Thread: Illegal Immigrants Targeted in Debate

http://www.redorbit.com/news/general/98 ... =r_general

WASHINGTON - The Senate, responding to conservatives who decry President Bush's immigration bill as a form of amnesty, is weighing several measures to make it harder for illegal immigrants to gain lawful status.

Republicans and Democrats were both seeking to add restrictions to the centerpiece of the divisive measure, which could grant legalization to the estimated 12 million unlawful immigrants if they pass background checks and pay fines and fees.

The proposals range from requiring immigrants to return home temporarily to gain lawful status, to barring them from getting green cards for legal permanent residency, to only allowing those in the U.S. four years or more to be legalized.

"My problem with this bill is the amnesty, and anyone who tries to say it isn't amnesty is just not being realistic," said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, who is sponsoring an amendment requiring all adult illegal immigrants to go home within two years in order to continue living lawfully in the U.S.

The bill would require only those seeking green cards to return home.

The revived immigration measure, which also would toughen border security and institute a new system for weeding out illegal immigrants from workplaces, is facing steep challenges from the right and left.

Conservatives call the measure too lenient toward unlawful immigrants, while liberals say it could rip apart families and doom guest workers to exploitation at the hands of unscrupulous employers.

Votes on key amendments could come as early as Wednesday afternoon, but procedural snafus and stalling tactics by conservative foes of the bill were delaying action.

"It's going to be a rough ride," said Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., an architect of the bill. "We're in trench warfare."

Democrats, too, were seeking to limit the legalization program for unlawful immigrants. Also slated for a vote was an amendment by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., that would allow only those who had been in the country for at least four years to gain lawful status.

Webb said his proposal would raise the public's comfort-level with granting lawful status to illegal immigrants.

"People in this country who traditionally would be supporting fair immigration policies, but who are worried about the legalization process in this bill, would come forward and support this," Webb said.

His amendment would scrap the return-home requirement, which he called unrealistic and impractical.

Republican framers of the bill, seeking to sap support from Hutchison's amendment, were proposing their own, less burdensome return-home requirement for illegal immigrants to be voted on by Thursday. It would apply only to heads of household and would give them three years to meet the requirement.

Also expected to be voted on is an amendment by Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., that would bar illegal immigrants from eventually getting green cards.

Democratic amendments to give family members of citizens and legal permanent residents more chances to immigrate are also slated for votes.

I just can't understand why they are pushing to make it EVEN EASIER for illegals?!! This is so disheartening.

while liberals say it could rip apart families and doom guest workers to exploitation at the hands of unscrupulous employers.

Boy the liberals and OBL's are getting desperate by using this crap. If we were to use this analogy, how about we bring back all the troops in Iraq whose families have been broken up? Or, how about we release everyone from prison because that has torn up families too?