Thread: Immigration reform bills at standstill

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercuryn ... 216519.htm

Posted on Mon, Aug. 07, 2006

Immigration reform bills at standstill
CONGRESSIONAL INACTION COULD LIMIT STATE FUNDING
By Frank Davies
MediaNews Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Months of marches, hearings and passionate argument, along with fierce debate over two conflicting bills on immigration, have led to this: deadlock in Congress and no immigration reform this year.

That's the consensus on Capitol Hill and among policy experts. It's even shared by President Bush, who has pushed for a comprehensive bill. During a recent meeting, Bush told Mexican President Vicente Fox that no immigration overhaul was likely in 2006, Fox said.

This inaction means that California, with almost one-quarter of the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants, will see limited improvements in border security, uneven enforcement at workplaces and great uncertainty for undocumented workers, said several policy and security experts.

``Expectations were raised for some sort of resolution, and this will only increase tension at the border and make problems even worse,'' predicted Stewart Verdery, former assistant secretary of Homeland Security.

Republicans, seriously divided on immigration, are also worried about the political impact of inaction. With Bush's active role on the issue and GOP control of Congress, failure to produce a bill ``could be a real political problem for the party,'' said Rep. George Radanovich, R-Fresno.

Democrats are ready to pounce. ``They're in charge, and this just adds to the image of a do-nothing Congress,'' Sen. Barbara Boxer said last week.

Advocates on all sides of the debate, from those who favor legalizing the status of illegal immigrants to those who want to crack down at the border and workplace, can agree on this: Delaying or ducking this issue is a big mistake, and will only make it more urgent and fractious next year.

``It's a dereliction of duty not to act, and it just forces some difficult issues on to the states,'' said John Keeley, communications director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors tougher enforcement.

He noted a surge this year in bills in state legislatures to deal with immigration. California, like other states, is wrestling with how much health coverage to provide the children of illegal immigrants and other issues.

`Deeply disappointed'

Larisa Casillas, an immigrant advocate in San Jose, said Bay Area residents with undocumented relatives and friends are ``deeply disappointed'' that Congress cannot agree on some process for eventual citizenship. But she said big rallies, like the one in San Jose on May 1, raised awareness among immigrants, who will stay active.

``The community is energized, and we're now concentrating on registering voters,'' said Casillas, policy director of Services, Immigration Rights and Education Network, a social services organization. She said immigration advocates are planning more marches for Labor Day.

The deadlock has persisted because the House and Senate produced two different bills, and House GOP leaders, unwilling to compromise, have refused to hold a conference to try to resolve the differences.

``I think both bills are dead,'' said Radanovich, who attended a recent strategy session at the White House.

That would mean no big infusion of money for border security. Both bills would add Border Patrol agents and hundreds of miles of fences on the Mexican border.

``We need more resources, but some gains in security will continue anyway,'' said Brian Goebel, former senior policy adviser to Customs and Border Protection.

Border Patrol boost

Since 2001, the Border Patrol has grown more than 40 percent, Goebel said, and new high-tech tracking, more detention facilities and coordination with the military and National Guard should cut down on the influx of illegal immigrants.

Verdery, who worked on border and transportation security at Homeland Security, said lower-profile issues -- better employment verification to screen undocumented workers, and the integration of agency databases -- are still under-funded.

Goebel, Verdery and eight other former security officials -- including ex-Coast Guard Commandant James Loy, who was deputy secretary of Homeland Security -- say enforcement is not enough. They support a guest-worker program and a process for some illegal residents to legalize their status.

``You're never going to enforce your way out of this problem,'' Verdery said. ``As long as the jobs are here, people will find a way to get in.''

The political fallout from this year's deadlock is difficult to predict, but Republicans, because of their leadership position, appear most vulnerable.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican eager to show his independence, has castigated GOP congressional leaders for inaction. Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida, the only Latino Republican in the Senate, has warned that the GOP risks alienating Latino voters with some of its anti-immigration rhetoric.

But ``enforcement-only'' Republicans insist that their active, vocal base opposed to any ``amnesty'' for illegal residents will help them this fall. They point to the special election victory in June of Republican Brian Bilbray, who won a House seat in San Diego after taking a hard line on immigration and criticizing Bush's immigration proposals.

This fall, the GOP's underdog challenger to Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein is former state Sen. Dick Mountjoy -- best known as the author in 1994 of Proposition 187, which would have denied government services to illegal immigrants.

Many political observers believe that measure drove Latino voters in California away from the GOP for years. Some recent national polls have shown a growing disenchantment among Latino voters with Bush and the GOP, but translating that into votes is a different matter.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact Frank Davies at fdavies@mercurynews.com or (202) 383-6008.

Republicans, seriously divided on immigration, are also worried about the political impact of inaction. With Bush's active role on the issue and GOP control of Congress, failure to produce a bill ``could be a real political problem for the party,'' said Rep. George Radanovich, R-Fresno.

Well then cut your vacation short and come back and get to work!!!
You all know what the majority of the American people want, so get back here and do something about it. STOP STALLING!!!!
My patience is wearing thin...

``You're never going to enforce your way out of this problem,'' Verdery said. ``As long as the jobs are here, people will find a way to get in.''

If you were enforcing our labor laws, there wouldn't be any jobs for illegals! You keep saying enforcement only won't work, but how do you know, since you never get around to the enforcement.

Advocates on all sides of the debate, from those who favor legalizing the status of illegal immigrants to those who want to crack down at the border and workplace, can agree on this: Delaying or ducking this issue is a big mistake, and will only make it more urgent and fractious next year.

I disagree. The extra time has allowed anti-illigal advocates the time make American citizens aware of the MANY obvious faults of S. 2611. Furthermore, it is giving us more time to pound on our elected politicians. This issue is to important to slam-bam a bill together. Let's not repeat the 1986 amnesty bill, which was an obvious failure.

MW,
I wish I had your optimism. Although I agree that the House hearings have exposed more of what garbage S. 2611 actually is.

What I'm most fearful of is the immigration issue being delayed until after the elections. Once the elections are through, they could easily slide some more garbage legislation passed the American people.

The House knows if they passed anything related to S. 2611 this close to the elections would mean their defeat in Nov.
On the flip side, what's to stop them from passing this crappy legislation once the Nov elections are over and their positions are now secure for another term? The House is just as responsible for this mess as the Senate is.

I don't trust either of them.
I'll be the first to admit, I'm a bit pesamistic on both Dem. & Rep. and don't have too much faith in either the House or the Senate.
I hope I'm wrong... I really hope I'm dead wrong.