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 ...
Secure America's borders, THEN deal with the interior!
The other way around feeds the beast that is killing us!
Local Law Enforcement may cooperate with Immigration EnforcementIn a March 22, 2005 ruling, in Muehler v Mena (pdf file), in a unanimous decision from a Court known for its 5-4 splits, the United States Supreme Court essentially said that asking about immigration status during a lawful police contact (or, by implication, any lawful contact) was as fundamental a question as asking for name, address and date of birth. Indeed, the Court made clear that no predicate "independent reasonable cause' need exist to inquire into immigration status. It is the Law of the Land.
Calling a decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals faulty, the Supreme Court held that mere police questioning [regarding ones immigration status] does not constitute a seizure. The Court continued its landmark ruling on this issue by stating that the officers did not need reasonable suspicion to ask Mena for her name, date of birth, or immigration status....
If there were even a hint that merely asking about immigration status is discriminatory (as claimed by proponents of the proposed Ordinance), then you might expect to have had at least one dissenter in that decision: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Justice Ginsberg was general counsel of the ACLU from 1973 to 1980 and sat on its National Board of Directors from 1974 to 1980. Justice Ginsberg's joining the entire court in this decision speaks volumes about its judicial wisdom and legal common sense.
Congress expressly intended for local law enforcement to act in cases in which officers have reason to believe that an individual is in the country illegally, even though immigration law enforcement is not their primary responsibility. In 1996, Congress passed and President Clinton signed legislation that protects individual officers who act to enforce federal immigration laws, even if their departments have non-cooperation policies.
It's not.
Fellow freepers began the insults. It is impossible to discuss this issue without being accused of being an open border RINO. It's absurd. Anyone tries to come up with a reasonable solution and it's shot down as a capitulation to criminals. Chicken littles declare that they are going to leave the GOP. Folks say, without even analyzing a proposal that it's a sell. And you tell me to step away from the compute. Please, save your advice unless you're willing to tell everyone on these immigration threads to chill out.
Yep. Place me proudly in that camp. Any conservative with a brain is in that camp and lectures it own in venues outside the voting booth. The hotheads and blowhards are in the "let the dems run the place - it can't get any worse" camp.
First, I live on the border and I see illegals all the time. The stand out like a sore thumb. I've never been wrong as I've always had Border Patrol come, verify they're illegal aliens, and haul them away. It isn't rocket science despite your attempt at race baiting and your leftist aversion to "profiling".
Second, I don't have to identify the illegals. Their employers do. And, if not, the employers hould be severely punished. The employers need to fear hiring illegals as much as they fear lawsuits. You've seen how employers tip toe around so many things because they fear a lawsuit, right? They need double that fear for hiring an illegal alien. So, they'll make sure every I is dotted and every T is crossed, every paper is in order, every mandatory check has been made, etc. Then, those here illegally won't be able to find a job. The benefits should be dried up too. Then they will identify themselves and beg for a ride home.
As for your comment about "some kind of racial stereotype", I'm going to ask you again, what specific race are you referring to?
Having him as AG is the equivalent of appointing David Berkowitz to head up the NY Dept. Of Corrections.
Yet you totally ignore the ripple effect that the costs of illegals have on the rest of the nation. Illegals use social services, require counties to build more schools, destroy the medical infrastructure and drain welfare coffers.
Why should the rest of the country have to subsidize a restaurant that employs illegals?
I'm honestly curious as to what you think about enforcing criminal liability on employers who knowingly hiring illegals, strict civil liability with heavy fines for those who do so unknowingly, and a repeal of the exemption for independent contractors? Do you think that would be effective in decreasing immigration, and perhaps causing some illegals to emigrate?
Don't get me wrong -- I don't think its smart to boot 15 million people out of the economy overnight. But in terms of the effectiveness and feasibility of those measures from a legal/law enforcement perspective, do you think they'd work?
You are the one using derogary terms, so just chill out or take a break please.
Happy hour start early for you today?
If they didn't include "keep voting for Republicans cuz it makes me feel good", they were no doubt overlooked.
I'm not advocating this (quite yet), but if we throw out the bad republicans, and there are a bunch of democrats elected, then in 2 years for the house, and 6 for the senate, there will be OPEN PRIMARIES on our side, where we can run people who will do what is RIGHT.
And we'll have all the incentive to work twice as hard to throw the democrats out of office and replace them.
A lot of times the only way to get rid of an incumbent is to get the voted out in a general election. It's VERY hard to defeat them in primaries, they have the reigns of party power, the money, and the votes of all those who believe better a dead republican than a live democrat.
And they intend to enforce this how, exactly?
I am going to keep showing this pic to everyone who asks that question
I like that idea!
Use this one:
The Fence
by Hugh Hewitt
April 6, 2006 09:05 AM PST
I am told by Hill sources the Senate compromise does indeed include the fence, which will make it a huge win for the Majority Leader. Seriousness on security and the immigration problem looking forward threads the needle and gives Bill Frist a big win to match Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's...if the fence is real and makes it through conference.
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.