Posted on 04/28/2007 2:20:33 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON -- Jose Luis, a 28-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico who did not want his last name used, helped build many of the newly constructed homes in Herndon, a town of 22,000 residents in Virginia located about 20 miles west of the nation's capital.
Jose Luis, a construction worker, and an estimated 12 million other illegal immigrants across the nation, including many in North County, are caught in the middle of an increasingly heated political debate over the country's immigration policy.
Most political leaders in Congress appear to agree that the immigration reforms being debated should include stricter border enforcement to keep more illegal immigrants from coming, employer sanctions to eliminate the "jobs magnet" and some kind of guest-worker program to allow foreign workers to fill the jobs most Americans don't want.
At issue is what to do with Jose Luis, his wife, 5-year-old son and millions of others already in the country.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., says these new arrivals have helped spur the national economy and boost worker productivity. He says the country will need them and other workers to replace an aging American work force.
Gutierrez and Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., introduced a widely discussed bill earlier this year that would allow these new arrivals to apply for visas that could eventually lead to legal, permanent residency.
In a panel discussion on immigration last week, Gutierrez explained the reason for his bill. The discussion hosted by the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., included Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., who authored last year's immigration reform bill in the House.
"We need a sensible, comprehensive approach (to immigration reform) that takes into consideration the reasons why people try to come to this country and the needs of the economy; and at the same time stops people from coming unless they have legal status," Gutierrez said.
Other lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Solana Beach, say they are opposed to immigration legislation that would legalize people who came into the country illegally because, in their view, it would encourage more illegal immigrants to come.
Bilbray said Thursday in his Washington office that the federal government needs to strengthen its immigration enforcement efforts before it can consider other measures, such as a guest-worker program.
"Gutierrez's attitude that we're somehow going to balance the budget on the backs of poor, illiterate people is absurd," Bilbray said.
The Gutierrez-Flake proposal, which includes stricter border enforcement efforts and a guest-worker program, is the most widely discussed plan, but not the only one. A White House plan offered to some lawmakers behind closed doors and later leaked to the news media has raised some interest and much opposition.
It would increase enforcement at the border by building more fences and hiring more U.S. Border Patrol agents. It would also legalize some of the millions of illegal immigrants living in the country.
A guest-worker program included in the White House plan would not allow participants to stay in the country permanently and would not allow their families to come.
The Senate is expected to begin hearings on immigration reform in May, according to officials with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
However, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who is expected to offer the Senate's version of the immigration reform bill has yet to unveil his plan. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who co-authored a wide-ranging reform bill with Kennedy last year is running for president and may not tag his name to this year's measure, according to many political observers.
Last year, congressional leaders failed to reconcile two different reform versions from the House and Senate. Conservative Republicans in the House offered a strict enforcement measure, while the Senate's version offered a path to legalization for illegal immigrants and a guest-worker program.
This year, there is a wide range of opinion on whether Congress, which is now led by Democrats, will be able to accomplish the task in the run-up to a presidential election next year.
Jose Luis, the illegal immigrant worker, said last week that construction jobs are scarce. He works as a day laborer at a hiring center run by a nonprofit, interfaith group. The center is similar to some in North County.
The city of Herndon approved an ordinance in September to seek federal training for its police officers that would allow them to enforce federal immigration laws.
Jose Luis said he planned to work in the country for a couple of years before returning to his native Puebla in Mexico. But he said he has seen economic conditions deteriorate at home since he arrived in the U.S. in 2002.
Most of the jobs offered at the hiring center Wednesday morning involved landscaping. They paid about $10 an hour and ranged from four to eight hours.
That is more than the pay he received in Santa Barbara, where he first arrived, he said. It's several times more than what he made in Puebla, where he worked doing odd jobs, he said.
Jose Luis said he hopes Congress could pass a bill that would allow him to stay, but declined to say what plan he would prefer.
"Whatever we say, they are the ones that will have to decide," he said standing in the brisk morning among more than 100 other day laborers, most of them from Central and South America. "What we ask is that it be something fair."
While Gutierrez and other Democratic leaders say they want a bipartisan bill, several Republicans said Democrats will use their majority in Congress to pass a law without much thought for GOP concerns.
"My prediction is the Democrats will shove an amnesty bill with fake enforcement through the House and Senate and the president will sign it," said Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, inside the Capitol building in Washington. "I believe I will not be consulted. It will not be about the middle ground."
Other Republicans, such as Sensenbrenner, say Democrats may not have the necessary votes to get what they want. Many of the 44 freshman representatives elected last year that helped Democrats take control of Congress come from conservative districts; so-called "blue dog Democrats," do not support legalizing illegal immigrants, Sensenbrenner said.
"The seats that the Democrats picked up are by and large in more moderate and conservative districts, and it's going to be difficult for a Democratic incumbent seeking re-election to pick up moderate and conservative votes with a pro-amnesty vote on their record," Sensenbrenner told reporters at the National Press Club debate.
Issa disagreed with Sensenbrenner's analysis.
"That's a pipe dream," he said. "It's wishful thinking."
Guard the border(s) 24/7 and we'll get to the ones that are here already as time goes on.
I'm available, but my bank account isn't, which is why I'm not there now.
Start seizing the businesses of those who think they can undermine our nation and save some bucks, and it will all stop. Won’t even need a secure border.
No problem. Start deportation proceedings. One at a time, until you're done.
It's kinda like the unemployment numbers. At around 4% of the workforce unemployed, we're said to have full employment. Okay, fine...at around 96% of all illegals deported, we can declare victory and move on.
And FWIW, I happen to think you do need secure borders for a full and complete resolution of the problem.
“what we ask for is that it is something fair”
Gee, I bet the US taxpayers wish for something fair, too. I wonder if that includes supporting low wage, illiterate workers and their families for the rest of our lives because these workers entered the country as ILLEGALS?
“Most political leaders in Congress appear to agree that the immigration reforms being debated should include stricter border enforcement to keep more illegal immigrants from coming, employer sanctions to eliminate the “jobs magnet” and some kind of guest-worker program to allow foreign workers to fill the jobs most Americans don’t want.”
Most? Job s Americans don’t want? At what wage?
“At issue is what to do with Jose Luis, his wife, 5-year-old son and millions of others already in the country.”
“Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., says these new arrivals have helped spur the national economy”
For Walmart, not for us,
“He says the country will need them and other workers to replace an aging American work force.”
A standard lie, repeated often. If so in the future — then we will import them.
In the meantime several thousand illegals float the Rio Grande...
The thing that amazes me is what would happen if the shoe was on the other foot. If an American family were discovered in Mexico, running a business, raising children, using social services, they’d be hustled back to the states faster than you can say adios gringos, and their assets seized by the Mexican government. Yet if we even think such things, we are heartless barbarians, ripping apart families, crushing dreams, etc. That’s how far the propaganda has warped the issue.
The North County Times supports the illegals and has become just as rotten asthe Union Tribune.
This B$#$hit of dropping babies of criminals having "citizenship automatically" is costing taxpayers billions....
I don’t think the MSM knows how NOT to write in cliches:
“Most political leaders in Congress appear to agree that the immigration reforms being debated should include stricter border enforcement to keep more illegal immigrants from coming, employer sanctions to eliminate the “jobs magnet” and some kind of guest-worker program to allow foreign workers to fill the jobs most Americans don’t want”
“Jose” is caught in the middle? BFD, he put himself in the middle.
At issue is what to do with Jose Luis, his wife, 5-year-old son and millions of others already in the country.”
We already know what they’re going to do with the illegals, the issue is what are they going to do with us.
“What we ask is that it be something fair.”
Fair to whom? Hmmmmmmm?
Hardly fair to the owners of this property, the citizens of the United States.
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