Thread: Flake (az) and Gutierrez (IL) bill introduced tomorrow 3-22

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/ho ... 625823.php

Legalization path planned

Bipartisan legislation expected to be introduced to House later this week.

By DENA BUNIS
The Orange County Register

WASHINGTON – A bipartisan immigration bill set to be introduced in the House later this week includes a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants but would also require these residents to leave the United States and return legally before being eligible to change their status.

A draft summary of the bill, obtained late today by the Register, includes most of the basic elements in the comprehensive immigration bill that passed the Senate last year. But what will make or break this legislation will be the details.

The measure is to be introduced Thursday by Reps. Luis Guitierrez, D-Ill., and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. The two were expected to jointly introduce their bill in the House with a new measure being drafted by Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and John McCain, R-Ariz.

But Kennedy and McCain have been unable to iron out their differences. And while talks continue in the Senate and between lawmakers and the White House, House immigration advocates have decided to go ahead and introduce their bill.

The bill includes beefed up border enforcement, a worker verification system, a new worker program for future foreign workers and the legalization plan for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants now living in the U.S. These are the building blocks for a plan President Bush has continued to say he will support and push for this year.

"I applaud my friends Rep. Flake and Gutierrez for moving forward on immigration reform,'' Kennedy said in a statement in advance of the bill introduction. "They are our valued partners in this effort to forge a tough but fair bill that strikes the right balance between protecting our security, strengthening our economy, and enacting laws that uphold our humanity.

"I'm determined to make 2007 the year that we fix our broken system – and while we're still negotiating in the Senate, I'm optimistic that we will have legislation soon. The American people have waited long enough."

Rep. John Campbell, R-Irvine, said late Tuesday that based on the details available, the Gutierrez-Flake proposal doesn't sound like one he can support.

Campbell said he is concerned about how the employment verification system in the bill would be policed and what it would cost to make sure all of the elements of the legalization plan are followed.

"Are we going to have a large new bureaucracy that will be checking on these people all the time?'' Campbell said. The cost of such an undertaking, he said, "shouldn't come out of the average taxpayer. That should somehow come from these people or the employers who are hiring them.''

The elements of the Gutierrez-Flake bill include:

• A new worker program.This variation on a guest worker program would allow low-skilled people to get jobs here when U.S. workers could not be found to fill a needed job. These employees would be able to change jobs and travel and eventually get on a path to citizenship. The worker visa would be valid for three years and renewable once.

This provision is likely to draw fire from those who favor a temporary worker program, under which guest workers would not be able to remain here indefinitely. A group of Republican senators have been working with the White House on their own bill that is expected to include a guest worker program, but not one that would lead to permanent residency.

• A legalization plan. Illegal immigrants who pay a fine and pass background checks would be eligible for a conditional status and could work and travel for six years. If during that time they learned English, stayed employed, had clean criminal records, paid fines and back taxes, the immigrants would be eligible for legal status.

This plan also includes a requirement that the undocumented immigrants leave the country and reenters legally. It's not clear from the summary available exactly how that would work.

Such a provision will likely engender opposition from immigration advocates who would see that as an impediment to some of the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants coming forward. But it could make such a plan more palatable to those who say any legalization plan amounts to an amnesty.

• Employer verification.Employers would have to verify that the people they hire are legally entitled to work in the U.S. The new system would eventually apply to all employees and all new hires and would be implemented in phases. Penalties would be increased for employers who don't comply with the verification system.

Both sides in the immigration debate have been calling for such a provision.

• Agriculture.The AgJobs legislation introduced in the House and Senate would be included. This would give a path to legalization and citizenship to an estimated 5 million agriculture workers.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Rep. Howard Berman, D-Valley Village, have been especially pushing this provision. Feinstein has said she would prefer to start with this plan instead of a broader overall bill.

• Education.This provision would allow illegal immigrant students to pay in-state college tuition and also remove current barriers to their getting a higher education and to working.

This proposal has had strong bipartisan support in past congresses.

• Border security. More border enforcement personnel would be hired and increased technology used to secure the U.S./Mexico border. A North American security perimeter would be established in coordination with Mexico.

Both sides in this debate have also called for enhanced border enforcement. But most Republicans favor more border fencing. It is not clear from the initial summary what happens to the increased border fencing Congress approved last year.

Not only are these men going to try to pass an amnesty they are trying to codify into law the erasure of our sovereign borders.

Gutierrez-Flake proposal

Aptly named--definitely a flake! Get on the horn to your House Members, and GIVE THEM AN EARFUL!

I think I'm going to cry! Yep, I'm sure of it!

What's even more disturbing is that none of these FLAKES aka corrupt politicians or other lame government employees are going to do their jobs any less half-assed than they already do them. The incompetence of those affiliated with our government is mind boggling from the bottom to the top which is exactly why we are the mess known as America today. I hate to criticize my fellow Americans but I know too many government employees and most are lazy and comfortable with their automatic cost of living increases and guaranteed job security (unless they have been in rehab more than 10 times) and add to that equation not very bright either.

I have worked in corporate America all of my life and the standards are much higher and the tolerance for BS is much lower than those of the government.

"I applaud my friends Rep. Flake and Gutierrez for moving forward on immigration reform,'' Kennedy said in a statement in advance of the bill introduction.

Um, hello, that should raise a red flag. When Kennedy is agreeing with you on something, you better go back a make sure what you are doing is right.

• Border security. More border enforcement personnel would be hired and increased technology used to secure the U.S./Mexico border. A North American security perimeter would be established in coordination with Mexico.

Put as many law enforcement agents down there as you want, but until you let them use necessary force, it won't mean a thing. Besides, seeing how Ramos, Compean, etc. are being treated, who the heck would want the job?! Does your technology include mindless robots that don't have any pride in this nation nor any desire to protect its sovereignty? That would have to be the only way to avoid any future Ramos/Compean fiascos. I guess these robots would have to be made in the mold of our brave leaders like Jorge, Flake, Kennedy, and McCain.

This is the biggest sham I have ever seen!! they get worse all the time.I wish they would leave it alone and enforce the laws!!

Gosh, it almost sounds like DejaVu all over again (as in the 'one time fix' of the 1986 immigration reform/amnesty)...and a bill from a guy named 'Flake' -
I swear, you can't make this stuff up...

Lou Dobbs just announced that Guiterrez will be on his show on Thrsday marxh 22

This should be good

March 21, 2007, 4:50PM
House bill would let illegal immigrants stay, re-enter legally


By SUZANNE GAMBOA Associated Press Writer
© 2007 The Associated Press

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WASHINGTON — Two key House members are hoping to build support for immigration reform by proposing illegal immigrants leave the country and re-enter legally before becoming eligible for permanent U.S. residency.

The proposal by Reps. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., is intended to appease critics who say granting legal status is amnesty and immigration supporters who don't want 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants deported.

"Its important for immigrants in the country illegally to have a record of legal entry, so the touchback provision is a critical addition to the bill," Flake said.

Gutierrez and Flake, who planned a Thursday news conference to announce the legislation, have said they don't have enough Democratic support to pass a bill granting legal residency to illegal immigrants and must persuade some Republican members to join them.

Last year, House Republicans balked at proposals for a shot at legal residency for immigrants and passed a bill that would have made being in the country illegally a felony. But some of the toughest critics lost their re-election campaigns.

Flake and Gutierrez's proposal calls for illegal immigrants in the country as of June 1, 2006, to remain on six-year work visas. During those six years, they must learn English and civics, pay a $2,000 fine and settle back taxes.

At some point during the six years, they must leave the U.S. and re-enter legally with their work visa. The immigrants could go to Canada or Mexico and return. The measure is often referred to as a touchback provision.

Gutierrez and Flake have spent months drafting their bill behind closed doors with input from White House officials, members of both parties and senators. They initially were working with Sens. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and John McCain, R-Ariz., but the senators bailed out after they couldn't agree on some key issues.

Gutierrez was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.

But Rep. Lamar Smith, ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, where the bill will be routed, was not persuaded. "If touching back means an illegal immigrant can simply cross the border for five minutes and then gain legal status, then the provision is meaningless."

Kennedy has said he wants to introduce the bill that was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee last year. That bill didn't include the so-called touchback provision.

McCain now says he's open to other proposals, and Kennedy said he'd like to see more details about the touchback plan.

"The old question is, is it really manageable? Can it really be implemented? What are going to be the exemptions? There are a lot of questions that are associated with it," Kennedy said. "It's not really a new issue or new question. We've been thinking about that a long time."

Florida Republican Sen. Mel Martinez was part of the team that hashed out a compromise in last year's Senate immigration bill, including a plan that would have required illegal immigrants in the country two to five years to go to a port of entry and re-enter as a legal guest worker.

"If you want to be a citizen of this country, maybe the only way to do that is have a legal entry," Martinez said.

Other proposals in the Gutierrez-Flake bill would:

_ Reduce a backlog in visas for immigrants' family members who want to come to the U.S.

_ Phase in by size of business a system for employers to verify workers are legal

_ Increase penalties for people who enter the country illegally after the legalization and guest worker programs are established and beef up border security with new technologies.


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I done make my phone call to dear jeff flake and quote his office said he is just doing whats thinks is right.