Has George Told us what he wants yet....and what is to come?

[Flabbergasted]

January 2004
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/01/20040107-3.html

President Bush Proposes New Temporary Worker Program
Remarks by the President on Immigration Policy....

First, America must control its borders.

Second, new immigration laws should serve the economic needs of our country.

Third, we should not give unfair rewards to illegal immigrants in the citizenship process or disadvantage those who came here lawfully, or hope to do so.

Fourth, new laws should provide incentives for temporary, foreign workers to return permanently to their home countries after their period of work in the United States has expired


Onward.....

March 2005
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20050324-122200-6209r.htm

Bush decries border project

WACO, Texas — President Bush yesterday said he opposes a civilian project to monitor illegal aliens crossing the border, characterizing them as "vigilantes."

He said he would pressure Congress to further loosen immigration law.

More than 1,000 people — including 30 pilots and their private planes — have volunteered for the Minuteman Project, beginning next month along the Arizona-Mexico border. Civilians will monitor the movement of illegal aliens for the month of April and report them to the Border Patrol.


onward....

April 2006
http://www.alipac.us/article1144.html

Arrival of aliens ousts U.S. workers!

By Jerry Seper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published April 10, 2006

Linda Swope, who operates Complete Employment Services Inc. in Mobile, Ala., told The Washington Times last week that the workers -- whom she described as U.S. citizens, residents of Alabama and predominantly black -- had been "urgently requested" by contractors hired to rebuild and clear devastated areas of the state, but were told to leave three job sites when the foreign workers showed up.

"After Katrina, our company had 70 workers on the job the first day, but the companies decided they didn't need them anymore because the Mexicans had arrived," Mrs. Swope said. "I assure you it is not true that Americans don't want to work.

Onward...

April 2006
http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/20/immigration.raids/index.html

Immigration arrests 9 IFCO bosses along with 1,000 workers.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration unveiled Thursday what it said is a new strategy aimed at companies employing illegal immigrants, illustrating it with a crackdown on the German-based firm IFCO Systems.

Law enforcement officials will "use all the tools we have, whether it be criminal enforcement or immigration laws to break the back" of businesses that exploit undocumented immigrants, said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff at a news conference.

"We're looking at them in the same way we look at criminal organizations," he said. (Watch response to the raids -- 1:40)

Federal immigration authorities arrested nine people linked to IFCO Systems and rounded up more than 1,000 illegal immigrants in multistate raids, federal law enforcement officials said.

Onward....

April 2006
http://progressive.org/mag_rcb041706

Halliburton's Immigrant Detention Centers

While thousands of people were celebrating the contribution America's undocumented immigrants make to our economy, and demanding justice and recognition for workers who are denied basic rights, the government was making plans for large-scale detention centers in case of an "emergency influx" of immigrants.

KBR, the Halliburton subsidiary recently reprimanded for gross overcharging in its military contracts in Iraq, won a $385 million contract to build the centers. According to the Halliburton website--www.Halliburton.com--"the contract, which is effective immediately, provides for establishing temporary detention and processing capabilities to augment existing ICE Detention and Removal Operations Program facilities in the event of an emergency influx of immigrants into the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs."




:shrug:

[ShortnFiery]

1. What's yet to come is as painfully clear ...

as the plot to a children's story such as "My Pet Goat." :scared:

[Sinti]

2. The mixed messages make my head spin

I think the "Temporary Worker Program" is fancy talk for "our companies want cheap labor and we're going to give it to them." The next logical step IMO is slavery. Can't pay your bills, laid off and can't get work? With no bankruptcy laws to protect you, debtors prisons come to mind.

Prison labor is good for the economy, hell, just look at China. :sarcasm:

The "rapid development of new programs" just makes my blood run cold. I try not to imagine the worst, but I can't fathom any good coming from a statement like that. :scared:

Edited to add:

The Detention and Removal Strategy for a Secure Homeland or Endgame plan seems to be ramping up, though.

The PDF is here:

http://www.ice.gov/pi/dro/opsmanual/endgame.pdf

[PublicWrath]

3. also fancy talk for, "US oil companies want the Nat'l Oil Company of

Mexico (Pemex)to open to foreign investment". The Mexican Congress recently rejected legislation that would open Pemex to foreign investment. Bush tried promoting an open US border, but met too much resistance in his own base. Since Fox won't be president much longer bush is changing his tactics from pushing an open border that Mexico wants, to something that looks rather like strong-arm threats to round up and eject undocumented Mexicans already here. To me, its looks like "play ball and get a minimal guest worker program, or we'll throw your people out".

The director general of Pemex is very pro-foreign investment and in a recent interview talked about the "window of opportunity" after the July 2 elections and before the new Mexican Congress sits, as the last good chance to get the legislature to open Pemex to foreign partners. Don't be surprised if there is a great deal of immigration-related excitement this summer.