Posted on 05/31/2007 10:52:48 AM PDT by Kimberly GG
.........."The plan put forward by Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, both Republicans, on July 25th, would allow Mexicans and Central Americans to enter the United States through a temporary worker program. Workers here illegally now would need to leave the country and apply for re-entry. The program would be administered by private companies operating "Ellis Island Centers" outside the country.
The compromise has already won encouraging words from President Bush, and it could bridge the gap between a comprehensive immigration reform plan that passed the Senate in May and an enforcement-only bill passed by the House last December. The Pence-Hutchison plan would cut the Gordian knot of objections to "amnesty" by requiring that workers leave the country and re-enter legally after a short period of time rather than legalizing them while they are here."
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
Kay Bailey Hutchison and Arlen Spector may have reached a 'compromise' and one that will SOLVE our 'amnesty' woes.
Hutchinson, surprise, surprise, told Spector that she believes that outrage over the 'amnesty' issue, and a resolution to getting the Senate Bill passed, can be accomplished by simply changing the timing of the 'touch back', requiring it FIRST. Spector, surprise, surprise, agreed that they should discuss this compromise.
The above article was published back in '06. I clearly remember when Bush also had decided that Pence's plan was NOT an amnesty and was pushing it as a last ditch effort prior to the elections.
We may QUICKLY need to contact our Senators and let them know that this Pence TouchBack Scheme IS AMNESTY!!!
This sounds a lot better than what is on the table now.. as long as security comes first..
WASHINGTON — The following is a partial transcript of the May 27, 2007, edition of “FOX News Sunday With Chris Wallace”:
WALLACE: Senator Hutchison, under the compromise, illegal immigrants have to pay a fine. They have to go back to their home country to apply for permanent legal status. And this whole process is going to take up to 13 years. How is that amnesty?
HUTCHISON: Chris, it is because the vast number of the estimated 10 million to 12 million will never have to go home if they don’t want a green card.
And I think that is what is causing the amnesty outcry, that you can stay here, you will never have to go home, as long as you don’t want the permanent green card.
And I think we can fix this, Chris, and we are working with others who are trying to get a bill that will have more support, to take this amnesty portion out, by requiring that the touchback — the going home and applying — happens in the beginning for the temporary visa, rather than only if you want the permanent card.
WALLACE: Senator Specter, let’s talk about this, because it is something that the critics say is a big loophole in your plan.
As it now stands, illegal immigrants get probationary — not permanent, but probationary — legal status right away without paying a fine, without going home, and if they don’t want to apply for a green card, they can stay here indefinitely. Isn’t that amnesty?
SPECTER: I don’t think it is. The cry about amnesty comes up if you give them citizenship. But the program which would not require their going home would be one without citizenship.
Look here. We’ve got 12 million undocumented immigrants in this country, and we have to deal with them one way or another. And right now it is anarchy.
And a key part of the legislation to provide — handling the 12 million provides for tightening up our borders, fixing our broken borders, imposing very tough employer sanctions, and it’s an overall plan.
But I’m prepared to listen to what Senator Hutchison has to say, if we can find a modification which will get a stronger vote and get this plan through.
SPECTER: .....”I think you may have sort of a breakthrough on your program here on Fox News, Chris, between Senator Hutchison — Kay and myself. Kay says that the bill is better than the current system, which is a significant step forward for passage.
I’m prepared to negotiate with what Kay has to say on when the touchback occurs...... ....But as you see with what Kay and I have talked about here today, I think we can get enough Republican support in the Senate and that will give it a boost in the House.”....
“Workers here illegally now would need to leave the country and apply for re-entry.”
They will never leave.
“This sounds a lot better than what is on the table now.. as long as security comes first..”
I disagree. Touch back is a scheme cooked up by big business.
Illegal aliens should have to apply for re-entry and wait AT HOME in their country of origin just like everyone else who is applying to get in. Otherwise, they are still cutting in front of the line to be here.
Good insight, thanks.
I called Hutchison’s office and asked how this “touchback” thing would work, but nobody knows.
Since we don’t know if she has changed some of the details this time:
1) Do they have to get fingerprinted here before they return to their home countries? That alone would either cost a huge amount of money or cause excruciating delays for legals and illegals alike. probably both.
2) The 2006 plan: They are fingerprinted outside the US. Even more fraud.
Whether or not they are fingerprinted here: I’m sure they will claim that the “private companies operating ‘Ellis Island Centers’ outside the country” would not cost taxpayers a dime. (Riiiight. The private companies will pay for the applicants’ lawyers. Sure.)
Amnesty proponents will scream bloody murder, saying that they will not be able to gather their documents, etc. from outside the US. And it’s going to be hard for them to to maintain employment while outside the countries. I just don’t see how the amnesty special interests are going to let this pass in the Senate.
And our borders will never be effectively secured and our laws will never be enforced either, but they’re pulling every trick in the book to make it ‘sound’ good.
“And it’s going to be hard for them to to maintain employment while outside the countries.”
I don’t think so....they won’t all be required to leave at the same time, and the ‘touch’ back will be nothing more than a quick turnaround...IIRC, a day or two.
Found this posted on Daily Pundit. I’m just waiting for a pat each other on the back, breaking news presser that says “NO AMNESTY COMPROMISE REACHED”.
http://dailypundit.com/?p=25974
....”The other day Hutchison was in Bush’s office for a tete-a-tete. Perhaps they discussed how faux opposition could be used to conjure the impression that the Senate bill would be tested in the fires of debate and then subjected to crucial rewrites that protect America”
Exactly!
I read it, and I am still ill....
Don’t know how much of this would apply now, but this was what NumbersUSA had to say about the PENCE Plan:
Hutchison-Pence Immigration Proposal is
Discriminatory Amnesty
WASHINGTON, DC – NumbersUSA today condemned the Hutchison-Pence plan for amnesty based on national origin, virtually unlimited foreign workers, and a path to citizenship for those who have broken our laws.
“The Hutchison-Pence proposal caters primarily to the big business and cheap-labor lobbies as it would allow importing unlimited workers under indentured servitude-like conditions,” said NumbersUSA Executive Director Roy Beck. “This bill should be called the ‘Chamber of Commerce Bill’ since its members and cheap-labor allies are the real beneficiaries of this legislation.”
The plan, which has yet to be formally introduced as a bill, contains no penalties for those who are currently breaking our laws either by their illegal presence in the United States or by employing illegal aliens. Instead, it grants amnesty to most of the estimated 12 million illegal aliens currently in the United States by allowing them to live in the country legally as “temporary” workers if they first return home and immediately re-enter after processing at an “Ellis Island Center” and being granted a “Good Neighbor SAFE Visa.” However, because the bill only allows citizens of NAFTA and CAFTA-DR countries to participate in the foreign worker scheme, the bill discriminates against citizens outside Central and North America.
“This proposal is a huge step backwards and would usher in a new era of Robber Barons and foster labor exploitation reminiscent of a century ago,” said Beck. “Americans need immigration legislation that puts national security and rule of law above the demands of greedy business profiteers.”
Although there are currently no estimates for how many new workers the Hutchison-Pence plan would allow, the number is sure to be staggering, for there is no limit on SAFE Visas for at least the first three years of the program; any citizen of a NAFTA or CAFTA-DR country may apply; and spouses and minor children will also be allowed to enter with the visa holder.
Additionally, SAFE Visas are renewable for up to 10 years in two-year increments, after which the visa holder may apply for an “X-Change Visa,” which lasts five years and then, after a total of 17 years in the United States, he may apply for Legal Permanent Residence followed by citizenship.
“Calling 17 years ‘temporary’ is like calling the period of time a baby is born to the time he or she applies for college ‘temporary.’ Anyone who stays for 17 years is neither temporary nor a guest,” said Beck. “The sheer influx of people that would be allowed in the country under this plan would further overwhelm our communities, schools, hospitals, and roads while making it even more difficult to find work and driving wages down for American workers.”
http://www.numbersusa.com/hottopic/072606_pressrelease.html
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