Immigration Reform Act

[Highwayman]

Originally Posted by Army_of_One

I haven't had time to read it or browse through it yet...

Better pack a couple of lunches if you’re going to try to read the whole thing. Most Senators won’t read it either.

That part about turning around a background check in one business day frosts my tail. They can take longer than that delaying a citizen from our right to buy a firearm.

[TexKan]

That might and probably is it................ it's still special treatment and it isn't fair! Hell I'm sendin my last one to cop shop as I type....... It's great to feel patriotic but ya don't deserve special consideration because of that. They can apply like everyone else. Course ya know what's gonna happen there..... same thing that always happens when ya got "equal" opportunity...........

[Outofdodge]

Originally Posted by Highwayman

That part about turning around a background check in one business day frosts my tail. .

Not having read the thing (and I probably won't), but from what I gather there's more than the background check bothering business about this bill, fair or not. Seems no one really likes this bit of bi-partisanship and I would expect the final product, if there is one to look a whole lot different.

[Highwayman]

Originally Posted by Outofdodge

....I would expect the final product, if there is one to look a whole lot different.

You bet. Nancy Pelosi is already complaining that it’s too harsh by showing favoritism on things like speaking English and having a job.

Pelosi lays out criticism of immigration bill
By Jeremy Jacobs
May 20, 2007

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Sunday laid out her criticism of the immigration compromise introduced in the Senate, calling the temporary worker program “disruptive of families.”


“I have serious objection to the point system that is in the bill now,” the speaker said on ABC’s This Week. “Yes, we should deal with the backlog [of workers seeking citizenship]. I completely agree with that. But the family unification principles which had been fundamental to American immigration are disrupted by what is in there now.”

The point system Pelosi refers to would grant those seeking citizenship points based on English proficiency, work history, family status and passing a criminal background check.

“We're about families and family values,” Pelosi added. “And having people coming and going, taking their children out of school and being separated from them - we should try to fashion something that recognizes the reality of life.”

Pelosi’s concerns could have a significant impact on the success of the legislation as the House takes up the bill. Any significant tinkering with the legislation in the House could spell disaster for the fragile bipartisan coalition supporting the bill in the Senate.

Pelosi also addressed the conservative criticism that the bill amounts to amnesty for illegal immigrants.

“No one is for amnesty,” she said. “And there’s nothing in this bill that is about amnesty.”

TheHill.com - Pelosi lays out criticism of immigration bill

[Outofdodge]

Originally Posted by Highwayman

Nancy Pelosi is already complaining that it’s too harsh by showing favoritism on things like speaking English and having a job.

I think you're being a little tough on Ms Pelosi, she has been quoted as saying she is concerned that too much weight is being given to employment and not enough merit is being given to family structure. In a debate on legislation that is still being formed, that is an appropriate remark and not entirely without merit. The proof will be in where it goes.

FWIW, I've had emails from various business groups that are complaining that too much emphasis is on skilled labor and not enough on the unskilled market.

I do however, agree with the poster who said "it's just politicians", I've not read anything where this is a real reform and enforcement of the immigration process. Seems to me it's a chance for both sides to claim they did something, ever if it ends up being the wrong thing.

[TexKan]

Just what we need.................. more wrong things.............. they need to enforce the laws on the books now.........

[Outofdodge]

Originally Posted by TexKan

they need to enforce the laws on the books

That's the problem. The laws on the books are ineffective and unenforcable without-at the minimum- a significant increase in ICE/Treasury resources, a means to realistically adjust the quota's of the people let in legally, and a better means to verify eligibility to be here plus probably a constitutional amendment repealling the citizenship provision of the 14th amendment.

Start with the initial crossing of the border being a misdemeanor, and the inability of local law enforcement to do much more than call the ICE folks. If nothing else, the Ford county jail is insufficient now, just imagine what would happen if the local PD could "round them up"?

Add to it the unrealisitic system of determining who gets in and who doesn't based on some arbritrary number. The average citizen from south of the border has a snowball's chance in hell of getting let in legally as a resident within a reasonable wait time which prompts them to try to come here by the means they mostly use now. One could argue they shouldn't be admitted in the first place but that's not this issue.

Eligibility verification is a joke. Even the rudimentary law that requires employers to verify eligibility is fraught with pitfalls that let's an employer claim a good faith effort. Everyone "knows" who hires the illegal alien, but they have paperwork to show they had good faith otherwise. You can use an ATM in Peru and they can tell you your account balance but we can't verify green cards and multiple use? Regardless of where one sits on this documentation issue, I don't think it's the responsibility of a business, landlord, or anyone other private citizen or group to enforce.

Lastly, I think the US is the only major country that conferes citizenship on the offspring of illegal immigrants automatically at birth. This is how the illegal gets medicaid and food stamps and the other "hand outs" that is troublesome. We don't starve children because of their parents and as a society we like to "keep families together" but the societal cost, and to a certain extent-envy has become too great.

So I would have to disagree with you Tex, enforcing our current patchwork of laws won't work. We need them blown up and re-done. From what I've read, I don't think this thing as currently proposed is it.

[TexKan]

In Houston they now can get staus on federal and violent charges. They can ask anyone they want tho. Most cops don't mess with the traffic offenders.............. unless they are putting someonelse in danger. Course poor Rodney Johnson got killed by a traffic stop.

Don't know the answer but I'm with you - I don't think this bill is it.

I agree with lots of what you say, but I just can't see addin on more crap when ya already have a pile of shit. We don't have the folks on the border we need and we need to start treatin immigrants from the south the way we are treated down there - No rights, No land ownership, No Nuthing............ sure as hell no govt programs and No anchor babies.

[Detector]

No rights, No land ownership, No Nuthing............ sure as hell no govt programs and No anchor babies.

That right there, I'm my opinion, is the key. We keep hearing "We can't just deport 12 million immigrants." and I say the hell we can't! You stop handouts and they'll deport themselves.

[TexKan]

yeah I think they would............ LOL Screw that 14th amedment thing...... it wasn't written for them anyhow................ we need to cowboy up and make our country worth commin to cause as it is now............. it's startin to look like a waste land instead of a land of opportunity.