Republican Platform for Immigration Reform

The immigration debate should be structured on these Principles, then we can have an open and honest debate in the next few years.

1) Immigration reform begins with border security. Without operational control of the border, no law can be enforced. As a party we must win back the trust of the American people by proving we can secure the border.

2) An illegal alien is an illegal alien or illegal immigrant. A naturalized American citizen is a person who should be praised for achieving the beginning of the American dream. And a legal immigrant is a help to our economy and part of the future of our country. We must use the right terms and not allow the debate to be framed as "undocumented workers", "migrant workers", or any other P.C. term.

3) Employers are 100% responsible for who they choose to hire. We have wage laws, benefit laws, and laws against hiring non-citizens without visas. These must be enforced and if costs rise a bit, then they rise. Hotels, landscapers, construction companies and mega-farms should not benefit by under-paying and overworking illegal aliens

4) We owe nothing to anyone who broke our laws. Illegal immigrants have benefited from US jobs, health care, infrastructure, opportunity and more. How we deal with the millions of people here illegally will have to be decided. We cannot deport everyone that we have allowed to break our laws. But debating this solution before the borders are secure is irresponsible and causes more immigration.

5) A legal temporary worker program benefits the US and Mexico. It could really help the Mexican economy and family structure. Once the border is secure, a robust temporary worker program that is strictly enforced is the common ground we need.

If we can stick to these goals, we can begin to have a realistic discussion about our illegal immigration problem.




This post is one element of the Grassroots Conservative Republican Platform 2008. To contribute to this effort, please comment on this post and help shape this platform. Send the link to your friends and lets take our party back to the conservative principals that lead President Reagan and that were the key to President Bush's victory in the election of 2000.