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.
The government forced immigration "free for all" continues.
We just can't keep absorbing 10's of millions of aliens EACH YEAR. , whether legal or not!!It is killing the "GOLDEN GOOSE"!!
Your right, if they don't turn around this titanic immigration disaster fast, it will soon be dead. Bet the rent.
They can take there filthy lettuce and shove it up burger kings drive through.
This lettuce BS is to much. There are 2 million illegals in the greater Los Angeles, Southern California area alone, and not a stinking lettuce field in sight. Whats the message here, that there are *2 million* illegal aliens working at 50 or 60 fast food joints? When pigs fly.
Bush blasts anti-immigrant forces .....wants more immigration
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