Predictable History, Unpredictable Past: No, Rand Paul Is Not An Amnesty Shill Nor Are We Ever, Ever, Ever Going To Deport 12-20 Million Illegal Aliens

19 March 2013

No, Rand Paul Is Not An Amnesty Shill Nor Are We Ever, Ever, Ever Going To Deport 12-20 Million Illegal Aliens

In response to Rand Paul's speech on immigration and the Hispanic vote today, many comments such as this have been made:

“And another one bites, and another one bites, and another one bites the dust..If these illegal aliens are not deported it is amnesty. Rand Paul-you are in support of amnesty. You too, Rubio, and you too Jeb Bush. Round em up, ship em out!”

We are NEVER, EVER, EVER going to “round em up and ship em out!” NEVER. Operation Wetback is NEVER, EVER, EVER going to be repeated.

He said:

“I didn’t use the word citizenship at all this morning. Basically, what I want to do is to expand the worker visa program, have border security and then as far as how people become citizens, there already is a process for how people become citizens. The main difference is I wouldn’t have people be forced to go home. You’d just get in line. But you get in the same line everyone is in."

Over at RedState.com, Erick Erickson supported Paul.

“I have read the entirely of Rand Paul’s speech. I have spoken directly to the senator,” he said. “Nowhere in his speech does he use the word ‘citizenship.’ In fact, the word citizen is only used once, in reference to Rand Paul himself saying, ‘As a teenager, I was not always the model citizen that I am today.’”

Rand Paul wants to find a way to get illegals to become legal workers and pay taxes. They would not have voting rights. They would have to go comply with the exact same requirements that I did when I came here legally. Am I happy about that? No, but I am realistic.

They will then have to wait in line, pay back taxes, pass a background check, and learn to speak English before they can apply for citizenship. They, then, have to pass the citizenship test. It will be years before any illegal is allowed to vote under the scenario that Paul is proposing.

At the same time, there must be border enforcement and I would add employer penalties. I would mandate the use of E-Verify for all employment in the United States - private and public sector, permanent and temporary employment, union and non-union, full-time and part-time, white collar and farm labour. I would enthusiastically endorse a $100,000 fine for the first offence of hiring an illegal and $1,000,000 fine PLUS 5 years in Federal prison PER ILLEGAL for a subsequent conviction.

Felons should be deported, as should repeat misdemeanants. Period.

This idea of sending 12-20 million people home must be abandoned. It is not only unrealistic from a political and legal standpoint, but is also logistically improbable. A vast number of illegal immigrants that are in the United States have American children and we are not, as a country, going to send their parents back nor will the Supreme Court likely ever reverse its erroneous reading of the Fourteenth Amendment and the reliance on the footnote in Phyler v Doe that has occurred since.* It is NEVER going to happen and, if you continue to make it the litmus test, you will nominate candidates that can NEVER get elected. There is a reason that Tom Tancredo is no longer in office.

Some sort of immigration reform is almost assuredly going to happen. What is important is that it be done in a fair way to American citizens and taxpayers.

From Paul.senate.gov:

I do not support amnesty, I support legal immigration and recognize that the country has been enriched by those who seek the freedom to make a life for themselves. However, millions of illegal immigrants are crossing our border without our knowledge and causing a clear threat to our national security. I want to work in the Senate to secure our border immediately. In addition, I support the creation of a border fence and increased border patrol capabilities.

Immigrants should meet the current requirements, which should be enforced and updated. I realize that subsidizing something creates more of it, and do not think the taxpayer should be forced to pay for welfare, medical care and other expenses for illegal immigrants. Once the subsidies for illegal immigration are removed, the problem will likely become far less common.

I support local solutions to illegal immigration as protected by the 10th amendment. I support making English the official language of all documents and contracts.

Millions crossing our border without our knowledge constitutes a clear threat to our nation's security. Instead of closing military bases at home and renting space in Europe, I am open to the construction of bases to protect our border.

Senator Rand Paul