James Sensenbrenner is at it again. He wants to make it a crime to offer any assistance to illegal immigrants.
The measure would broaden the nation’s immigrant-smuggling law so that people who assist or shield illegal immigrants would be subject to prosecution. Offenders, who might include priests, nurses or social workers, could face up to five years in prison. The proposal would also allow the authorities to seize some assets of those convicted of such a crime.
The GOP is getting ready to demonize hispanics in the upcoming election, and Bush has no problem praising this bill, if not this specific provision.
“America is a nation built on the rule of law, and this bill will help us protect our borders and crack down on illegal entry into the United States,” Mr. Bush said after the House passed the measure. “Securing our borders is essential to securing the homeland.”
In his statement, Mr. Bush did not comment on the provision that is causing such a furor among churches and nonprofit groups. A White House spokesman referred questions about Mr. Bush’s position on the matter to the Justice Department.
John Nowacki, a spokesman for the department, declined to answer questions about whether the Bush administration supported the provision.
The provision will probably never become law, but it is one more wink and nod to the racists that like anything that can be perceived as being tough on brown people.
The House bill does not include a guest worker program, but the Senate is expected to consider such a plan early next year. A guest worker plan would give legal status to millions of illegal immigrants. If that were to happen, the measure outlawing assistance to illegal immigrants might be removed or end up having little effect.
In the meantime, Sensenbrenner is making the bigots happy and Bush is pleased to play along.
for turning a starving, pregnant mother out on the streets? For refusing to share food or give shelter to someone like you or me, but with no English, no way to get a legal job, and no realistic means to return to Mexico?
For shame. Sensenbrenner can shove this wedge issue up his fat ass. And of course he and Tommy Tancredo would never think of focusing enforcement on the un-American companies like Wal-Mart that prefer to hire undocumented workers over citizens for many jobs.
“Merry Christmas to you, sir, if I can just see some proof of citizenship?”
some way, some little bird will whisper into the ear of every single human being working in the US without papers purchased from the Washington-based store, and that just one day, not one of those human beings will go to work.
In my opinion, it would be a toss-up whether that or China calling in its debt would sound a swifter death knell to what is left of the US economy.
[Ebeneezer Sensenbrenner and two gentlemen trying to collect Christmas donations]
2nd Portly Gentleman: What may we put you down for, sir?
Scrooge(Sensenbrenner): Nothing, sir.
1st Portly Gentleman: Ah, you wish to remain anonymous.
Scrooge (Sensenbrenner): I wish to be left alone, sir, that is what I wish! I don’t make myself merry at Christmas and I can’t afford to make idol people merry. I have been forced to support the establishments I mentioned through taxation, and God knows they cost more than they’re worth. Those who are badly off must go there.
2nd Portly Gentleman: Many would rather die than go there.
Scrooge (Sensenbrenner): If they’d rather die, they had better do it and decrease the surplus population. Good night, gentlemen.
[Walks away, then turns back]
Sensenbrenner (Scrooge): Humbug!
I posted a diary about this on December 17th:
here and I’ve commented on it in other places.
It’s extremely troubling. It is a terror tactic.
I’m an immigration lawyer, and I’ve been quite active in the bar on this issue. Contrary to the popular wisdom, I think there is a good chance that this WILL pass the Senate.
For what it’s worth, I don’t think it advances understanding to call this “playing the race card.” Old fashioned xenophobia is more accurate.
Fine line between racism and xenophobia, and I’m not sure it really matters. It’s all about manufacturing hatred for the “other.” They’re brown, the don’t speak English or not well. Whether it’s some “racial” distinction (what IS that distinction, anyway?) or not – they are “other.” They are a threat. They take jobs away from Americans. They take away the money that we worked so hard for by using tax-supported benefits. They are . . . different.
Them vs. us.
From today’s WaPo about an ordinance that would ban relatives like aunts and uncles from sharing a household (a living arrangement common in the extended family traditions of Latinos more than Anglos):
Reminds me of a friend living in a Paris suburb who bragged that they were able to rid the town swimming pool of Muslim men by passing an ordinance requiring skimpy bikini-type men’s swimsuits. “They won’t wear those,” he gloated, “so now they don’t try to swim in our (sic) pool anymore.” Racism? Xenophobia? Religious prejudice? All of the above? Does it make a real difference?
I understand your points, but I disagree. Laws like that cut against all races, all skin colors, everybody who isn’t already a U.S. citizen. I agree that the law strikes at everybody who is “other,” but I think it cheapens discussion to say that that equals people with dark skin. I think it diminishes the argument to call it racism. You might as well call it feudalism.
On top of it all, the odious Sensenbrenner probably thinks of himself as a fine upstanding Christian.
The depth of the hypocrisy of spiritually bankrupt creatures such as he defies description.
They were sucking up to hispanics up until now!! They kept trotting George and his pidgeon Spanish out every chance that they got.
i just have to believe that this is going to bite them in their behinds
Oh, they despise him now!! I have lived in Mexico for three years and they despise him! These folks may be poor and illiterate, but they are politically savvy. I endure so much teasing about “bad bush”. Of course they know my feelings about him, a little thing called hatred! We have wonderful political discussions, which suprised me since I had no idea the Mexicans were so passionate about these things.
i truly believe this brou-ha-ha about illegal immigration will land with a thud (or, even worse, blow up in the repubbbs’ faces) like the terry schiavo crap.
most of america doesn’t have the intense hatred for brown-skined people that the klan, sorry, i mean gop, does.
especially the brown-skinned americans.
I don’t think you should write off so quickly the possibility this could become law.
The Terry Shiavo bill did pass, after all — it was the judges who stopped this circus, not Congress.
On a Kos diary, someone said that if this did become law then there would be a clammor to change it as soon as the first photos were published of a priest being arrested for helping an immigrant family.
But for the Republicans, it doesn’t matter what the general public is upset about, they only care about their base. Repeat — THEY ONLY CARE ABOUT THEIR BASE. Its one of the 9many) things that makes this administration unique, and very scary.
Bush…what a freaking hypocrite! “America was build on the rule of law”. This from a creature who breaks the law at will. He loves to pass laws for “others” to follow. He,of course, is exempt from obeying the law because of his “Presidential Powers” (wonder if he got a secret decoder ring at his inauguration?).
They have to set up another straw man to fight for the next election. However, I think for this so-called law the most important part is the right to seize assets. You know they’re always looking for another opportunity to rob the have-lesses.
“They have to set up another straw man to fight for the next election.”
Immigrants are the new gay marriage.
This thing is a suicide pact for the Republicans if they pass it — just look at the California example. In 1994, Pete Wilson was an unpopular governor facing a re-election fight. A bunch of contemporary anti-immigrant racists were pushing a measure to deny health care and education to the undocumented. Pete jumped behind it and rode the white electorate’s fears to victory behind Prop. 187.
Fast forward: Latinos and other greencard holding non-citizens understood that the only way they could protect themselves was to get naturalized. Big spike. And they registered as Democrats. Meanwhile, the less bonkers segments of the white electorate came to realize that they didn’t want to live in a state polarized around race –and leaned more Democratic.
By 1998, California was a reliably blue state and it is going to stay that way.
Now in the CA case the demographics were already shifting away from white majority dominance, but the whole country will be there by 2050. If Republicans become the party of exclusion and race baiting, what Sensenbrunner and the noxious Tancredo want, they’ll be shooting themselves.
It is our job to help by making sure that Democrats don’t jump on the xenophobic bandwagon.
Agree with those above who say they may in this moment of fear of change actually pass some of this stuff, but I still think the political calculus runs toward Republican suicide.
Look around us. How many native Americans do you see walking our streets or living among us? They are the original Americans. The rest of us are all descendants of people who immigrated to this country.
I am a mixture of 5 European countries. Would be a little difficult to go back yo where my ancestors came from. And I had no idea that Sensenbrenner was an American Indian name.
That fat bigoted pig is beyond reprehensible.
The bill is more than putting people who offer services behind bars. The bill also includes:
Militarization of the Border
Employment Eligibility Verification System – H.R. 4437 would direct DHS, within two years of the bill’s enactment, to extend and expand a system to verify the eligibility of persons for employment in the United States.
Reimbursement of counties along the southern U.S. border.
Ummm…Umm…25 miles south of the border is Mexico. WTF?? What other countries is South of the border?? And the fact, they continue to lump all Hispanics as Mexicans is insulting.