Chapter 8

Immigration Within The Parties

What are the party platforms?

Republican Party-
The Republican Party salutes the work of the Customs and Border Patrol who police our borders and the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in ensuring that the identity of foreign
citizens who enter our borders is known;

The Republican Party supports reforming the immigration system to ensure that it
is legal, safe, orderly and humane. It also supports measures to ensure that the
immigration system is structured to address the needs of national security. America is a
stronger and better nation because of the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of
immigrants, and the Republican Party honors them. A growing economy requires a
growing number of workers, and President Bush has proposed a new temporary worker
program that applies when no Americans can be found to fill the jobs. This new program
would allow workers who currently hold jobs to come out of the shadows and to
participate legally in America’s economy. It would allow men and women who enter the
program to apply for citizenship in the same manner as those who apply from outside the
United States. There must be strong workplace enforcement with tough penalties against
employees and employers who violate immigration laws. We oppose amnesty because it
would have the effect of encouraging illegal immigration and would give an unfair
advantage to those who have broken our laws.
To better ensure that immigrants enter the United States only through legal means
that allow for verification of their identity, reconnaissance cameras, border patrol agents,
and unmanned aerial flights have all been increased at the border. In addition, Border
Patrol agents now have sweeping new powers to deport illegal aliens without having first
to go through the cumbersome process of allowing the illegal alien to have a hearing
before an immigration judge. We support these efforts to enforce the law while
welcoming immigrants who enter America through legal avenues.
-www.gop.com

Democratic Party

Democrats are fighting for laws that will:
Secure our borders
Protect all U.S. workers and their wages & prevent exploitation of immigrant workers
Reunite families
Allow immigrants who pay taxes and don't have trouble with the law a path to earn the opportunities and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship.


Today's immigration
laws do not reflect our values or serve our security, and we will work for real reform. The solution is
not to establish a massive new status of second-class workers; that betrays our values and hurts all
working people. Undocumented immigrants within our borders who clear a background check, work
hard and pay taxes should have a path to earn full participation in America. We will hasten family
reunification for parents and children, husbands and wives, and offer more English-language and civic
education classes so immigrants can assume all the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. As we
undertake these steps, we will work with our neighbors to strengthen our security so we are safer from
those who would come here to harm us. We are a nation of immigrants, and from Arab-Americans in
California to Latinos in Florida, we share the dream of a better life in the country we love.
-www.democrats.org



Are there differing views within the parties?

I think that with any issue there are differences within parties, but I think this article explains it beautifully... http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20070703/ai_n19339211

A clip of President Bush discussing immigration- http://www.gop.com/GOPTV/Player.aspx?Guid=a3aa7610-4c3c-4531-a99d-549e87b34c18&Type=e74f2689-0d29-4fa8-a868-d65ba3ed670e