What Would It Take for You to Vote for Biden?

[Freiheit Reich]

If you believe in restorative justice, then deportation is the obvious punishment for illegal entry. It restores the situation to that which existed before the crime was committed, after all. Therefore, it is in no way disproportionate.

What I find ironic is that many of the illegal immigrants claim they left because their home countries no longer enforced the law, then they come here and ask that we do not enforce the law.

Restorative justice is about making things right for victims of crimes. Crossing an imaginary line does not create a victim.

As for this all or nothing approach to law, it seems quite ridiculous. If I say I don't want people to be raped but I smoke weed, that makes me a hypocrite?

"Crossing an imaginary line does not create a victim." The USA border is not imaginary in most places. There is a wall in many parts, there are signs marking the border in many parts, most people crossing knowingly cross the border. You imply that people don't know they are crossing the USA border because it is not marked at all. Also, Trump wanted to build a wall to ensure the border with Mexico is well-marked in all places and democrats (to include Mr. Biden) criticized this.

If your house has an open window, does this mean I can just enter and sleep in your home without permission? I am not stealing from you, I just want a place to sleep and it is a victimless crime. Does this mean you would freely let anybody enter your home without permission and not call the police if they refuse to leave when you ask them to?

Mexico has a border and they don't have open immigration polices, even for USA citizens who want to move there. If Mexico has immigration rules, why are they not criticized for enforcing these rules but the USA is expected to be the good guy and let everybody in that wants to come in? There is a double standard.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

This is a good article that gives many reasons why Biden's immigration plan is a problem for the USA:

Biden's immigration policies are bad for the country and threaten the conservative movement
Tom Joyce 11/8/2020
Biden Era, Russia Rifts Jolt Turkey Back Toward Ties With West
Amazon Black Friday 2020: Best Kate Spade Deals on Handbags, Wallets…
Washington Examiner logo Biden's immigration policies are bad for the country and threaten the conservative movement
Now that multiple outlets have declared Joe Biden the winner of the presidential election, it's apparent that Biden will take more than four decades of experience back to Washington, D.C. — including a horrible immigration policy. If the Republican Party maintains control of the Senate, which appears likely, they must do everything in their power to stop him from enacting it, or they risk killing the conservative movement.

Joe Biden wearing a suit and tie© Provided by Washington Examiner
The worst part of Biden’s immigration agenda is that he wants a "roadmap to citizenship for nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants." He also says that he will stop deporting people for the first 100 days of his administration.

Biden's mass amnesty plan is terrible for many reasons.

For starters, Biden wants illegal immigrants to vote. Who do you think they are going to vote for? A 2012 Pew Research Center study showed that 81% of Latino immigrants favored increasing the size and scope of the federal government. And those who come here, legally or not, will have children born here and receive birthright citizenship, meaning they can vote in the future one day as well. They can vote to restrict your First and Second Amendment rights as well as to build a bigger welfare state.

Democrats have won the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections, with Republican wins in the Electoral College coming with razor-thin margins in key battleground states. For George W. Bush in 2000, it was 537 votes in Florida, with Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan playing spoiler. Then in 2016, President Trump had three states where his combined margin of victory was about 80,000 votes. It’s why Democrats want a popular vote in presidential elections, and surely, adding more Democratic voters to pad their lead wouldn’t hurt.

Demographic change has already moved the electoral maps in ways few would have imagined even 16 years ago. In that election, New Mexico and Colorado both voted Republican, and Bush won Georgia by 16 points and Arizona by 10 points. In 2000, Bush spent money on TV ads in California, indicating that he thought he had a shot there. After all, it was Reagan country at one point.

Now, Georgia and Arizona are trending blue; Biden appears to have won both states. They’re both projected to become racially majority-minority this decade. Additionally, there are around 1.5 million illegal immigrants in Texas. That’s a state where Beto O'Rourke, who wants to take people's guns and tear down some of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, was about 200,000 votes shy of winning a Senate seat in 2018. It's also a state that Trump will win in this election by about 6 points, meaning it's competitive.

Even those who despise Trump should worry about the kind of one-party rule this could usher in. Sure, conservatives should try to win over minority voters, but that will take time — and assimilation.

Plus, there are plenty of other downsides to mass illegal immigration.

Offering pathways to citizenship for illegal immigrants is a great way to encourage more illegal immigration, as is Biden’s stance that illegal immigrants should be able to get free college, government-subsidized healthcare, and drivers’ licenses. The latter is also a great way to boost our carbon footprint as people emit, on average, four times more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in the United States than they would in their home country.

It’s also a financial burden to the taxpayers of the U.S. Yes, many argue that illegal immigrants pay taxes, but not enough to cover the services they use. The Federation for American Immigration Reform says that illegal immigration costs taxpayers $132 billion annually; for comparison, we could end world hunger with $330 billion, according to the Guardian. So, while illegal immigrants pay an estimated $11.7 billion in state and local taxes, around $1,000 apiece if you use the lowball estimate of illegal immigrants in the country, it's still far lower than the more than $5,000 the average person in the U.S. pays. Legalizing these immigrants may boost tax revenue, but a hoard of low-skill immigrants won’t pay for themselves. After all, the top half of income earners pay 97% of income tax revenue while the bottom half pay just 3%. Plus, about half of immigrant households use welfare services.

Creating a bigger labor pool among low-skill workers also hurts our country’s working class. It depresses their wages and makes it harder to find jobs. It also prevents a tight labor market, which gives workers more leverage.

Not to mention the kind of illegal immigration Biden would encourage puts the country at risk of another pandemic — or a terrorist attack. Think that’s fearmongering? The coronavirus and the swine flu didn’t originate in the U.S., and sick people try to come to the U.S. often, Border Patrol agents have said. Some of the counties worst off in the coronavirus pandemic are U.S.-Mexico border counties. They include Yuma County, Arizona (6.7% of people have been infected); El Paso County, Texas (7.1% infected); Cameron County, Texas (5.8% infected), and Imperial County, California (7.4% infected).

And when it comes to terrorism, in six months from October 2017 to March 2018, the U.S. stopped 97 people on terrorism watchlists from entering the country, primarily via the porous U.S.-Canadian border.

Sadly, there is probably not a lot of good that could come from a Biden administration on immigration. He won’t implement mandatory e-Verify or a public charge rule (his campaign website says he opposes one); and he probably won’t restrict flawed visa programs such as the EB-5, J-1 summer work travel, H-2B, H-1B (he doesn’t like Trump’s "America first" approach), and the F-1.

Hopefully, Republicans win the Senate runoffs in Georgia and hold onto the Senate. Gridlock would prevent Biden from broad, permanent action on his worst impulses — including on immigration.

Tom Joyce (@TomJoyceSports) is a freelance writer who has been published in USA Today, the Boston Globe, Newsday, ESPN, the Detroit Free Press, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Federalist, and a number of other media outlets.

Tags: Opinion, Beltway Confidential, Blog Contributors, Immigration, Foreign Policy, Coronavirus, Joe Biden, 2020 Elections, Campaigns, Campaign 2020

Original Author: Tom Joyce

Original Location: Biden's immigration policies are bad for the country and threaten the conservative movement

Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Do you have any idea how old and tired this fearmongering is?

"A pathway to citizenship is an Amnesty"
"Amnesty would cause massive illegal immigration in the future"
"Immigrants vote Democrat, therefore pathway to citizenship is a Democrat plot to install One Party Rule."

George Bush nearly led Republicans away from this foolishness, and then illegal immigrants moved back to Mexico when the Great Recession hit ... but then came Obama and a resurgence of xenophobic sentiment in the GOP: with a Black President they weren't allowed to hate they went back to fulminating about illegal immigrants.

Democrats have tried for decades to reach a compromise with Republicans, who plainly would rather leave the immigration issue on the agenda for election after election. They've discovered that xenophobes will keep voting for them if they do nothing at all so why cook that golden goose?

Time to call their bluff. If there are millions of votes in it for Democrats, then ram it through just the way Republicans would if there were millions of votes in it for them.

5 years in the US, clean criminal history (other than border crossing), decent work history, paid taxes: immediate citizenship
Immigrants brought by parents ages 18-25, clean criminal history, decent work history, paid taxes: immediate citizenship
10 year in the US, clean criminal history ( " ), good work history: immediate citizenship but owing back taxes.
5 years in the US, only minor criminal history, good work history: permanent residency but owning back taxes.
5 years in the US, only minor criminal history, poor work history, paid taxes: permanent residency
5 years in the US, bad criminal record or wanted for crimes: trial and imprisonment, then deported
5 years in the US, bad criminal record in another country: extradited.

And fuck the precedent. Precedent doesn't mean a damn thing in US politics. If it ever did.

[Picairn]

Also, Trump wanted to build a wall to ensure the border with Mexico is well-marked in all places and democrats (to include Mr. Biden) criticized this.

More like building a concrete wall across over 3,000 kilometers sea to sea is a stupid, costly and impractical idea. Especially when most illegal entries are from overstayed visas.

Mexico has a border and they don't have open immigration policies

Neither does the US, nor Biden's policy.

If Mexico has immigration rules, why are they not criticized for enforcing these rules but the USA is expected to be the good guy and let everybody in that wants to come in? There is a double standard.

Nobody is arguing for open borders. Stop pulling straws out of your mouth.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

If Mexico has immigration rules, why are they not criticized for enforcing these rules but the USA is expected to be the good guy and let everybody in that wants to come in? There is a double standard.

Nobody is arguing for open borders. Stop pulling straws out of your mouth.

Maybe we should criticize Mexico more. There aren't a lot of Mexicans on General. I wonder if they regard emigrants to the US as losers who aren't Mexico's problem any more?

Also, straw comes from the ground. To make a Straw Man, one makes bundles of straw and balances them on top of each other. Straw can be bundled with string, but it's not traditional. Tying it together with more straw is traditional, and has more artistic integrity. It's all a lot easier if the Straw Man is given a skeleton of sticks, but again ... not traditional. Making a Straw Man has no practical purpose, besides perhaps amusing livestock, but is done for the love of straw and from rustic frivolity.

Plastic straws are not traditional. They also kill turtles and fish. In a properly regulated socialist economy, every citizen would be issued with a plastic straw (one) each year, and to prevent hoarding, profiteering or gouging, would be required to turn over their used plastic straw one year later, when receiving their brand new replacement. This should ease the transition to 100% natural, renewable straws made from decommissioned Straw Men. Unless the latter are destroyed by rural delinquents, who are known to set fire to Straw Men.

[Page]

Nobody is arguing for open borders. Stop pulling straws out of your mouth.

Excuse me, I still exist.

Unless by nobody you mean nobody in office, which would be accurate.

[Alcala-Cordel]

Nobody is arguing for open borders. Stop pulling straws out of your mouth.

Excuse me, I still exist.

Unless by nobody you mean nobody in office, which would be accurate.

Open borders are awesome.

[Fahran]

Open borders are awesome.

You're a communist. You'd sooner have no borders at all.

Which is hardly functional.

[Outer Sparta]

Restorative justice is about making things right for victims of crimes. Crossing an imaginary line does not create a victim.

As for this all or nothing approach to law, it seems quite ridiculous. If I say I don't want people to be raped but I smoke weed, that makes me a hypocrite?

"Crossing an imaginary line does not create a victim." The USA border is not imaginary in most places. There is a wall in many parts, there are signs marking the border in many parts, most people crossing knowingly cross the border. You imply that people don't know they are crossing the USA border because it is not marked at all. Also, Trump wanted to build a wall to ensure the border with Mexico is well-marked in all places and democrats (to include Mr. Biden) criticized this.

If your house has an open window, does this mean I can just enter and sleep in your home without permission? I am not stealing from you, I just want a place to sleep and it is a victimless crime. Does this mean you would freely let anybody enter your home without permission and not call the police if they refuse to leave when you ask them to?

Mexico has a border and they don't have open immigration polices, even for USA citizens who want to move there. If Mexico has immigration rules, why are they not criticized for enforcing these rules but the USA is expected to be the good guy and let everybody in that wants to come in? There is a double standard.

And yet you think building a "wall" that's easily passable through the entire bit of border with Mexico would deter illegal immigration. There's no way to stop this unless you encourage circular flow at the border once again: https://www.princeton.edu/news/2016/04/ ... chers-find

[Elwher]

"Crossing an imaginary line does not create a victim." The USA border is not imaginary in most places. There is a wall in many parts, there are signs marking the border in many parts, most people crossing knowingly cross the border. You imply that people don't know they are crossing the USA border because it is not marked at all. Also, Trump wanted to build a wall to ensure the border with Mexico is well-marked in all places and democrats (to include Mr. Biden) criticized this.

If your house has an open window, does this mean I can just enter and sleep in your home without permission? I am not stealing from you, I just want a place to sleep and it is a victimless crime. Does this mean you would freely let anybody enter your home without permission and not call the police if they refuse to leave when you ask them to?

Mexico has a border and they don't have open immigration polices, even for USA citizens who want to move there. If Mexico has immigration rules, why are they not criticized for enforcing these rules but the USA is expected to be the good guy and let everybody in that wants to come in? There is a double standard.

And yet you think building a "wall" that's easily passable through the entire bit of border with Mexico would deter illegal immigration. There's no way to stop this unless you encourage circular flow at the border once again: https://www.princeton.edu/news/2016/04/ ... chers-find

First, my views on immigration reform. I support a major loosening of the restrictions on immigration, along with a requirement that employers, all of them, verify legal status before hiring, punished by large fines if violated (my thought is a fine of twice all wages paid to the illegal worker). It should make no difference if the employer is a major multi-national corporation, a small restaurant, or an individual hiring a nanny. Further, I support the deportation of any persons found to be in the country illegally, no exceptions. Yes, I understand that we cannot find and deport all of them, but the same can be said for any class of criminals and that is not an excuse for not punishing the ones we can catch.

That being said, walls seemed to work pretty well in the Warsaw Pact states to keep people in, I suspect that with the proper enforcement they could work just as well to keep people out.

[Outer Sparta]

And yet you think building a "wall" that's easily passable through the entire bit of border with Mexico would deter illegal immigration. There's no way to stop this unless you encourage circular flow at the border once again: https://www.princeton.edu/news/2016/04/ ... chers-find

First, my views on immigration reform. I support a major loosening of the restrictions on immigration, along with a requirement that employers, all of them, verify legal status before hiring, punished by large fines if violated (my thought is a fine of twice all wages paid to the illegal worker). It should make no difference if the employer is a major multi-national corporation, a small restaurant, or an individual hiring a nanny. Further, I support the deportation of any persons found to be in the country illegally, no exceptions. Yes, I understand that we cannot find and deport all of them, but the same can be said for any class of criminals and that is not an excuse for not punishing the ones we can catch.

That being said, walls seemed to work pretty well in the Warsaw Pact states to keep people in, I suspect that with the proper enforcement they could work just as well to keep people out.

Restrictive border patrol is too costly and I'm not sure what the endgoal is for that? Keeping out illegal immigration, even though there are still those that come by plane?

[Telconi]

First, my views on immigration reform. I support a major loosening of the restrictions on immigration, along with a requirement that employers, all of them, verify legal status before hiring, punished by large fines if violated (my thought is a fine of twice all wages paid to the illegal worker). It should make no difference if the employer is a major multi-national corporation, a small restaurant, or an individual hiring a nanny. Further, I support the deportation of any persons found to be in the country illegally, no exceptions. Yes, I understand that we cannot find and deport all of them, but the same can be said for any class of criminals and that is not an excuse for not punishing the ones we can catch.

That being said, walls seemed to work pretty well in the Warsaw Pact states to keep people in, I suspect that with the proper enforcement they could work just as well to keep people out.

Restrictive border patrol is too costly and I'm not sure what the endgoal is for that? Keeping out illegal immigration, even though there are still those that come by plane?

People coming in by airplane already pass through customs inspections.

[Freiheit Reich]

"Crossing an imaginary line does not create a victim." The USA border is not imaginary in most places. There is a wall in many parts, there are signs marking the border in many parts, most people crossing knowingly cross the border. You imply that people don't know they are crossing the USA border because it is not marked at all. Also, Trump wanted to build a wall to ensure the border with Mexico is well-marked in all places and democrats (to include Mr. Biden) criticized this.

If your house has an open window, does this mean I can just enter and sleep in your home without permission? I am not stealing from you, I just want a place to sleep and it is a victimless crime. Does this mean you would freely let anybody enter your home without permission and not call the police if they refuse to leave when you ask them to?

Mexico has a border and they don't have open immigration polices, even for USA citizens who want to move there. If Mexico has immigration rules, why are they not criticized for enforcing these rules but the USA is expected to be the good guy and let everybody in that wants to come in? There is a double standard.

And yet you think building a "wall" that's easily passable through the entire bit of border with Mexico would deter illegal immigration. There's no way to stop this unless you encourage circular flow at the border once again: https://www.princeton.edu/news/2016/04/ ... chers-find

The wall can be crossed but if people were shot (after a warning and if they keep advancing) if illegally crossing the wall, fewer would cross. The USA needs a strong border defense because we don't know who is crossing illegally. All illegal people attempting to cross the wall need to be treated as enemy soldiers until established otherwise. It could be a friendly farmer down on his luck or a terrorist from the Middle East that first entered Mexico or it could be a drug dealer. If illegal migrants and business owners employing illegal migrants were placed in fair labor camps upon being caught, fewer illegal migrants would come. Most illegal migrants come for money. Cut the supply of money and few people will come. Sadly, Biden will not be tough enough to do these things. Biden is only thinking of getting future votes at the expense of US citizens while making himself feel good.

The Berlin Wall was not 100% effective but 99% effective is a big improvement. The USA could create such a wall but with fewer guards (thanks to drone technology and heat sensors). Only 5,000 crossed the Berlin Wall in 28 years. This compared to as much as 1,700 a day crossing before the wall was erected.

The USA could make it easier for Mexican citizens to get tourist visas. Tourism is good for the economy and improving relations between nations. Few of these tourists would overstay their visas if they couldn't work. The USA could also grant some work visas as long as Mexico also granted work visas for Americans (of course visa limits would need to be established).

All the Ways People Escaped Across the Berlin Wall

https://www.history.com/news/berlin-wal ... st-germany

Between 1961 and 1989, thousands of East Germans made risky border crossings. Around 5,000 of them crossed over the Berlin Wall at great personal risk.

[Senkaku]

All illegal people attempting to cross the wall need to be treated as enemy soldiers until established otherwise.

this is what we in the business refer to as "crimes against humanity," so maybe let's not

The Berlin Wall was not 100% effective but 99% effective is a big improvement. The USA could create such a wall but with fewer guards (thanks to drone technology and heat sensors). Only 5,000 crossed the Berlin Wall in 28 years. This compared to as much as 1,700 a day crossing before the wall was erected.

the right-wing anti-Communist American citing the fucking Berlin Wall as an example to follow I think might be the funniest shit I've ever seen

[Thermodolia]

The Berlin Wall was not 100% effective but 99% effective is a big improvement. The USA could create such a wall but with fewer guards (thanks to drone technology and heat sensors). Only 5,000 crossed the Berlin Wall in 28 years. This compared to as much as 1,700 a day crossing before the wall was erected.

The Berlin Wall was also fucking huge and wasn’t a single wall but multiple walls with about a half a mile of space between the two main walls.

In that area they had everything from guard dogs to mines to anti-vehicle pits and other things. The entire thing wasn’t designed to keep people out but to keep people in. And that’s the worry many have if we construct such a thing, that it will be used against the American people

[The Alma Mater]

The Berlin Wall was not 100% effective but 99% effective is a big improvement.

Well, yes and no.
Yes, it is a big improvement when wishing to block that route.
No, it is not a big improvement if over 90% of the illegal immigrants does not use that route in the first place.

The USA could make it easier for Mexican citizens to get tourist visas. Tourism is good for the economy and improving relations between nations. Few of these tourists would overstay their visas if they couldn't work.

You do realise that THAT actually is how many illegals entered ?

[Page]

Restorative justice is about making things right for victims of crimes. Crossing an imaginary line does not create a victim.

As for this all or nothing approach to law, it seems quite ridiculous. If I say I don't want people to be raped but I smoke weed, that makes me a hypocrite?

"Crossing an imaginary line does not create a victim." The USA border is not imaginary in most places. There is a wall in many parts, there are signs marking the border in many parts, most people crossing knowingly cross the border. You imply that people don't know they are crossing the USA border because it is not marked at all. Also, Trump wanted to build a wall to ensure the border with Mexico is well-marked in all places and democrats (to include Mr. Biden) criticized this.

If your house has an open window, does this mean I can just enter and sleep in your home without permission? I am not stealing from you, I just want a place to sleep and it is a victimless crime. Does this mean you would freely let anybody enter your home without permission and not call the police if they refuse to leave when you ask them to?

Mexico has a border and they don't have open immigration polices, even for USA citizens who want to move there. If Mexico has immigration rules, why are they not criticized for enforcing these rules but the USA is expected to be the good guy and let everybody in that wants to come in? There is a double standard.

Dear God, I am so sick of this "if it's okay for them to cross the border then is it okay for them to go in your house? crap. My wife and I sleep in the same bed but I don't want her in the bathroom with me when I'm taking a shit. I'd let my best friend sleep on my couch but not in my bed with me. I'd let a neighbor visit for a few hours but not sleep on my couch. I've let strangers stand on my porch when it's raining but not come in. Boundaries are relative to relationships.

[Freiheit Reich]

All illegal people attempting to cross the wall need to be treated as enemy soldiers until established otherwise.

this is what we in the business refer to as "crimes against humanity," so maybe let's not

The Berlin Wall was not 100% effective but 99% effective is a big improvement. The USA could create such a wall but with fewer guards (thanks to drone technology and heat sensors). Only 5,000 crossed the Berlin Wall in 28 years. This compared to as much as 1,700 a day crossing before the wall was erected.

the right-wing anti-Communist American citing the fucking Berlin Wall as an example to follow I think might be the funniest shit I've ever seen

The difference is the wall would be used to keep people OUT not keep people IN.

I said there should be warnings first and people would have plenty of time to walk away from the wall before being shot. Shooting people should only be done if necessary.

[Freiheit Reich]

The Berlin Wall was not 100% effective but 99% effective is a big improvement.

Well, yes and no.
Yes, it is a big improvement when wishing to block that route.
No, it is not a big improvement if over 90% of the illegal immigrants does not use that route in the first place.

The USA could make it easier for Mexican citizens to get tourist visas. Tourism is good for the economy and improving relations between nations. Few of these tourists would overstay their visas if they couldn't work.

You do realise that THAT actually is how many illegals entered ?

Yes, because employers are not punished hard for employing illegal workers. They are the ones that need to be blamed more. I don't blame the poor farmer too much for sneaking into the USA to make MUCH more money. I blame the employer who knowingly breaks the law and is helping to encourage more illegal migrants while hurting his fellow citizens.

If Biden focused on punishing these bad employers (many from the 'bad' wealthier class), he would not be seen as racist (even though being tough on illegal immigration is not racist) and he would be seen as a champion of US workers.

The USA makes it hard to get a tourist visa from Mexico (and some Central American nations) because of the fear they will overstay their tourist visa. Get rid of this problem (no options to work means little incentive to overstay) and perhaps they can get visa on arrival and more will come to enjoy sightseeing in the USA.

[Blargoblarg]

This is a good article that gives many reasons why Biden's immigration plan is a problem for the USA:

Biden's immigration policies are bad for the country and threaten the conservative movement
Tom Joyce 11/8/2020
Biden Era, Russia Rifts Jolt Turkey Back Toward Ties With West
Amazon Black Friday 2020: Best Kate Spade Deals on Handbags, Wallets…
Washington Examiner logo Biden's immigration policies are bad for the country and threaten the conservative movement
Now that multiple outlets have declared Joe Biden the winner of the presidential election, it's apparent that Biden will take more than four decades of experience back to Washington, D.C. — including a horrible immigration policy. If the Republican Party maintains control of the Senate, which appears likely, they must do everything in their power to stop him from enacting it, or they risk killing the conservative movement.

Joe Biden wearing a suit and tie© Provided by Washington Examiner
The worst part of Biden’s immigration agenda is that he wants a "roadmap to citizenship for nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants." He also says that he will stop deporting people for the first 100 days of his administration.

Biden's mass amnesty plan is terrible for many reasons.

For starters, Biden wants illegal immigrants to vote. Who do you think they are going to vote for? A 2012 Pew Research Center study showed that 81% of Latino immigrants favored increasing the size and scope of the federal government. And those who come here, legally or not, will have children born here and receive birthright citizenship, meaning they can vote in the future one day as well. They can vote to restrict your First and Second Amendment rights as well as to build a bigger welfare state.

Democrats have won the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections, with Republican wins in the Electoral College coming with razor-thin margins in key battleground states. For George W. Bush in 2000, it was 537 votes in Florida, with Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan playing spoiler. Then in 2016, President Trump had three states where his combined margin of victory was about 80,000 votes. It’s why Democrats want a popular vote in presidential elections, and surely, adding more Democratic voters to pad their lead wouldn’t hurt.

Demographic change has already moved the electoral maps in ways few would have imagined even 16 years ago. In that election, New Mexico and Colorado both voted Republican, and Bush won Georgia by 16 points and Arizona by 10 points. In 2000, Bush spent money on TV ads in California, indicating that he thought he had a shot there. After all, it was Reagan country at one point.

Now, Georgia and Arizona are trending blue; Biden appears to have won both states. They’re both projected to become racially majority-minority this decade. Additionally, there are around 1.5 million illegal immigrants in Texas. That’s a state where Beto O'Rourke, who wants to take people's guns and tear down some of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, was about 200,000 votes shy of winning a Senate seat in 2018. It's also a state that Trump will win in this election by about 6 points, meaning it's competitive.

Even those who despise Trump should worry about the kind of one-party rule this could usher in. Sure, conservatives should try to win over minority voters, but that will take time — and assimilation.

Plus, there are plenty of other downsides to mass illegal immigration.

Offering pathways to citizenship for illegal immigrants is a great way to encourage more illegal immigration, as is Biden’s stance that illegal immigrants should be able to get free college, government-subsidized healthcare, and drivers’ licenses. The latter is also a great way to boost our carbon footprint as people emit, on average, four times more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in the United States than they would in their home country.

It’s also a financial burden to the taxpayers of the U.S. Yes, many argue that illegal immigrants pay taxes, but not enough to cover the services they use. The Federation for American Immigration Reform says that illegal immigration costs taxpayers $132 billion annually; for comparison, we could end world hunger with $330 billion, according to the Guardian. So, while illegal immigrants pay an estimated $11.7 billion in state and local taxes, around $1,000 apiece if you use the lowball estimate of illegal immigrants in the country, it's still far lower than the more than $5,000 the average person in the U.S. pays. Legalizing these immigrants may boost tax revenue, but a hoard of low-skill immigrants won’t pay for themselves. After all, the top half of income earners pay 97% of income tax revenue while the bottom half pay just 3%. Plus, about half of immigrant households use welfare services.

Creating a bigger labor pool among low-skill workers also hurts our country’s working class. It depresses their wages and makes it harder to find jobs. It also prevents a tight labor market, which gives workers more leverage.

Not to mention the kind of illegal immigration Biden would encourage puts the country at risk of another pandemic — or a terrorist attack. Think that’s fearmongering? The coronavirus and the swine flu didn’t originate in the U.S., and sick people try to come to the U.S. often, Border Patrol agents have said. Some of the counties worst off in the coronavirus pandemic are U.S.-Mexico border counties. They include Yuma County, Arizona (6.7% of people have been infected); El Paso County, Texas (7.1% infected); Cameron County, Texas (5.8% infected), and Imperial County, California (7.4% infected).

And when it comes to terrorism, in six months from October 2017 to March 2018, the U.S. stopped 97 people on terrorism watchlists from entering the country, primarily via the porous U.S.-Canadian border.

Sadly, there is probably not a lot of good that could come from a Biden administration on immigration. He won’t implement mandatory e-Verify or a public charge rule (his campaign website says he opposes one); and he probably won’t restrict flawed visa programs such as the EB-5, J-1 summer work travel, H-2B, H-1B (he doesn’t like Trump’s "America first" approach), and the F-1.

Hopefully, Republicans win the Senate runoffs in Georgia and hold onto the Senate. Gridlock would prevent Biden from broad, permanent action on his worst impulses — including on immigration.

Tom Joyce (@TomJoyceSports) is a freelance writer who has been published in USA Today, the Boston Globe, Newsday, ESPN, the Detroit Free Press, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Federalist, and a number of other media outlets.

Tags: Opinion, Beltway Confidential, Blog Contributors, Immigration, Foreign Policy, Coronavirus, Joe Biden, 2020 Elections, Campaigns, Campaign 2020

Original Author: Tom Joyce

Original Location: Biden's immigration policies are bad for the country and threaten the conservative movement

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If Biden was as cool as these garbage rightist outlets make him out to be I'd actually support him.

If Joe Biden was the radical leftist that Republicans imagine him to be, I would've voted for him.

[Eukaryotic Cells]

Well, yes and no.
Yes, it is a big improvement when wishing to block that route.
No, it is not a big improvement if over 90% of the illegal immigrants does not use that route in the first place.



You do realise that THAT actually is how many illegals entered ?

Yes, because employers are not punished hard for employing illegal workers. They are the ones that need to be blamed more. I don't blame the poor farmer too much for sneaking into the USA to make MUCH more money. I blame the employer who knowingly breaks the law and is helping to encourage more illegal migrants while hurting his fellow citizens.

If Biden focused on punishing these bad employers (many from the 'bad' wealthier class), he would not be seen as racist (even though being tough on illegal immigration is not racist) and he would be seen as a champion of US workers.

The USA makes it hard to get a tourist visa from Mexico (and some Central American nations) because of the fear they will overstay their tourist visa. Get rid of this problem (no options to work means little incentive to overstay) and perhaps they can get visa on arrival and more will come to enjoy sightseeing in the USA.

Even Congressional Republicans are afraid of punishing businesses that use migrant labor, on account of the power of the agricultural commodities lobby.

Biden will not do that. He will go for an immigration reform package that will probably die in Congress. Then he might sign some limited executive orders.

[Thermodolia]

this is what we in the business refer to as "crimes against humanity," so maybe let's not


the right-wing anti-Communist American citing the fucking Berlin Wall as an example to follow I think might be the funniest shit I've ever seen

The difference is the wall would be used to keep people OUT not keep people IN.

I said there should be warnings first and people would have plenty of time to walk away from the wall before being shot. Shooting people should only be done if necessary.

That’s what they’d tell you. But anyone knows that a wall that’s effective at keeping people out will be just as effective as keeping people in

[Eukaryotic Cells]

Yes, because employers are not punished hard for employing illegal workers. They are the ones that need to be blamed more. I don't blame the poor farmer too much for sneaking into the USA to make MUCH more money. I blame the employer who knowingly breaks the law and is helping to encourage more illegal migrants while hurting his fellow citizens.

If Biden focused on punishing these bad employers (many from the 'bad' wealthier class), he would not be seen as racist (even though being tough on illegal immigration is not racist) and he would be seen as a champion of US workers.

The USA makes it hard to get a tourist visa from Mexico (and some Central American nations) because of the fear they will overstay their tourist visa. Get rid of this problem (no options to work means little incentive to overstay) and perhaps they can get visa on arrival and more will come to enjoy sightseeing in the USA.

Even Congressional Republicans are afraid of punishing businesses that use migrant labor, on account of the power of the agricultural commodities lobby.

Biden will not do that. He will go for an immigration reform package that will probably die in Congress. Then he might sign some limited executive orders.

Immigration is hard because truly solving the problem requires a comprehensive reform bill.

Such bills are unlikely to ever be passed because:
1) They're bound to be large and complex, providing tons of opportunities for people to disagree over minute details.
2) The views of the two parties are so different from one another.

Congress can barely even address big, complex problems where there is bipartisan agreement. I think the chances of a big immigration bill from Biden passing are close to zero, even if the Democrats have 50 votes.

[Nobel Hobos 2]

Even Congressional Republicans are afraid of punishing businesses that use migrant labor, on account of the power of the agricultural commodities lobby.

Biden will not do that. He will go for an immigration reform package that will probably die in Congress. Then he might sign some limited executive orders.

Immigration is hard because truly solving the problem requires a comprehensive reform bill.

Such bills are unlikely to ever be passed because:
1) They're bound to be large and complex, providing tons of opportunities for people to disagree over minute details.
2) The views of the two parties are so different from one another.

Congress can barely even address big, complex problems where there is bipartisan agreement. I think the chances of a big immigration bill from Biden passing are close to zero, even if the Democrats have 50 votes.

The next Congress isn't going to do a big reform bill. It might do:

a DACA bill
easier LEGAL immigration
farm skills working visas

(They don't have to be one bill)

It would really help to know what the problem is, exactly.

The RATE of criminality among illegal immigrants is low. But that might cover a few very serious criminals who wouldn't be allowed into any country, may even be wanted for crimes in other countries, but don't often get caught because they have skills and experience. For obvious reasons America really doesn't want those, but likely legal/illegal immigrant communities don't want them either. The communities would be a lot more co-operative with law enforcement if they had a iron-clad guarantee that they could give evidence to police, or testify in court, without any record being kept of their immigration status.

Low-paid labor, and farm labor. These should be treated differently. Foreign labor undercutting local workers for jobs the locals would actually take at minimum wage, is a legitimate problem. But you'll get no help from those Republicans who think $7 is about right or even want to abolish it. The solution to this problem is actually to raise the minimum wage and enforce it always. Raising the minimum wage might actually happen, but enforcement means prevailing on the states and it doesn't have a chance. For now, the rule that employers must check a citizenship register will have to do.

Farm labor is different. Farmers must either pay whatever wage is necessary to attract citizen workers (including from the city) AND get good productivity from them, and this would be well above minimum wage ... or since they can't afford that, employ foreign labor allowed into and allowed to stay in the country as long as they have employment. What these workers should be paid would be determined by a government formula, as a fraction (half maybe) of the going citizen wage in that area. If Americans won't do such hard work while living somewhere they don't like, for anything less than a fat wage, and farmers can't pay that ... working visas are the only solution.

Democrats and Republicans have both said legal immigration should be easier. The well-intentioned cap on numbers by nation (intended to get more diverse immigration) never has worked, and creates unequal treatment (long queues in one country, none in another). Though it's harsh to judge the worthiness of immigrants, that might be fairer than a queue if it's based on the signs of character: community involvement in their leaving country, work history, effort expended already in learning English if it's not their first language, interview assessment ... not money. There's some other program for rare skills, let the rich applicants make their plug there for "earning money is my skill". In any case, there's no reason the process should be so slow, it's either poorly funded or there's some bad idea about making people wait so those who don't "want it enough" drop out. I doubt many do.

DACA, well everyone knows what that is. Even Trump said he wanted it legislated. It's a stopgap but all you'll get in the next session is stopgaps. And speed up legal immigration. Two bills, and the comprehensive solution will have to wait.

[Freiheit Reich]

"Crossing an imaginary line does not create a victim." The USA border is not imaginary in most places. There is a wall in many parts, there are signs marking the border in many parts, most people crossing knowingly cross the border. You imply that people don't know they are crossing the USA border because it is not marked at all. Also, Trump wanted to build a wall to ensure the border with Mexico is well-marked in all places and democrats (to include Mr. Biden) criticized this.

If your house has an open window, does this mean I can just enter and sleep in your home without permission? I am not stealing from you, I just want a place to sleep and it is a victimless crime. Does this mean you would freely let anybody enter your home without permission and not call the police if they refuse to leave when you ask them to?

Mexico has a border and they don't have open immigration polices, even for USA citizens who want to move there. If Mexico has immigration rules, why are they not criticized for enforcing these rules but the USA is expected to be the good guy and let everybody in that wants to come in? There is a double standard.

Dear God, I am so sick of this "if it's okay for them to cross the border then is it okay for them to go in your house? crap. My wife and I sleep in the same bed but I don't want her in the bathroom with me when I'm taking a shit. I'd let my best friend sleep on my couch but not in my bed with me. I'd let a neighbor visit for a few hours but not sleep on my couch. I've let strangers stand on my porch when it's raining but not come in. Boundaries are relative to relationships.

Yes, 'Boundaries are relative to relationships.' Fellow citizens are more like family members than non-fellow citizens. This is why we should give more privileges to fellow citizens than non-citizens. The nation is like your home. You pay taxes to help your nation and you have legal rights to reside there. You don't like strangers entering your nation and taking advantage of its resources like jobs, health care, education, etc...

Immigrants seeking citizenship in the USA are welcome to apply through proper channels although the number needs to be reduced because housing prices are too high (more than wages), traffic jams are getting worse and worse, education and health care costs are increasing (also more than average wages) and the lower middle class is getting squeezed hard. The USA has a limited amount if resources and too many people. Of course, politicians and CEOs don't care about this as they go to their mansions in gated communities and enjoy a lavish lifestyle thanks partially to legal and illegal immigration (especially of poorer immigrants). Illegal immigrants are even more dangerous for wages than legal migrants. Illegal immigrants can be taken advantage of because they won't report being underpaid. Some might accept $4 an hour +food and housing because this is a fortune vs. wages in Honduras or Guatemala. Of course, they might find another job later paying $5-6 an hour but this is still below minimum wage. These wages will also not be taxes (cash only). This will decrease overall wages as legal citizens will have fewer options for employment.

Joe Biden Vows Amnesty for All Illegal Aliens in First 100 Days: ‘We Owe Them’

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020 ... -owe-them/

CBO: Immigration Has ‘Negative Effect on Wages’

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2020/ ... ore-wages/

Reducing Legal Immigration Helps US Workers’ Wages

https://www.paypervids.com/reducing-leg ... ers-wages/

[Freiheit Reich]

Yes, because employers are not punished hard for employing illegal workers. They are the ones that need to be blamed more. I don't blame the poor farmer too much for sneaking into the USA to make MUCH more money. I blame the employer who knowingly breaks the law and is helping to encourage more illegal migrants while hurting his fellow citizens.

If Biden focused on punishing these bad employers (many from the 'bad' wealthier class), he would not be seen as racist (even though being tough on illegal immigration is not racist) and he would be seen as a champion of US workers.

The USA makes it hard to get a tourist visa from Mexico (and some Central American nations) because of the fear they will overstay their tourist visa. Get rid of this problem (no options to work means little incentive to overstay) and perhaps they can get visa on arrival and more will come to enjoy sightseeing in the USA.

Even Congressional Republicans are afraid of punishing businesses that use migrant labor, on account of the power of the agricultural commodities lobby.

Biden will not do that. He will go for an immigration reform package that will probably die in Congress. Then he might sign some limited executive orders.

This is wrong. Lobbyists have too much power in the USA and this also is a problem that needs to be fixed but won't be until long after I am dead and gone.