Illegal immigration protesters march down Broadway Avenue during a rally in Los Angeles, Sunday, March 25, 2007. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Posted on 03/28/2007 8:42:36 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration floated elements of an immigration plan on Wednesday that would make it harder for millions of illegal immigrants to gain citizenship than under legislation passed by the Senate last year, according to officials in both parties.
These officials said the administration also suggested barring future guest workers who enter the country legally from bringing family members with them — a proposal unlikely to survive intact.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss about elements of a plan that was not yet public.
President Bush and Democratic leaders of Congress have both pledged to seek a compromise on immigration legislation this year, and the administration's point men, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, sat down in the Capitol with key senators of both parties for an initial meeting.
Efforts to pass compromise legislation last year collapsed when Republican lawmakers objected to a Senate-passed bill that created a path to citizenship for many of the estimated 11 million to 12 million men women and children in the country illegally. Bush spoke favorably of the measure, even making a prime-time televised speech at one point backing a plan to allow millions of immigrants an eventual chance at citizenship as part of a comprehensive approach to the issue.
But conservative critics attacked it as amnesty, and it died last fall when the expiring Republican-controlled Congress adjourned without taking final action.
Administration officials have been meeting privately in recent weeks with key Republicans, including some who opposed the 2006 legislation, in hopes of forging a general agreement within the party.
As described by several officials, the proposal would allow currently illegal immigrants to stay in the United States under a new Z visa. They could apply for so-called green cards, taking their place in line alongside men and women who are in the country legally and want citizenship, and would be required to undergo periodic background checks while waiting.
Immigrants possessing green cards have lawful permanent residency status.
The length of their wait would depend on the number of green cards available — a feature that officials in both parties said would mean millions of illegal immigrants would have to wait far longer than under the Senate bill of last year. "It takes longer and they've got to go through the same channels as everybody else," said one Republican who had been briefed on the administration's proposal.
Under last year's bill, immigrants in the U.S. longer than five years could apply for citizenship without leaving the country. Those in the U.S. for more than two years but fewer than five would be required to go to a border point of entry, but they could return quickly as legal temporary workers while their citizenship application was pending.
Illegal immigration protesters march down Broadway Avenue during a rally in Los Angeles, Sunday, March 25, 2007. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Illegal immigration protester Dee Barrow takes part in an anti-illegal immigration rally in Los Angeles, Sunday, March 25, 2007. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
People gather as they rally outside the Federal Building in Los Angeles, Sunday, March 25, 2007. Dueling rallies Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of a massive pro-immigrant demonstration that jammed Los Angeles streets. (AP Photo/Stefano Paltera)
None of this means anything if you haven't secured the border.
Forget "comprehensive" solutions, secure the border. If you can't even do that, how is anyone supposed to believe you can police a guest worker system?
Any guest worker program, any so-called "comprehensive" immigration reform is a fraud if the border is not secure. Build the fence, and let current law handle the people who are here now. How about that? Build the fence, enforce the law, and if we need to adjust immigrant quotas, do it.
Frankly, though, I am completely opposed to any guest worker program whether fraudulent or not. If you need someone badly enough to bring him in from abroad, even the near-abroad, then give him immigrant status and full protection under the law. If you don't need him badly enough to give him full immigrant status, then guess what, you don't need him that bad.
"President Bush and Democratic leaders of Congress have both pledged to seek a compromise on immigration legislation this year, and the administration's point men, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff"
We are DOOMED!!
Only if we run out of ammo when it starts to get really ugly.
Same amnesty, different day...
The border is nowhere near closed. About 10 days ago, in a three hour period, 14 civilians detained 10 illegals that slipped between National Guard posts.
All thes plans provide for regularization of millions sooner rather than later and provide for border and interior enforcement later rather than sooner.
"Wouldn't be prudent"
Only "right" that illegals have is a prompt deportation "right" back from whence they came, sans fingerprints, photos and a DNA sample for future reference.
Although I think Bush has made some good foreign policy decisions, his failure to secure our borders has been proved to be a disastrous catastrophe both for his legacy and the Republican party.
In addition to the social, economic and cultural chaos, he seems to be completely oblivious to the national security dangers of open borders in this age of international terrorism.
We all know the Dems are for open borders in order to pander to the potential illegal vote. But Bush has embraced the same policy, with less competence.
Many pundits are now saying that the GOP lost Congress because of the Iraq war. That certainly was a factor, but an even bigger factor was that conservatives dropped out because they had NO conservative leader. Bush is not a conservative and people are disgusted with the old choice between "tweedle-dum" and "tweedle-dee." Sadly, Bush has left Reaganite conservatives a day late and a dollar short.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, sat down in the Capitol with key senators of both parties for an initial meeting.
JOLLY!
Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907. "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 person's becoming in every facet 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... 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
Close the borders, prove they are closed, fine employers who hire illegals, then we can talk.
After the borders are proved closed, Guest workers OK, guest Democrat victim voters no way.
They know as with the current ones any tough new laws won't be enforced, even if they do manage somehow to get passed. But that won't happen, they only have to fool enough Republicans to vote for the bill initially then when it gets into conference committee turn it into exactly what Bush and his democratic allies want, total amnesty with millions more cheap workers on the way.
total amnesty with millions more cheap workers on the way.
the bush legacy
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.