Napolitano : U.S. border is more secure now

[DearAbby]

Homeland Security head believes immigration reform is now attainable


WASHINGTON - The Obama administration has met many of the border security benchmarks Congress set in 2007 as a prerequisite to immigration reform and now it is time to change the law, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Friday.

Napolitano, designated by President Barack Obama to lead the administration's immigration reform efforts, said many members of Congress had said they could support immigration reform, but only after border security improved, Napolitano said.

"Fast forward to today, and many of the benchmarks these members of Congress set in 2007 have been met," she said in a speech to the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.

She cited construction of 600 miles of border fence and the hiring of more than 20,000 Border Patrol agents. Illegal immigration has also fallen sharply because of better enforcement and the economy.

"I've been dealing hands-on with immigration issues since 1993, so trust me: I know a major shift when I see one, and what I have seen makes reform far more attainable this time around," Napolitano said.

More:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33912609/ns/politics-white_house/?ocid=twitter

[The Northerner]

1. During the recession?

The economy is in shambles, unemployment is an all-time high, we're still occupying two countries overseas and the govt is consdering AMNESTY?

Fix the economy THEN let's talk.

[Feron]

2. In fairness, there are people..

who came to the U.S. as infants and children and are Americans in everything but citizenship. They don't speak the language of their homeland and are immersed in American culture. I have no problem in allowing these people and others a path to citizenship provided that they are upstanding citizens.

The real problem is not the people, but rather the companies that hire illegals and put Americans out of work. The only way this will change is through better enforcement and tougher laws.

Basically politicians and their corporate cronies use illegal alien workers as a distraction for their screwing over of America.

[csziggy]

3. If the undocumented aliens are made legitimate, they could pay taxes

Pay into Social Security, unemployment insurance, workman's comp, buy health insurance and so on. They are already here working so they will not be costing anyone else their jobs.

In fact, the downside is that the companies that employ the undocumented workers would have to pay unemployment and workmen's comp. They would have to pay at least minimum wage, match Social Security payments and health insurance. I would bet that many employers are against legitimizing their workers since it will cost them more to have them legal than to continue to employ illegals and pay them under the table.

If we really wanted the undocumented aliens to leave, we'd be enforcing the laws requiring employers to check for citizenship and to pay the legally require wages, insurance, taxes, etc. If the employers could not get away with paying cheaper wages and none of the rest, maybe they would hire American workers.

[Tejas]

4. Napolitano = absolute BS (so what else is new)

20,000 new agents is an absolute lie.

The net gain due to retirees and those who quit or got fired has been 200-500 per year, since when do they expect us to believe they hired 20,000 agents inside of 2 years?

http://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/143/include/rep143table3.html



HELLO? D.C.?

WE'RE TIRED OF YOUR BS LIES, DO YOU NEED A REMINDER NEXT NOVEMBER?




*By the way, are there 20,000 paychecks being written for these phantom employees?*