Sensenbrenner vows immigration reform
Congressman revives crackdown bill
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By KATHERINE M. SKIBA
Posted: Nov. 2, 2007

Washington - House Republican Jim Sensenbrenner has renewed his drive for immigration reform by introducing a bill whose provisions include securing the borders, cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants and increasing penalties for people who smuggle them into the United States.

These and other provisions are in a new bill not publicly available on Friday.

The Menomonee Falls lawmaker was in Seattle on Friday for a hearing unrelated to immigration and not available for comment, said Tom Schreibel, his chief of staff.

The new measure, H.R. 4065, has nine Republican co-sponsors.

It picks up from an enforcement-first bill Sensenbrenner sponsored when he headed the House Judiciary Committee.

That measure passed the House in 2005 on a 239-182 vote but did not advance in the Senate.

A statement on the new effort said Sensenbrenner remains "undeterred from his fight for substantive immigration reform."

It quoted him as saying: "America's problems with illegal immigration did not end with (last) November's elections. While many of my colleagues have expended a lot of hot air discussing the issue this year, they . . . have continued to ignore the calls of the American people on this very emotional and complex matter."

Other highlights:

• Some $300 million would be authorized annually so states and localities could buy items needed to enforce immigration laws.

• More Customs and Border Protection officers would be stationed at ports of entry.

• Employers would be required to submit workers' Social Security numbers to the Social Security Administration for verification.

If there was a discrepancy, the employer would be required to verify the employee's identification. An employer's failure to act would result in "severe penalties."

• The number of temporary visas granted every year to skilled workers would double, from 65,000 to 130,000.

These are H1-B visas for workers in specialty occupations, who are admitted based on education, skills and/or experience, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

• The program of granting H-2A visas to temporary or seasonal agricultural workers would be reformed.

Sensenbrenner wants the market to determine their numbers. To ensure they do not overstay their visas, he said, they should not be permitted to bring relatives with them.

Many such workers can be found on Wisconsin's farms, dairies and nurseries.

Initial reaction to the new effort was mixed.

At FAIR, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, spokesman Bob Dane said 90% of the bill contained "fair, practical and sensible solutions." The Washington-based group stresses border security and enforcement of existing laws.

Dane took issue with the proposal to double the number of H1-B visas, saying Sensenbrenner "mixed up a Bill Gates memo into his bill by mistake."

Dane said tech firms such as Microsoft, IBM, Google and others have been pushing for more foreign workers to take on computer programming and project management jobs.

He maintained that, if that happens, it would drive down wages and discourage U.S. students from studying math and engineering.

Angela Kelley, director of the Immigration Policy Center, a Washington think tank that supports immigration, said:

"Sensenbrenner is dusting off his old playbook and hoping he can gain some traction in the wake of the Senate's failure to pass a comprehensive immigration bill.

"There is . . . no shock value when you look at a Sensenbrenner bill that's all about enforcement."

She said the bill did not address the estimated 12 million undocumented workers already in the U.S.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=682045