The Fine Print of the Senate Betrayal
What’s In the Comprehensive Approach” To Illegal Immigration
An analysis of the Specter-Hagel S-2611 Immigration Bill
Marcus Epstein
Director of Research
All these facts, except those with an *asterisk* are in the text of the legislation. Because it is long and cumbersome to read, we included links to articles and studies that summarize the legislation. If you have the time and patience to read the bill, click here. The Federation for American Immigration Reform has summarized the Amendments and the Bill in slightly less technical jargon. Click here for Amendments, and here for the main text (this text is a PDF chart comparing several competing bills, the Senate just passed the one labeled Specter-Hagel)

Notice that the figures below are based on a number of 12 million illegals when when, according to Bear Stern, the figure is actually more like 20,000 + million and some of us believe as high as 28,000 million!

Amnesty

Amnesty for 85% of the nation’s estimated 12 million illegal aliens (10.2 million) 60% of illegals will be able to receive Amnesty immediately, while 15 percent must go to a foreign port of entry to apply for citizenship (Source: Heritage Foundation)
The remaining 15 percent ( 1.8 million) illegal aliens are expected to return home, but there is absolutely nothing in the bill that would facilitate that action! (Source: Heritage Foundation)
Employers who hire illegal aliens will also receive Amnesty (Source: The Arizona Republic)
Privileges for Illegals and Costs to Taxpayers
Illegal Aliens will be eligible for Social Security! (Source: Washington Times)
Illegal Aliens students will qualify for in State Tuition, a benefit not given to out of state American citizens! (Source: Asian Journal)
The increased welfare payments that illegals will receive once they receive Amnesty will cost American taxpayers 30 million dollars a year—The biggest welfare increase in 35 years! (Source: The Heritage Foundation)*
Guestworkers
66 million new immigrants over next 20 years an increase of 47 million under current trends (Source: Heritage Foundation)*
Guestworkers cannot “"terminated from employment by any employer . . . except for just cause." A right not given to American Citizens! (Source: Robert Novak)
Guestworkers also must be paid the prevailing wage, another right not given to American citizens! (Source: Robert Novak)
1.5 million agricultural workers may also apply for guest worker status! (Source: Federation for American Immigration Reform)
The so called “temporary” Guestworkers are allowed to apply for permanent residency (Source: Federation for American Immigration Reform)
Other Atrocities
Increases the visa caps for all countries (Source: Federation for American Immigration Reform)
An Amendment Proposed by Rick Santorum would greatly increase the number of countries whose citizens can enter the U.S. without a visa. (Source: Federation for American Immigration Reform)
Increases employment based green cards from 140,000 to 450,000 a year for the next 10 years! The number will then go down to 290,000 a year afterward. (Source: Federation for American Immigration Reform)
Doublespeak in the Bill
Bill states that Guestworkers cannot take the jobs of American workers, but the definition of "United States Worker" includes temporary foreign guest workers, so the protection is meaningless. (Source: Robert Novak)
The law establishes English as the official language, but then makes it illegal to “punish” someone for not speaking English!
The law says if someone has been convicted of a felony or three misdemeanors they will not be eligible for Amnesty and are supposed to be deported. However, it makes an exception for “hardship cases”. Also, anyone who claims they were not aware of their deportation order can appeal. (Source: Heritage Foundation)
What the bill does not include:
There is nothing in the bill that would require the 15% of illegal aliens who are not eligible for Amnesty to go home. Nor is there anything that would punish any of the illegal aliens for not doing what they are supposed to do. (Source: Heritage Foundation)

An Amendment requiring voters to show valid government issued identification when voting in federal elections was defeated. (Source: Associated Press
The Isakson Amendment stating that the Secretary of Homeland Security had to certify that the borders are secure before and border of the Amnesty or Guestworkers provisions were enacted was defeated (Source: Federation for American Immigration Reform)
*Note: These studies were done by the Heritage Foundation and are not in the text of the bill, but are based on their own estimates. While they are not the final word, other researchers have confirmed their findings, and they have not been widely challenged.