Congress Nears Deal on Illegal Immigrants (breaking on cable networks)

AP/Yahoo News ^ | 4-6-06 | DAVID ESPO

[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.

[KeyLargo]

FBI stopped Hezbollah smugglers (US Mexico Border)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1606335/posts

[Reagan Man]

Stop overreacting. Nothing has happened yet. The Senate talkingheads have spoken. BFD! Cloture was voted down. For now the debate continues, with the Senate on the verge of a filibuster.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"Frist and Reid just announced a compromise on a Senate immigration bill.
Both McCain and Kennedy are on board."

Sell out of America PING

---

"I live in a small farm town in Nelson County, Virginia, and will retire from the Virginia Army National Guard in April 2006, after 22 years. I have spent almost one half of my adult life preparing myself and my soldiers for a time, such as now, that our country might successfully face our enemies, foreign and domestic.

Looking at your webpage this morning and seeing the pictures of the high school students raising a Mexican national flag over an upside down American flag saddened me terribly, insofar as there are American soldiers, Marines, sailors, and airmen currently putting their lives in danger in order to provide these "citizens" the comfort of knowing that their protests will not result in being lined up against a wall and executed for their behavior, as they might in other countries around the world.

What would be interesting to know is if these young men and women are enjoying their educations on the back of the American taxpayer at a public school, while denigrating the country that provides these benefits to them, and so blatantly desecrating the flag that serves as a beacon to draw them to America in the first place."

http://michellemalkin.com/archives/004869.htm

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1605381/posts?page=1853#1853

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1605381/posts?page=1876#1876

---

Ask any Veteran
what they think of the "plan" to reward
illegal "guest workers"
with a "path" to citizenship.

---

'08 Bumper Sticker

"ANYBODY except a RINO or hitlery!"

---

Sessions and Tancredo '08

http://sessions.senate.gov/
http://tancredo.house.gov/

Monday, March 27, 2006
http://sessions.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=253171&&

“The American people are counting on us to secure our borders and restore the rule of law to our immigration system. The Senate Judiciary Committee today let the American people down by passing out a blanket amnesty bill. We've been down this path several times before, and it proved a failure.
“There was a real opportunity to take the steps necessary to fix our failed immigration enforcement system and while progress was made, we did not get there. The proper approach is to first fix the enforcement system and then to undertake a national discussion about immigration, considering how to justly handle those here illegally and what rules should govern future immigration levels. We also have not effectively dealt with the national security issues.

“I voted against the committee passed legislation because it rewards illegal behavior, will be considered amnesty by the people and will not restore respect for law. Fortunately, the House of Representatives has passed a solid bill, and there will be an opportunity to improve the Senate version in the days to come.”

---

http://tancredo.house.gov/irc/welcome.htm

"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

---

Real Conservatives FINALLY
have a winning ticket in '08

---

Time for the real conservatives on FR,
be it Republicans, Independents or Democrats
(like Zell Miller and John O'Neill) to band together
and oust the looney left and RINO's

[warsaw44]

Our party is a joke at this point. Spineless wimps terrified they'll be profiled as ' Racists ' in the national media. The Dems must be hyperventilating over how many new voters they'll have on the books.
For the life of me I can not understand W on this issue. He really is clueless on this one.

[beaureguard]

Are they going to be deported by ICE? Or, will we be asking people who have ignored the law in the first place to obey this law and leave?

[Altair333]

"I agree this is a good middle of the road. Deport the newbies"

Are you that gullible? Do you think the newbies have "newby" tattooed on their head? They will all go get some forged document (utlity bill, pay stub, etc) saying they've been here 6 years. Even the ones who just crossed the border.

[samcgwire]

This effectively, according to the bogus number of 11 million illegal aliens (total), only sends home 1 million. 7 million get a free pass, less the fine (which I'm sure government will make us pay for the masses that don't have it - watch for guaranteed loans) and the outlined process. The other 3 million get a 6 year ride to shamnesty. I don't see any mention of "Border Security" details, but there must be none if Teddy the Swimmer and McQuisling are behind it.

And, the "Minutemen are Vigilantes" POTUS is coming out in favor of this Commie/RINO shamnesty.

Another beatiful day in the New World Order.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

Yea and put Leahy in as chair of the Judiciary Cmte., Rangel as chair of Ways and Means, Reid as majority leader. And go ahead vote for the Constitution Party. How many seats in the House or Senate will they get? You need 60 votes to control the Senate folks. Wise up and don't fall for the liberal plan to get control of Congress.

[dirtboy]

What happens to the ones who don't volunteer to leave? Let me guess...nothing.

They'll just wait a few more years until we have another 10 million illegals, and by then they'll be the old-timers granted amnesty. Illegals ain't stupid - they react rationally to our failures to deal with our own immigration issues.

[Joe Brower]

Nifty-keeno. I especially love this part:

"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.

And how exactly do these big brains figure they're going to be able to tell how long any of these illegal aliens have been on U.S. soil, seeing as they slipped in under the wire in the dead of night?

The whole thing is a frickin' sham. There is an obvious pattern established here:

1) Ignore the borders.

2) Allow millions to invade with impunity.

3) Let simmer for twenty years.

4) Give amnesty to the illegal invaders.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

It's like the demagogues in DC want another civil war.

[jackadams]

Why do I feel as if we've just been sold down the river? Again.

Because we have.

[george wythe]

They can't try to pass it as long as a few Repubs continue filabustering it, and they can't get past the filabuster without 60 votes, here they've only gotten 39!

The filibustered bill was the original McCain-Kennedy bill, opposed by Frist.

The new compromised bill is supported by both Frist and Reid.

The chances of filibuster for the most recent compromised bill are nil

[sheana]

yep. I saw a thing last night that said after the 1986 amnesty there were fake doc mills set up on the same blocks as the immigration offices. Door to door service! lol

[Petronski]

The devil is in the details.

[stephenjohnbanker]

BINGO

[uncitizen]

My house is in order enough to endure four years of democrat control if it means coming out on the other side with a more conservative party.

The Rats can do a whole lot of damage in 4 years time.

[rahbert]

only problem with that scheme is that document forgers
will fabricate this card here in this country and sell
them so that they don't have to return, much as is done
now with birth and visa documents.

[Joe Brower]

"Same way as the last amnesty - payment receipts, utility bills, other proof like even you could provide."

In other words, using documents that can be readily forged.

[azhenfud]

What percentage do you think may be capable of legitimately providing such proof? 3%? 5%? What would prevent those who are already experienced in passing forged documents from forging such similar "proof"?