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Immigration. Again. (Specter reviving the amnesty Zombie?!)
Politico ^ | 7/26/2007

Posted on 07/26/2007 4:13:58 PM PDT by Uncledave

Immigration. Again.

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) said he's floating a plan that would grant legal status to the nation's 12 million illegal immigrants, but offer no path to citizenship.

"It might be the equivalent of a green card," Specter said Thursday. "The main thrust is to bring the 12 million out of the shadows," and eliminate the fear of arrest or deportation.

Specter said conservatives who last month derailed a comprehensive immigration bill might accept his plan because it would not allow the 12 million to seek citizenship status.

"We litigated amnesty and that lost," Specter said.

Specter's pitch comes as the Senate voted Thursday to add $3 billion to the homeland security appropriations bill for border security measures.

Specter said he has talked with President Bush and the bipartisan group of senators who crafted the last comprehensive bill.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who helped negotiate the failed comprehensive bill, suggested that he was skeptical of creating a class of workers with no opportunity to seek citizenship.

"Europe has paid a heavy price for that stuff," Graham said.

A spokeswoman for Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), who led negotiations for the Democrats, said the senator was looking at Specter's proposal and meeting with his staff.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: aliens; borders; buildtheeffingfence; illegals; immigrantlist; traitor
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1 posted on 07/26/2007 4:13:59 PM PDT by Uncledave
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To: Uncledave

Warm up those faxes, telephones and emails. Looks like we’re going to have to do it again.


2 posted on 07/26/2007 4:15:21 PM PDT by texgal (end no-fault divorce laws return DUE PROCESS & EQUAL PROTECTION to ALL citizens))
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To: Uncledave
"The main thrust is to bring the 12 million out of the shadows," and eliminate the fear of arrest or deportation.

But why, Senator? Why?

3 posted on 07/26/2007 4:16:39 PM PDT by Petronski (Just say no to Rudy McRomney.)
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To: Uncledave
Pray for America and its helpless citizens and their children, who remain at risk
from murder, rape, manslaughter, and terror, due to the utter incompetence of a traitorous Congress.


4 posted on 07/26/2007 4:16:56 PM PDT by Diogenesis (Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum)
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To: Uncledave

Spincter, the RINO that keeps giving...what the hexx is wrong here?


5 posted on 07/26/2007 4:17:08 PM PDT by iopscusa (El Vaquero. (SC Lowcountry Cowboy))
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To: Uncledave

Just absolutely incredible. What in the hell is wrong with him? If he has nothing to do, then why not drum up some special prosecutors to look into Hillary’s crimes during her pants-around-the-ankles husband’s term in office?


6 posted on 07/26/2007 4:17:46 PM PDT by laweeks
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To: Uncledave
You are one complete ass Senator Sphinctor, you make a complete muckdiving Specter out of yourself.

Thanks Republican party leadership for giving us this useless scumbag of a senator.

We had an opportunity to get rid of this RINO and our so called leaders led us down the wrong path.

Just the lowly opinion of a red state wannabe.

7 posted on 07/26/2007 4:18:18 PM PDT by OKIEDOC (Kalifornia, a red state wannabe. I don't take Ex Lax I just read the New York Times.)
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To: Uncledave

Spectre is a creep. I knew it wasn’t over. All we need is legal and open borders, right Spectre you traitorous creep?

No wonder Rahm Emmanuel said the Democrats won’t bring it up. They are waiting on the stinkin’ RINO’s to usher the little marxist Shrillary in.


8 posted on 07/26/2007 4:19:24 PM PDT by dforest (Duncan Hunter is the best hope we have on both fronts.)
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To: OKIEDOC
Thanks Republican party leadership for giving us this useless scumbag of a senator.
Jorge Bush agrees with him on this issue. It might be the reason the RNC backed the sphincter against a good conservative in the PA primary.
9 posted on 07/26/2007 4:20:08 PM PDT by samtheman
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To: Uncledave

They figure that if maybe they cook the frog a little slower, it might not jump out of the pot.


10 posted on 07/26/2007 4:20:39 PM PDT by Plutarch
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To: Uncledave; Politicalmom; 2ndDivisionVet
No more new legislation! Enforce the existing immigration laws including this one! Congress Critter /Amnesty ping!


Federal Immigration and Nationality Act

Section 8 USC 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv)(b)(iii) Recruitment and Employment of Illegal Aliens Encouraging and Harboring Illegal Aliens Enforcement RICO —Citizen Recourse Tax Crimes Comment

Section 8 USC 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv)(b)(iii) "Any person who . . . encourages or induces an illegal alien to . . . reside . . . knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such . . . residence is . . . in violation of law, shall be punished as provided . . . for each illegal alien in respect to whom such a violation occurs . . . fined under title 18 . . . imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both."

Section 274 felonies under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, INA 274A(a)(1)(A):

A person (including a group of persons, business, organization, or local government) commits a federal felony when she or he:

· assists an illegal alien s/he should reasonably know is illegally in the U.S. or who lacks employment authorization, by transporting, sheltering, or assisting him or her to obtain employment, or · encourages that illegal alien to remain in the U.S. by referring him or her to an employer or by acting as employer or agent for an employer in any way, or · knowingly assists illegal aliens due to personal convictions. ·

Penalties upon conviction include criminal fines, imprisonment, and forfeiture of vehicles and real property used to commit the crime. Anyone employing or contracting with an illegal alien without verifying his or her work authorization status is guilty of a misdemeanor. Aliens and employers violating immigration laws are subject to arrest, detention, and seizure of their vehicles or property. In addition, individuals or entities who engage in racketeering enterprises that commit (or conspire to commit) immigration-related felonies are subject to private civil suits for treble damages and injunctive relief.

Recruitment and Employment of Illegal Aliens

It is unlawful to hire an alien, to recruit an alien, or to refer an illegal alien for a fee, knowing the illegal alien is unauthorized to work in the United States. It is equally unlawful to continue to employ an illegal alien knowing that the illegal alien is unauthorized to work.

It is unlawful to hire any individual for employment in the United States without complying with employment eligibility verification requirements. Requirements include examination of identity documents and completion of Form I-9 for every employee hired. Employers must retain all I-9s, and, with three days' advance notice, the forms must be made available for inspection. Employment includes any service or labor performed for any type of remuneration within the United States, with the exception of sporadic domestic service by an individual in a private home. "Day laborers" or other casual workers engaged in any compensated activity (with the above exception) are employees for purposes of immigration law. An employer includes an agent or anyone acting directly or indirectly in the interest of the employer. For purposes of verification of authorization to work, employer also means an independent contractor, or a contractor other than the person using the illegal alien labor.

The use of temporary or short-term contracts cannot be used to circumvent the employment authorization verification requirements. If employment is to be for less than the usual three days allowed for completing the I-9 Form requirement, the form must be completed immediately at the time of hire.

An employer has constructive knowledge that an employee is an illegal unauthorized worker if a reasonable person would infer it from the facts. Constructive knowledge constituting a violation of federal law has been found where (1) the I-9 employment eligibility form has not been properly completed, including supporting documentation, (2) the employer has learned from other individuals, media reports, or any source of information available to the employer that the alien is unauthorized to work, or (3) the employer acts with reckless disregard for the legal consequences of permitting a third party to provide or introduce an illegal alien into the employer's work force. Knowledge cannot be inferred solely on the basis of an individual's accent or foreign appearance.

Actual specific knowledge is not required. For example, a newspaper article stating that ballrooms depend on an illegal alien work force of dance hostesses was held by the courts to be a reasonable ground for suspicion that unlawful conduct had occurred.

It is illegal for nonprofit or religious organizations to knowingly assist an employer to violate employment sanctions, regardless of claims that their convictions require them to assist illegal aliens. Harboring or aiding illegal aliens is not protected by the First Amendment. It is a felony to establish a commercial enterprise for the purpose of evading any provision of federal immigration law. Violators may be fined or imprisoned for up to five years.

Encouraging and Harboring Illegal Aliens

It is a violation of law for any person to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection in any place, including any building or means of transportation, any illegal alien who is in the United States in violation of law. Harboring means any conduct that tends to substantially facilitate an alien to remain in the U.S. illegally. The sheltering need not be clandestine, and harboring covers aliens arrested outdoors, as well as in a building. This provision includes harboring an alien who entered the U.S. legally but has since lost his legal status.

An employer can be convicted of the felony of harboring illegal aliens who are his employees if he takes actions in reckless disregard of their illegal status, such as ordering them to obtain false documents, altering records, obstructing INS inspections, or taking other actions that facilitate the alien's illegal employment. Any person who within any 12-month period hires ten or more individuals with actual knowledge that they are illegal aliens or unauthorized workers is guilty of felony harboring. It is also a felony to encourage or induce an alien to come to or reside in the U.S. knowing or recklessly disregarding the fact that the alien's entry or residence is in violation of the law. This crime applies to any person, rather than just employers of illegal aliens. Courts have ruled that "encouraging" includes counseling illegal aliens to continue working in the U.S. or assisting them to complete applications with false statements or obvious errors. The fact that the alien is a refugee fleeing persecution is not a defense to this felony, since U.S. law and the UN Protocol on Refugees both require that a refugee must report to immigration authorities without delay upon entry to the U.S.

The penalty for felony harboring is a fine and imprisonment for up to five years. The penalty for felony alien smuggling is a fine and up to ten years' imprisonment. Where the crime causes serious bodily injury or places the life of any person in jeopardy, the penalty is a fine and up to twenty years' imprisonment. If the criminal smuggling or harboring results in the death of any person, the penalty can include life imprisonment. Convictions for aiding, abetting, or conspiracy to commit alien smuggling or harboring, carry the same penalties. Courts can impose consecutive prison sentences for each alien smuggled or harbored. A court may order a convicted smuggler to pay restitution if the illegal alien smuggled qualifies as a victim under the Victim and Witness Protection Act. Conspiracy to commit crimes of sheltering, harboring, or employing illegal aliens is a separate federal offense punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 or five years' imprisonment.

Enforcement

A person or entity having knowledge of a violation or potential violation of employer sanctions provisions may submit a signed written complaint to the INS office with jurisdiction over the business or residence of the potential violator, whether an employer, employee, or agent. The complaint must include the names and addresses of both the complainant and the violator, and detailed factual allegations, including date, time, and place of the potential violation, and the specific conduct alleged to be a violation of employer sanctions. By regulation, the INS will only investigate third-party complaints that have a reasonable probability of validity. Designated INS officers and employees, and all other officers whose duty it is to enforce criminal laws, may make an arrest for violation of smuggling or harboring illegal aliens.

State and local law enforcement officials have the general power to investigate and arrest violators of federal immigration statutes without prior INS knowledge or approval, as long as they are authorized to do so by state law. There is no extant federal limitation on this authority. The 1996 immigration control legislation passed by Congress was intended to encourage states and local agencies to participate in the process of enforcing federal immigration laws. Immigration officers and local law enforcement officers may detain an individual for a brief warrantless interrogation where circumstances create a reasonable suspicion that the individual is illegally present in the U.S. Specific facts constituting a reasonable suspicion include evasive, nervous, or erratic behavior; dress or speech indicating foreign citizenship; and presence in an area known to contain a concentration of illegal aliens. Hispanic appearance alone is not sufficient. Immigration officers and police must have a valid warrant or valid employer's consent to enter workplaces or residences. Any vehicle used to transport or harbor illegal aliens, or used as a substantial part of an activity that encourages illegal aliens to come to or reside in the U.S. may be seized by an immigration officer and is subject to forfeiture. The forfeiture power covers any conveyances used within the U.S.

RICO —Citizen Recourse

Private persons and entities may initiate civil suits to obtain injunctions and treble damages against enterprises that conspire to or actually violate federal alien smuggling, harboring, or document fraud statutes, under the Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO). The pattern of racketeering activity is defined as commission of two or more of the listed crimes. A RICO enterprise can be any individual legal entity, or a group of individuals who are not a legal entity but are associated in fact, and can include nonprofit associations.

Tax Crimes

Employers who aid or abet the preparation of false tax returns by failing to pay income or Social Security taxes for illegal alien employees, or who knowingly make payments using false names or Social Security numbers, are subject to IRS criminal and civil sanctions. U.S. nationals who have suffered intentional discrimination because of citizenship or national origin by an employer with more than three employees may file a complaint within 180 days of the discriminatory act with the Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices, U.S. Department of Justice. In addition to the federal statutes summarized, state laws and local ordinances controlling fair labor practices, workers compensation, zoning, safe housing and rental property, nuisance, licensing, street vending, and solicitations by contractors may also apply to activities that involve illegal aliens.

Comment:

A comment and a published quote by Robert Gaffney, Attorney and County Executive of Suffolk County, LI, NY:

The statutory foundation of United States immigration law has always been the jurisdiction of the federal government, Congress and the federal courts. The preeminent laws concerning the employment of illegal aliens are found in the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. §~ 1101-1503), as amended by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 CIRCA).

The law states it is a crime to assist an illegal alien who lacks employment authorization by referring him to an employer, or by acting as his or her employer, or as an agent for an employer. 8 U.S.C.S. § 1324a(a)(1)(A) (Lexis 1997). Furthermore, it is unlawful to hire an individual for employment without complying with the employment eligibility requirements for every person hired. 8 U.S.C.S. § 1324a(a)(l)(B) (Lexis 1997). Moreover, conduct tending substantially to facilitate illegal aliens remaining in the United States illegally, where there is knowledge or a reckless disregard of an illegal alien s unlawful status, is a crime, with escalating penalties, encompassed within the provisions of 1324. 8 U.S.C.S. § 1324(a)(l)(A)(iii) (Lexis 1997); United States v. Kim. 193 F-3d 567 (2d Cir. 1999), are considered employees for purposes of immigration law.
11 posted on 07/26/2007 4:21:14 PM PDT by Man50D (Fair Tax, you earn it, you keep it!)
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To: Uncledave
"It might be the equivalent of a green card," Specter said Thursday.

So these gentlemen plan to just hand out green cards to all of the criminals who flouted our immigration laws?

And to everyone who has tried to legally go through all of the hoops and expense to get a green card the right way, well, those law-abiding folks can just go to the back of the line?

That is the most preposterously backwards idea. The idea ought to be to reward those people who follow our immigration laws, and not those criminals who have done nothing except shown contempt for them.

12 posted on 07/26/2007 4:21:40 PM PDT by snowsislander
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To: Uncledave

Business wants its cheap slave labor damn it! Mighty Specter to the rescue!

So, Specter, how much a head are they worth? Going to legislate new federal employees properly certified to check their teeth and whether their shoulders are strong enough?

Damn, I despise them. A civil war wasn’t won so that we could reinstitute slavery in the 21st century moron.


13 posted on 07/26/2007 4:22:57 PM PDT by Soul Seeker
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To: Uncledave

That was basically the plan all along; incrementalism.

Give them green cards and then turn a blind eye to falsified regristration cards at the ballot.


14 posted on 07/26/2007 4:23:47 PM PDT by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
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To: laweeks

we have to be honest withone another, spector is ony following what the administration wants him to do. not passing the first amney bill was a black eye to w. this issue will not go away until it is a law.


15 posted on 07/26/2007 4:23:48 PM PDT by rineaux (I Refuse to comment on this post until I know what Jesse Jackson Thinks.)
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To: Uncledave
It's like a bad horror movie, that keeps coming back.


16 posted on 07/26/2007 4:24:22 PM PDT by ElkGroveDan (When toilet paper is a luxury, you have achieved communism.)
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To: Uncledave

Arlen, you ignorant slut!


17 posted on 07/26/2007 4:25:26 PM PDT by JRochelle (WalMart's 'Great Value' brand to be renamed, to be called the 'Great Wall' brand.)
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To: Uncledave

Once you give them legal status, it really doesn’t matter if they become citizens or not. They can then start bringing in their families thru chain migration. The 12 to 20 million will rapidly become 25 to 50 million LEGAL immigrants.


18 posted on 07/26/2007 4:25:31 PM PDT by kabar
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To: Soul Seeker

This time the Slave owners ain’t going to check their teeth or anything, YOU and all US taxpayers will pay for their teeth and well being. They get off with a chintzy paycheck.

Nice isn’t it?


19 posted on 07/26/2007 4:25:32 PM PDT by dforest (Duncan Hunter is the best hope we have on both fronts.)
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To: Uncledave
We’re going to have to nuke the dang house and senate, to put this thing down for good!! LOL! Ah, we already are nuking with those phone calls, emails and fax’s thanks to you FREEPERS who keep reminding us to act. :-)

We’ll just have to keep givin’ them the slap down.

20 posted on 07/26/2007 4:25:54 PM PDT by GOP Poet
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