Posted on 05/18/2005 7:12:59 AM PDT by LNewman
Feinstein targets agricultural workers. Senator plans to introduce an industry-specific bill, rather than a sweeping measure on immigration.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Tuesday that she ... plans to introduce her own measure to provide a path toward legalization only for longtime undocumented agriculture workers.
Feinstein, D-Calif., said any new guest-worker program – even one requiring employees to eventually return to their home country – would be a "magnet for illegal immigration" and something she could not support.
SNIP
Under Feinstein's idea, which hasn't yet been finalized, longtime undocumented agricultural workers would get a "blue card," allowing them to continue to work in agriculture. After a period of years of continued agricultural work, they would be entitled to trade in their blue card for a "green card."
Feinstein's comments came in an interview after the immigration and terrorism subcommittees held a hearing Tuesday afternoon on the border-security implications of immigration policy.
SNIP
At the hearing, Asa Hutchinson, a former undersecretary of homeland security, urged the panel to first put workable border security and workplace enforcement systems in place and then consider a guest-worker program.
A prerequisite for a new worker program, Hutchinson said, must be the need to "satisfy the American public that we are capable of securing our borders."
And Hutchinson said people in other countries have to believe they will have a two- thirds chance of being caught if they attempt to enter the United States illegally, a deterrent that is not the case now.
And, Hutchinson said, they have to believe they will be detained.
SNIP
Feinstein did suggest at the hearing that senators look into raising the number of immigrants who can come into the country legally each year.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
Isn't Asa the guy who refused to request more funding for the Border Patrol and ICE while he was in charge? Interesting that he has suddenly found religion now.
It's an old story: people will continue trying to climb into the life-boat until the life-boat sinks.
While I'm sympathetic to Californians wanting to ensure their stoop labor supply, why should a guest worker program have the carrot of citizenship at the end.
Migrant agriculture workers are just that: migrants who follow the crops from state to state, but many return to Mexico during the fallow season while others remain in the US and seek other employment or welfare. How would you ever keep track of who is staying permanently at agricultural jobs?.
CA: LEGISLATIVE ALERT: SB840 -- socialized Medicine
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1405380/posts
No kidding they are leaving our borders underfunded. between this stuff and Bush calling minutemen vigilantes I dont know what were going to do about that border.
Isn't it though? People at the top don't always get the whole picture. We're frequently asked to give a "50,000-foot Briefing" when the Boss comes in from back East to see what's going on. They're very skimpy on details.
How many of us, even on FR, were aware of the truth regarding our southern border two years ago?
Sheesh, I can't believe I'm making excuses for ol' Asa...
Asa is our biggest hindrance to immigration we have, he wants to be Governor of Arkansas, thats next to CA in immigrants
Excellent Question!
U.S.-Mexico Border 2012 Framework
Just FYI, when they speak of the BORDER REGION, if you go to the EPA website you find in the archives, the Border XXI REGION. The border between the U.S. and Mexico has been replaced by a shaded zone running between the two countries.
Tell me, how many people have heard of the BORDER REGION project and how it is tied to NAFTA and immigration policy??
I do think that immigration reform is going to require a bunch of different policies to deal with a lot of situations that have been allowed to develop over years of neglect. One thing I would like to see in these naturalization proposals is mandatory criminal checks.
Yes. He was merely parroting the Bush line while on the Bush staff. Asa, by his very demeanor, repeatedly revealed his frustration with Bush's hands off policy and I was surprised to see him last as long as he did. He knew the problem but was forced not to confront it. It was Karl Marx Rove and President Bush.
Is there another good link to the original story?
True, he was under the direct thumb of the president (who is an open-border advocate himself), but he did nothing to defend our border.
Perhaps he just couldn't, given the length of his leash.
>>How many of us, even on FR, were aware of the truth regarding our southern border two years ago?<<
I was.
"How many of us, even on FR, were aware of the truth regarding our southern border two years ago?"
Ever since Clinton came into office border enforcement has been eqivalent to zero.
Before that INS was collecting and deporting illegals all over San Diego County.
They were also regurlarly raiding businesses in Los Angeles County.
They are no longer allowed to do that, since about 92.
Yes, you certainly were. But, you and I have the advantage of living near the border...me a little more so than you, but close nonetheless.
That's my take on Asa, too. He often seemed to be hiding/disguising frustration and apparent caution which came off as a sort of distance/aloofness, IMO.
Why, is it a bad link?
If it requires registration and you want log-in/password information, try looking at http://www.bugmenot.com
To look for other sources on this story, try searching at http://news.google.com.
Looks like Feinstein has already started her campaign for reelection...
Too bad Condi Rice won't come home to run against her...
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