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Obama pressures Republicans on border issue

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By JIM KUHNHENN and ERICA WERNER

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Drop amnesty and we got a deal. He will not because he likes the way things are now just fine.

“It is my hope that Speaker Boehner and House Republicans will not leave town for the month of August for their vacations without doing something to help solve this problem,”

Obama is seriously complaining about vacations during a crisis. Hilarious!

It’s unlikely such legislation will reach Obama before the break. Senate Democrats oppose policy changes that would return migrant children to their countries without judicial hearings.

So basically the president is complaining about his own party's inability to get anything done before the break.

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A fart in a windstorm has more chance than the Republicans agreeing to anything Obama proposes.

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Drop amnesty and we got a deal.

Cool!

But what do you mean by "amnesty"? Do you mean that America immediately and forcibly deport up to 10 million undocumented residents? That DACA totally be ignored, thus returning to the countries of the parents millions of young adults who know only the United States?

The problem with using such buzzwords, Wolf, is that they are good at eliciting visceral reactions from the base but are useless at formulating actual policy. This is exactly why House GOP members have found themselves in this quandary: They cannot support "amnesty," but they must to a certain extent.

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Republican leaders are working against time to find a consensus within their party

Oh, this fun game again?

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@Laguna:

But what do you mean by "amnesty"?

Legalizing illegal immigrants by allowing them to remain in the US without first having to return to their home countries and re-entering legally.

That DACA totally be ignored

Yes. Obama imposed this "law" as if he were King. It isn't supposed to work that way in a Democracy.

The problem with using such buzzwords, Wolf, is that they are good at eliciting visceral reactions from the base but are useless at formulating actual policy.

It is not a buzzword - it is a word with meaning to the illegal immigration issue in the US today. An example of buzzwords that elicit visceral reactions would be, "war on women".

They cannot support "amnesty," but they must to a certain extent.

That may or may not be true. But you will never find out until there is a border and visa system that stops the problem from happening all over again following the next amnesty.

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Obama imposed this "law" as if he were King.

Two points regarding DACA:

it is not a "law" - it is administrative priority. You must know that deportations under Obama dwarf those under Bush, but each costs money, whether you're deporting a felon, a Rhodes scholar, or a military vet. Do you really suggest that we treat them the same?

a vast number of people who are not American citizens nonetheless live in America and contribute greatly to its society. You want to lump all illegal immigrants together. Can you imagine deporting 10,000,000 people - not only the effects on wherever they end up, but the effects on where they have left? I dare say such an experiment has never been conducted on this scale - and yet this is what you, Wolf, and the GOP demand.

Have you ever heard of "nuance"?

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We can debate what should happen until we are blue in the face, but it's all a waste of time. The Republican party is unable to come up with a unified platform to present as "their side" so Boehner has banned them from talking about it. First we have to wait for Republicans to agree on something as a party, then we can start the debate.

When will that happen? Your guess is as good as mine.

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And yet, here we go with the Ueber open border crowd once again want to allow every single person on the planet in.

a vast number of people who are not American citizens nonetheless live in America and contribute greatly to its society. You want to lump all illegal immigrants together. Can you imagine deporting 10,000,000 people

I sure can! The law is the law. Of course I know we can't deport every single one, but we can start to at least seal the border and the illegals that are already residing in America, let them go through the same process as everyone else that has followed the law legally. Why should they be able to jump ahead of someone that played by the rules.

not only the effects on wherever they end up, but the effects on where they have left? I dare say such an experiment has never been conducted on this scale - and yet this is what you, Wolf, and the GOP demand.

What is it with you libs and wanting open borders, that not only disgusts me, but just mind boggles the heck out of me!

@stranger

A fart in a windstorm has more chance than the Republicans agreeing to anything Obama proposes.

Obama is so irrelevant at this stage in his presidency, NO one really cares what he thinks or proposes, it's just going to fall on his mug ears.

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Hey Laguna

•it is not a "law" - it is administrative priority.

Yes, I know his suspension of the actual law is not really law in itself. That's why I put the word in double quotes to make sarcastic note of that. DACA is actually the opposite of what the law says and it is not in any way an administrative priority. When the government has apprehended an illegal, releasing him/her with a piece of paper which essentially provides them with de facto legal residency is rule by executive fiat and not by the law as written by the legislature. Whenever an illegal alien is identified they should be processed and deported as quickly and efficiently as possible. Sure a rapist should go to the front of the line but the non-rapist should not be let free in the meantime. The government would then just have to catch the person all over again. It's no wonder their are so many illegals, the government has to catch them multiple times in order to deport them. As a policy, it is moronic.

•a vast number of people who are not American citizens nonetheless live in America and contribute greatly to its society

Do you really believe that people come to the US illegally with the intention of benefitting America? They "contribute" by causing a sense of lawlessness in the country, by lowering wages and crowding out employment opportunities for low skilled American and legal resident workers, they impose large costs on local communities to provide for a surge in needed services to support more poor people, they make a mockery of those who waited for years for legal entry, and they have contributed a great deal to political polarization in America.

You want to lump all illegal immigrants together.

Well because all illegal immigrants are illegal immigrants. Aren't all shoplifters - shoplifters. One may be poorer, younger, or more criminal than the other, but they are both shoplifters. I wouldn't let either keep their stolen goods just because one has a sadder life story than the other.

Can you imagine deporting 10,000,000 people - not only the effects on wherever they end up, but the effects on where they have left?

I'll answer that with a question. Can you imagine 10,000,000 people illegally entering America?

It has taken years since the 1980's amnesty for the problem to get to the gigantic proportions that it is now. It will surely take many years for the US government to locate them and kindly ask them to go home and apply legally. And most certainly this influx has had a very harmful effect on the countries that lost so many of their citizens. Poor countries are exporting their desperate people. That has certainly been harmful for countries like Guatemala where roughly 20% of their native born population now live in the US. Consider the loss of so many people and the resulting decline in standard of living for those left behind, and the increased crime and corruption. What incentive is their for change in a desperately poor country when the corrupt actively export their problems elsewhere instead of confronting them and making change? Instead of amnesty for Guatemala's people, a better solution for the entire country would be to send their productive citizens back home and make business deals to help their home economies grow.

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Wolfpack Jul. 29, 2014 - 07:30AM JST Whenever an illegal alien is identified they should be processed and deported as quickly and efficiently as possible. They "contribute" by causing a sense of lawlessness in the country, by lowering wages and crowding out employment opportunities for low skilled American and legal resident workers,

Then what is a solution to the U.S. agricultural industry that depends on 90 percent illegals? Why does U.S. goverment protect the agricultural industry? The dirty secret that everybody knows including the goverment is that majority of the U.S. agricultural workers are illegal immigrants. Without them, farmers in California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, and Georgia are substantially short of the number of workers they needed to harvest the crop. Despite high unemployment in many of the states, most U.S. residents don’t want such back-breaking jobs, nor do they have the necessary skills. Although many Americans believe immigrants “steal” jobs and push down wages, there is little evidence of that. Problem is that there is double standards on immigration enforcement policy on the agricultural industry.

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there is double standards on immigration enforcement policy on the agricultural industry

Not only in the agricultural industry. I love how modern-day Americans are so scornful of 'illegals'. Every American who isn't a full-bloodied Native American is there now because their ancestors made the trip without the OK of the original residents (killing thousands of the locals in the process, whether intentionally or through disease), or they had their official paperwork done by someone who did, in accordance with laws put in place by a formerly rebel/terrorist government.

As for agriculture: maybe the fruit-picking jobs need to be better paid so that 'real' legal unemployed Americans will be willing to do them. An added bonus would be that we would no longer have folk on JT crowing how ridiculously expensive agricultural produce is here and how cheap it is 'back home'.

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cleo Jul. 29, 2014 - 08:34AM JST I love how modern-day Americans are so scornful of 'illegals'.

The real problem with undocumented immigrant workers is that flouting the law has become the norm, which makes the job of terrorists and drug traffickers infinitely easier. The economic costs of terrorism can be very high and very real, quite apart from the otherwise positive economic impact of immigration. Many decades of globalization will see U.S. either descend into timid isolation or affirm its openness. Throughout history, great nations have declined because they built up walls of insularity, but U.S. has been the exception for over a century. It would be a tragedy if U.S. were to turn toward a false sense of security just when China is ascending with openness, Western Europe is declining into isolation, and the real solution is so obvious from U.S. heritage.

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@cleo

Not only in the agricultural industry. I love how modern-day Americans are so scornful of 'illegals'. Every American who isn't a full-bloodied Native American is there now because their ancestors made the trip without the OK of the original residents (killing thousands of the locals in the process, whether intentionally or through disease), or they had their official paperwork done by someone who did, in accordance with laws put in place by a formerly rebel/terrorist government.

What?? If you are going to make that silly argument, then we should apply that to almost every country and Brits are the absolute last people to talk about that issue. The US is a sovereign state and as such, we have laws, rules and borders, if you have No borders, you have no country. You don't know what you are talking about. I have been numerous times to Mexico, I am from a border state and it's crazy and deplorable that we have an open border like this that anyone can just waltz in. I am all for legal immigration as long as people play by the rules, wait in line like everyone else that followed the law, gets screened, passes all disease tests, NO problem, but it irks me to NO end how Mexico which is solely responsible for allowing these kids to come without their parents instead of sending them back, knowing full well how dangerous the journey is and it is VERY dangerous. Thousands of children are murdered each year and thousands are raped and the Mexican government is completely complacent when it comes to this issue and yet, Mexico itself has a very strict immigration policy. The problem is, they just don't want to deal with these people.

As for agriculture: maybe the fruit-picking jobs need to be better paid so that 'real' legal unemployed Americans will be willing to do them.

I don't mind, however, be prepared to pay $3 for an apple or any other fruit and veggies.

An added bonus would be that we would no longer have folk on JT crowing how ridiculously expensive

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Brits are the absolute last people to talk about that issue

Fear not bass, the UKIP crowd have me just as bemused.

I am from a border state and it's crazy and deplorable that we have an open border like this that anyone can just waltz in.

Isn't it because your ancestor at some point just waltzed in (disposin' of a few pesky injuns along the way) that you can now claim to be from that border state?

knowing full well how dangerous the journey is

You know what the fatality rate was among the early pioneers? Yet still they sailed their ships across the Atlantic.

I don't mind, however, be prepared to pay $3 for an apple

That's what I mean. Either you turn a blind eye to 'illegal' immigration for the sake of dirt-cheap food, or you clean up your act and pay your way.

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