Posted on 09/06/2001 6:56:46 PM PDT by rdavis84
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate pushed through a bill Thursday extending the deadline for illegal immigrants to apply for visas. Majority Leader Thomas Daschle had urged lawmakers to finish the measure during Mexican President Vicente Fox's visit.
"This is extremely important," Senate Democratic Whip Harry Reid of Nevada said after the bill passed by voice vote. "With President Fox in the country, it sends a message to him that we really are trying to work toward making things easier in the relationship with the United States and Mexico."
The House passed its own version of the bill in May, but Republicans leaders have agreed to go along with the Senate-passed measure, White House officials said.
President Bush favors the bill. "The president is heartened by the Senate's action, and he looks forward to the House acting quickly to send this legislation to his desk," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.
Fox heads back to the Capitol one more time Friday morning before ending his three-day state visit.
Daschle told Bush on Tuesday that he would try to get an agreement on the bill while Fox was still in Washington.
"This is significant step toward real immigration reform for immigrants of all nations, and I'm proud that we were able to reach this agreement during President Fox's visit," Daschle, D-S.D., said after the bill passed.
Fox addressed a joint meeting of Congress early Thursday. "This is an appropriate day to take this important step in creating a responsible immigration policy that makes sense for America," said Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., one of the sponsors of the bill.
Fleischer said Fox and Bush share goals "of making the migration of families and workers between our nations more orderly, humane, legal and safe."
"The president commends the Senate for passage of legislation that will help unite families and make America more welcoming of new immigrants," Fleischer said. "Allowing qualified immigrants to become lawful residents of the United States without first being forced to leave the country and their families is the right thing to do."
The bill passed by the Senate wants would extend the deadline for illegal immigrants to apply for visas by an extra year. A House bill passed in May only extends the deadline for illegal immigrants to apply for visas by four months.
The White House has said Bush favors a longer period of time than the four months.
About 640,000 illegal immigrants were eligible under the Legal Immigration and Family Equity Act to apply for visas without leaving the country, but it expired April 30. The Senate bill would extend the law until April 30, 2002.
The law applied to illegal immigrants who can prove they are spouses or relatives of U.S. citizens, legal residents or employees sponsored by employers before Aug. 15. They had to have been in the country on Dec. 21, 2000, to be eligible.
"The Family Reunification Measure will allow hundreds of thousands of immigrant families to stay together as they work through the citizenship process," Daschle said.
As a current Immigration Inspector, I would like to inform everyone about what is going on in INS.
On the amnesty issue, IT WILL HAPPEN.
Currently the administration is working on a NAFTA visa. This visa will be available to all illegals currently in the US and anyone from a NAFTA country. It will allow low wage workers into the US. Once in the US, these workers can asjust status and become resident aliens, which leads to citizenship.
Amnesty by any other name is still amnesty.
I smell a rat here. Setup?
They're too busy passing new laws to destroy the U.S. And we're paying them for doing it.
Good point!!
Nothing is unbelievable anymore. The unreal becomes real with this bunch we have in Washington.
This is significant step toward real immigration reform FOR immigrants of all nations (THIS IS INDEED THE STEP TOWARDS REAL SOMETHING, BUT NOT REFORM )
extend the deadline for illegal immigrants to apply for visas by an extra YEAR (THESE PEOPLE ARE HERE ILLEGALLY. IN SPITE OF THEM BREAKING THE LAW THEY ARE ALLOWED TO APPLY FOR CITIZENSHIP. BUT STILL THEY HANG AROUND. SO, WE EXTEND THE TIME FOR THEM TO CONSIDER WHETHER BEING REWARDED WITH US CITIZENSHIP IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR THEM?????????
Allowing qualified immigrants to BECOME??? lawful residents of the United States without first being forced (WOULDN'T WANT TO FORCE THE POOR PEOPLE) to leave the country and their FAMILIES (MORE ILLEGALS ?) is the right thing to do." (THIS IS NOT MY DEFINITION OF RIGHT)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.