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House to Consider Amnesty Measure
AP ^ | 3-08-02 | SUZANNE GAMBOA,

Posted on 03/08/2002 10:12:54 PM PST by Oregon Coast Conservative

Yahoo! News - House to Consider Amnesty Measure By SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - House Republican leaders say they're ready to take up a bill that would grant amnesty to certain illegal immigrants and hope to pass it before President Bush (news - web sites) visits Mexico this month.

Bush has pressed for the measure since last spring, when approximately 200,000 illegal immigrants who qualified for amnesty missed the deadline to apply. A bill extending the deadline was sidetracked after the Sept. 11 attacks.

"I know this is something the White House wants," said John Feehery, spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.

Gaylen Barksdale, spokesman for House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, said GOP leaders want to bring the measure to the floor Tuesday along with a larger immigration security bill.

Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., chairman of the Immigration Reform Caucus, opposes amnesty and criticized the move by House leaders. They put the measure on a fast track, Tancredo said, "to have it available for the president to bestow on (Mexican President) Vicente Fox (news - web sites) as a little gift."

Bush is scheduled to meet with Fox in Monterrey, Mexico, on March 21-22 at the U.N. International Conference on Financing for Development.

While the Bush administration sees amnesty as enhancing U.S.-Mexico relations, it also would help identify more foreigners living in the country. That has been a major issue since the September attacks.

The amnesty provision would allow immigrants to start the process of applying for visas without first returning to their home countries and applying from there. That is significant because most illegal immigrants are barred from re-entering the United States once they leave and the application process from their home countries can take years.

To apply, immigrants must have a close relative or a job sponsor who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. The job or family relationship must have existed before Aug. 15, 2001, and the immigrant must have been in the country on Dec. 21, 2000.

The immigrants must pay $1,000 fines for entering the country illegally and an additional fee for application and fingerprinting processing.

The deadline to apply would be Nov. 30, or four months after the administrative rules are written, whichever is earlier.

The bill to which it will be attached includes improvements to screening of visa applicants, provisions for tamperproof passports and foreign student and immigrant tracking measures.

Frank Sharry, National Immigration Forum executive director, said pairing the legislation with the security bill enhances its chances of passage.

"Essentially what the House is saying is that we can walk and chew gum at the same time — that we can strengthen our border security and provide a legal mechanism for hardworking families to live freely in the United States," Sharry said.

___

On the Net: Immigration and Naturalization Service: http://www.ins.gov/

House leaders: http://www.house.gov/house/orgs_pub_hse_ldr_www.html

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TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: immigrantlist

1 posted on 03/08/2002 10:12:54 PM PST by Oregon Coast Conservative
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To: *Immigrant_list

2 posted on 03/08/2002 10:14:45 PM PST by Libertarianize the GOP
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To: Oregon Coast Conservative
The immigrants must pay $1,000 fines for entering the country illegally

So that's the going rate for selling America down the toilet, huh?

3 posted on 03/08/2002 10:23:03 PM PST by Buffalo Bob
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To: Buffalo Bob
LOL!!! Its chicken change and if you can evade the INS long enough you can still apply for a green card...
4 posted on 03/08/2002 10:41:06 PM PST by goldstategop
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To: Oregon Coast Conservative
More "reaching out" that'll never work.

How sad. we have two political parties where-

One is so greedy for power they will do anything no matter how despicable to get it.

And another that is so afraid of losing power they will let the other one get away with it.

5 posted on 03/08/2002 10:53:39 PM PST by liberalism=failure
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To: Oregon Coast Conservative
Frank Sharry, National Immigration Forum executive director, said pairing the legislation with the security bill enhances its chances of passage.

Sigh! What does an Amnesty bill have to do with immigration security measures? The pairing of these two diametrically opposed bills is meant to give our congressmen political cover when the sh*t hits the fan. It also forces other congressmen that are probably against Bush's insane Amnesty deal to vote for it because of the security bill. How Twisted.

6 posted on 03/08/2002 11:15:33 PM PST by WRhine
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To: Oregon Coast Conservative
Amnesty? No! No! A thousand times NOOOOOOoooooo!
7 posted on 03/08/2002 11:17:53 PM PST by holyscroller
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To: holyscroller
Awwww, just bend over and take it like a good American. What are you, one of those selfish "right wing whackos" that thinks he is more important than the party or something? Remember, the new Karl Rove motto is Pander Pander Pander. Get with the program! Geez, I'll bet you probably would vote for Simon for governor! Hell, you probably even believe in the constitutian. Man, what do you think this is, 1950 or something. And by the way, is there a governor up for election in your state this year? If so, we in the RNC will be happy to tell you who to vote for in the primary. After all, we in the Beltway no better than you.
8 posted on 03/08/2002 11:32:54 PM PST by Oregon Coast Conservative
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To: Oregon Coast Conservative
SEND A FAX TO CONGRESS FREE Roy Beck's NumbersUSA http://www.numbersusa.org

Tell your Congressman and 2 Senators not to pursue amnesty for illegal aliens.

Please go to the above link and click on FAX CONGRESS FREE to advise Congress before they take a vote.

9 posted on 03/09/2002 12:29:50 AM PST by Be active
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