15,000 cases still pending from 1986 alien amnesty

The Washington Times ^ | 07 June 2007 | Stephen Dinan

[BGHater]

Two decades after Congress passed the 1986 amnesty for illegal aliens, 15,000 cases are still pending from it -- a situation that immigration service officials want to make sure doesn't happen again in any new immigration bill.

Emilio T. Gonzalez, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, said his agency would be able to administer the legalization and guest-worker provisions of the bill being debated in the Senate.

"I just haven't seen anything there that says we can't do this," he said. "I think the bill as it stands right now is a good, solid bill. And the president deserves a huge amount of credit for wanting to push this forward."

Mr. Gonzalez said in an interview that he also hopes any immigration reform bill approved by Congress would prevent the courts from creating a de facto amnesty for illegal aliens by allowing endless appeals.

Since 1986, he said, his agency has been dealing with "a bureaucratic anchor around our necks that the court imposed upon us."

"You don't want to turn an appellate process and the possibility of a court ordering a reopened period to allow ongoing amnesties, or ongoing legalization programs," said Michael Aytes, USCIS associate director for domestic operations.

The bill pending in the Senate would allow millions of illegal aliens to gain near-instant probationary status and eventually allow them to apply for work visas, legal permanent residence and ultimately citizenship. Much of that workload would go to USCIS, which already handles 6 million applications annually.

[T. P. Pole]

Emilio T. Gonzalez, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Hmmmm.

[dennisw]

What a mess. And this time the chaos will be worse if the amnesty passes. Just wait until liberal courts start jerking it around. There is no deportation apparatus set up to deal with illegal aliens who refuse to participate, to sign up for Z Visas. No deportation specified for those Z Visa holders who become criminals and drunk drivers

Plus the Z Visa holders will be able to get their lawyers paid for by the Feds, meaning you & me, the taxpayers

[Arcy]

Government does nothing well.

[Condor51]

Only 15,000, that's 'odd'.

Dec 31st 2006, was the 20 year deadline for the 1986 illegals to become fully legal and permanent resident aliens. Back then there was an article I read that said 200,000 who originally registered with INS nver followed through and on Jan 1, 2007 they were back to ILLEGAL status and subject to deportation again.

I guess my point is, now matter how much you bend over for these lazy pukes, they'll flaunt any law. They just don't give a sheet.

[BlackbirdSST]

300 milion American’s filing for Z-Visa’s will shut this mutha down. Blackbird

[freekitty]

No immigration bill.