Home  >  Florida  >  Other Bush earns surprising support for immigration plan

Other Bush earns surprising support for immigration plan

By   /   March 14, 2013  /   2 Comments

NEW FRIENDS: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush may be making new friends, now that he has a new book on the market. (AP filed photo)

NEW FRIENDS: Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush may be making new friends, now that he has a new book on the market. (AP filed photo)

 

By Marianela Toledo | Florida Watchdog

MIAMI – Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush seems to be making some new friends.

“Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt” said Florida’s District 26 Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia. “Jeb Bush has been a great ally in defense of immigration in this country for more than a decade,” he added.

WARS: The book proposes a comprehensive immigration reform that would allow the legalization of undocumented immigrants living in United States, but block a pathway for their citizenship.

Bush caused a stir last week when promoting his new book book, “Immigration Wars,” which he co-authored with Clint Bolick. The book proposes a comprehensive immigration reform that would allow the legalization of undocumented immigrants living in United States, but block a pathway for their citizenship.

“Our proposal imposes two penalties for illegal entry, fines and or community services and ineligibility for citizenship,” states his book.

Such a proposal was strongly criticized by pro-immigrant groups like America’s Voice and lawmakers from his own party, including South Carolina U.S. Lindsey Graham, a Republican.

“I just think this proposal caught me off guard, and it undercuts what we’re trying to do,” Graham told reporters last week.

Graham is one of the eight members crafting a bipartisan immigration bill in the upper chamber. The group also includes John McCain, R-Ariz.; Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.; Marco Rubio, R-Fla; Dick Durbin, D-Ill.; Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.; Michael Bennet, D-Colo.; and Robert Menendez, D-N.J.

Their group proposal includes securing the border and providing a pathway to citizenship for 11 million illegal immigrants already in the country.

The former governor’s office did not responded to requests for interviews.

On Sunday, during an interview with Jorge Ramos’ TV program, “Al Punto,” Bush said he was in “sync” with Graham on immigration reform, and had the same purpose as the “Group of Eight.”

“There was a hiccup but it corrected the way,” Garcia told Florida Watchdog on Friday after an event on immigration reform in which Texas U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro also participated.

JEB BUSH: "My position has not changed. We are proposing an agenda for the people in my party and others who have weathered having comprehensive immigration reform,"

JEB BUSH: “My position has not changed. We are proposing an agenda for the people in my party and others who have weathered having comprehensive immigration reform,”

But Bush did not specify if he has changed his position on the pathway for the citizenship issue.

“My position has not changed. We are proposing an agenda for the people in my party and others who have weathered having comprehensive immigration reform,” Bush said at the beginning of the interview.

Michael Hernandez, Hispanic communications director at Miami-Dade Democratic Party, said he was surprised by Bush’s ideas, but hinted at a possible future political strategy for a presidential bid.

“The rumor is that to win a Republican primary, if he launches a presidential campaign, has needs to be more ally with the right wing of GOP in terms of immigration,” Hernandez said. “But I was surprised. We cannot continue as we are because after all, these people came to the country to work and contribute. We should not have the Republican rhetoric of the 2012 primaries that suggest the auto deportation,” he said.

The Democratic Party, Hernandez said, believe that immigration reform must provide a legal path to citizenship, not just give illegal immigrants permanent-residence status, as proposed by Bush.

“The solution is to give them the opportunity to become citizens,” Hernandez said.

JOE GARCIA “Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt” said Florida’s District 26 Democratic U.S. Rep. “Jeb Bush has been a great ally in defense of immigration in this country for more than a decade,” he added.

In the book, Bush and Bolick describe how to simplify the immigration system, especially visas, for people who have been waiting for years for a response from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration service.

The book notes that granting citizenship to illegal immigrants would encourage more illegal immigration. It says that “citizenship” should be a “reward” for those who enter legally.

“We want to make it easier coming legally instead illegally,” Bush said.

By contrast the pathway for the citizenship should be allowed for the children who came with their parents. In Immigration Wars, Bush says he supports the Dream Act, which proposes the legality of young undocumented students. It also proposes to make permanent the Deferred Action, adopted by Obama before the November general election.

The book highlights an failed campaign promise by President Obama, who said he would like to see immigration reform approved by Congress in the first 100 days of his first term.

But, Bush said both parties are responsible for failing to pass immigration reform.

“He needs to clarify what he really thinks because he can be a leader within his party,” Hernandez said.

With Republicans in control of the House of Representatives and Democrats in control of the U.S.  Senate, Hernandez said bipartisan negotiations will be imperative if a reform measure is to be passed into law.

“I think, like many Democrats and Republicans, that part of this immigration reform must include a legalization of the undocumented and pathway for the citizenship” he said.

Contact Marianela Toledo at Marianela.Toledo@FloridaWatchdog.org.

Please, feel free to "steal our stuff"! Just remember to credit Watchdog.org. Find out more

Marianela Toledo

  • Mr cool

    Legalization to permanent residency is totally fine and great. That is the majority undocumented wants As long as it passed! Rather Insisting citizenship to the bill without nothing to trash the bill. Mr. Which do you prefer?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Dave-Francis/100003689645540 Dave Francis

    Somewhere in Washington a group of politicians are dividing up the spoils of our future, while the unsuspecting population of the United States is busily wearing their financial problems as best they can. For the record, the gang includes long time Republican amnesty advocates Lindsey Graham, John McCain, Jeff Flake and Marco Rubio plus Democrats Mike Bennet, Chuck Schumer, Robert Menendez and Richard Durbin. These politicians will surely be remembered, by the free handout people, but if it goes all wrong as with the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), they will certainly not be reelected and their names will be blemished forever. McCain was harassed in Arizona, and Graham has cringed away from the public anger. Menendez is also under fire, but not for his stand as an open border advocate. He is under investigation by the FBI, for hiring prostitutes in the Dominican Republic and also non disclosure by the Senate Ethic Committee of $58.000 dollars for a donation he received, but since returned for two plane tickets to the Dominican Republic. There is no doubt in my mind he will slither past both accusations, as the majority of Congress has been permanently corrupted by “K” Street lobbyists and other Special Interest entities.

    If some kind of Comprehensive Immigration Reform is passed, along with a Pass to Citizenship then the above Gang of Eight will be complicit in driving even more illegal aliens to America before the law is passed? We should also demand from the lawmakers a policy that also incorporates E-Verify. It in itself will detect illegal workers and dismiss them from businesses. But the new computer enhancement called IMAGE should also be included, so the millions of illegal aliens using forged documents will be held accountable. A path to citizenship will also portend that the 11 million illegal aliens ( a estimate is more like 20to 25 plus) would be massive voting pool for those on the left, who want to turn America from a free enterprise society into a Socialist Imperial Empire.

    President Obama is demanding more taxes from the rich, who as employers attribute to the hiring of millions of workers in diverse businesses. However half of our blessed countries low income people (Illegal Aliens) pay nothing at all, because many of them play the welfare system with great success. Everybody who lives in this sovereign nation should pay something, anything? That’s why every citizen/resident should demand a flat tax that way nobody escapes the IRS. You have heard or seen the “austerity” methods in Europe, which is the direction we are heading in now.

    President Ronald Reagan, a great legislator, signed a so-called immigration reform bill (IRCA) that ended-up corrupted confusion, in that it was the direct cause of the gigantic invasion of illegal aliens for the past 27 years. If this new one enacted, it will be living hell for all of us. It will be no different this time around only on a larger scale and devastating. Realistic estimates put the 1986 number of individuals who smuggled themselves across our borders at around 38 million. The millions who received amnesty, thanks to Mr. Reagan, had children; the numbers simply continued to multiply. Children born of illegal aliens are NOT U.S. citizens: Although that is what needs to be revised. It has led to the Dream Act, with other financial tentacles of the family chain migration (Legal and illegal) and then because of the high populations of foreigners that essentially is illegal, Sanctuary Cities, passed as city ordinances which should be repealed and should be enforced by ICE,

    Every American Worker and Permanent Resident should read the article by Devvy Kidd of March 16, 2013 on the web site of NEWSWITHVIEWS. This is just partial information publicized here, but the whole article should be given close scrutiny.

    Birthright Citizenship and Dual Citizenship: Harbingers of Administrative Tyranny

    “In sum, this legacy of feudalism—which we today call birthright citizenship—was decisively rejected as the ground of American citizenship by the Fourteenth Amendment and the Expatriation Act of 1868. It is absurd, then, to believe that the Fourteenth Amendment confers the boon of American citizenship on the children of illegal aliens. Nor does the denial of birthright citizenship visit the sins of the parents on the children, as is often claimed, since the children of illegal aliens born in the U.S. are not being denied anything to which they have a right. Their allegiance should follow that of their parents during their minority. Furthermore, it is difficult to fathom how those who defy American law can derive benefits for their children by their defiance—or that any sovereign nation would allow such a thing.”

    “He further points out: “But in any case, to say that children of legal aliens are entitled to citizenship is one thing; after all, their parents are in the country with the permission of the U.S. It is entirely different with illegal aliens, who are here without permission. Thus repeal of the current policy of birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens would not require a constitutional amendment.”

    “Prof. Erler hit it out of the ball park: Children born on US soil of an illegal alien parent (or two parents) regardless of country of origin have no “right” to U.S. citizenship.

    In the current illegal immigration proposals, Republican Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas, a longtime leading amnesty opponent, said: “If you legalize 11 million people, it is going to cost taxpayers when they become eligible for government benefits. It’s going to cost Americans their jobs when they have to compete with millions more people for scarce jobs. I don’t see much good here for Americans.”

    Americans, legal resident of all nationalities whether black, Anglo, Asian, Hispanic, Latino or from any origin, must realize that another Path to Citizenship will sink us. As Congressman Smith has stated, we must comprehend the consequences of another Amnesty, by any other name? It might seem quite harmless now, but the future of all those people, their extended family members will need pensions and retirement benefit. Even as today government is worried about paying for Medicaid, Medicare, health care and welfare now and adding millions more, and their progeny in the future is a catastrophe waiting to happen. Don’t listen to the rhetoric or propaganda from the Liberals or the open border advocates, but sign the No Amnesty petition at NumbersUSA, If you really want your say counted write a note to your congressman (a aid will read it and reckon up the letters ‘for’ and against) so you don’t have to hassle about being persuasive since all Your Representative hears about the amount of correspondence). Phone calls are always better and we should jam the phone system, but here you need to be coherent and not explode with an awkward outburst at the central Washington circuit phone 202) 224-3121. LEARN THE REALITY OF OUR BORDER AND INVESTIGATE THE CONCEALED NEWS AND REPORTS AT AMERICANPATROL. Plaster your Senator or Congressional House with a post card, demanding they stop the current path of overpopulation and Balkanization. Bombard Facebook and Twitter with information, as the other side do. Contact your local press and TV station, because the end is near for commonsense and also another hit on the hurting taxpayer.