Thread: Immigrants get new hope for fairness

http://www.nydailynews.com/boroughs/sto ... 4925c.html

Immigrants get new hope for fairness

The new bi-partisan immigration reform bill introduced this week in Congress brings some hope for moving the immigration question away from prejudice, partisan grandstanding and merciless repression.

In the current anti-immigrant climate the new initiative is a welcome - and long overdue - breath of fresh air.

"At a time when immigrants are facing the real threat of the REAL ID Act and when more and more people are dying at our border, this initiative brings new hope to immigrant communities across the nation," said Daniel Chávez, of Asociación Tepeyac, a Mexican community organization in Manhattan.

It is too soon to give a verdict on the merits of the proposed reform law, but something is certain: It puts back some needed common sense in the immigration debate.

"This is an unprecedented opportunity to have a rational discussion on immigration," said Chung-Wha Hong, of the New York Immigration Coalition.

It certainly is. On Thursday, Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), along with Representatives Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Luis Gutiérrez (D-Ill.) introduced the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act of 2005. It could be everything the shameful Real ID Act is not.

"The status quo is unacceptable and we need to modernize our broken immigration system to meet the challenges of the 21st century," Kennedy said. "We need policies that continue to reflect our best values as a nation - of fairness, equal opportunity and respect for the law."

Unlike the Real ID, which treated immigrants as potential terrorists, this bill does justice to the important role they play in our economy and our society.

"The New York Immigration Coalition applauds the inclusion in the bill of 'win-win' provisions that allow employers to get the workers they legitimately need by allowing more workers to come to the U.S. legally to work, pay taxes and pursue a better life for their families," said Margie McHugh, the coalition's executive director.

Gutiérrez, one of the bill's sponsors, said: "This bill reflects the enormous contributions immigrants make every day, it respects our nation's proud history of welcoming men and women to seek a better life and it better protects our homeland by creating a system of improved accountability and security."

One of the main aspects of the bill is that it provides the undocumented with a path to permanent residency and citizenship, and a way of ending the years of painful separation family members experience under the current legal immigration system.

Despite what anti-immigrant zealots say, the bill is not an amnesty. The undocumented would have to pay a $2,000 penalty before they can apply for work authorization. The permit lasts six years, but after four years of lawful presence, the workers could apply for permanent residence. Workers outside the U.S. would be allowed to pay $500 at local consulates to apply for a visa, but only if they can show proof of employment or an employment offer.

Immigrants are our neighbors, the parents of school children like our own, they are hardworking people who pay taxes, fight wars and hold the most difficult jobs out there. They deserve to be treated fairly.

"We urge all New York congressional leaders to put their full support behind this historic immigration reform bill so that hardworking illegal immigrants can truly begin their journey on the road to U.S. citizenship and travel it with dignity and respect," said Brian McLaughlin, president of the New York City Central Labor Council. In a city that owes so much to its immigrants, it is the least our elected officials can do.

Originally published on May 15, 2005

Despite what anti-immigrant zealots say, the bill is not an amnesty. The undocumented would have to pay a $2,000 penalty before they can apply for work authorization. The permit lasts six years, but after four years of lawful presence, the workers could apply for permanent residence. Workers outside the U.S. would be allowed to pay $500 at local consulates to apply for a visa, but only if they can show proof of employment or an employment offer.

OK, it's an AMNESTY that they pay a few bucks for. It's a
SALE ON AMNESTY

They really do believe that the American population are stupid! They really believe this!! Sorry guys, I can't wrap my brain around this.

Originally Posted by 2ndamendsis

OK, it's an AMNESTY that they pay a few bucks for. It's a
SALE ON AMNESTY

More like a Bribe for a green card . . .

IT'S AMNESTY!!! NOTHING BUT AMNESTY!!

We've discussed this Act in several other posts....I posted the entire 150 page document.

It is a 150 Page Fraud...an Act NOT TO ACT but an ACT to legalize every single alien in the country....without any restriction of any kind on new aliens.

This Bill is the Final Act of Open Borders.

The money for border patrol only helps aliens leave that want to--and does nothing to stop new aliens from coming.

It is a fraud.....McCain is Open Borders...Kennedy is Open Borders....Salazar from Colorado also one of the sponsors is Open Borders....this bill is 100% OPEN BORDERS and the END of the sovereign territory of the United States.

Somewhere along the way of the lives of McCain and Kennedy, they sold their souls to the Devil.

They are dishonest; they are schemers; they are our worst nightmare.

That’s right pay $2000 and become a citizen. I guess they were tired of the coyotes making all of the money. I wonder who gets the money. does Bush and Fox split it?

Lets see 10 million x $2000 =20,000,000,000

Somewhere along the way of the lives of McCain and Kennedy, they sold their souls to the Devil.

The biggest trick the Devil pulled on mankind is telling them that he doesn't exist. Well same thing applies here. No matter how big the amnesty bill for illegals these empty suits/skirts are always trying to convince the sheeple that their amnesty is not an amnesty. They are always trying to skew down the term to the point where if your a stupid ignorant sheeple, you have to wonder to yourself, what constitutes an amnesty? Does amnesty even exist? Is it even a term in the dictionary? Here's the correct term for amnesty for those not with it:

One entry found for amnesty.
Main Entry: am·nes·ty
Pronunciation: 'am-n&-stE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ties
Etymology: Greek amnEstia forgetfulness, from amnEstos forgotten, from a- + mnasthai to remember -- more at MIND
: the act of an authority (as a government) by which pardon is granted to a large group of individuals
- amnesty transitive verb

There you go. Does McCain and Kennedy's bill pardon a large group of illegal aliens from their crimes by allowing them to stay here and work even if it makes them pay a small fine? You bet it does. It's amnesty in every definition and a very blatant one at that. I think the fact that they are trying to hoodwink the public into thinking that it's not an amnesty because of some small token enforcement ploys that will never be enforced is an outrage and a disgrace IMO. It's even more disgraceful that they put up this bill just days after the real ID act was passed, after the MMP protested along with the Hold their feet to the fire crowd. It seems like the louder we get the more bolder these politicans get. They are getting more and more bolder in the face of the majority because they still don't fear us yet. They are miscalculating our anger and we need to send a message by voting these traitors out of office in 2006 regardless if they are a Republican or Democrat. Time to put party politics aside and send a message that these politicans from both sides will receive loud and clear.

Give these rats the BOOT and continue to beat the drums for Jorge's impeachment.

dman1200, Right you are they will either say it doesn’t exist or it will be good for us. Open wide and swallow the lies if you can stomach them all.

JUDY, something tells me that you're not aware of just how accurate your statement is!

Somewhere along the way of the lives of McCain and Kennedy, they sold their souls to the Devil

Actually, we can pretty much pinpoint when the act occured for both

2ndamendsis--Viet Nam?