Thread: Immigration overhaul bill unveiled in House

Immigration Amnesty overhaul bill unveiled in House

The legislation, which includes a path to legalization, is met with criticism from conservatives and liberals.

By Antonio Olivo and Teresa Watanabe
December 15, 2009 | 6:43 p.m.

Reporting from Los Angeles and Chicago - Raising the curtain on a new round of debate over immigration reform, a group of Democratic congressional lawmakers introduced a comprehensive bill today that, among other provisions, would offer a path to legalization for the country's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants.

The bill, championed by Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) was decidedly more pro-immigrant than the bipartisan legislation House lawmakers defeated two years ago. And the latest version drew immediate fire from the left as well as the right. Groups opposed to legalization derided it as a form of amnesty, and more-liberal factions complained that it relied too heavily on enforcement.

In Los Angeles, immigration activists hailed the measure at a news conference before heading to local lawmakers' offices -- aboard a yellow school bus festooned with banners -- to urge their support.

"This is a big day for us," said Jorge-Mario Cabrera of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles. "Our community has been awaiting this bill for a long time."

Cabrera called Gutierrez's bill the most generous immigration legislation in more than two decades, citing provisions that would allow migrants to legalize their status without returning to their home countries, prohibit separation of families, offer more visas for workers and relatives and eliminate local enforcement of federal immigration law. The bill also calls for beefing up border security and overhauling the federal detention system for jailed immigrants to provide for better medical treatment and other services.

But Ted Hilton, an anti-illegal-immigration activist in San Diego, said that with so many Americans out of work, efforts to legalize millions of immigrants would face a certain backlash.

"When the last American comes off of unemployment, then let's have a conversation about whether we need additional immigrants," Hilton said, adding that he hoped to qualify a California ballot initiative next year to deny several public services to illegal immigrants.

In Washington, Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) -- who has been Gutierrez's partner in backing previous immigration bills -- issued a statement today saying that said he was "disappointed" by the latest legislation.

Gutierrez, one of 87 House Democrats sponsoring the 700-page bill, said it was based on months of discussions with community organizations, unions and other groups around the country in hopes of gaining enough momentum to get reforms passed.

"Now, there's a bill with a following," Gutierrez said.

However, any serious consideration seems months away.

A spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D- San Francisco) said that although Pelosi supported the bill, she wanted the Senate to act first on the issue. A more moderate immigration bill is expected to be introduced in that chamber next month.

President Obama has said that he anticipated taking up the immigration issue after the healthcare debate is over and Congress finishes work on energy reforms and regulating financial markets -- potentially driving the politically radioactive debate close to the midterm elections in November.

aolivo@tribune.com

teresa.watanabe@latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and- ... 9598.story

Bill would give legal status to undocumented immigrants

Suzanne Gamboa -
Dec. 15, 2009 03:18 PM
Associated Press .

WASHINGTON - Hispanic, black, Asian and other House lawmakers backing immigration overhaul called Tuesday for legalizing illegal immigrants in the U.S., despite a weakened economy and joblessness.

The coalition of lawmakers said Tuesday immigration reform can protect American workers as well as bring into the mainstream economy productive immigrant workers who have lived in the shadows because of their illegal status.

"For those who say that given the state of our economy, given the unemployment rate, this is not the time, I would say to you there is no wrong or right time. There is a moral obligation," said Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., who has become a leader of a multiethnic coalition of immigration reform backers, said immigration reform opponents "will use it as a wedge issue and will blame everything from unemployment to rising health care costs on immigrants."

"The immigrant blame game is constant," Gutierrez told a packed Capitol Hill news conference. Immigration reform also means tougher penalties for employers who hire illegal workers, rules requiring foreign investors given U.S. visas to create jobs in this country, restrictions on hiring of foreign workers, he said.

Although there has been a report of a better-than-expected increase in production in the U.S. economy, experts say it remains weak and recovery continues to be slow.

That has led some to suggest that early next year — as some are expecting — is not the time to bring up immigration reform and certainly not to legalize illegal immigrants.

"Illegal immigrants currently occupy 8 million jobs. Those stolen jobs rightfully belong to citizens and legal immigrants. We could cut the unemployment rate in half simply by enforcing immigration laws!" said Texas Rep. Lamar Smith, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee.

An immigration reform bill proposed by Gutierrez seeks to legalize undocumented immigrants by requiring them to register with the federal government, pay a $500 fine for each adult, learn English, pass background checks and meet other requirements. They then are eligible for a six-year visa and when that is done a green card.

It contains numerous other proposals.

The bill was unveiled Tuesday, but lawmakers acknowledged the Senate will vote first. There is some skepticism whether Democrats will be willing to take up immigration reform early next year so soon after a tough health care debate and with 2010 elections gearing up.

"What we are doing is getting ready so when they are done with their work, we can quickly act," Gutierrez said.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... ss-ON.html

"For those who say that given the state of our economy, given the unemployment rate, this is not the time, I would say to you there is no wrong or right time. There is a moral obligation," said Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Can you believe these freaking traitors? They believe their moral obligation is to foreign criminals and not American citizens!!

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Originally Posted by Bowman

"For those who say that given the state of our economy, given the unemployment rate, this is not the time, I would say to you there is no wrong or right time. There is a moral obligation," said Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Can you believe these freaking traitors? They believe their moral obligation is to foreign criminals and not American citizens!!

That's my girl.