Thread: Border Back In Forefront

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Border Back In Forefront
State's Lawmakers Listen To Constituents
April 24, 2006

By DAVID LIGHTMAN, Washington Bureau Chief WASHINGTON -- Members of Congress return to Washington today after two weeks of traveling their districts and talking with constituents about what has become Washington's most pressing issue: illegal immigration.

What members have heard, said Rep. John B. Larson, D-1st District, is a "mixed bag" of remedies.

The rallies in support of immigrants by hundreds of thousands of people across the country "definitely raised people's awareness of the issue," said Rep. Nancy L. Johnson, R-5th District, who met last week with two rival groups in Danbury.

But she also found some constituents had "a certain amount of resentment toward the marches."

Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-3rd District, learned that while constituents "don't always know what the options are, they don't believe everybody ought to be made a felon, and you're not going to take 11 million people and deport them."

The muddled messages could hamstring Congress as it tries again to tackle immigration this week. The Senate thought it had a compromise April 6 that would have toughened border enforcement while making it easier for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants now in this country to gain citizenship.

That plan fell apart because of parliamentary bickering, and the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to revisit the issue Thursday.

The panel could find the partisanship more pointed than before.

The Democratic National Committee last week launched a Spanish-language radio ad that says: "Republicans are lying to us. If they wanted comprehensive immigration reform and to protect our borders, they would have done it already. But what Republicans and President Bush supported was a plan that would criminalize immigrants, families, doctors and even churches just for giving Communion."

The Republican National Committee has its own Spanish-language blast. Its ad says Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., "let us down. Harry Reid played politics and blocked our leaders from working together. Reid's Democrat allies voted to treat millions of hardworking immigrants ... as felons."

Outside Washington, where constituents are far less concerned about Washington infighting, lawmakers find "first and foremost, people want the border shut," said Rep. Rob Simmons, R-2nd District. "Sensors, monitors, surveillance cameras, even a virtual fence. People want that done."

Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, D-Conn., who plans to visit Bridgeport today to rally immigration supporters, said the rallies this month "demonstrated the importance of this issue to millions of Americans."

But others had a different view of the rallies in early April. "They turned me off," said Rep. Christopher Shays, R-4th District. "To see people wave flags of another nation, demanding their rights in this country, is an outrage. They aren't even guests in this country. They're here illegally."

Members of Congress also heard sharply different opinions about the 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexican border approved by the House in December - with Simmons, Johnson and Shays voting in favor. Johnson said that vote was not meant as an endorsement of the idea, but instead to move the bill along.

"There are aspects of the House bill that need better thinking," she said, "and those things happen in conference," where House and Senate negotiators iron out compromises. Johnson said that "a fence is appropriate in some areas, but I imagine 700 miles is more than we need."

Shays continues to support the fence. "One of the primary responsibilities of any government is to defend its borders," he said.

Few observers expect the 700-mile fence or the stringent penalties for illegal workers and their employers to survive. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., issued a statement saying they intended to produce legislation "that will not make unlawful presence in the United States a felony."

The thornier problem for lawmakers will involve how to deal with the illegal immigrants already in this country.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., an architect of the compromise plan, says colleagues have three choices - "the status quo or send 'em all back, both of which are impractical," or the kind of compromise that would allow guest workers to ease their way into this country.

But the structure of a deal on guest workers remains highly uncertain. Shays, for instance, prefers a system where guest workers would register and have a lengthy road to citizenship, perhaps a 10- to 15-year process, while the United States "speeds up and enlarges" the process for those seeking to gain citizenship legally.

Simmons and Johnson were more circumspect. One night last week in Danbury, Johnson met first with immigration advocates at the Ecuadorian Civic Center and then with the U.S. Citizens for Immigration Law Enforcement immediately after that.

Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said that in his city, "People are just frustrated, like they are everywhere in this country. They want something done." And most of his constituents, he said, agree on broad themes: secure the border, enforce immigration laws and create a path to legal immigration.

Simmons heard the same ideas as he traveled around his eastern Connecticut district.

"We have to take a deep breath and address the fact that many illegal aliens are here working productively, so you have to have some punitive element, maybe a fine, payment of back taxes, a requirement to learn English," he said. "You need to have a policy that is punitive, but not so adverse that these people remain in the shadows."

Originally Posted by butterbean

http://www.courant.com/news/nationworld/hc-immigration0424.artapr24,0,7558793.story?coll=hc-headlines-home

Border Back In Forefront
State's Lawmakers Listen To Constituents
April 24, 2006

By DAVID LIGHTMAN, Washington Bureau Chief WASHINGTON -- Members of Congress return to Washington today after two weeks of traveling their districts and talking with constituents about what has become Washington's most pressing issue: illegal immigration.

What members have heard, said Rep. John B. Larson, D-1st District, is a "mixed bag" of remedies.

The rallies in support of immigrants by hundreds of thousands of people across the country "definitely raised people's awareness of the issue," said Rep. Nancy L. Johnson, R-5th District, who met last week with two rival groups in Danbury.

But she also found some constituents had "a certain amount of resentment toward the marches."

Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-3rd District, learned that while constituents "don't always know what the options are, they don't believe everybody ought to be made a felon, and you're not going to take 11 million people and deport them."

The muddled messages could hamstring Congress as it tries again to tackle immigration this week. The Senate thought it had a compromise April 6 that would have toughened border enforcement while making it easier for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants now in this country to gain citizenship.

That plan fell apart because of parliamentary bickering, and the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to revisit the issue Thursday.

The panel could find the partisanship more pointed than before.

The Democratic National Committee last week launched a Spanish-language radio ad that says: "Republicans are lying to us. If they wanted comprehensive immigration reform and to protect our borders, they would have done it already. But what Republicans and President Bush supported was a plan that would criminalize immigrants, families, doctors and even churches just for giving Communion."

The Republican National Committee has its own Spanish-language blast. Its ad says Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., "let us down. Harry Reid played politics and blocked our leaders from working together. Reid's Democrat allies voted to treat millions of hardworking immigrants ... as felons."

Outside Washington, where constituents are far less concerned about Washington infighting, lawmakers find "first and foremost, people want the border shut," said Rep. Rob Simmons, R-2nd District. "Sensors, monitors, surveillance cameras, even a virtual fence. People want that done."

Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, D-Conn., who plans to visit Bridgeport today to rally immigration supporters, said the rallies this month "demonstrated the importance of this issue to millions of Americans."

But others had a different view of the rallies in early April. "They turned me off," said Rep. Christopher Shays, R-4th District. "To see people wave flags of another nation, demanding their rights in this country, is an outrage. They aren't even guests in this country. They're here illegally."

Members of Congress also heard sharply different opinions about the 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexican border approved by the House in December - with Simmons, Johnson and Shays voting in favor. Johnson said that vote was not meant as an endorsement of the idea, but instead to move the bill along.

"There are aspects of the House bill that need better thinking," she said, "and those things happen in conference," where House and Senate negotiators iron out compromises. Johnson said that "a fence is appropriate in some areas, but I imagine 700 miles is more than we need."

Shays continues to support the fence. "One of the primary responsibilities of any government is to defend its borders," he said.

Few observers expect the 700-mile fence or the stringent penalties for illegal workers and their employers to survive. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., issued a statement saying they intended to produce legislation "that will not make unlawful presence in the United States a felony."

The thornier problem for lawmakers will involve how to deal with the illegal immigrants already in this country.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., an architect of the compromise plan, says colleagues have three choices - "the status quo or send 'em all back, both of which are impractical," or the kind of compromise that would allow guest workers to ease their way into this country.

But the structure of a deal on guest workers remains highly uncertain. Shays, for instance, prefers a system where guest workers would register and have a lengthy road to citizenship, perhaps a 10- to 15-year process, while the United States "speeds up and enlarges" the process for those seeking to gain citizenship legally.

Simmons and Johnson were more circumspect. One night last week in Danbury, Johnson met first with immigration advocates at the Ecuadorian Civic Center and then with the U.S. Citizens for Immigration Law Enforcement immediately after that.

Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said that in his city, "People are just frustrated, like they are everywhere in this country. They want something done." And most of his constituents, he said, agree on broad themes: secure the border, enforce immigration laws and create a path to legal immigration.

Simmons heard the same ideas as he traveled around his eastern Connecticut district.

"We have to take a deep breath and address the fact that many illegal aliens are here working productively, so you have to have some punitive element, maybe a fine, payment of back taxes, a requirement to learn English," he said. "You need to have a policy that is punitive, but not so adverse that these people remain in the shadows."

Senator Edward Kennedy,should be Deported and or Tared and feathered.

Jcalex- I couldnt agree more! I dont know what fools voted him into office in the first place. Unless they were all drunk too.

Originally Posted by butterbean

Jcalex- I couldnt agree more! I dont know what fools voted him into office in the first place. Unless they were all drunk too.

Damn it, I'm completely offended by that statement. Sen Kennedy is embarrassment to alcoholics everywhere.

I'm surprised that Chris Shays is strong on this issue. Good for him.