In The Aggregate - Arizona's political blogs » American immigration

Congressmen Say NO to Gang of Eight Bill

Christopher Cook — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:24:46 +0000

Senate Immigration Bill Not Welcome in House

The Senate immigration received a less than warm welcome Thursday from GOP leaders in the House while a bipartisan group of House members worked to produce its own bill.

Speaker John Boehner issued a statement on behalf of the GOP leadership that said the House would approach immigration reform in numerous ways that will differ from the bill under consideration in the Senate.

“The House remains committed to fixing our broken immigration system,” ...

Immigration Bill Moves to the Full Senate

John Walker — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:32:44 +0000

Gang of Eight Prevails In Senate Judiciary Committee

Moments after the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the immigration reform bill by a vote of 13-5, spectators in the packed committee room erupted in shouts of “Yes, we can! Si, se puede!”

It was just like old times, reminiscent of an Obama campaign rally in 2008. Democrats on the committee were gleeful. They basked in the crowd’s adulation, shaking hands and posing for pictures.

The celebration came after five days of deliberation that saw the consideration ...

Law Enforcement Officers Locked out of Immigration Reform Debate

Christopher Cook — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:41:23 +0000

They’re not listening to the people closest to the problem

The greatest irony of the immigration reform debate has been the exclusion of the law enforcement officers most responsible for border security and the detention of illegal immigrants.

When the Gang of Eight in the Senate unveiled its reform bill last month in a major Capitol Hill news conference, no law enforcement officials or officers were invited to speak. Instead, the event featured speakers from a wide array of ...

Immigration Reform Talking Points Are Bogus

John Walker — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:15:54 +0000

Proponents of the Senate immigration reform bill repeat their talking points so often that by now they are almost as familiar as popular advertising slogans.

But like all slogans, the talking points used to advance immigration reform don’t stand up to scrutiny. Jon Feere of the Center for Immigration Studies throws cold water on all of them.

“On close inspection, however, the hoops illegal immigrants are required to jump through do not amount to much,” Feere writes in a critique of the ...

Senator Griffin appointed Co-Chair of Joint Border Security Advisory Committee

Press Release — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:15:30 +0000

Senator Gail Griffin

(Phoenix, State Capitol) —-Senator Gail Griffin of Hereford has been appointed Co-Chair of the Joint Border Security Advisory Committee, Senate President Andy Biggs announced. Senator Griffin has been a member of the committee since March 2011.

Senator Griffin has a long history of working toward securing our borders and getting our message to the federal government that our borders are not safe. She knows firsthand the danger: her home sits just 15 minutes from the U.S.-Mexico ...

Senator Jeff Sessions: A Leader on Immigration Reform

John Walker — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:10:46 +0000

As the Gang of Eight and their cohorts on the Senate Judiciary Committee railroad the immigration reform bill through the Senate panel, one senator stands out as the guardian of the rule of law and the sovereignty of the United States: Jeff Sessions of Alabama.

Other Republicans on the committee have stood firm, including Senators Grassley, Hatch, Cornyn, Lee, and Cruz. But Sessions has been the strongest advocate of measures to make the bill tougher.

Sessions and his like-minded ...

What’s wrong with the Gang of Eight bill in one graphic

Christopher Cook — Sat, 11 May 2013 18:00:37 +0000

From Heritage:

Gang of Eight Seals the Deal In Senate Judiciary Committee

John Walker — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:15:44 +0000

Jeff Flake Votes with Democratic Majority

It was only the first day of consideration of the Gang of Eight’s immigration reform bill, but it was clear from the outset that the fix was in.

The Senate Judiciary Committee convened Thursday to consider amendments to the 867-page reform bill. Most were approved by voice vote. Seven amendments aimed at enforcement were defeated.

Shortly after the Committee session, ranking member Chuck Grassley said he was disappointed that “alliances” seem to have been ...

Immigration Reform Repeats the Mistakes of Obamacare

John Walker — Fri, 10 May 2013 11:30:38 +0000

Another Massive Program Without Public Support

Congress is about to make the same mistake with immigration reform that it did with Obamacare: Pass a massive program that lacks support among the voters.

Politicians live and die by the polls. They obsess over polls at election time, but they also follow polls closely as they consider crucial votes.

Not so with Obamacare. Democrats ignored public opinion throughout the healthcare debate in 2009 and passed the law on party line votes in ...

Amnesty Will Cost America Dearly

John Walker — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:45:07 +0000

Heritage Foundation Puts the Tab at $6.3 Trillion

Just in time for Senate consideration of the immigration reform bill, the Heritage Foundation added fuel to the debate with an astonishing estimate of the cost of amnesty: $6.3 trillion.

The cost estimate was released as the Senate Judiciary Committee prepared for consideration of the bill in a session set for Thursday. Tuesday marked the deadline for committee members to submit amendments.

Robert Rector, the lead author of the Heritage estimate, said ...