The Quote Below—More Misinformation from the Media:
“After more than 30 years of circular conversations and legislative wrangling, immigration advocates finally came close to a mass legalization program, only to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory: Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough Sunday ruled that the measures could not be included in the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill, which requires only the approval of a bare majority to pass.
“We approach that nonpartisan procedural judgment with resignation, but also a renewed sense of determination that Democrats and President Joe Biden dig deeper into their toolbox to resolve a festering problem.
“The Dems could choose to overrule MacDonough and torpedo yet another Senate precedent; wisely, they won’t, as the result would have limited democratic legitimacy. That doesn’t mean they can or should leave the millions of Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status holders, farmworkers and essential workers twisting in the wind.
“One of the best paths forward is the simplest: updating the registry date to make millions more American residents eligible for permanent resident status. While many immigration legislative packages have collapsed under the weight of their own complication, this elegant solution involves changing a single date in an already-existing law meant to allow long-term undocumented residents a chance to apply for residency. . . .
“Though the long-ago cutoff date of Jan. 1, 1972 makes the provision largely obsolete now, it’s been the law of the land for a century. It was last updated by none other than Ronald Reagan, who signed it along with the most recent mass amnesty in 1986. Though the contemporary GOP may have forgotten, there was a time not long ago that there was widespread agreement about giving the undocumented a chance to join the American tapestry. Democrats should remind them of that heritage and press ahead. Today’s defeat must not close the door on progress for another generation.” — Try, Try Again: — Where Legalization of Undocumented Immigrants Goes from Here, Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 9/22/21 [Link]
Fact Check of Above Quote; These editorialists don’t seem to have a problem with the Democrats trying to pass one of the greatest changes in immigration law in our history by simply sticking it in a budget reconciliation bill. Fortunately, Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate Parliamentarian, put a stop to this travesty. Legislation of such magnitude requires the conventional process of hearings and debate, so that all concerns about the legislation can receive proper scrutiny.
Now the Democrats are weighing their remaining options. One this editorial endorses is allowing more illegal aliens to apply for permanent residence. Currently those who arrived before Jan. 1, 1972 can do so, today a very small number. The plan is to move the date forward to increase the pool of possible applicants. The editorialists try to sell this idea by noting that even a conservative Republican like Ronald Reagan supported a cut-off date. They go on to assert that back in Reagan’s time there was “widespread agreement” about granting amnesty, and that we need to return to this “heritage.”
The editorialists distort history with this claim. The amnesty of 1986 was highly controversial with many critics stating that it would undermine our country’s rule of law by rewarding lawbreakers. The only reason it passed was that its promoters promised that amnesty would only happen once, never to be repeated. One was Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass), one of the Senate’s leading immigration advocates. He stated, “This amnesty will give citizenship to only 1.1-1.3 million illegal aliens. We will secure the borders henceforth. We will never again bring forward another amnesty bill like this.” Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) later said that “In fact, a compromise was agreed to back in 1986. [It] was a solemn vow that we would bring up amnesty one time, once, and only once, and there would be no more amnesty.”
The compromise he mentioned, and referenced by Kennedy, involved passage of strict new laws to stop illegal immigration. These laws, however, were either delayed or did not take effect. Contrary to Kennedy’s estimate, nearly three million illegal aliens received amnesty from the 1986 law. Only a few years passed before amnesty supporters, broke their “solemn vow” and began pushing for new amnesties. One was Sen. Kennedy.
These days, illegal alien advocates don’t even bother to pretend that they will accept a compromise with more enforcement. They want mass amnesty, period. Ronald Reagan signed off on amnesty in 1986 because he thought that its supporters had the integrity and decency to keep their word. They continue to lack these virtues, as well as the patriotism to care about our rule of law and the security of our borders.