Rep. Dan Lundgren (R-CA) proposes "Blue Cards" & $1000 fines for illegals

KansasCity.com ^ | May. 21, 2007 | John Heilprin

[BornInASmallTown]

Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif., unveiled legislation he said was "an alternative to several of the large holes in the so-called Senate compromise."

It would send home illegal immigrants who had been in the U.S. for fewer than five years and bar them from gaining lawful status.

Those in the country five years or more would be able to get a "blue card" to live and work legally in the U.S. after paying a $1,000 fine and learning English and American civics, but they could not bring their families. Blue card holders would have to leave the country to apply for legal residency.

In contrast, the bipartisan Senate compromise would allow illegal immigrants in the country by the beginning of this year to adjust their status.

[zendari]

We need a constitutional amendment stripping children of illegals from citizenship.

This ‘blue card’ status can work if it bars illegals from receving social security.

[ElkGroveDan]

Rep. Dan Lundgren (R-CA) proposes

I wonder if he's related to Congressman Dan LUNGREN (R-CA)

[ElkGroveDan]

yoo hoo, over here.....

Glad I saved my orange “Oller for Congress” sign.

[SteveMcKing]

© Amnesty v1.5.2

[Non-Sequitur]

OK so given the choice of going legit and paying a $1000 fine or staying on as an illegal what idiot is going to chose the fine? It’s not like they’re in a whole lot of danger of being found out to begin with, and if they are nabbed then they hop the border again and are back at work in a couple of days.

[mnehring]

So.. let me get this strait.. he changes the name from Z card to Blue card and everything is all right????

[mnehring]

We need a constitutional amendment stripping children of illegals from citizenship.

Stripping citizenship is the tough part.. I understand the revocation of this right going forward, but if someone has already been legally recognized a citizen, you can't just strip that..

[Lokibob]

There is nothing that will make them go home except denying them the comforts of life, like employment, housing, education, welfare and freedom.

The only way they will go back to their own countries is in handcuffs.

Pass laws that put employers in jail, landlords in jail, English only in schools, and no welfare/ drivers licenses.

[zendari]

I agree. I’m talking about future children.

For the record, I don’t agree with mass deportation. We need some way of holding these people accountable without attempting the futile effort of rounding them up and kicking them out.

[samadams2000]

Why wouldnt a sneeky mexican (small m to denote disrespect because of lawbreaking), simply state that they have been here for more than 5 years??

We need to bring back stigma. The Mexican people will never be thought of as true citizens if they back door us.

[ASA Vet]

Blue card holders would have to leave the country to apply for legal residency.

I could agree with this, if I could be in charge of their flights home.

[Spiff]

The BASE penalty for illegal presence in this country is deportation. It gets worse from there to include fines and incarceration. Anything that relaxes the current penalty is a form of amnesty as paying a tiny fee to stay here is like allowing car thieves to keep the vehicles they steal as long as they pay to license them and a one-time “fine”. Citizenship and the right to work in this nation indefinitely is worth far more than $1,000. Maybe, since boneheads like this guy, think that citizenship is worth only $1,000, we should offer him the same amount to renounce his own citizenship and get the hell out.

[mnehring]

For the record, I don’t agree with mass deportation. We need some way of holding these people accountable without attempting the futile effort of rounding them up and kicking them out.

I agree, I am not for blind mass deportation. If the issue was only crossing the border illegally, I would probably even be in favor of some sort of amnesty, especially as this crime alone is only a misdemeanor.. However, it is what they've done to stay in the country, including identity theft and fraud that makes this into the felony arena. If we start cracking down on the latter items and making it impossible for people to stay in the country as they cannot rent, have bank accounts, work, etc, most will probably leave on their own. No need for deportation.

[K-oneTexas]

We need a constitutional amendment stripping children of illegals from citizenship today.

The Senate bill calls for $4000 in fines, now we want to lower it. Neither would be collected. Either way it is insufficient to pay for the entitlements they now get and the additional ones they will be eligible for when the bill is signed.

The Senate bill needs to be defeated, but I doubt it. Any bill needs to complete the fence, passed lat year, in full not a few miles of it. Any bill needs to send them home first ... then let them apply for a visa with has a job attached to it. Any bill needs to beef-up border patrol officers and stand behind them when they catch illegals entering.

This is the biggest sham on the American people since Social Security.

[gubamyster]

ping

[fieldmarshaldj]

Must be his Swedish cousin.

[johnny7]

dlundgren@trysomevaseline.gov

[chaos_5]

At the very least, prevent any more anchor babies. I don't know about revoking citizenship, but I’m all for ending the automatic citizenship at birth.

[chaos_5]

Holding them accountable, like jailing them? That will just cost more money. It cost about $40K a year for an inmate. We could deport them all with a first class airline ticket and it would be cheaper.