Posted on 04/06/2006 8:33:43 AM PDT by STARWISE
WASHINGTON - In a last stab at compromise, Senate Republicans and Democrats reported progress Thursday toward agreement on legislation opening the way to legal status and eventual citizenship for many of the 11 million immigrants now in the U.S. illegally.
"There's been tremendous progress overnight," said Sen. Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record) of Nevada, the Democratic leader, while Majority Leader Bill Frist also expressed optimism that a long-sought compromise might be at hand.
There was no immediate reaction from President Bush, who has made immigration legislation a key priority.
The developments occurred after Frist unveiled a new bill late Wednesday night on the subject as the Senate headed into a test vote on the most sweeping immigration bill in two decades.
In general, the legislation would provide for enhanced border security, regulate the flow of future immigrants into the United States and settle the legal fate of the estimated 11 million men, women and children already in the country.
It was the fate of the illegal immigrant population that proved hardest to legislate, and it has left the Senate on the verge of gridlock for days.
(snip)
Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., as well as other key senators met before the vote to review terms of a proposed compromise.
In general, it would require illegal immigrants who have been in the United States between two years and five years to return to their home country briefly, then re-enter as temporary workers. They could then begin a process of seeking citizenship.
Illegal immigrants here longer than five years would not be required to return home; those in the country less than two years would be required to leave without assurances of returning, and take their place in line with others seeking entry papers.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Reagan said 1 million could stay, and 3 million heeded the clarion call.
You and your kind would open the border and swamp the boat.
If you support those who destroy the USA, then you are destroying the USA.
You think that if your an accessory to killing someone, you somehow are exempt?
You support killers, you are a killer.
Loon. We are not at war with Mexico, Canada, or any of our 27 visa waiver partners. May I recommend the Thorazine in a high dose?
Yep.
No citizenship amnesty from Bush became equivalent to(paraphrasing) "let all the damn illegals become citizens" by McCain.
Thus, this is what the senate is in danger of giving us.
your=you're
"Why would they go home to maybe not come back?"
11 million illegals forms a rather large underground economy, most of it none taxed and sent out of the country.
Triple the penalties for any employer who pays them in cash.
Force them to pay Income Tax and SS payments.
Force them to buy health and car insurance.
Force them to learn English.
Force them to abide by the local housing occupancy codes.
Force them to use stock radios in their cars and trucks.
Force them to vote Republican.....That's about it.
Killers support killers you killer!
Haven't you figured it out yet?
No true American patriot would condone machine-guning or mining for, illegals.
But...but the conventional wise-ones seem to think that not having landmines on the border is a new thing.
In fact they probably think our current president pulled them all up.
There is a good example of the land of the free, and the home of the brave. With this kind of program, we can just do away with the 4th amendment. Screw due process! All we need to do is increase the threat level to red, gun down anybody that resists, and everything will be perfect. Right?
May wanna back off the meds dear. Cops have been doing that for years with their BS roadblock DUI traps, hauling off the 2 wine single mom coming home from work, making her a criminal and sticking her with $10,000+ in legal fees. You're probably all for that. Which is more important to national security?
Maybe Lefty can volunteer to plant 10 miles worth.
OK, one more time for your simple brain.
A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation. President Reagan
Nobody ever said Reagan didn't make mistakes. But he would not intentionally compound them. He was for military zones on Israel's borders. He expanded Ike's minefield on the border between North and South Korea. He knew how to keep borders secure.
I'll run circles around your posts any day of the week.
All you seem to know how to do is call people names and post personal insults....ALL in a desperate attempt to compensate for your lack of knowledge on the issue being debated.
Grow up.
Wanna bet?
I think people are hacked off enough to want to take to the streets with whatever weapons they can find at the time to destroy the menace to our country. Don't believe me? Ask my fellow FReepers!
We are MAD! We defy any illegal to stand against our combined might! We are RIGHT! We will WIN!
The Constitution advocates securing our borders and our citizens. This is the primary function of government, and a function in which government is most remiss.
exactly. They never fail to let us down. Nothing the Senate does respects the Constitution. Our Republic is officially no more. We are fast morphing into a decaying Socialist Hell paid for with our hard earned tax dollars. Our Founders would start another revolution if they were here among us. I see no way that the destruction of our Republic can be halted.
I don't dispute the anger; nor do I dispute that some are violently angry. Wanting violence, however, does not make one a patriot. Passionately wanting to protect our country and its citizens from invasion does not require machine guning down or planting land mines on civilians.
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.