Broken Borders

I've had a few stories on US/Mexican immigration policies in my blog for some time now. I've been collecting a few stories since September 21, 2004. Then the election rolled on and I got a little busy with the Kerry campaign and didn't have a chance to finish or post my collection of links.

Here I sit, November 10 - a mere week after the election. MUCH to my surprise, only 7 days after the election, I find the reporting from CNN couldn't have been more on the money regarding Bush's plan to legalize illegals - ALL 6 to 10 MILLION of them. It's hard to get a proper count since they are here, well - illegally.

I'm not a bigot - far from it. I just want the US to enforce the laws already on the books. After this year's election, Canada made it quite clear, if you want to leave the US - you cannot just cross our border and take up residence - you must file the appropriate paper work - take a number, stand in line.

Why is it the US treats this process any different regarding Mexican workers invading OUR borders? Would the US be considered unfair for enforcing laws that are on our books?

From what I can deduct, NOT enforcing our policies is costing us a shit load of money as tax payers. From health care to education we're funding around 6 MILLION illegal immigrants. And we wonder why (in part) our system is strained to pay for these services regarding our own citizens. And, in the wake of 9/11 it certainly stands to reason, NOT enforcing our borders has to be one of the biggest security blunders we could champion.

As we look to this issue regarding the illegals themselves, working in the US - we find a slave labor work force unable to protect themselves from the abuses of individuals and businesses paying them $5 an hour for their work.

Below is the blog I started back in September '04.

I'm a Lou Dobbs fan, I confess. For the past year this CNN anchor has been working his rear end off trying to enlighten us on two topics: Outsourcing and Broken Borders. Tonight, I sat in shock during the mother of all stories regarding our immigration problem in the U.S. Your new phrase for the day is "Totalization Agreement". Please educate yourself on this lopsided agreement pending with Mexico.

DOBBS: The Center for Immigration Studies today released a scathing report on a controversial agreement between the United States and Mexico. That agreement could allow millions of illegal aliens in this country to receive Social Security benefits. The State Department is working on the final draft of this deal, which has been kept in secret. Critics of the agreement say that it heavily favors Mexican workers and could cost American taxpayers billions of dollars. Bill Tucker reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The United States says Social Security totalization (ph) agreements with 20 countries. They're designed to make sure workers who come here and work get credit for that work back home, so that when they return home, they'll be eligible for their country's pension system. It works for American workers in foreign countries, as well. The pending agreement with Mexico is the exception to those other agreements.

MARTI DINERSTEIN, CENTER FOR IMMIGRATION STUDIES: This agreement is a perversion of the existing total of the 20 existing totalization agreements. Few, if any, conditions present in the other agreements exist.

TUCKER: The most obvious is that it would cover more people than any of the other agreements. But a less obvious and potentially more devastating difference centers on the issue of immigration status.

REP. DANA ROHRABACHER (R), CALIFORNIA: While it is true that one cannot be illegal at the time that one would be applying for Social Security, prior work done while an illegal is in the country does count for Social Security under the agreement.

TUCKER: How could that happen? If there's any amnesty program or guest worker program which changes illegal status to legal, some estimated six million workers and their dependents would be eligible for Social Security payments.

(on camera): But the agreement with Mexico to become final, it needs to be presented to Congress. But Congress doesn't need to approve it. It can only veto it. And Congress has never vetoed a totalization agreement. Bill Tucker, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DOBBS: Congressman Dana Rohrabacher of California is one member of Congress fighting to block that agreement. It's called a totalization agreement. The congressman has introduced a bill that would forbid anyone working in this country illegally from receiving Social Security benefits, and he joins us tonight from Capitol Hill. Congressman, good to have you with us.

ROHRABACHER: Thank you very much.

DOBBS: Correct my interpretation if it is wrong -- not only are the American people denied representation on immigration policy in this country, but the effect of a totalization agreement is to deny participation by the U.S. Congress, other than through veto.

ROHRABACHER: I will have to say that this is an undemocratic way of approaching this problem. The threat of illegal immigration, not only just the threat, the effect of illegal immigration today on the American people is devastating, yet we do not have a national debate on this issue. Just a few shows like your own program and others are trying to stimulate that debate. But where are the national parties on this?

We're talking about a health care system that's going to pot. We're talking about education that's -- that's second -- you know, we are -- we -- our education system in California is falling apart because of illegal immigration, and yet now we have a threat to Social Security. This deserves a national debate.

DOBBS: It deserves a national debate. You are one of those, one of the few, speaking out. But the issue is -- isn't reported by "Time" magazine last week, as I said, on its cover story, reporting three million illegal aliens entering this country. You and Congress, your party and the Republican and the Democratic Party, has -- have been absolutely silent. Why...

ROHRABACHER: Both parties.

DOBBS: Why in the world can't the American people, the middle class, working men and women in this country, find representation in the United States Congress? What can be done?

ROHRABACHER: Well, both parties have got very special interests and very big interests that play here. In the Democratic party, the left of liberal wing of the Democratic party, which controls that party, sees the -- this influx of millions, out of control influx, of millions of illegals as potential constituents. It's going to give them political power.

On the other hand, big business, which has an undue influence on the Republican Party, sees this as a way of keeping down wages. And unless the political parties step up and address this issue, I predict that within a year or two, they'll be a third party that will emerge and it will sweep out the existing parties.

DOBBS: I imagine there are a few people asking why in the world do we have to wait when people look at important issues like immigration, they look at border security, national security, in some instances, spending on infrastructure on this country, state of education, we wonder why we need either party because both seem to be about the same? ROHRABACHER: Let me give them this recommendation. There have been four or five votes we've had on illegal immigration over this last year. Several of them were bills I have proposed. The American people are upset with the fact that we have this massive influx that is threatening our way of life and the well being of our people, should look at those votes and see who in Congress voted what way and then kick the scoundrels out who are not doing a good job.

DOBBS: How many scoundrels do you think it is, Congressman?

What would be the sum total?

ROHRABACHER: I would say there are large number of people who are portraying themselves concerned about illegal immigration, who are doing nothing. On the Republican side, and on the Democrat side, frankly, virtually every member of the Democratic Party in Congress votes to protect illegal immigration into our country.

DOBBS: Beyond that, and we will put that voting record up here shortly on our Web site, that will be loudobbs.com, but what else can people do?

Because the frustration -- I know reading the e-mails, the letters from our viewers, there is huge frustration on this issue?

ROHRABACHER: People are not -- people are dying. I mean American citizens are dying because they go into the emergency room and you got an emergency roomful of illegal aliens who shouldn't be there and their loved one does not get the care that they need. Our criminal justice system are letting these criminals who shouldn't be in this country, letting them loose among our population. Now, when we have American citizens who are dying and we have wages that are being kept down that keep our standard of living down, something's terribly wrong if the political system isn't addressing the problem. We need to ask questions of those people who are running for office and ask the tough questions, why didn't you vote this way, this way, or this way on these particular pieces of legislation.

DOBBS: Should we start with President Bush?

ROHRABACHER: I think we should start with every person who holds elected office in this country. And I think it should be a major question in the debates between the two presidential candidates.

DOBBS: Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, we thank you for being here. Thank you, Dana Rohrabacher.

September 23rd transcript of show.

Totalization Agreements Will Increase Social Security Benefit Payments to Mexican Citizens.
Social Security 'Totalization'; Examining a Lopsided Agreement with Mexico

The Social Security totalization agreement that was part of President Bush's "temporary worker" proposal last week has stirred up a hornet's nest among some law-makers, and flies in the face of the General Accounting Office's September, 2003 report, according to Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO).

President Bush Proposes New Temporary Worker Program

In plain english - and explanation of the Bush plan.
One way to get illegal aliens to vote for you! Give them a RIGHT we earned to be U.S. citizens.

Bush Proposes Voting Rights for Illegal Aliens
(2004-01-08) -- U.S. President George Bush today proposed to "fully enfranchise" illegal aliens working in the United States by allowing them to vote even though they're not citizens. Critics immediately denounced the move as a political ploy to lock up the Latino vote.

However, Mr. Bush said it's just the next logical step following his proposal yesterday to grant working rights to people who came into the country illegally.

"Éste no es ningún truco politico (This is not a political trick.)," said Mr. Bush during a casual walk through a Latino neighborhood in a Texas border town. "No estoy haciendo esto apenas para conseguir los votos de Latino. (I'm not doing this just to get Latino votes.)"

An unnamed senior administration official said that voting rights are important for illegal aliens since they have to pay sales tax and "America was created to combat the idea of taxation without representation."

The official also said Mr. Bush is considering naming an illegal alien to head the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) during what Mr. Bush calls "mi segundo término de la oficina" (my second term).