Posted on 04/06/2006 8:33:43 AM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Yet, amazingly, the federal government manages to deduct 30% from millions of law abiding hard working American's paychecks every week.
I am sure they are packing right now. The funny thing is that they will not really secure the borders. It will be just like it always has been. I wonder if this bill includes anything about learning English?
Oh well, you win some, you lose some. But I will remember come November.
Amen.
No. Spoken like a true idiot. If a person convicted of a crime is placed on probation, they are given a list of conditions that they have to follow. If they screw up or do not meet with their Probation Officer, they go back into jail. Counties have limited funds. No one wants to pay to build larger jails. How would you manage the problem, Einstein? You just want to whine. Go ahead. No one cares.
We need to cut off the inflow first. These amnesty bills make it harder, not easier, to do that.
"I just received a letter from the Selous Foundation (never heard of them before) re the Law of the Sea Treaty. They're asking for signatures on Emergency Sovereignty Petition To the President to reject 'LOST'. At least a year ago, I wrote and called Hatch (who I thought was primary sponsor) and other Senators to reject this. Now appears Sen. Lugar is sponsor. What in the world is wrong with these Senators?? Why is it they don't realize they were sent to Washington to represent the citizens of the United States of America.....not to push their own agendas?! God help our country."
The majority of the D.C. political class are complete whores.
I don't eat lettuce ;)
Hear you loud and strong. Do not understand if the new bill would address these concerns.
Exactly right on every point! Atta-FReeper!
But we have NO CLUE what exactly is in it...and NO ONE has come out on the Senate floor and told us.
This is a bunch of POLITICAL GAME PLAYING....and all they really want to do is leave for their 2 week vacation, and then come back and forget it ever happened.
Make them pay $10,000 of back taxes for every year they claim.
It's still a bad idea though.
"It own't be enforced, just as the laws already on the books are not enforced."
Precisely. This is a just of way of both branches of governments saying, "Enforcement of US immigration law will remain 'business as usual'".
To those of you apologists for them, when you say,
"Who's going to locate 11 million . .how are you going to remove them, etc. etc."
This amnesty program looks even more complicated than deportation: how are you going to find them all? How are you going to tell which have been breaking our laws for 5 years, rather than just two? How are you going to ensure that the less experienced Mexican criminals return to Mexico, to `touch base' before returning, and pay their "fines" . . and so forth and so on.
Huh Andy? Huh, huh, huh?
Nice try, but it won't do any good.
Our younger folks and children are in for a very rough time in the not too distant future.
For once I'm glad I'm old and will probably not be here when the shooting starts.
Living on the border, knowing illegals, and speaking Spanish doesn't exactly make you an expert on deportation. In fact, the former has nothing to do with the latter.
Why don't you come up with suggestions, instead of ignoring the ones you given?
Living on the border, knowing illegals, and speaking Spanish doesn't exactly make you an expert on deportation. In fact, the former has nothing to do with the latter.
Why don't you come up with suggestions, instead of ignoring the ones you given?
"My wife and I speak Spanish and used to know a few illegals."
And did you turn them in??
But counsellor!? You told us we couldn't find them!!
President "Give me a North American Union - like the one over in Europe!" was too long.
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