Was Reagan wrong to support open borders?

[skeptic llc]

"Rather than making them, of talking about putting up a fence, why don't we work out some recognition of our mutual problems, make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit, and then, while they're working and earning here, they pay taxes here. And when they want to go back they can go back, and cross. And open the border both ways ..." Ronald Reagan

 

[skeptic llc]

I said other because I managed to make a poll where I didn't agree with any of the choices. So that's the kind of day it's gonna be, huh life?

 

[Luther]

"Rather than making them, of talking about putting up a fence, why don't we work out some recognition of our mutual problems, make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit, and then, while they're working and earning here, they pay taxes here. And when they want to go back they can go back, and cross. And open the border both ways ..." Ronald Reagan

Was this before or after the Dims didn't hold up their end of the agreement on border security as a result of the 1986 Amnesty?

 

[Luther]

"Rather than making them, of talking about putting up a fence, why don't we work out some recognition of our mutual problems, make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit, and then, while they're working and earning here, they pay taxes here. And when they want to go back they can go back, and cross. And open the border both ways ..." Ronald Reagan

By the way, that's NOT "Open borders"

 

[Slartibartfast]

I agree with the "who cares, this was decades ago" sentiment.

 

[SenorXm/Sirius]

Reagan was pro-business, and businesses are very pro-immigrants, both legal and illegal, so yeah Reagan was for open borders..

BTW that hasn't changed, the GOP is still very pro-business and all for open borders.. The only thing that has changed is that with the help of their allies on Fox the GOP has got their gullible ignorant base to believe that they are not for open borders...

Conman Trump and the GOP had the government for 2 full years, and did NOTHING to fix the border, build a fence, whatever... They did NOTHING, yet the gullible GOP base still believes Trump and Moscow Mitch wanted to fix the immigration problem...

 

[Aunt Antifa]

By the way, that's NOT "Open borders"

It would be if a Democrat had proposed it.

 

[Luther]

I agree with the "who cares, this was decades ago" sentiment.

Which has never been agreed on or finalized(wink)

 

[MamboDervish]

It would be if a Democrat had proposed it.

How true. Yet another example of how far to the extreme right the Republicans have drifted in my lifetime. From what was once merely the loyal opposition, their crypto-fascist undercurrents finally devolved into full blown proto-fascist efforts to reverse an election, overthrow the government, and install their own Il Douche. How misguided - how duped - must the mindless minions be to buy into trying to paint Biden as a Socialist/Leftist/Communist, when he has a 40 year political history of being a right-of-center Centrist.

At times, I'm almost sorry I've lived long enough to see the day.

 

[j brown's body]

An essential part of conservative thinking now is "the replacement theory," the idea that people coming to this country are inferior to white people and will replace them. It is essential to them that immigrants be criminalized and that Americans live in fear of them.

So, for them, Reagan is most certainly wrong.

 

[jonny5]

Was Reagan wrong to support open borders?​

You tell me since you started the thread. WHats your point? Clearly he didnt support open borders since he said 'legally'.

 

[bluesmoke]

"An open border is a border that enables free movement of people between jurisdictions with few or no restrictions on movement, that is lacking substantive border control."

Open border - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Reagan did not support a truly "open" border.

 

[AliHajiSheik]

"Rather than making them, of talking about putting up a fence, why don't we work out some recognition of our mutual problems, make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit, and then, while they're working and earning here, they pay taxes here. And when they want to go back they can go back, and cross. And open the border both ways ..." Ronald Reagan

So many of these visa types were created after the Reagan administration:

Temporary Worker Visas

 

[nvflash]

Reagan sort of shot us in the foot with amnesty, it's just throwing out the welcome mat for more illegals to come here, and that is what got us into this situation we are in now.

 

[MamboDervish]

"An open border is a border that enables free movement of people between jurisdictions with few or no restrictions on movement, that is lacking substantive border control."

Open border - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Reagan did not support a truly "open" border.

Nor has any president in my long lifetime.

 

[Mycroft]

"Rather than making them, of talking about putting up a fence, why don't we work out some recognition of our mutual problems, make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit, and then, while they're working and earning here, they pay taxes here. And when they want to go back they can go back, and cross. And open the border both ways ..." Ronald Reagan

What he said in that quote is not "open borders".

What part of "legally with a work permit" do you not understand?

 

[MSgt]

Was this before or after the Dims didn't hold up their end of the agreement on border security as a result of the 1986 Amnesty?

No this was before Newt Gingrich and his Republicans decided that extremists politics was all their constituents deserved and began blaming Democrats for everything under the sun.

You see, there was a time when conservatives actually ****ing mattered to these people. There was a time when the Party of Reagan was an actual real thing. There was a time when conservatives weren't so petrified of brown people who dared pick their crops for them. In the meantime, and while your Republicans rage against immigrants (illegal or legal), Republican farms and Republican small businesses across America continue to hire illegals.

Funny how easily they can excite the masses into an outrage for political points, yet dupe the absolute shit out of them at the same time.

 

[MSgt]

What he said in that quote is not "open borders".

What part of "legally with a work permit" do you not understand?

You are right. But this is exactly what Democrats have been saying since George W. Bush, while the Republican mood became increasingly extreme. How can you defend Reagan, but chastise Democrats? Never mind, we all know why.

The need to reform our immigration laws have come out of the mouths of Democrats and Republicans since the early 2000s, to include Bush. It is well documented within speeches and legislation. Unfortunately, those Republicans would eventually become the so-called rinos who dared talk to a Democrat. As those rinos became more and more extinct, replaced by Tea Party extremists who felt that obstructionism embodied all there is to conservatism, obtuse political radicals and their "wall" took over.

You and others became their product.

 

[Perotista]

"Rather than making them, of talking about putting up a fence, why don't we work out some recognition of our mutual problems, make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit, and then, while they're working and earning here, they pay taxes here. And when they want to go back they can go back, and cross. And open the border both ways ..." Ronald Reagan

Perhaps he was and again maybe not as all of the bill wasn't fulfilled. The bill gave amnesty to approximately 3 million illegals. It was also suppose to tighten border security and add very strict penalties to employers who hired undocumented illegals. These last two items slipped through the cracks.

So no one really knows if it was a mistake or not since there was no tightening or strengthening of the border and no strict penalties on employers who hired and continue hire these illegals, illegally. Perhaps if Reagan had all the provisions fulfilled that he wanted when the bill was first introduced to congress, we wouldn't have the problem at the border and with illegals we do today. But since they weren't, one will never know.

I always thought the best way to handle this problem today is to make the penalties for hiring illegals very steep. Say 10,000 per illegal hired for the first offense, double the fine for the second offense to 20,000 per illegal and triple the fine from 20,000 to 60,000 for each illegal hired on their third offense along with a 6 month closure of the business.

 

[Mycroft]

You are right. But this is exactly what Democrats have been saying since George W. Bush, while the Republican mood became increasingly extreme. How can you defend Reagan, but chastise Democrats? Never mind, we all know why.

The need to reform our immigration laws have come out of the mouths of Democrats and Republicans since the early 2000s, to include Bush. It is well documented within speeches and legislation. Unfortunately, those Republicans would eventually become the so-called rinos who dared talk to a Democrat. As those rinos became more and more extinct, replaced by Tea Party extremists who felt that obstructionism embodied all there is to conservatism, obtuse political radicals and their "wall" took over.

You and others became their product.

Use your broad brush on someone else.

There's nothing wrong with "legal" immigration and Congressional efforts to deal with that are fine. The problem arises when issues that deal with "illegal" immigration are added to such efforts...well, opposition forms. From both sides.

I suggest Congress deal with the two issues separately...but, of course, they won't.

 

[americanwoman]

Ronald Reagan once famously quipped that "Latinos are Republicans. They just don't know it yet." The Republican Party's overriding priority in the years ahead must be to expand and diversify its shrinking demographic base, embracing immigrants generally and Hispanics in particular.

When it came to Hispanics and immigrants Reagan got it but he who shall not be named used the shrinking base to invoke fear to get elected and took Reagan's good ideas and flushed them.

 

[ALiberalModerate]

Perhaps he was and again maybe not as all of the bill wasn't fulfilled. The bill gave amnesty to approximately 3 million illegals. It was also suppose to tighten border security and add very strict penalties to employers who hired undocumented illegals. These last two items slipped through the cracks.

So no one really knows if it was a mistake or not since there was no tightening or strengthening of the border and no strict penalties on employers who hired and continue hire these illegals, illegally. Perhaps if Reagan had all the provisions fulfilled that he wanted when the bill was first introduced to congress, we wouldn't have the problem at the border and with illegals we do today. But since they weren't, one will never know.

I always thought the best way to handle this problem today is to make the penalties for hiring illegals very steep. Say 10,000 per illegal hired for the first offense, double the fine for the second offense to 20,000 per illegal and triple the fine from 20,000 to 60,000 for each illegal hired on their third offense along with a 6 month closure of the business.

The problem is the outfits that employee them often just shutdown and start a new business when they are caught. You would have to make it a criminal offense to knowingly employ an illegal.

 

[Moderate Right]

"Rather than making them, of talking about putting up a fence, why don't we work out some recognition of our mutual problems, make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit, and then, while they're working and earning here, they pay taxes here. And when they want to go back they can go back, and cross. And open the border both ways ..." Ronald Reagan

Reagan made a deal with Democrats for this and Democrat's part was to stop illegal immigration. Democrats didn't hold up their end of the bargain. They had no intention of stopping illegal immigration, just as they have no intention of stopping it now. That's really the main stumbling block both then and now. Even Trump was willing to make such a deal and, to give Democrats some credit this time around for at least being honest, they refused to have anything to do with stopping illegal immigration. A deal could be done if Democrats ever got serious about stopping illegal immigration. Instead, they have doubled down on allowing illegal immigration. To them, there is no such thing as an illegal immigrant. Everyone is just referred to as an immigrant.

 

[99percenter]

Reagan made a deal with Democrats for this and Democrat's part was to stop illegal immigration. Democrats didn't hold up their end of the bargain. They had no intention of stopping illegal immigration, just as they have no intention of stopping it now. That's really the main stumbling block both then and now. Even Trump was willing to make such a deal and, to give Democrats some credit this time around for at least being honest, they refused to have anything to do with stopping illegal immigration. A deal could be done if Democrats ever got serious about stopping illegal immigration. Instead, they have doubled down on allowing illegal immigration. To them, there is no such thing as an illegal immigrant. Everyone is just referred to as an immigrant.

You rememebr trump had full control for two years and could have passed anything he wanted without democratic input.

 

[bongsaway]

I went with yes even though what reagan was suggesting was not open borders.