Thread: White House Backs New Immigration Plan

White House Backs New Immigration Plan
By SUZANNE GAMBOA 03.29.07, 7:31 PM ET

A White House plan devised in weeks of closed-door meetings with Republican senators would grant work visas to undocumented immigrants but require them to return home and pay hefty fines to become legal U.S. residents.

The draft immigration legislation is the first stab by the White House and Republican senators to address the presence of 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants living and working in the country and the reliance by employers on illegal workers.

The White House draft plan was circulating Thursday around Capitol Hill and among groups with an interest in immigration legislation after elements of it were leaked late Wednesday.

Under the plan, undocumented workers could apply for three-year work visas, which the plan dubs "Z" visas. They would be renewable indefinitely but renewal would cost $3,500 each time.

The undocumented workers would have legal status with the visas, but to get a green card, making them legal permanent residents, they'd have to return to their home country, apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate to re-enter legally and pay a $10,000 fine.

The plan also tries to make border security a priority by requiring 18,300 Border Patrol agents and 370 miles of physical fencing be in place, as well as electronic monitoring of the southern border ongoing before a temporary worker program could start.

The plan is far more conservative than the one the Senate approved last year with bipartisan backing and support from President Bush. That plan, whose principal architects were Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., allowed illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S., work and apply to become legal residents after learning English, paying fines and back taxes and clearing a background check.

Critics dismissed that bill as an amnesty.

Supporters of immigration reform say the draft plan shows the White House is serious about getting a bill completed this year. But immigration advocates were disappointed with the product and see it as a step backward.

"For us it's a no go," said Angela Kelley, deputy director of the advocacy group National Immigration Forum.

A plan to make more green cards available to skilled workers by limiting visas for parents, children and siblings of U.S. citizens and one that would prohibit temporary workers from bringing family members is one of the plan's more controversial provisions.

"President Bush said family values don't stop at the Rio Grande. Evidently they do," said Kevin Appleby, director of Migration and Refugee Policy for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Kennedy appeared at a news conference in support of immigration reform with evangelical leaders, including Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty. The leaders said they plan to exhort their congregations to push lawmakers and take other steps to get an immigration reform bill passed.

Family unification, said Kennedy, "has been an essential aspect of immigration policy since the history of this country" and letting immigrants work their way toward legalization is a framework for previous immigration bills that has received substantial support.

"You don't compromise on the morality of these issues," Kennedy said. "We're not going to."

But Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he favored gearing immigration toward the higher skilled and educated who he said would help the country.

The immigration plan is the result of about a month of meetings among White House officials, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and Republican senators.

Democrats recognize they need Republican support to get an immigration bill passed this year and have been counting on Bush to deliver Republican votes.

A House bill introduced last week by Reps. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., also attempts to appeal to conservatives.

It provides six-year work visas to undocumented immigrants and requires them at some point during that period to exit the country and re-enter using their work visa.


Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/03/ ... 66231.html

Those advocating comprehensive overhaul express disappointment with White House plan making Capitol Hill circuit.

By DENA BUNIS

The Orange County Register
WASHINGTON, D.C. –

Advocates of a broad immigration overhaul that would include paths to citizenship for illegal immigrants and a wide-ranging program for new foreign workers and their families expressed outrage and disappointment today as details of a more restrictive plan suggested by the White House began circulating on Capitol Hill.

"What we've had described to us and what we've seen is neither passable or workable,'' Angela Kelley, deputy director of the National Immigration Forum, said during a conference call with reporters and advocates of comprehensive overhaul.

A 23-page PowerPoint presentation by administration staffers outlines a program that has all the elements of the kind of broad policy change passed by the Senate last spring. It enhances border enforcement, forces employers to verify the legal status of their workers, and includes a temporary worker program and a plan to deal with the 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.

But several key details embodied in those principles are seeming deal-breakers for most Democrats and the groups who have been working for years for a change in immigration policy. And moreover, the administration plan envisions a fundamental change in the way the United States admits immigrants.

Currently, the emphasis is on family unification. In fact, 58 percent of the 1.1 million immigrant visas issued each year go to family members of American citizens and legal residents.
What the administration envisions is moving toward a system in which the skills of the applicant would be paramount.

"Future employment needs are not being met; high-skill worker needs are not being met,'' said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., one of a group of GOP lawmakers who helped push through last year's Senate bill. Graham appeared with Sen. Edward Kennedy this morning at a news conference with clergy members dedicated to passing a comprehensive bill again.

"I am very pleased with the level of cooperation and the general outline the White House has presented,'' Graham said in an interview after that event. Several other lawmakers seemed reluctant to criticize details, instead focusing on the increased activity by the White House on this issue.

Kennedy talked in general about the administration's proposal – outlined to him and several other Democratic and Republican senators Wednesday. But he did say that there are some compromises he is not willing to make.

"Let's make it very clear,'' he said. "You don't compromise on the morality of these issues. There are stakeholders in this and the stakeholders are the final determinants about whether something is going to fly.'' Legislation that doesn't have the confidence of the people who are affected, he added, is "going nowhere.''

This is the first time since President Bush said in 2001 that he wanted a comprehensive package that the administration has been so specific about what it wants to see in a bill.

Bush's plan would create a temporary worker program that would not allow new foreign workers to bring their families with them to the United States. And these workers would be allowed to come only for three two-year stretches. They'd have to go home for at least six months between each two-year work period.

"Why should we do less than the American people are willing for us to do and millions of them have marched for?'' Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., said of that proposal. Despite problems with the details, Gutierrez said he is still "happy that the White House is taking this issue seriously and is investing political capital in it.''

The White House plan also envisions a legalization plan for the illegal immigrants here now. But it would be much more expensive and more restrictive than the one included in the bipartisan House bill introduced last week by Gutierrez and Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.

Under the administration vision, immigrants coming forward seeking legal status would have to pay a $2,000 fine for every three-year period they continued to live and work – now legally – in the United States. They would also have to pay a $1,500 fee every three years to process the new Z visas the government would create.

And when it comes to long-term legal status, these Z-visa holders would be allowed to apply for green cards, but would then have to pay $8,000 more when their green card application was approved. These applicants would have to return to their home country to get these applications handled. It's not clear from the White House summary how long they would have to stay outside the U.S. And then these applicants would go to the back of the visa line. Advocates estimated it could take 30 years for them to get their green cards.

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What do you throw a drowning illegal? His wife and kids. Why do illegals smell? So blind people can hate them too. What did the illegal get for Christmas? Everything you though out last month. What do you call and illegal bred with an octopus? I don't know but you should see it pick lettuce. What do you do when 500,000 illegals march in downtown LA? Pray for a terrorist attack. jokes - Mar. 29, 2007 04:40 PMRemove Comment

*Are you an illegal? Can you see and feel the hate building towards
you? Its coming like a freight train! The only path for you is back the way you came because Americans are about to retake America.a path to mexico - Mar. 29, 2007 04:35 PMRemove Comment

*I'm tired of hearing people talk about all the benefits they are getting from the government period. I 'm let's get real a middle class person that was born here in the United States and that is a single parent can't get any type of assistants. But everyone that comes in illegally gets all the benefits wow. I mean dam I think it's a slap in the face. Princess - Mar. 29, 2007 04:18 PMRemove Comment

*Mitch is actually contributing in a good way today. LOLNPBD - Mar.
29, 2007 04:13 PMRemove Comment

*only path should be a path back to Mexico.Mitch - Mar. 29, 2007 04:06 PMRemove Comment

*To Jock Strap. Maybe if you would pay attention to what is going on today you might feel differently. Illegal Aliens are messing up my community. The times have changed from how it was when my family were immigrants. They didnt close emergency rooms and over crowd every public school. And demand to have free services for everything. What they did do was learn the English language as fast as they could and tried thier best to be Americans. MoreCowBell - Mar. 29, 2007 03:56 PMRemove Comment

*I support what is your point. Every human beings ancestry in every country in the world at one time was an immigrant to that land. This one currently is occupied, sovereign, and populated by natives, who where born here. That makes them not immigrants, but natives. Furthermore, well, your statement is vague and meant to be heart tugging it is not applicable to this article or discussion. See, where discussing what should be done with the twelve to twenty million illegal aliens currently hear illegally. Immigrants on the other hand are hear legally and the opposite of illegal aliens. Ron - Mar. 29, 2007 03:52 PMRemove
Comment

*I support We have an immigration policy these people dont want to
play by the rules they know that sooner or later our politicians will give them amnesty and they can just stay here meantime they take advantage of our social services without contributing to them 426 - Mar. 29, 2007 03:51 PMRemove Comment

*The Mexican's will be protesting again tomorrow, Friday in full
force. They want a National Holiday, in memory of Cesar Chavez so the kids will be ditching school again.Airborne - Mar. 29, 2007 03:47 PMRemove Comment

*I hear you Ken, DEPORT NOWjuan oscar cabrera - Mar. 29, 2007 03:40 PMRemove Comment

*It sounds like you guys don't know your History. We are all
immigrants if you really think about it. I'm doing all I can to support a fair immigration reform.i support - Mar. 29, 2007 03:37 PMRemove
Comment

*Here's what's right, go home take your families with you, and get to the back of the line to APPLY for a legal visa. Go home and confront the people who are oppressing you there. Tweleve people per day are killed in this country by illegal aliens, you do the math.Ken - Mar. 29, 2007 03:29 PMRemove Comment

*This bill puts a lot of trust in the illegal aliens to go back to
where they came from and then pay fines. ya right how the heck will these people ever come up with 2000 then 1500 then 8000. I have a decent job and I would have trouble getting that kind of cash. Unless BofA starts giving out loans for citizenship fines. Wont work and Bush knows it. Enforcement of current laws is the only thing that I woluld vote for. Polititians need to know that if they try to pass something other than an enforcement bill they will get voted out of office. Mosefus - Mar. 29, 2007 03:22 PMRemove Comment

*show me grassfire is a very good organization I you should also check out numbers usa they help you to fax and phone your representatives and let them know how you feel426 - Mar. 29, 2007 03:13 PMRemove Comment

*Grassfire website just weny there and signed the petition. Go there lets take a stand and be heardjp - Mar. 29, 2007 03:06 PMRemove Comment

*Bush administration is trying to secure Iraq and they can't even
secure our boder. What a joke! Bob - Mar. 29, 2007 03:00 PMRemove
Comment

*Show Me. Thanks for the web site. I will put my name down for surejp
- Mar. 29, 2007 03:00 PMRemove Comment

*Show Me. Thanks for the web site. I will put my name down for surejp
- Mar. 29, 2007 03:00 PMRemove Comment

*this is bad. Santa Ana is run by a Mexican mayor so what do you
expect. Santa Ana is a save haven for illegals. This should see and do what Costa Mesa is doing, Good for them. jp - Mar. 29, 2007 02:58 PMRemove Comment

*If you all are seriously interested in the outcome of this bill, you should do something other than type your opinion in a newspaper comment page. Go to the Grassfire website -google it- I can't type the URL here- and read about how you can get involved and make a difference. There are several petitions to sign and other things you can do sitting at your computer. Please join thousands of others who are trying to change the way things are. Thanks.Show Me - Mar. 29, 2007 02:56 PMRemove Comment

*We all need to stand together and STOP THE INVASION. We don't reward the criminals so why reward the illegals. Since when did illegal stop meaning Against The Law!jp - Mar. 29, 2007 02:56 PMRemove Comment

*We have enough mexicans all this will do is bring more over and make the rest of the oc like santa anathis is bad - Mar. 29, 2007 02:53 PMRemove Comment

*If you want to do something about all the illegal immigration in this country check out numbersUSA search it on google, lots of good info on how to combat illegal immigration and hold politicians accountable to thier citizens 426 - Mar. 29, 2007 02:23 PMRemove Comment

*give me a break, the millions of people that marched were illegal,
not americans. and that was a really nice day, no traffic, my order was understood, my sons classroom was not overcrowded, etc. yes, please protest again, every day, please.no rights - Mar. 29, 2007 02:22 PMRemove Comment

*Isn't this also putting the cart before the horse. What about the borders? Shouldn't we have a plan to seal them first and insure the flow of illegal aliens is neal. There are alot of angry Americans out there who will not be fooled again and certainly do not trust any of these elitist bureaucrats whose only contact at all with illegal aliens is when they wash there dishes in their five star eating establishments. It certainly isn't in there kids schools, emergency rooms, or their spray painted interpretations of Van Gogh that have overwhelmed many neighborhoods these elitists wouldn't be caught dead in unless they absolutely had to pander for votes. Sovereign - Mar. 29, 2007 02:12 PMRemove Comment

*Amnesty, amnesty, amnesty. Anything less then the penalties already
on the books is amnesty. Illegal aliens should recieve nothing, and deserve nothing then to be repatriated to their homeland. What American who has a sixth grade education or above will ever believe any government headed by George Bush would ever enforce any immigration law he proposes. History is the best indicator and we all know the results of that. Let me state again, anything besides deportation is AMNESTY. Let La Raza flourish, just in Mexico where it belongs. Ron - Mar. 29, 2007 02:04 PMRemove Comment

*This sound like another attempt to grant amnesty to illegals. After seeing how bad that worked when Reagan did it back in the 1980s, it's amazing that anybody would have the gaul to try it again. Time to call and write your representatives, and let them know that blanket amnesty for illegals will not stand.not me - Mar. 29, 2007 01:57 PMRemove
Comment

*The new plan sounds good. I'm looking forward to seeing it passed and put into effect.Good News - Mar. 29, 2007 01:48

Copyright 2007 The Orange County Register

Coyote Congress

Under the plan, undocumented workers could apply for three-year work visas, which the plan dubs "Z" visas. They would be renewable indefinitely but renewal would cost $3,500 each time.

The undocumented workers would have legal status with the visas, but to get a green card, making them legal permanent residents, they'd have to return to their home country, apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate to re-enter legally and pay a $10,000 fine.

The plan also tries to make border security a priority by requiring 18,300 Border Patrol agents and 370 miles of physical fencing be in place, as well as electronic monitoring of the southern border ongoing before a temporary worker program could start.
A plan to make more green cards available to skilled workers by limiting visas for parents, children and siblings of U.S. citizens and one that would prohibit temporary workers from bringing family members is one of the plan's more controversial provisions.

This is certainly a different approach and I'm sure the Dems will refuse it!How do they intend to get the workers out of the country in the first place? How many of them would have the money to actually come back in? I'm a little .

Here is a link to the full 23 pages of talking points for this new amnesty proposal from the White House.

Read it and weep.

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/images/blo ... oposal.pdf

What a plan. The Feds want them to pay so they get their cut like a crime boss. You's can stay ya see, long as you pay fat Freddy. We's the govmint. We gotta get our share just like the gangs.

W

What a plan. The Feds want them to pay so they get their cut like a crime boss. You's can stay ya see, long as you pay fat Freddy. We's the govmint. We gotta get our share just like the gangs.

W

So true W., it just makes my blood boil to think this is OUR government. They should be ashamed! Unfortunately, it appears they are too callous for shame and deep into the game!

There's so much stuff in these talking points, that you have to read them slowly to get the full impact of what these people are proposing.

For example, on page 4 we find that

"Legal U.S. Residents seeking work will use a high security proof of identity and citizenship

To avoid fraud, racial profiling, and failure of EEVS system, it will also be necessary for Americans seeking work in the future to use secure ids".

In other words, we're all to be treated as suspects and will need to show our papers if we expect to be able to work.

This is scary stuff to me. Rather than clamp down on the illegals, we're all going to be treated as though we're illegal, and will be required to prove that we're not.

"Why should we do less than the American people are willing for us to do and millions of them have marched for?'' Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., said of that proposal. Despite problems with the details, Gutierrez said he is still "happy that the White House is taking this issue seriously and is investing political capital in it.''

Is Gutierrez out of his cotton-picking mind? What in the world does he mean, "Why should we do less than the American people are willing for us to do and millions of them have marched for?" This guy is obviously living in a very deep dark hole or he's been brainwashed by aliens from another galaxy!

Originally Posted by MW

"Why should we do less than the American people are willing for us to do and millions of them have marched for?'' Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., said of that proposal. Despite problems with the details, Gutierrez said he is still "happy that the White House is taking this issue seriously and is investing political capital in it.''

Is Gutierrez out of his cotton-picking mind? What in the world does he mean, "Why should we do less than the American people are willing for us to do and millions of them have marched for?" This guy is obviously living in a very deep dark hole or he's been brainwashed by aliens from another galaxy!

No, he simply does NOT think of himself as an AMERICAN.

That about sums it up!!