those candidates represented to the dabate throughout the GOP.

Of course, we could all just use the strategy put forth by the ingenius liberal segment of our society, which is to stop calling them "illegals" and start calling them "undocumented immigrants".

See? Problem solved!

Again, let me state for all who read this that I am open to everyone's input regarding my question, but Pass, your answer is pretty much what I was thinking.

This however, would beg the question: If not even the most conservative and hard-nosed opponents of illegal immigration suggest deporting/arresting all of the illegal aliens in our country, why is there so much rhetroic about being against amnesty? (e.g. "Amnesty! Amnesty! These people came here illegally, they are breaking the law and now we're giving them a free pass! That's not right." It sounds something like that.)

Perhaps the matter is related to people defining the term "amnesty" in different ways. The common sense way that I see it is, anything besides deporting or arresting illegal aliens is pretty much a form of amnesty. I suppose one could fine them monetarily, but I wouldn't consider that amnesty in my view but maybe just a modest form of civil punishment.

I welcome everyone's thoughts, including yours Pass, about my original question and the amnesty controversy (for lack of a better term).

Oh ... and I really do plan to share my thoughts about the NY driver's license to illegal aliens matter when I have the time. I have been researching and asking a lot of questions related to many aspects of illegal immigration, and the more I ask questions and learn, the more I realize how complicated this issue is. The NY driver's licnese debate has many, many gray areas and I'm not ready to take a position on it until I know more.

-Steve
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Colorado Guy - New Mexico Guy - Montana Guy

...before hiring and to make federal welfare programs difficult to access without proof of citizenship. To tighten the American taxpayer funded welfare safety net for those that are not US citizens and make America less desirable as a place to be an illegal immigrant. If there's no work and freebies being handed out many illeagals will either A) Take steps to become legal or B) Go back home on their own dime.
However, we should also make the route to legal citizenship easier and faster for those that want to be US citizens.

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"If diplomacy worked we wouldn't need spy satellites." -Pete

-CarolinaPete

I don't know of a particular "conservative plan," yet I have my own ideas.

As long as there is a demand, there will be a supply. Basic economics.

Dave

--"In the moment, the arguments for free speech will never seem to match the power of the arguments against, but what we must remember is that this is precisely because free speech asks us to exercise extraordinary self- restraint against the very natural but often counter-productive impulses that lead us to retreat from engagement with ideas we dislike and fear. In this lies the genius of the American idea of free speech." -- Columbia University President L.C. Bollinger

Thanks for sharing that plan, but I noticed you didn't answer the crux of my question.

So what do those supporters of this particular plan say we do with the millions of illegal aliens already in this country? (Please re-read my original post to understand the context of those who seem to make a fuss about "amnesty" but have no realistic plan to deport such people.)


-Steve

"... Why am I going (to Colorado) again? Oh yes! To bask in Steve's ever shining personality." - Jen in Oklahoma

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Everything is chaos. Here in Arizona, we have passed laws that the business community fought tooth and nail. It has not made an iota of difference to the situation. Don't be fooled by the slick press releases from certain quarters. The problem keeps growing worse daily and shows no sign of let up.
I'm not that big on amnesty for illegals myself. We currently have no idea who has walked across the border. At least legal immigrants have no criminal records and vaccinations. The Mexicans come here for economic freedom, not political or religious freedom. It might be cheaper in the long run if there was really a fair and just Mexico. Right now, there isn't and we're acting like a safety valve for the Mexican elite by taking in all the discontent.
I just don't think we're doing the Mexican people any favors by the current status quo.

Life doesn't begin until it's over 105 degrees.