GOP Plans for Immigration: Spend More Money

Why are Republicans still considered the "party of fiscal responsibility" by the mainstream media and many political pundits?

Take Fred Thompson for example. On the surface, his immigration plan looks simple:

The multi-faceted plan, which focuses primarily on enforcing existing federal immigration laws, includes ending sanctuary cities by cutting off federal funds, denying federal education grants to public universities that offer in-state tuition rates to illegal aliens and denying federal grants to state and local governments that offer public benefits to illegal aliens.

But then you have the "add-ons:"

This afternoon Thompson posted additional proposals on his Web site, including doubling the number of ICE agents, increasing the Border Patrol to at least 25,000 agents, adding resources to the Department of Justice to prosecute alien smugglers and making greater use of the expedited removal process already allowed under federal law. Those proposals, the Web site said, will result in attrition through enforcement.

Thompson also called for requiring all U.S. employers use the Department of Homeland Security’s electronic database to confirm that prospective employees are authorized to work in the country, finishing the fence along the Mexican border by 2010, implementing a system to track visa entrants and exits and making English as the official language of the United States.

Umm...where is the money for the extra agents and to finish the fence come from? Is he gonna end the "war" so we can afford all of this? But wait, there's a "bonus" to this:

One plank of Thompson’s plan entails stripping federal grant money from cities that fail to report illegal immigrants, sometimes called sanctuary cities.

In other words: like No Child Left Behind, if you fail, we take your money.

Then you have Tom Tancredo, who made this request:

“I call on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency to detain any illegal aliens at this press conference. Just because these illegal aliens are being used for political gain doesn’t mean they get immunity from the law.”

What unspeakable horror was taking place that Tancredo sought to stop?

Tancredo brought to the attention of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) a staff briefing that was to be attended by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.).

The briefing was meant to educate staff on the DREAM Act, a bill that would allow “certain long-term undocumented immigrant children to go to college or join the military if they meet stringent requirements,” according to Durbin’s office.

Word is Tancredo wants every illegal immigrant arrested. Again: where is he going to find the money?