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| GOP Senators Seek Immigration Compromise | |
| 2006-04-04 | |
| Senate Republicans searching for a compromise on whether more than 11 million illegal immigrants should be allowed to eventually seek citizenship moved toward limiting that opportunity to those who've lived in the country at least five years. Negotiators who met for about an hour late Monday evening in the office of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., seemed to have settled on five years as a demarcation for who could remain and work and eventually earn citizenship. Details were to be provided to other Senate Republicans at their closed-door Tuesday morning meeting. "We're looking at the roots concept, and that is if they have been here more than five years," said Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "If they have been here less then five years and they do not have roots to the same extent and can be treated differently, and that is what we're looking at." The fate of those with less time in the country was unclear, but Specter suggested they might be asked to go to ports of entry, like the Texas border city of El Paso, and would not have to return to their native countries. A similar proposal made in Specter's committee received little support. However, the idea seemed to have some support from Frist, who told CNN over the weekend that 40 percent of illegal immigrants have been in the country less than five years and "need to be dealt with in a different fashion." A bill approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee — based on a proposal by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. — would allow illegal immigrants in the United States before Jan. 7, 2004, and who have jobs, to work legally for an additional six years and eventually become citizens. Both Frist and McCain are considered likely candidates for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. A separate bill filed by Frist does not deal with illegal immigrants, but boosts border enforcement and cracks down on employers who hire illegal workers. The House in December passed a bill that would make being in the country illegally a felony. Opponents consider the Judiciary Committee bill amnesty. Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., would give illegal immigrants up to five years to leave the country, before they can return legally to apply for permanent residence or be guest workers. Cornyn was not at the meeting at Frist's office, but his spokesman Don Stewart was skeptical of the suggested compromise. "It's a matter of giving amnesty to 8 million people or giving amnesty to 12 million people. It's still amnesty to millions of people," Stewart said. 1986 Illegal Alien Amnesty and Citizenship: 3 million 2006 Amnesty: 8 million Didn't make this year's amnesty? Cross the border now and get a slot for the 2026 amnesty. 2026 Amnesty: 21 million
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| Posted by:ed |
| #5 |
| Posted by: DMFD 2006-04-04 18:59 |
| #4 I agree with you 100% nimble. Don't let a single one of them even apply until the last one which petitioned for an immigration visa the second before this goes into effect is eligible to apply for citizenship. Do not reward their illegal behavior by allowing them to cut in line ahead of law-abiding applicants (some of whom have been patiently waiting for YEARS!) -- which this bill would 'piss on' once again. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2006-04-04 14:10 |
| #3 The overwhelming majority of the 3 million in the 1986 amnesty are now solid, responsible, good Americans. The 8 million will become the same if we let them. Right now they're just law breakers. Why should they get a prefeerence over the 8 million in India, China , the Philippines who want to be citizens and have followed the law? |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-04-04 13:07 |
| #2 Looks like the "compromise" the Senate is seeking here looks a lot like "status quo". With ice cream on it... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2006-04-04 13:04 |
| #1 “…if they have been here more than five years." Let me get this straight…the “Undocumented” have been keeping documentation to prove the length time they have been in the US. What about the ones that have been here at least five years but can’t provide any proof? I’m assuming if they can’t provide something “official” such as an easily forged pay stub or letter from employer that the honor system will be acceptable. |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2006-04-04 12:59 |