December 09, 2007

Huckabee admits immigration plan has revolving door (amnesty or "guest" workers)

[Mike Pence-style update below]

Mike Huckabee cannot be trusted on immigration matters. I'll say that again: Mike Huckabee cannot be trusted on immigration matters.

In fact, just after releasing a plan that unfortunately took in some people, he now admitted on Fox News Sunday (link, video below) what I suspected: his plan includes a revolving door whereby former illegal aliens would leave the U.S. only to return within "days, maybe weeks" as legal workers. He didn't specify whether they'd just be coming back as "guest" workers with no chance at citizenship, but considering that he's supported a "pathway to citizenship" in the past, and in his remarks he not only didn't renounce that "pathway" but sought to explain what it meant (in Clintonian terms), one can assume that he's not opposed to putting millions on the "pathway to citizenship".

Not only that, but at one point he used the same language as president Bush, refering to people coming here illegally just to "feed their families".

Furthermore, his plan to "seal" the border is as unworkable as his plan to get millions of people to register and return home in 120 days. In fact, given his demonstrated weakness - and the inability to round up those millions of illegal aliens who won't leave within the 120 days - there'd be a mad dash for the borders.

And, his concept of slapdash background checks might let untold numbers of terrorists and criminals come here as "guests" or potential citizens.

I will once more state: Mike Huckabee cannot be trusted on immigration matters.

After being asked by Chris Wallace whether there was an "inconsistency" between his past support for a "pathway to citizenship" and his current immigration plan, Mike Huckabee responded:

"I don't think there's an inconsistency. When I said a 'pathway' I didn't say what the pathway was. [He's not the only Man from Hope]

I now believe that the only thing that the American people are going to accept and frankly the only thing that makes sense is a pathway that sends people back to the starting point. But, this idea that waiting years, no, I don't agree with that.

In fact, look, if we can get a credit card application done within hours, if we can get passports done within days, if we can transact business over the internet anywhere in the world within seconds, do a background check instantaneously, it's our government that's failed and is dysfunctional.

It shouldn't take years to get a work permit to come here and pick lettuce. So, a part of the plan that I have is that we seal the borders, you don't have amnesty and sanctuary cities, you do have a pathway that gets you back home. But, that pathway to get back here legally doesn't take years.

It would take days, maybe weeks. And, then, people could come back in the workforce. Let me tell you why that's important. Two reasons. Number one: the American people say, do something, do it now. We don't want to have this country ignoring the illegal problem. I get it. Secondly, I want people who are in this country to hold their heads up high. You know, right now there are a lot of people who really are here because they're trying to feed their families. I don't begrudge them that. I say I thank God everyday I'm in a country that people are trying to break into not break out of, but let's give them the means by which they can get here through the door legally, and when they're they don't have to hide, they don't have to keep their heads down and hope nobody catches them. They have their heads held high. Everyone living within the borders of the United States ought to do so with dignity and with a sense of pride, not a sense of fear.

UPDATE: During the Univision GOP debate, Huck said the following:

If you can get an American Express card in two weeks, it shouldn't take seven years to get a work permit to come to this country in order to work on a farm. So if our government is incapable of making that process in that length of time, then we should do it in a way to outsource it.

This is similar to the Mike Pence plan of having "Ellis Island Centers" in other countries.

Posted to Immigration2007b at December 9, 2007 01:26 PM