Some White House Republican hopefuls want curbs on legal immigration

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Politics | Mon Jul 6, 2015 10:03am EDT

Some White House Republican hopefuls want curbs on legal immigration

DENVER | BY ANDY SULLIVAN

Republican 2016 presidential hopefuls Scott Walker and Rick Santorum are suggesting a potentially controversial way to boost Americans' job prospects: admit fewer legal immigrants into the United States.

The notion, absent from presidential politics for at least 20 years, could help them tap into the frustrations of working-class voters who have struggled with stagnant wages and reduced job opportunities since the economic crisis of 2007-2009.

It could also complicate prospects for a comprehensive fix to the nation's outdated immigration system and tar the Republican Party as anti-immigrant at a time when it needs to broaden its support base of Hispanics and Asians, two of the biggest groups of legal immigrants in the United States.

"This hurts our efforts. I think people need to tone down the rhetoric," said Hugo Chavez-Rey, chairman of a Hispanic Republican group in the battleground state of Colorado.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/06/us-usa-election-immigration-idUSKCN0PG0AS20150706

[underahedgerow]

1. Admit fewer? It's incredibly difficult to get US citizenship! It took a friend of mine 14 years to

get a green card, and even then, it was part of her deal with the prestigious university she now works at, to do the final paperwork for her. She arrived in the US from Romania (to study) with a doctorate in film and proceeded to get another one at USC by working her butt off as a TA for years, and then moving into a professor and teaching position.

I prefer the idea of allowing native Americans i.e. Mexican Americans first priority to any immigration admittance. After all, most of the USA WAS Mexico long before the Europeans took over. Canadians can get in line like everyone else, instead of being given any particular priority.

I'm sure trumpie wouldn't like this idea.

[Bradical79]

2. I agree that changes need to be made

But I have a feeling we don't see eye to eye on what sort of changes.

They're worried about immigrants taking all the low wage jobs. I'm more worried about the higher wage jobs that require expensive college education being replaced by lower wage immigrants. Seems like both problems could be at least somewhat curbed through changes that have little to do with immigration. Not needing most Americans to go into massive debt for higher education might make them more willing to take a lower sallary, and making low wage jobs less low wage might limit the appeal of hiring immigrants for those jobs too. Universal health care could also help a lot of us out financially and make a lower end job more appealing. Should also change their stance on unions if their concerned about American workers.

Really though, it's about white power for them. Can't appeal to both white racists and immigrants, and they're desperate in the face of a losing demographic battle. They've painted themselves into a corner where less white = less Republican.