Ask Reince Priebus these questions about the RNC immigration amnesty resolution

The RNC recently passed a resolution calling for a limited form of comprehensive immigration reform (aka amnesty for illegal aliens).

The single best thing you can do to oppose the resolution is to organize an effort to ask Reince Priebus (head of the RNC) tough questions about the resolution designed to discredit him. Simply ranting at him won't work: he has to be asked questions designed to put him on the spot and show that he hasn't thought these issues through. Doing that would send a very strong message to other GOP leaders.

  • Sample questions are below.
  • There are many other possible questions besides the ones below, and you're welcome to leave your own tough questions in comments.
  • The resolution is available in picture form here.
  • I'll be contacting leaders who oppose amnesty, asking them to help organize an effort to ask Priebus these or other questions, and you're encouraged to do that also.
  • See Question Authority for a basic action plan and questions for other leaders.
  • See bad questions for many examples showing that simply ranting at politicians doesn't work.

The first set of questions is based on this part of the resolution:

Whereas, in an age of global terrorism, drug cartels, human trafficking, and criminal gangs, the presence of millions of unidentified persons in our country posts a grave national security risk to the safety and sovereignty of the United States.

Question 1. Please detail exactly what the GOP did about this national security risk between approximately 2008 and 2012. Did the GOP work to raise awareness of that national security risk? Did the GOP attempt to pass major legalization designed to minimize that national security risk?

Question 2. What would any U.S. president prior to Jimmy Carter have done about that national security risk? (If Priebus engages in the deportations false choice, then you've got a perfect opportunity to point out how he just misled the audience.)

Question 3. If most illegal aliens decided to return home, wouldn't that greatly reduce the national security risk? Please answer yes or no. (If he answers, Priebus might say "yes, but" and then launch into the deportations false choice; point to attrition as an alternative).

Question 4. To the GOP, which of these is a higher priority: A) Having illegal aliens stay here and be legalized, or B) Minimizing the national security risk outlined in the RNC resolution? (See the notes above).

Question 5. I think it's very clear that illegal aliens staying here and being legalized is a higher priority to the GOP than resolving that national security risk. To help resolve that question, I'd like you to imagine for a minute that most of those here illegally weren't working but were using whatever forms of public benefit they could get. What would be the GOP position if most illegal aliens weren't working? (It would be a cute trick if Priebus tries to deflect that question by claiming illegal aliens can't get benefits. In that case, you point out you said whatever they can get, and then repeat the question.)

The other set of questions is based on this part of the resolution:

the [RNC] calls upon the President and Congress to create a new work permit program that will allow foreign nationals who are current in the country and have not violated any other laws of the U.S. to come forward and register and be allowed to remain and work in the U.S. The work permit will not result in application for citizenship nor any family members entering the U.S. and will require renewal every two years upon proof of continuous employment with no more than two (2) months per two (2) year period unemployed or convicted of a crime.

Question 6. Very large numbers of illegal aliens have violated non-immigration laws, mostly involving using fraudulent documents. They haven't been charged or convicted, but they have violated non-immigration laws. What's your plan to deal with that, just ignore it?

Question 7. Large numbers of those currently here illegally will either not come forward or will drop out of the program. We could be talking about hundreds of thousands or even millions. They could work for employers off the books and so on. Please tell us exactly what you intend to do about that.

Question 8. Someone who's here illegally can only do certain types of jobs, like non-federal construction, picking crops, etc. However, once someone is in the RNC program, won't they be able to do any type of job they're qualified for? For instance, someone who could only work picking crops would - after they're in the RNC program - be able to work on federal construction jobs. Someone who could only work as a maid would - after they're in the RNC program - be able to work in a bank. That is, legalized illegal aliens will be able to move up into better jobs.

    A) What impact will that have on the Americans currently doing jobs like federal construction or working in banks?
    B) Most of those Americans negatively impacting by former illegal aliens moving up will be Democrats. Why isn't the GOP pointing out to those Democrats how the immigration policies of the Obama administration would hurt them, rather than helping Obama hurt Americans?

Question 9. Are the Democrats going to allow millions of potential Democratic Party voters to just remain in a condition where they're never going to be able to vote for Democrats? Isn't it almost 100% certain that the Democrats are going to do whatever it takes to take the next step and convert those legalized by the RNC program into voters?

I could come up with more questions, but the first thing to do is to have those asked. In order to do that, you have to organize an effort to have Reince Priebus asked them at one of his public events. Alternatively, you have to do whatever it takes to get conservative leaders (such as rightwing bloggers and pundits) to organize such an effort.