Immigration Reform Plans Okayed By Senate
May 17 (Bloomberg) -- Senate negotiators reached bipartisan agreement on immigration legislation aimed at providing a path to citizenship for 12 million undocumented aliens while improving U.S. border security.
The plan -- with Bush administration support -- would base future immigration on a combination of ``family ties,'' a points- based merit system and immigration of refugees, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat and chief sponsor of the overhaul, said at a news conference.
``This agreement is the best possible chance we will have in years to secure our borders, bring millions of people out of the shadows and into the sunshine of America,'' Kennedy said. At his side was Arizona Republican Senator John McCain, a presidential candidate, and other senators of both parties including Pennsylvania Republican Arlen Specter and California Democrat Dianne Feinstein.
A key provision would give illegal immigrants in the U.S. a chance to get so-called Green Cards that attest to their legal status after eight years. They would have to be able to speak English and not have committed a crime. Also, border patrols would be increased and the government would crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants.
Praising the agreement were Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, who negotiated with lawmakers on the measure for weeks. Chertoff said the two told President George W. Bush about the accord by phone.
``The president described this as a historic moment and he looks forward to signing this bill when it makes its way through Congress,'' Chertoff said. ``It gives an honest solution to a problem that has bedeviled this country for decades.''
`Important Step'
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, had pressured the negotiators to reach a deal by threatening to call for debate on immigration legislation that passed the Senate last year before the House shelved it. Reid said Congress must act now or miss a chance to overhaul the law before the 2008 presidential election.
``This is a first step but important step in moving forward with comprehensive overall immigration reform,'' said McCain. He said the measure would ``put employers on notice that the practice of hiring illegal workers will no longer be tolerated.''
The accord is intended to cover the main elements of a plan sought by Bush for more than two years. The president last year said the overhaul would bring millions of undocumented workers out of ``the shadows'' of society.
`Rule of Law'
``This will restore the rule of law,'' said Specter. ``No matter what we craft, it's going to be attacked both from the right and the left,'' he said. He called the agreement ``the best I think that can be done.''
Businesses such as farms and restaurants have backed legislation that would allow immigrants to at least temporarily take jobs in the U.S. that might otherwise go unfilled. The Chamber of Commerce, the nation's largest business federation, supports ``an earned pathway to legalization'' and a ``carefully monitored guest or essential worker program'' to fill gaps in the U.S. workforce, according to a statement on its Web site.
Bush and Democrats backed similar legislation a year ago before it was blocked by House Republicans, who dismissed the citizenship opportunity for those illegally in the U.S. as amnesty for lawbreakers.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...Iro&refer=home
So basically, people who have entered the country illegally, get free citizenship while others, like myself, get to spend THOUSANDS of dollars every few months for several years in order to remain in the country LEGALLY!
Thats pretty fucked up, i guess it does pay to break the law in the USA :(
Regards,
Lee
