Immigration compromise struck

[Drake Tungsten]

Inasmuch as the infrastructure supporting breaking the law for illegal immigration can be discouraged, it makes it tougher for AQ, et al. to repurpose the infrastructure for its own ends.

I don't see how the "infrastructure supporting breaking the law for illegal immigration" is going to be substantively affected by this. There will be some token efforts at enforcing the border, the illegals already in America will get amnesty and then the cycle will begin again, ending with another amnesty in a couple decades.

How bad did it hurt the GOP when Reagan did it?

I don't know. It would seem to affect the GOP on a state/congressional level more than the presidential one and I'm not really educated enough on American state politics in the 80's to speak intelligently on the issue.

[KrazyHorse]

Surprisingly, Lou Dobbs was against this bill.

[Drake Tungsten]

I hope that was sarcasm.

[KrazyHorse]

I would never use sarcasm on Apolyton

[DanS]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
I don't see how the "infrastructure supporting breaking the law for illegal immigration" is going to be substantively affected by this. There will be some token efforts at enforcing the border, the illegals already in America will get amnesty and then the cycle will begin again, ending with another amnesty in a couple decades.

I'm thinking along the lines of the fake identity industry -- which as I understand is huge and continuously fed by illegals paying for documents. At a minimum, taking away the need for the fake documents would help for a while. The benefit would be real, even if not permanent.

I don't know. It would seem to effect the GOP on a state/congressional level more than the presidential one and I'm not really educated enough on American state politics in the 80's to speak intelligently on the issue.

Well, when was the amnesty?

[Drake Tungsten]

I would never use sarcasm on Apolyton

Me neither.

[Drake Tungsten]

I'm thinking along the lines of the fake identity industry -- which as I understand is huge and continuously fed by illegals paying for documents. At a minimum, taking away the need for the fake documents would help for a while.

There's going to be more illegals. They know that if they get in America and wait long enough, they'll eventually get citizenship.

Well, when was the amnesty?

1986, IIRC.

[DanS]

Indeed, there is the moral hazard. But it's not as if the hazard had not already been well established.

[KrazyHorse]

I don't understand why Americans are so ****ing xenophobic about a bunch of hardworking Mexicans wanting to move to the US...

[Drake Tungsten]

I never found Americans to be very xenophobic. The illegal nature of the immigration seems to be what pisses them off.

[DanS]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
1986, IIRC.

OK. In '88, the GOP lost one seat in the Senate and 2 seats in the House. Hardly a rebuke, I think you'll have to admit.

[Drake Tungsten]

How many seats did they have to begin with? Wasn't '88 shortly after the heyday of Tip O'Neill's Democrats?

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
I never found Americans to be very xenophobic. The illegal nature of the immigration seems to be what pisses them off.

Then maybe you should raise your legal immigration levels.

[DanS]

Everything up to '94 was all Dem, at least in the House.

[Drake Tungsten]

Then maybe you should raise your legal immigration levels.

I think we should. We should also try to ensure that our legal immigrants are ethnically diverse. The Americans should do the same.