Thread: Senate Bill Challenges Immigration Debate

http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/ ... 60088/1002


A Democratic senator yesterday introduced an enforcement-only immigration bill, joining forces with House Democrats and Republicans to try to shake up the immigration debate.

Sen. Mark Pryor's bill is identical to the enforcement bill Rep. Heath Shuler, North Carolina Democrat, introduced last week with strong bipartisan support. Taken together, the bills challenge the notion that the debate is a partisan fight in which Republicans want stricter enforcement while Democrats only want a broad bill that includes a path to citizenship for illegal aliens.

'Border patrol is the first step. Expanding the employee-verification program is the second. And beefing up interior enforcement is the third,' Mr. Pryor, Arkansas Democrat, said in introducing the Senate bill.

The bill would boost the U.S. Border Patrol to more than 22,000 agents, but also would pay off college loans to help recruitment and retention and make sure the Border Patrol can fill those slots. The bill also requires businesses to use E-Verify, the federal database to check work eligibility.

Mr. Pryor voted against President Bush's broad immigration proposal earlier this year, helping kill the bill in the Senate. That bill would have granted illegal aliens a path to citizenship, allowed in millions of new foreign workers and redrawn the legal immigration system to favor needed skills.

Yesterday Mr. Pryor said his goal is to convince Americans that the government can enforce the laws already on the books and secure the borders.

As of now, Mr. Pryor is the only member sponsoring his bill in the Senate, but Mr. Shuler has been rapidly adding support in the House. His office said he has 107 co-sponsors.

The new bill also would add more prosecutors and judges to handle immigration cases and increase detention capacity so immigration authorities can detain more illegal aliens.

The immigration issue is heating up across the country, with New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, a Democrat, this week bowing to public pressure and scrapping his plan to issue driver's licenses to illegal aliens.

But Rep. Vito J. Fossella wants to make sure Mr. Spitzer doesn't also go back on his deal with the Homeland Security Department to make the rest of the state's licenses for legal residents compliant with Real ID.

In a letter, the New York Republican told Mr. Spitzer to live up to his agreement, adding that the governor had said following Real ID requirements would give the state the most-secure licenses.

Real ID requires that licenses be counterfeit-resistant and that their issuance be tightly controlled.

An official in Mr. Spitzer's office said this week the backlash over licenses for illegals showed them they should step back from the issue, and let the state Legislature also weigh in on whether to proceed with Real ID.

The agreement between New York and DHS allows either part to opt out with 30 days' notice, but Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told The Washington Times this week he expects Mr. Spitzer to honor his commitment.

Check SAVE ACT GAINING thread.........1 sponsor and 112 co-sponsors and that was a few days ago.

Yesterday Mr. Pryor said his goal is to convince Americans that the government can enforce the laws already on the books and secure the borders.

Don't have to convince me, just DO IT!

I'm contacting my Senators today !

Originally Posted by Ratbstard

Yesterday Mr. Pryor said his goal is to convince Americans that the government can enforce the laws already on the books and secure the borders.

Don't have to convince me, just DO IT!

Exactly!!! Starting with the government ITSELF!!!! Since I saw on Lou Dobbs not to long ago that the government has thousands of illegal alien employees!!!!!!

The bill would boost the U.S. Border Patrol to more than 22,000 agents, but also would pay off college loans to help recruitment and retention and make sure the Border Patrol can fill those slots. The bill also requires businesses to use E-Verify, the federal database to check work eligibility.

I might be paranoid, but...Whose college loans would be paid off? American citizens?

Originally Posted by Saki

http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20071116/NATION/111160088/1002

The bill would boost the U.S. Border Patrol to more than 22,000 agents, but also would pay off college loans to help recruitment and retention and make sure the Border Patrol can fill those slots. The bill also requires businesses to use E-Verify, the federal database to check work eligibility.

How many times have we heard them say they will 'beef up border patrol?' Talk is cheap. NO to college loans paid off!!!!!!!!!

I'd have to think on the college loans thing. It sounds like it is just a recruitment tool - like sign on bonuses for the military, etc.

But maybe it would be better spent paying the BP more and assuring they will be allowed to do their jobs and not be imprisoned when they are enforcing the law against someone evidently important to this administration.

As long as they don't use this to try to shove amnesty down our throats in a few years, then it's ok with me.

Originally Posted by Populist

As long as they don't use this to try to shove amnesty down our throats in a few years, then it's ok with me.

That is exactly what the Democrats plan to do, they are already talking about it. Since the bill does not require current employees be verified for four years, they have four years in which to say: "we are enforcing the laws, now let us pass a general amnesty". This is why we also need to keep pushing the state laws and 287g programs, to get rid of as many illegals as soon as possible.