Posted on 09/10/2001 9:23:00 AM PDT by RaceBannon
FAIR Action Alert
September 7, 2001
Section 245(i) Passed in Senate--House Will Vote Early Next Week
At the request of President Bush, the Senate passed S. 778, the Section 245(i) extension bill by unanimous consent on Thursday night. Section 245(i) permits illegal aliens who have established an employment or familial relationship while in the U.S. illegally to adjust their status with the INS after payment of a $1,000 fee. It also allows illegal aliens to avoid the State Department background checks for other immigrants coming from overseas.
As in previous years, the immigration lobby and now President Bush are trying to revive this loophole as a backdoor approach of amnesty. Many of those who have supported “temporary” extension of Section 245(i) are really after a permanent extension, thereby institutionalizing illegal immigration as an avenue for gaining permanent residence. This is manifest in the fact that S. 778 allows additional illegal aliens who were not earlier eligible for the provision to benefit as well.
House Republican leaders, under pressure from the Bush Administration, have agreed to go along with the measure the Senate passed. The House will take up the measure early next week, perhaps on Monday. Bush said this week that he would like to see Section 245(i) passed as a good will gesture to Mexican President Vicente Fox.
Under the compromise, the 245(i) program would be extended through April 2002, or four months after the Immigration and Naturalization Service establishes regulations for the program. The extension would apply to illegal aliens who meet the program's requirements by August 15 by proving they are related to a legal U.S. resident or have a job or the promise of a job in the United States.
What You Need to Do
Contact your Representatives (Capitol Switchboard 202-224-3121) and tell them you are opposed to an extension of Section 245(i).
Talking Points
Section 245(i) Encourages Illegal Immigration—It sends the message that it is OK to break the law as long as you can pay $1,000 to the INS.
Section 245(i) Upends U.S. Law—Congress in 1996 declared that those who overstay their visas or are otherwise illegal aliens should be barred from legal entry into the country for three or 10 years depending on the extent of the violation of U.S. immigration law. Section 245(i) allows illegal aliens to evade this penalty. Section 245(i) Harms Legal Immigrants—Those applicants patiently staying in their home countries awaiting an immigrant visa, as U.S. immigration law requires, will be forced to wait even longer.
You can visit our website at www.fairus.org and go to the Legislative Action Center to find your representatives and local media contact information. For more information, call FAIR’s legislative department at (202) 328-7004.
I agree with all your well-stated points. I have about had it with Republicans myself. As you point out, issues like immigration and term limits have been consistently popular with the electorate and yet amazingly both parties avoid these issues like the plague. If the republicans were thinking LONG TERM they would take on immigration reform as one of their main issues and expose the democrats as reckless about the future of this country for being against it. I have no doubt that this issue alone would reenergize their demoralized grassroots base.
Regrettably all too many in the GOP are afraid of the heat from liberals on immigration reform so they put their job security before the security of America. No heroes here. Others in the GOP are just flat out bought and paid for by the immigration lobbyists.
As the republican party slowly becomes marginalized by the democrats because of massive 3rd world immigration, the GOP appears to have opted for a slow death rather than showing some guts by standing up for the voters of this land and turning the tables on the democrats. Perhaps "Coward" Party is the more accuarate label for the GOP.
this is a hot topic on paltalk come join fellow CONSERVATIVES on paltalk and voice your opninion
You mean that before illegals, America didn't have lettuce, fast food, or janitors?
I clearly remember an English speaking person getting my order right, lettuce being fresh, and bathrooms being FAR cleaner than they are today.
You might check with any county voter registration office in Arizona. it is a regular occurance. Any one submitting a voter registration application, is sent a voter registration card, current law prevents the registration office from asking if the registrant is a citizen, asking for proof of citizenship is prohibited. I have verified this with the "very frustrated" head of the voter registration office in my county.
I have also seen people, who I know are not citizens, with voter registration cards, in their name.
Please don't take my word for it, check it out for yourself!
I don't see "home grown" Americans exactly lining up for those jobs. The only thing I see on this thread is xenophobia run amuck and people putting their head in the sand to the fact that we share a 1500 mile border with Mexico.
I guess that means that the Mexicans who are here legally, that are complaining about not being able to get a job because the illegals will work for less are a part of that xenophobia.
You folks that scream xenophobia really ought to spend some time at ground zero before you start calling names.
I specifically remember "Project Citizenship", Algore's pet program to speed up naturalization. I remember huge arena sized events where the GOP inquired about setting up a table at the events to register voters and distribute lit and they were told there wasnt room. Well, the democRATS had no problem doing the same.
Here are my thoughts on voting reform and how to provide for the "Clean and fair" elections that the democrats are calling for...
Amen!!and DITTO!!
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