Thread: House bill would take illegals out of census

House bill would take illegals out of census
Thursday, July 5, 2007
By Peter Wylie ~ Southeast Missourian

As the Senate's attempt at immigration reform fizzled last week, another bill related to illegal immigration that could give Missouri an additional congressional seat received considerably less attention.
On June 18, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., co-sponsored House Joint Resolution 6, which would amend the U.S. Constitution to require that only citizens be counted in the apportionment of U.S. congressional districts.

Currently, all residents are counted when determining a state's representation in the House of Representatives, including illegal immigrants.

"We have a problem today that our forefathers could not envision: millions of people illegally crossing over our borders to take up residency," Emerson said in a prepared statement. "It runs contrary to our philosophy of government that we would reward the vast number of illegal aliens in the nation with consideration in Congress."

The last congressional reapportionment occurred after the 2000 Census, as required by the Constitution. All eight states gaining one or more seats in the House were in the top quarter of illegal immigrant population.

The Pew Hispanic Center, a not-for-profit group that tracks many aspects of Latino life in the United States, estimates Missouri's illegal immigrant population at between 35,000 and 60,000. Excluding them from the population total of more than 6,000,000 would have a minuscule effect on Missouri's apportionment population under House Joint Resolution 6.

States such as California, with an estimated illegal immigrant population of more than 2.5 million, could stand to lose seats in the House under the resolution. The reapportionment that would follow the resolution's passage would decrease the number of constituents per congressional district and would likely award Missouri an additional congressional seat because its large population would not be affected greatly under the terms of the resolution.

Rick Althaus, a political science professor at Southeast Missouri State University, said he thinks the original intent expressed in the Constitution was to count all residents, regardless of citizenship status.

Althaus said reapportionment also would affect the electoral college, giving states gaining House seats more say in the selection of the president.

"There are many issues to balance in these pieces of legislation," Althaus said. "National security and realistic terms for those already in the country illegally have to be considered. "

Illegal immigrant status in congressional apportionment is just one small part of the larger issue of immigration reform, according to Emerson.

Emerson said part of the challenge is holding employers accountable for employing undocumented workers. U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., also said in a prepared statement that ending amnesty for employers is the most effective way to combat illegal immigration.

Emerson said expanding the number of H-2A visas awarded each year could help employers comply with the law. An H-2A visa is a 12-month seasonal agricultural work permit for low-skilled workers.

The U.S. government currently issues about 30,000 each year, according to the Congressional Research Service, the public policy research arm of Congress. Emerson said she would like to see that expanded to close to 1 million.

Emerson said such a move would allow agricultural operations that depend on low-skilled labor to employ nonresidents legally.

Emerson added that taking care of border security was her highest priority.

"Unless we secure the border first, we're really putting the cart before the horse on this issue," Emerson said. "We can create any system addressing the millions of illegal immigrants here already, and it won't solve the issue without a secure border."

She also questioned the fairness of granting a quick path to citizenship for people who entered the country illegally.

She said the application process for residency visas should be streamlined, but immigrants should have a job offer before they enter the country and have proper identification and attempt to learn English as part of a path toward citizenship.

http://www.semissourian.com/story/1221481.html

GOOD ...TAKE THEM OUT OF THE CENSUS....AND WHILE THEY ARE AT IT TAKE THEM OUT OF THE COUNTRY.

Emerson said expanding the number of H-2A visas awarded each year could help employers comply with the law. An H-2A visa is a 12-month seasonal agricultural work permit for low-skilled workers.

The U.S. government currently issues about 30,000 each year, according to the Congressional Research Service, the public policy research arm of Congress. Emerson said she would like to see that expanded to close to 1 million.

These people need to do a little research before they open their mouths! There is no cap on H-2A visas for agricultural workers. Now, there is a cap of 66,000 for H-2B non-agricultural workers. The government has only been issuing 30,000 because that is all the folks in the farming industry has been requesting. Farmers would much rather hire "cheap" illegal labor than go through the cost, effort, and time to hire foreign farm labor. The same farmers are using the H-2A program every year, while the many of the others are hiring illegal labor.

The H-2A visa program is a viable program and it's there for those farmers that want to use it. We have guest worker programs, but for them to work our government has to enforce the law! Every large farming operation that isn't on record as hiring H-2A workers should be raided!

Originally Posted by redpony353

GOOD ...TAKE THEM OUT OF THE CENSUS....AND WHILE THEY ARE AT IT TAKE THEM OUT OF THE COUNTRY.

Just get them out please!
OMG I went to the marina tonight and the invaders where there trying to bust in to the club bathrooms. They do it every year! You see I pay money to belong the marina club and they illegals expect the same privilege as me! They think because they're here and they are human they deserve all that I pay for. Hell and why not they're just pursuing the American dream! They think we owe them the American dream! That's the kind of bull they believe! I have news for them they should pursue the Mexican dream and see if they can cut in front of paying Mexicans members in Mexico ! Rant rant!~ Happy 4th from the front lines. I fight them every day and I wont give up. Of course the door was shut in their faces and I don't care please touch me so I can, I'll keep that to my self!

"We have a problem today that our forefathers could not envision: millions of people illegally crossing over our borders to take up residency," Emerson said in a prepared statement. "It runs contrary to our philosophy of government that we would reward the vast number of illegal aliens in the nation with consideration in Congress."

This is the way little slimeballs like Luis Gutierrez weasle their way into the House of Representatives. He is not there representing the American people, he is there representing the hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens that infiltrated the Chicago area.

"We have a problem today that our forefathers could not envision: millions of people illegally crossing over our borders to take up residency," Emerson said in a prepared statement. "It runs contrary to our philosophy of government that we would reward the vast number of illegal aliens in the nation with consideration in Congress."

Dropping illegals from the census would also break up the financing of the illegal invasion by the federal government. Homeland Security funds are disbursed according to population even though it is not a duty of the fed to protect any illegal alien. Ideally, these funds should be reduced in areas with large illegal populations. No money at all should go to a sanctuary city.