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The Spectacle Blog
There have been a number of polls showing plurality and even majority support for legalizing illegal immigrants who pass background checks, pay fines, learn English, and jump through other administrative hoops. So does that mean, as some hope, that “earned legalization” or a “path to citizenship” will prove more popular than amnesty?
I think there are two reasons to doubt this. First, very few amnesties — whether they are tax amnesties, draft amnesties, or amnesties for illegal immigrants — are totally unconditional. What we are talking about here is a conditional amnesty. Second, every major piece of “comprehensive” reform legislation over the last few years has contained these kinds of requirements, in addition to promises of increased enforcement, rather than offering blanket amnesty. But people have rightly opposed these bills as amnesties nevertheless.
Why? Because it is administratively not workable to offer a path to legalization for 12 to 20 million illegal immigrants that actually satisfies all these requirements in a short period of time with large immigration backlogs already in place. So on careful inspection, the background checks and other requirements for legalization turn out to be much shoddier than what the public actually supports. When these details are exposed, support for an idea that polls well in the abstract collapses in practice.
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More Blog Posts by W. James Antle, III
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/07/08/paths-to-citizenship
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Eric Cartman| 7.8.10 @ 3:13PM
I don't think the American people will put up with "line jumpers". These people are breaking the law and jumping ahead of people who respected our laws. Put the poll question like that and see what you get.
Spicy Joker| 7.8.10 @ 3:21PM
"There have been a number of polls showing plurality and even majority support for legalizing illegal immigrants who pass background checks, pay fines, learn English, and jump through other administrative hoops."
BS. The American people can't support both the Arizona law and the Bush-Obama "comprehensive immigration reform" bill at the same time. Most Americans detest the idea of rewarding criminals and crybabies.
Eric Cartman| 7.8.10 @ 3:34PM
BINGO! Ask Americans to be nice "Oh, wouldn't you agree that is these poor illegals could be put on a 'path' to citizenship if they were punished for breaking the law and learn English? Huh? You don't want to be a meanie, do you?" What bullshit!
Ask Americans if they think that it would be just great if the 11 million illegals here could drag their hole damn families here (11 + each) to take advantage of our welfare system and see what they say.
Crooz8er| 7.8.10 @ 3:31PM
Uh, no. Most Americans support sending them back to Mexico.
Old Cowboy| 7.8.10 @ 4:19PM
The Mexican Cousel in Phoenix believes the total is closer to 20 million. It approximates 10% of Arizona's population and 25% to 40% of our jail and prison population respectively.
I don't know about the rest of the country, but we have a bit of a problem here. Over 200 dead Americans on the border this year. A hit order out for the Pinal County Sheriff and ...well you get the idea.
Crooz8er| 7.8.10 @ 4:21PM
P'shaw, that's nuthin'! Have you seen the price of rutabaga lately?
Gary Seven| 7.8.10 @ 4:59PM
I believe it is way past time to abandon the limp wristed liberal (Can't we all just get along?) approach for the John Wayne true grit approach.....we've been wusses for far too long.
William R| 7.8.10 @ 7:29PM
Ask the American people this question. Should we grant illegal aliens amnesty or enforce the laws on the books. It is 80-20 for enforcing the law.
JmsA| 7.8.10 @ 9:34PM
What a wonderful idea: Legalize 20 million law-breaking, indoctrinated socialists. Don't believe me? The largest on campus auditorium at UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico), originally named after the school's founder, was renamed after Ernesto Che Guevara following the leftist led political upheavals in 1968. Yes, Che, the same chick iconic guerrilla fighter adorning so many of those t-shirts worn by our young-ens. And by the way, the school motto is: "Por mi raza hablará el espíritu." This is roughly translated to: For my race the spirit will speak. These are very ethnocentric folks, who don't believe in capitalism (I prefer the term Free Enterprise, it much less Marxist), and readily look down at anyone not of their race. Legalize the 20 million, and in less than 20 years there will be at least 50 million more of them in the country, through not only legal (family reunification) immigration, but ongoing illegal immigration. When will we learn?