Nelson favors tight border, no amnesty (Dem Ne)

[Omaha Steve]

Published Tuesday
September 27, 2005

Nelson favors tight border, no amnesty

BY JAKE THOMPSON


WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

WASHINGTON - To stem the "flood" of illegal immigrants into the United States, Sen. Ben Nelson said today that he soon will introduce legislation calling for 3,000 new Border Patrol agents, boosting Customs officers by 1,200 and denying amnesty for the millions of undocumented workers now in the country.

"It's time for action to protect our borders," he said in a conference call with reporters.

Nelson, D-Neb., characterized his bill as an attempt to secure America's borders to protect jobs and to block potential terrorists from crossing into the country.

He said he was motivated by numerous complaints he has received from Nebraskans about illegal immigration.

Full story here: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1638&u_sid=2026367

[damntexdem]

1. Good God, what does he have against Kansans?

Well, sure, he wouldn't want to let any Okies into Nebraska -- but there must be some limit to his exclusionary policy.

[pop goes the weasel]

2. how dare you

make me laugh while I'm trying to drink!

[Jim Sagle]

3. Fuckin' A!

[pop goes the weasel]

4. but seriously

I had blue collar relatives spend time with me during the Great Rita Evacuation. Each of them, independently, while telling me how their businesses were going, ended up telling me how hard it is for them to make a living competing against companies that hire illegals. These relatives weren't being anti-Hispanic (half of them are Hispanics!), they were just feeling the pinch.

Democrats stand to gain a lot of ground with American blue collar workers by demanding that the federal government go after employers of illegals (not the illegals themselves--as my relatives said, there's always more where those ones came from). Unions can gain a lot of national approval, and maybe make inroads among tradesmen, if they can guarantee that any business advertised as a Union-only employer has been screened by the union to assure that only legal workers are employed there.

[yurbud]

5. How about zero tolerance for EMPLOYERS?

If there were no jobs, no illegals would come here.

Those who hire them are really breaking more than one law; besides the immigration laws, they are trying to circumvent minimum wage, payroll taxes, and worker protection laws, and since these workers are paid so little and may need public services, we are effectively subsidizing these businesses. So who is the bigger criminal, the illegal immigrant or the person who hires him?