Thread: CA: Inland lawmakers on both sides optimistic about immigrat

Inland lawmakers on both sides optimistic about immigration changes under Obama


11:09 PM PST on Friday, December 5, 2008

By BEN GOAD
Washington Bureau

Inland Reps. Joe Baca and Ken Calvert couldn't be much further apart when it comes to their views on illegal immigration.

As chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Baca, D-Rialto, was at the forefront of last year's failed push for immigration legislation that would have provided a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants already in the U.S.

Calvert, R-Corona, wants to crack down on illegal immigration through the expansion of his employment verification system, a Bush administration-backed program that checks the immigration status of workers.

Both may get their way under the incoming White House administration.

President-elect Barack Obama favors reform, and a system through which illegal immigrants in good standing can become citizens, as long as they pay a fine and learn English. And with strengthened Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, Baca said he believes Congress has the political will to pass a comprehensive immigration bill.

"I think it will happen," Baca said during an interview in his Washington office. "We can't continue to ignore the 12 to 14 million people who are here, hiding in the shadows."

Timetable Disputed

Experts agreed that the prospects for immigration legislation are improved, but the likely timeline remains unclear amid an ever-shifting political landscape.

For example, Obama's selection of Rahm Emanuel as his chief of staff signaled to some that immigration could be placed on the back burner in the first years of the Obama administration.

Emanuel once described the immigration issue as "the third rail of American politics," a reference to the rail that carries an electrical charge and will shock anyone who touches it. He said last year that comprehensive changes would likely not be pushed until the second term of a Democratic administration.

Baca, however, suggested that Emanuel has shifted his position since making those remarks. During the congressional session following Obama's election, Emanuel, newly anointed as White House chief of staff, told Baca that immigration would be a priority, Baca said.

"That would be an important change because Emanuel publicly stated his reluctance," said Karthick Ramakrishnan, a political science professor at UC Riverside.

Much has changed since Emanuel made the earlier comments, not the least of which is his job title. But perhaps more important is the large part Hispanic voters played in Obama's election.

States with heavy Latino populations that went for Bush in 2004 -- Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Florida -- went for Obama on Nov. 4. Nationally, exit polls showed Obama won the Latino vote by a more than two-to-one ratio; and a study released this week by the nonpartisan Immigration Policy Center found that 61 percent of Hispanic voters think comprehensive immigration reform should be a national priority.

"The Latino vote is not blind loyalty," said Katherine Vargas, spokeswoman for the Washington-based National Immigration Forum, an immigrant rights group that supports comprehensive reform and a pathway to citizenship.

Vargas said Hispanic voters might vote Republican in 2012 if they perceive a lack of action toward immigration reform.

"Rahm Emanuel is a master political strategist," she said. "He can do the math."

Democratic leaders in Congress have not made clear whether they plan to press for immigration reform in the coming months. A massive bill containing an immigrant legalization component, along with initiatives to secure the nation's borders, stalled last year, prompting Baca and other Democratic Latino lawmakers to criticize their own party leaders.

Vargas acknowledged that the ongoing economic crisis would be the top priority, both for Congress and the White House. But a plan to change the nation's immigration policies was a big part of Obama's campaign, she said.

"We are very confident that immigration reform will move in the next year or so," she said. "We expect him to keep his promise."

Worker Verification

Calvert said he opposes Obama's plan for a path to citizenship, which he considers an unacceptable version of amnesty.

But at the same time, the Corona Republican may have found an unlikely ally in Obama's selection of Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat, as his secretary of homeland security, a job that involves ensuring border security and will put her in the middle of the debate over immigration.

Calvert said he hopes Napolitano will embrace his plan to expand his employee verification program. Known as E-Verify, the system allows employers to use a federal online database to check the immigration status and eligibility of potential hires.

The program, created by 1996 Calvert legislation, became a key part of the Bush administration's approach to immigration policy. Though mostly voluntary, the program now includes about 100,000 employers and is mandatory for all federal contractors nationwide.

But it set to expire in March. Calvert is pushing legislation to extend the program another five years. Eventually, he hopes the program will become law for all U.S employers, he said.

As governor, Napolitano signed legislation making Arizona one of only two states that requires all employers to use E-Verify. The other is Mississippi.

She famously questioned the value of curbing illegal immigration through the construction of a wall along the border, saying, "You build a 50-foot wall, somebody will find a 51-foot ladder."

Calvert said he hopes Napolitano's exposure to the E-verify system has convinced her that it is a more practical way to fight illegal immigration, save jobs for legal workers and help the struggling economy.

He expressed confidence that his legislation to extend the E-verify program has the votes necessary to pass the House.

But there is always the possibility that Democrats will block a vote in the Senate, as was the case in the past Congress.

Napolitano's potential backing of the program could prove important, Calvert said. He said he would reach out to Napolitano soon after the new administration comes into power next month.

"I'm hopeful that she's going to encourage the utilization of E-Verify, and support it as a mandatory national program," he said.

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Originally Posted by jean

Inland lawmakers on both sides optimistic about immigration changes under Obama

Comments:

STOP THE INVASION!!!

UNITED STATES BORDER APPREHENSIONS (Source DHS/CBP)
1987--1,190,488------1995--1,394,554------2003----931,557
1988--1,008,145------1996--1,649,986------2004--1,160,395
1989----954,243------1997--1,412,953------2005--1,189,075
1990--1,169,939------1998--1,555,776------2006--1,089,902
1991--1,197,875------1999--1,579,010------2007----876,704
1992--1,258,482------2000--1,676,438------2008----723,825
1993--1,327,259------2001--1,266,213------2009----(beginning 10/01)
1994--1,094,717------2002----955,310


FACT: In the last 22 years, over 26 million illegals, have been apprehended, after crossing the border, into our United States.

THE PROBLEM IS: Less than 1, out of 4, of the invading illegals, are estimated to have been apprehended.

According to the U.S. Immigration Service another 6 million illegals in our country are visa overstays. That is, they got a visa legally in their home country, they came here to visit and then they never left.

In the last 22 years, there have been another 4 million anchor babies born to illegals. Anchor babies are now being born at a rate of 350-400 thousand per year in our United States. All at our expense!!

Then the ANCHOR BABIES qualify for welfare, food stamps, section-8 housing, all at our expense.

American Taxpayers are getting screwed, over, and over, and over, again!!!

Each illegal immigrant, on average, costs taxpayers $9,000 PER YEAR, over, and above, anything they might contribute in taxes!!! A total cost to American taxpayers of over 300 billion dollars each, and every, year.

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Buzzm1 3 hours ago wrote:

U. S. OVERPOPULATION GROWTH

YEAR -------- U.S.---- -----DECADE GAIN --GREEN CARDS ---
1920 ----106,021,537
------------------------- ------17,181,087 ----
1930 ----123,202,624
------------------------- -------8,961,945 ----
1940 ----132,164,569
------------------------- ------19,161,229 ----
1950 ----151,325,798
------------------------- ------27,997,377 ----
1960 ----179,323,175
------------------------- ------23,888,751 ----
1970 ----203,211,926
------------------------- ------23,333,879 ----4,323,688
1980 ----226,545,805
------------------------- ------22,164,068 ----6,750,168
1990 ----248,709,873
------------------------- ------32,712,036 ----9,447,963
2000 ----281,421,906
------------------------- --est. 33,568,094---10,214,981
2010 ----315,000,000

THE MAJORITY OF OUR POPULATION INCREASE, OVER THE LAST 22 YEARS, IS DUE TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

STOP THE INVASION AND YOU WILL STOP THE OVERPOPULATION OF OUR UNITED STATES!!!

YOU WILL STOP THE OVERCROWDING IN OUR SCHOOLS!!!

YOU WILL STOP THE GRIDLOCK ON OUR HIGHWAYS!!!

STOP THE INVASION BY ILLEGALS!!!

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Buzzm1 3 hours ago wrote:

SUPPORT THE ALL-AMERICAN STIMULUS PLAN!!!

THE ALL-AMERICAN STIMULUS PLAN WILL PROVIDE JOBS FOR MANY OF THE 10 MILLION UNEMPLOYED AMERICAN WORKERS AND IT WON'T COST ANYTHING!!!

Illegals, using forged, and/or stolen identities, have illegally obtained up to 8.7 million jobs; these are jobs that Americans will do, jobs in food processing, jobs in manufacturing; these are jobs that rightfully belonged to American workers in the first place.

MANDATE E-VERIFY, FOR ALL EMPLOYEES, AND FOR ALL EMPLOYERS, AND IT WILL GENERATE 8.7 MILLION JOBS FOR UNEMPLOYED AMERICAN WORKERS!!!

THE ALL-AMERICAN STIMULUS PLAN WILL SAVE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS 300 BILLION DOLLARS EACH, AND EVERY, YEAR (the estimated annual cost of illegal immigrants to American taxpayers)!!!

SUPPORT THE ALL-AMERICAN STIMULUS PLAN!!!

REMEMBER, IT WON'T COST ANYTHING!!!


ENFORCE OUR LAWS AGAINST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION!!!

THERE WILL BE NO AMNESTY!!!

OUR ACCEPTABLE IMMIGRATION REFORM

#1. Make Illegal Entry a Felony Permanently Barring Citizenship
#2. Secure Our Borders with our National Guard!!!
#3. Mandate E-Verify for ALL Employees!!!
#4. Cut Off ALL Public Assistance to Illegals and Their Children!!!
#5. Stop the Underground Economy!!!
#6. End Birthright Citizenship for Illegals!!!
#7. End Chain Migration!!!
#8. Make English our Official Language!!!
#9. Cut Off Federal Funds to Sanctuary Cities!!

NOTHING MORE!!! NOTHING LESS!!!