This Is Reform?
By California Yankee Posted in Immigration — Comments (27) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
At RedState, here and here, my esteemed colleague Rob Bluey reports that once again a so-called immigration "reform" deal is imminent.
Little is publicly known about the latest "reform" effort. What is known suggests that it will do little to discourage illegal aliens from crossing the Mexican border.
The Washington Times reports the administration, trying to win an immigration agreement with Democrats, is backing away from safeguards designed to target businesses that hire illegal aliens and to prevent a repeat of the rampant fraud that resulted from the 1986 amnesty.
Read on ...
According to the Associated Press and the NewYork Times, the current proposal adopts a point system to reduce the number of family members of illegal aliens that would otherwise be permitted after the illegal aliens are legalized.
The Washington Post reports the tentative deal, allows illegal aliens, who crossed into the country before January 1 would be offered a temporary-residency permit while they await a new "Z Visa" that would allow them to live and work lawfully here:
The head of an illegal-immigrant household would have eight years to return to his or her home country to apply for permanent legal residence for members of the household, but each Z Visa itself would be renewable indefinitely, as long as the holder passes a criminal background check, remains fully employed and pays a $5,000 fine, plus a paperwork-processing fee.A separate, temporary-worker program would be established for 400,000 migrants a year. Each temporary work visa would be good for two years and could be renewed up to three times, as long as the worker leaves the country for a year between renewals.
Those provisions would be effective only after the federal government implements tough new border controls and a crackdown on employers that hire illegal immigrants, including 18,000 new Border Patrol agents, 370 miles of additional border fencing and an effective, electronic employee-verification system for the workplace.
From the Wall Street Journal we learn it will take about 13 years for illegal aliens, who qualify and have survive the screening process, to become a citizens. The Journal also warns that tougher employer verification rules that will very well impact American citizens when we change jobs.
You are sure to recall that last year a great immigration reform compromise was announced only to fall victim to New York Senator Charles (Chuck) Schumer's belief that the failure to get an immigration reform bill would help the Democrats regain power in the midterm elections.
That compromise dealt with the 12 million illegal aliens in the U.S. by proposing to treat illegal aliens differently based upon the length of time they have been in the U.S.:
Those who have lived in the country at least five years would be put on a path toward guaranteed citizenship, provided that they remained employed, paid fines and back taxes, and learned English, a senior Republican aide said. The aide said this group accounted for about 7 million of the roughly 11 million illegal immigrants believed to be living here.
Those who have lived here for two to five years, said to number about three million, would have to leave the country briefly before reporting to an American port of entry, where they would be classified as temporary workers. They would be allowed to apply for citizenship but would have no guarantee of obtaining it. Those who did not would have to leave after participating in the temporary worker program for six years.
The remaining one million or so, those who have lived in the country less than two years, would be required to leave. They could apply for temporary worker status but would not be guaranteed it.
I supported last year's compromise. My main objection to all previous proposals to give legal status to illegal aliens was that it would just encourage more illegal aliens as did the amnesty authorized by the 1986 Immigration Reform Act.
The new proposal doesn't seem to contain anything to discourage the ongoing flood of illegals crossing the border. To the contrary, If enacted into law this proposal will ensure that an ever greater number of illegal aliens will continue to sneak across the border. And why not, we continue to encourage the tidal wave of illegal aliens flooding the country. By allowing those that disregard the nation's immigration laws to remain here and pursue citizenship. This latest proposal sends a simple message - get into the United States anyway you can because eventually you will legalized.
That message will be heard loud and clear just as it was with the adoption of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 ("IRCA"). That "immigration reform" legalized 4 million illegal aliens. IRCA has been a monumental failure. Twenty years later there 12 million illegal aliens to legalize. If amnesty is now given to these millions, then we should only expect that twenty years from now we will have to consider granting amnesty to 36 million more illegal aliens.
I have commended President Bush and his willingness to try and reform immigration since he announced his initiative in January 2004. True reform might well include some path to citizenship, but it must be seen to discourage the flood tide of illegals constantly crossing the border.
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This Is Reform? 27 Comments (0 topical, 27 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
I don't think there is a deal, really. I think this announcement is just theater to make "reform" look unstoppable and create the conditions in which a deal can be reached.
Unfortunately, its working. But it doesn't need to. Call your Senator. Contact the campaigns and tell them that supporting this kind of "reform" is a deal breaker. If you love your country you have a duty to act.
They that are with us are more than they that are against us.
Though I'll need to stop crying before I can. Again, this is a call to action, RedStaters. If we dont find a way to win this one, Rush will be right when he predicted "our doom," today.
Let's do all we can to try and muster 41 votes in the Senate, or pressure the freshmen Democrats to vote "no" in the House, if you are in one of their districts.
If we end up losing this, we can cut throats later. But right now, we must fight as hard as we ever have.
Sent letters to my representatives, waited patiently while they focused on the desires of their constituents. Worked real hard to stay calm and focused, not venting on those around me who are the focus of the problem (illegals and their employers). Well, it seems that the sovereignty of the nation I served has been literally erased by this legislation. I have been around long enough to recognize when the knife has been driven into one's back. And the POTUS's fingerprints are going to be all too willingly added to that knife. It's over! Barring some unexpected "spark" that would trigger a full scale revolution in this country, I will resign to accept the hand that was dealt me. For the first time in my memory, I have taken down the American flag from my flag pole. It no longer represents the country so many fought and died for. Sad day.
The legislation hasn't even passed the Senate yet, let alone the House. We can and will stop this thing. We only lose if we surrender and we're not going to surrender. My flag is still flying. Go hoist yours back up.
They that are with us are more than they that are against us.
It isn't like those who are making the decisions in Washington have not heard loud and clear from mainstreet on this issue. It is that they are simply NOT LISTENING!!! to us. So, make more phone calls, write even more letters??? I think that dead horse has been beaten too much. You are a stubborn cuss there pilgrim.
You don't understand politics. A big storm of pressure at a critical point matters a lot more than steady pressure over time. And you never, never, never give up. Its not over until the bill's signed.
They that are with us are more than they that are against us.
At age 64 I understand politics very well thank you. Was a part of the "gubmint" myself at one time. You do realize that the Founding Fathers forsaw just such a scenario when they drafted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Question is , are there any Americans with the balls to use that option.
Call your Senator and call Senator Kyl and Senator McConnell.
The Capital Switchboard number is 1-202-225-3121.
They that are with us are more than they that are against us.
http://kyl.senate.gov/contact.cfm
Here's a form to email Sen. Kyl, who is doing the "negotiating" for the GOP.
So far he's been negotating like its 1939 and he's French.
They that are with us are more than they that are against us.
To contact Mitt Romney:
info@mittromney.com
To contact Fred Thompson (?):
http://www.fred08.com/contact.aspx
To contact Sen. McCain:
http://www.johnmccain.com/Contact/ (Campaign)
http://mccain.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm?ID=64 (Senate Office)
To contact Rudy Giuliani:
webteam@joinrudy2008.com
They that are with us are more than they that are against us.
McCain is part of this gang of treason. Rudy is o.k. with it if you give them an i.d. card that is probably already for sale in Tijuana. And Mitt is a Rudy parrot on the issue.
Again I assert the "Top Tier" candidates should all three be asked to bow out. None of these three are even moderately conservative.
"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here
in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall
be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to
discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or
origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an
American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance
here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an
American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We
have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...
and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the
American people."
Theodore Roosevelt 1907
McCain is part of this gang of treason.
True.
Rudy is o.k. with it if you give them an i.d. card that is probably already for sale in Tijuana.
No, the real problem with Rudy's position is that he favors amnesty big time. AMNESTY, that's the problem here.
Mitt is a Rudy parrot on the issue.
Wrong. Mitt opposes the amnesty.
But look, the real problem here is that you think this is just another excuse to talk horse race politics and 2008. We can't wait until 2008. We have to stop this NOW. Its not up to the politicians, its up to us, the citizens. We have to save the country.
Maybe you have some info about Romney's stance that I have not heard but his campaign site mentions only i.d. cards and more legal immigration. Anyone can say they oppose amnesty...geez McCain still claims he opposes amnesty.
At several different times Mitt has said illegal immigrants should never get any special status or preferential treatment that's not available to the average person back in wherever they came from.
They that are with us are more than they that are against us.
But am ready to switch if Fred enters the race.
Socialism doesn't work. It looks nice on paper, but it's been tried and it's failed miserably every time (usually accompanied by widespread death and suffering).
Proud member of the V.R.W.C.
... to a revolt of some sort. Faxes, e-mail, blogging, phone calls and letters have not deterred the tyranny that is Congress.
Bush will sign this, and as a result, I hope that our 2-party system disintegrates because it simply isn't working.
Incumbency should now be a thing of the past, term limits set in place to control the accumulation of power that is so horribly misused.
Power corrupts... and absolute power corrupts absolutely...
wholesale changes are needed to rid ourselves of these vermin and reinstate our Constitution which is being taken away from us.
They ALL MUST GO!!!
Edmund Burke: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"
We should go after all the pols who support this thing when the next election comes up. But we need to stop this thing NOW. Emails you sent in the past don't matter. You need to send them now. Fax now, call now, put on the pressure.
They that are with us are more than they that are against us.
“Political Correctness” is just short for “Capitulation to Extortion.”
We've been auctioning off our nation little by little, and by the time the majority takes notice, it will be too late. Nobody is paying attention to history or what's happening in Europe. What a price we're going to pay for this ignorance.
Filibuster the bill,
impeach señor Bush,
remove McConnell form his leadership post,
and stop taking John McCain seriously as a presidential canidate.
I don't think that anyone who has come here illegally should be allowed to become a citizen. Becoming an American citizen is not a human right.
Just because we allow you to work here should not put you on a path to citizenship.
Overall...I'm not sure that I'm so upset about this IF we do finally secure the border. That means funding and building the Security Fence along every inch of the border that we possibly can and getting those border patrol agents down there.
50,000 to 100,000 new border agents would have been more to my liking, but I guess we can start with 18,000.
To watch people stream across the indefensible boundary aren't going to accomplish much of anything, whether the number is 18k or 100k. Well, except for cost a heck of a lot of money. If we fortified the entire border we would already have enough BP agents. That would be cheap in comparison.
Of course, since the goal is to expand government and spend money without actually doing anything about illegal immigration, the 18k additional headcount with a paltry 350 miles of fence (that probably won't even exist) makes a whole lot of sense.
---
Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman
we won't be safe from our own Congress.
"Overall...I'm not sure that I'm so upset about this IF we do finally secure the border. That means funding and building the Security Fence along every inch of the border that we possibly can and getting those border patrol agents down there."
Let them claim that an "electronic fence" will be installed, and they'll be able to claim that it's already installed wherever they want to, because it'll be invisible.
That's another problem with the bill. It mentions a 370 mile fence. That's about 1000 miles short, isn't it? They build 370 miles, then claim they fulfilled the requirements, now they can issue they amnesty Z visas.
“Political Correctness” is just short for “Capitulation to Extortion.”
No you don't! There is a very cheap and cost effective way of securing our borders but too many have no stomach for the really hard approach. So suck it up and learn Spanish so you will be able to understand all your new "Mexican-American" neighbors working in all the jobs Americans speaking english used to have.
Duncan Hunter has been fighting against amnesty for over a decade. Other than Tancredo, Hunter is the only current candidate with credibility on the issue.
We can whine about the situation, or we can support a republican like Hunter who actually has shown he is on our side on this issue. The rest of the current field is a big joke.
This is something I feel strongly enough about to draw a line in the sand.
Romney or Fred.
Currently writing non-political stories over at first-cut-stories.blogspot.com