Thread: Secure borders trump deal on immigration

Secure borders trump deal on immigration

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, Associated Press Writer
May 8, 2007


WASHINGTON - The Bush administration and key senators are working on a deal that would delay a sweeping immigration overhaul until the border is fortified and leave illegal immigrants waiting up to 13 more years to gain legal status.


Officials familiar with the discussions say that despite a series of concessions by both Republicans and Democrats, a final agreement may not come before the Senate opens debate on the issue next week.

Still, the outlines of a possible deal have taken shape in almost daily secret talks involving two members of President Bush's Cabinet. As contemplated, the proposal would delay the process of giving legal status to undocumented immigrants and guest worker visas to new arrivals until the administration beefs up border security and implements a high-tech identification system for temporary workers. Such measures are expected to take up to two years.

Even then, officials said it would take up to 13 years — along with large fines and a trip to their home country — before the 12 million men, women and children estimated to be in the U.S. illegally could get permanent legal status, or green cards. The government would spend eight years clearing visa backlogs for immigrants currently waiting in line, and then spend about five years processing those here illegally.

Sen. Edward Kennedy (news, bio, voting record), D-Mass., has been leading negotiations with Republican senators and White House officials in hopes of cutting a bipartisan deal on the issue before the Senate wades into an explosive immigration debate.

Absent such a compromise, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), D-Nev., is expected Wednesday to bring up a much more liberal measure approved last year, in preparation for a lengthy and wide-ranging debate on the matter starting next week.

Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., one of the negotiators, made a plea Tuesday for more time to reach a bipartisan deal, warning that rushing a debate could provoke a filibuster. Specter called the emerging agreement a "grand bargain."

The political stakes for both parties are high. Democrats are eager to deliver a measure that appeals to their liberal base by allowing the huge undocumented population to earn legal status and welcoming new immigrants.

Republicans are seeking to neutralize an issue that party strategists believe hurt them in the 2006 elections. Some GOP lawmakers, however, are wary of alienating core conservative backers who want to crack down on immigration and enact stricter laws.

A group of House Republicans led by Rep. Lamar Smith (news, bio, voting record) of Texas, the senior Judiciary Committee member in his party, wrote to senators Tuesday decrying as "mass amnesty" any bill that grants legal status to undocumented immigrants instead of deporting them.

Reshaping the immigration system is a top priority for President Bush, who has said he hopes Congress can deliver a measure by the end of summer.

Weeks of negotiations have yielded tentative agreements within the bipartisan group on many divisive issues, but they have yet to agree to any package, and both sides face major risks.

Kennedy must balance his appetite for a deal against the concerns of liberal groups that find the conditions for immigration policy changes — sometimes referred to as "triggers" — punitive and unacceptable. They also object strenuously to proposed changes that would curtail legalized immigrants' ability to petition for relatives to come to the United States and would forbid temporary workers from bringing family if their income is below 150 percent of poverty level and they don't have health insurance.

Republicans, led by Sen. Jon Kyl (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., are fearful of appearing to embrace an overly permissive measure.

"You just can't comprehensively reform something until you first solve the problem, and the problem is an insecure border. Once it's secure, then you can make your reform work," said Sen. Johnny Isakson (news, bio, voting record), R-Ga., a leading proponent of the conditions.

The steeper obstacles for an immigration program come as the White House works to gain more Republican backing for an overhaul. The measure up for discussion in the bipartisan talks is tougher than one that the Senate passed a year ago with broad Democratic support but relatively few GOP votes.

"They're not dealbreakers for us, but the flexibility has to be good enough that I can go to our community and say, within the context of the policy, this is worthy enough of supporting — but not a deal at any cost," said Sen. Robert Menendez (news, bio, voting record), D-N.J., who has been in on the talks.

In Miami's Little Havana on Tuesday, the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform launched a media campaign targeting Sen. Mel Martinez (news, bio, voting record), R-Fla., the party chairman who supported last year's measure, for backing the Bush administration's new, more restrictive stance.

One ad urges Martinez to "remember your roots," and support a measure similar to the 2006 immigration bill, warning, "If you turn your back on this, a generation of Latinos will not forget."

Many lawmakers believe reaching a bipartisan immigration compromise could inoculate both parties against political peril in 2008.

"Immigration was used against those people who supported a bill last year, including me," Menendez said. "A bipartisan bill would be a lot more difficult to use as a political tool against people in either party."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070508/ap_ ... g_change_3

Highlights of immigration proposals
By The Associated Press
41 minutes ago
May 8, 2007


Here are highlights of different immigration packages that could come before the Senate next week. One is the product of secret negotiations among senior Democratic and Republican senators and members of President Bush's Cabinet.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), D-Nev., says he may use one of two alternatives — a bill written last year by the Senate Judiciary Committee, or a version the Senate passed later — as the starting point for the debate.

Package negotiated by Senate Democrats, Republicans and Bush administration officials:

_Delays any guest worker program or path to citizenship for illegal immigrants until certain "triggers" are met. They include hiring thousands of new border guards, erecting hundreds of miles of fencing and vehicle barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border and having a biometric identification system for immigrant workers in place.

_Allows illegal immigrants who paid large fines and returned to their countries of origin to earn permanent residency and eventually apply for citizenship. Narrows visa preferences for family members of legalized immigrants.

_Imposes up to a 13-year wait on illegal immigrants seeking legal status to obtain green cards for permanent residency. Visa backlogs for those already waiting in line would be cleared in eight years, and then the government would begin processing the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants over a five-year period.

_Creates a temporary guest worker program and bars immigrant workers from bringing their families to the U.S. unless their incomes exceed 150 percent of the poverty level and they have health insurance.

___

The 2006 bill written by the Senate Judiciary Committee:

_Allows illegal immigrants who were in the United States before 2004 to work legally and have a chance at permanent residency if they pay fines and back taxes, learn English and pass a criminal background check. Removes criminal penalties for immigrants found to be in the country illegally.

_Creates a guest worker program for would-be immigrants who could then apply for legal permanent residence — or green cards — without leaving the United States. Creates a temporary program for immigrant farm workers.

_Authorizes beefed-up border security, including up to 14,000 new Border Patrol agents by 2011, a "virtual wall" of unmanned vehicles, cameras and sensors to monitor the U.S.-Mexico border, and facilities to hold another 10,000 illegal immigrants who are apprehended.

___

The 2006 Senate-passed immigration bill:

_Allows illegal immigrants who have been in the country five years or more to remain, continue working and eventually become legal permanent residents and citizens after paying fines and back taxes and learning English.

_Requires illegal immigrants in the U.S. between two and five years to go to a point of entry at the border and file an application to return. Those in the country less than two years would have to leave.

_Provides 200,000 new temporary "guest worker" visas a year, and creates a special guest worker program for an estimated 1.5 million immigrant farm workers, who could also earn legal permanent residency.

_Authorizes new border security measures, including 370 miles of new triple-layered fencing plus 500 miles of vehicle barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border; 14,000 additional Border Patrol agents by 2011; and additional detention facilities for apprehended illegal immigrants. Requires employers and subcontractors to use an electronic system within 18 months to verify that new hires are legal.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070508/ap_ ... n_glance_1

"Immigration was used against those people who supported a bill last year, including me," Menendez said. "A bipartisan bill would be a lot more difficult to use as a political tool against people in either party."

Oh, no it won't Mr. Menendez. Those who support Americans over divisive minority groups, who do not consider themselves American citizens first, will be hurt by CIR in the next election. I can promise you that, Mr. Menendez. And, last time I checked American citizens were still the majority, Mr. Menendez.

From the first article. I almost MISSED IT.

As contemplated, the proposal would delay the process of giving legal status to undocumented immigrants and guest worker visas to new arrivals until the administration beefs up border security and implements a high-tech identification system for temporary workers. Such measures are expected to take up to two years.

Amnesty for those who are here and visas for those on the way!!!

The political stakes for both parties are high. Democrats are eager to deliver a measure that appeals to their liberal base by allowing the huge undocumented population to earn legal status and welcoming new immigrants.

These fools will give away our very country just to stay in power a few years. What idiot, with even one neuron glowing, would vote for any of these traitors?

Just makes me more resolved to check out someone's last name and his or hers spouses last name, before I vote for them.

When I keep hearing the Latino's say they are going to get into office and change this Country, I don't want them in office, and the ads in Miami to Martinez's attention, just proves this!

His "roots" are supposed to be left in Cuba, if he's going to be in Washington, he's supposed to work for ALL AMERICANS, not just a certain race!

ALL THE BILLS SUCK!

Originally Posted by pjr40

The political stakes for both parties are high. Democrats are eager to deliver a measure that appeals to their liberal base by allowing the huge undocumented population to earn legal status and welcoming new immigrants.

These fools will give away our very country just to stay in power a few years. What idiot, with even one neuron glowing, would vote for any of these traitors?

PJR.......When you figure it out.........PLEASE TELL ME!!!!

It's like the one huge unanswered question of the last 35 years!!!
and now it's driving me crazy

Other than greed &/or one issue/party voting, I can't think of anything.
Same mistake over and over and over.

Of course this compromise bill sucks, not only because it is amnesty, and it will cost us Trillions, but also because it won't work the way they advertise.

They think the illegals after being "guest workers" for 10 years will then go back to Mexico for a day and pay $10,000 in order to get a green card? No, instead of that they will just continie to pop out anchor babies and live off their benefits, plus illegally work for cash for their legal cousin Javier. These people's culture is based on breaking laws and figuring out every scam possible.

If our politicians really wanted to fix the problem, they would not have any "adjustment of status" for illegal aliens, and would end the anchor baby scam. Since they are not, they are just adding to our current problems, not fixing them.

Originally Posted by jean

Democrats are eager to deliver a measure that appeals to their liberal base by allowing the huge undocumented population to earn legal status and welcoming new immigrants.

I didn't know the Democrats base were Communists? I thought their base were working class Americans and poor minority Americans, who are going to get creamed by this amnesty bill.