Thread: Questions about this letter from Senator Cantwell, Wash.

I have a few questions about this reply I recieved from Senator Cantwell from Washington State:

Dear xxxxxx,



Thank you for contacting me with your thoughts regarding immigration reform. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.



On May 25, 2006, the Senate passed the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act by a vote of 62-36. I voted for this legislation because it contains numerous provisions to enhance border security, creates a guest worker program to meet the needs of state businesses, and confronts the issue of undocumented immigrants.



I firmly believe that any changes to our national policy on immigration must keep border security and enforcement as a top priority. If enacted, this legislation would authorize 14,000 additional border agents and at least 2,500 port of entry inspectors, and would authorize a virtual fence to allow the border to be patrolled with unmanned aircraft, cameras, sensors, and other technology, expanding the reach and effectiveness of our border security personnel. It would also authorize the hiring of 10,000 agents to enforce employment regulations as part of a program that would require employers to check Social Security numbers of new hires against a federal database.



The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act includes a measure I sponsored to help northern border communities cover the high cost of prosecuting Federal border crimes. Based on an existing program for the southern border, this provision would authorize almost $30 million annually to reimburse border communities for the cost of prosecuting cases, detaining suspects, and constructing holding spaces. The Senate immigration reform bill also incorporates legislation I cosponsored to make it a crime to construct or finance a tunnel across a border leading into the U.S. Currently, tunnel construction is not a crime, meaning suspects only face drug conspiracy or illegal immigration charges, and are not charged for the actual tunnel construction, even though it poses a serious threat to national security. This provision would subject guilty parties to a prison term of up to 20 years, and hold property owners who permit tunnel construction accountable. An amendment I cosponsored with other Northwest Senators to direct the Defense Department to use unmanned aerial vehicles for border surveillance along the northern border as part of a one-year pilot program was also included.



Immigration policy must also address the need to fill labor shortages in certain fields such as technology and agriculture, and accommodate market demands for foreign labor. The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act expands our temporary guest worker program to allow up to 200,000 foreign workers to obtain visas and fill vacant jobs in the United States , a change that will help meet the needs of businesses and agriculture producers. Individuals would receive a three-year visa, renewable once, and would be eligible to apply for permanent residence after holding a visa for a period of 4 years.



The bill would also make illegal immigrants who have been in the United States since April 5, 2001 eligible for legal status after working in the United States for six years, passing a background check, paying back taxes, holding a job, learning civics and English, and paying a $3,250 fine. Illegal immigrants who have been in this country between two and five years would have to register with the Department of Homeland Security. Within three years of their registration, they would have to leave the United States and could return by applying for a visa. After clearing a background check, paying back taxes, and meeting other requirements, these individuals would qualify for legal permanent residence status. An additional 1.5 million agricultural workers would be eligible for permanent legal residence if they could prove they worked in agriculture in the United States previously, and if they worked three to five more years in agriculture.

To help meet the needs of Washington state's high-tech industries, the bill increases the annual H1-B visa cap from 65,000 to 115,000. It also includes a bipartisan measure, which I sponsored, to increase the proportion of visas currently issued each year to highly-skilled workers, and to workers with advanced degrees. In doing so, this provision would help meet America 's growing need for scientists, mathematicians, and engineers.


As you may know, the House of Representatives passed its version of the immigration reform legislation on December 16, 2005. Representatives form the Senate and the House will now meet in a conference committee to work out the differences between the bills. Please be assured that I will keep your comments in mind as I continue to follow this legislation closely.



Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. Finally, you may be interested in signing up for my weekly update for Washington state residents. Every Monday, I provide a brief outline about my work in the Senate and issues of importance to Washington state. If you are interested in subscribing to this update, please visit my website at http://cantwell.senate.gov. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance.




Sincerely,
Maria Cantwell
United States Senator

For future correspondence with my office, please visit my website at
http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.html

1st- I thought the fine was $2,000. When was it changed to $3,250?
2nd-Does the 6 years of working here INCLUDE the time they have been here illegally or does the 6 year period start after (IF and HOPEFULLY DOES'NT) the bill passes?
3rd- How in the HECK are they supposed to figure out how much back tax is owed?
4th-WHY are they wanting to bring in more high tech workers and engineers when Americans who went to college for degrees in these fields are out of work?

It's all STUPID!!!!!!!

They will not be paying any back taxes. They are only suppose to pay taxes for 3 years that they made the least money out of 5 years. Most of them will qualify for the earned income tax credit so they will actually end up getting a refund instead of paying taxes. The fee was intially $2,000 but they added on $500 to help pay for cost to secure the border and $1,000 to help cover cost that will be incurred in processing all of these illegals. However, if you cannot afford to pay these fines you could file for a waiver. They are allowing high tech or high skilled workers in because corporate america wants cheap labor and people from India are more than willing to do the high tech jobs cheaper than americans. I don't know how this will work out for them, if they are working in silicon valley for example, the cost of living is extremely high, so I don't know how you work in that area and live on low wages. This is all about corporate america and businesses wanting cheap labor with no thought for the american workers and a way for mexico to get the american taxpayers to subsidize welfare for their citizens because their government will not do it.

Senator Cantwell told you in the letter that he voted for it. Then I would write back and tell this jerk that you will do everything in your power to get you voted out of office for failing to support the American people.

Senator Maria Cantwell is up for re-election come November. Remind her of that, as I have.

creates a guest worker program to meet the needs of state businesses,

that contribute to her campaign finances.

All the promises made about increases in border patrol, high tech "fencing", blah, blah, blah. It doesn't mean a thing. She and the other senators who voted for S.2611 are LYING. It's a smokescreen to try to get Americans to accept amnesty with NO BORDER SECURITY at all. They won't fund the enforcement, they'll ignore it like in 1986. The only part of the bill they REALLY want is the AMNESTY. Liars, liars, liars.

A question:

Does anyone know for sure if HB workers are entitled to any social services?

As in rent subsidies, food stamps, etc., etc.

When our local big industry brought in a lot of workers under one of the HB or NAFTA programs, there was talk around town that the federal government was offering financing and would subsidize the rent for people who would build apartments or homes for these workers to occupy.

Has anyone had any experience with this??