Posted on 05/19/2007 5:02:49 PM PDT by ER_in_OC,CA
Immigration plan reaction mixed locally Some question workability, fairness, if it'll become law.
PABLO ROS Tribune Staff Writer
A sweeping immigration deal announced Thursday is being sold as "the best possible chance we will have in years" to fix the country's immigration system, in the words of one of the senators of a bipartisan alliance that drafted the proposal.
But immigration advocates and their opponents in Indiana are not so sure they're ready to settle for less than they've been bargaining for.
Indiana representatives in Congress said they have not had a chance to look at the proposal closely.
Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-2nd, said on Friday he plans to review it.
"I intend to work toward putting policies in place that would improve security at our border and enforce tougher penalties on employers who violate the law," he said. "Additionally, granting amnesty to illegal immigrants should not be included in any proposal."
Andy Fisher, a spokesman for Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar, said on Friday that Lugar supported the immigration bill the U.S. Senate drafted in 2006, which "follows many of the same principles as the agreement reached today."
"Throughout the debate Sen. Lugar has emphasized that immigration policy should be updated in a comprehensive way to provide some realistic resolution to the status of at least 12 million undocumented immigrants," Fisher said. "This comprehensive approach includes greater border security and some provisions for a temporary worker program."
Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh said on Friday that he could not comment on the proposal because he hasn't seen it yet.
Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, did not return calls for comment on Friday.
In South Bend, Eliud Villanueva, director of the Spanish-language radio station Sabor Latino, said he doubts that the proposal will become law.
"As it is, this proposal has no advantages for those here (without documents)," said Villanueva, a member of Michiana Immigrant Coalition, the group that led a pro-immigration march in South Bend in 2006.
Villanueva said the $5,000 fine that undocumented immigrants must pay under the proposal in order to legalize their status is overwhelming and unrealistic.
"I don't know about you, but one lives here almost on a day-to-day basis," he said, adding that heads of families cannot be expected to return to their home countries to apply for a permit to return, as the proposal would require, because that takes too much time away from their jobs.
"People are here to work," he said, referring to undocumented immigrants. "Otherwise they wouldn't be here."
Lee A. O'Connor, directing attorney for the Hispanic Law Center at Indiana Legal Services, Inc., said on Friday he hadn't had a chance to look at the proposal closely but his first reaction was positive, for the proposal seeks to integrate undocumented immigrants into society.
Such a step would, he said, "add stability to the country" by strengthening American families, many of which are made up of undocumented immigrants and of U.S. citizens.
Cheree Calabro, state director of Indiana Federation for Immigration Reform and Enforcement, said, "The solution to our immigration problems rests in securing our borders and enforcing penalties against employers who hire illegal immigrants. We don't need to pass comprehensive immigration reform in order to do this."
Calabro said the proposal reminded her of a 1986 law that granted amnesty to undocumented immigrants, adding, "Congress has proven they cannot be trusted to do what is necessary to protect us from terrorists or to secure our borders. Why should we trust them now?"
John Keeley, director of communications for the Center for Immigration Studies, agreed at least partly with Calabro, saying, "It's amnesty upfront for millions of illegals and pledges for enforcement of immigration laws down the road. ... Americans are right to be skeptical."
Keeley also said he is not confident that the proposal will become law.
"Its reception has been conspicuously cool," he said.
Among other things, the deal seeks to:
# Bolster border security.
# Put in place a high-tech employment verification system to prevent undocumented immigrants from finding jobs.
# Admit future immigrants who seek to put down roots in the United States based on their skills, educational levels and job experience, limiting the significance of family ties.
# Allow guest workers into the country only after security measures are in place, in some 18 months.
# Require payment of a $5,000 fine and other fees for those undocumented immigrants who wish to apply for permanent residency.
# And require heads of households to return to their home countries before applying for permanent residency.
The U.S. Senate is expected to continue debate on the proposal next week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Staff writer Pablo Ros: pros@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6357
-Lugar is all but a sure thing to vote for this bill.
-Joe Donnelly (a DEMOCRAT) gave more neutral statements than Lugar, so if you are a constituent -- CALL HIM!
Tracking votes here: http://votecount.blogspot.com/
IF YOU GET A RESPONSE FROM YOUR REP, PLEASE MAIL ME!
I don’t support any immigration bill except deportation and putting up a fence. No telling what is in this bill. After seeing Kennedy’s snarky smile; I wonder how else he is going to rape America.
Wouldn’t it be great to see him frog marched out the capital with the cuffs on.
When you see his lips move that's his staff talking ~ Fur Shur.
Besides, doesn't he have hundreds of millions of bucks? What does Richard Lugar know about earning a living, advancing in a career, giving something to the country and getting something back form it?
Most likely nothing, or at most, not enough.
All that's going to happen in the end is the Senate is going to foment armed insurrection by the illegal aliens who aren't going to get what they were expecting and the American people who want the illegals sent back where they belong.
Also, call Brad Ellsworth of the “Bloody 8th.” He is trying to please everyone in his bid to win reelection.
2005,
Senator Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, wants the U.S. Senate to ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST) as soon as
possible.
Lugar another “NOT” friend of conservatives or our country !!!
Congressman seem to say they haven’t seen seen it. Hopefully they are swamped with calls and email from persons against and are waiting to see if they will get re- elected if they vote for it. They could also be getting calls for it. This needs to be dragged out. We can’t let up!
I wrote Lugar, Bayh in the Senate and Souder in the House. No resonse from anyone yet.
WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! TILL YOU RUN OUT OF INK IN YOUR PEN!
Bombard the Democrats as well, especially the ones that ran on an anti immigration plank and the ones in marginal districts who could be vulnerable. keep pounding on them.
I noticed the ad for El Puente, the first Hispanic newspaper in Indiana at the bottom of that page. Yeeha.
Pablo Ros of the South Bend Tribune?
Better make that 50 million.
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