GOP Is Not Law-and-Order Party On Immigration, Democrats Say

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/13/AR2006051300974.html?nav=rss_politics

"Either the administration has no interest in enforcing the law, or there's a wink" at employers who hire illegal immigrants, Richardson said.


GOP Is Not Law-and-Order Party On Immigration, Democrats Say

By Dan Balz
Sunday, May 14, 2006; A05

With President Bush scheduled for a prime-time address on immigration tomorrow, Democrats believe it's time to turn tables on the president and argue that the Republicans are not the party of law and order when it comes to illegal immigrants.

A new analysis by the centrist Democratic group Third Way concludes that the administration has failed to enforce existing laws and that the president should be held accountable for those failures in the political debate now raging in Washington.

"The report shows that the administration, despite their tough talk, is failing at border security and enforcing the employer sanctions provision," New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said. "It makes them vulnerable in what is their biggest and strongest argument -- that they are enforcing the law against illegal workers and are effective on border security."

According to the report, federal data show that the number of agents more than doubled between 1995 and 2005, but that border apprehensions have fallen about 31 percent. From fiscal 1996 to fiscal 2000, apprehensions averaged 1.52 million a year. The number fell to an average of 1.05 million from fiscal 2001 to fiscal 2004.

Away from the border, a similar pattern has occurred, with apprehensions falling an estimated 36 percent. "This decline trend and low overall total suggests that illegal immigrants who escape beyond the border are more or less here to stay if they choose," according to the report.

A third count in the Third Way indictment charges that the administration has been lax in punishing employers who hire illegal immigrants. "Either the administration has no interest in enforcing the law, or there's a wink" at employers who hire illegal immigrants, Richardson said.

(snip)

link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/13/AR2006051300974.html?nav=rss_politics

the law is only for us cattle who are being de-valued in price even as we speak

It was the Bush admin judicial dept that challenged Gov. Richardson's plans to place NM National Guard troops on the boarder before 911

Geez...

Now that this can serve as a WEDGE issue Bush wants to place troops on the boarder

the republicans are Crooks.
It's that simple... and proven.

Anyone who doesn't support the exploitation of immigrants is a xenophobic racist. :sarcasm:

but seriously its about time someone talked about enforcing the law and its even better that its coming for an hispanic.

Under the Clinton administration, the period 1995-1997 saw 10,000 to 18,000 worksite arrests of illegals a year. Some 1,000 employers were served notices of fines for employing them.

Under the Bush administration, however, worksite arrests fell to 159 in 2004 - with the princely total of three notices of intent to fine served on employers.

Thus, worksite arrests under President Bush have fallen from Clintonian levels by something like 97 per cent.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04252006/postopinion/opedcolumnists/67461.htm