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.
"...too many.. engineers..."
I agree there are too many lawyers, but not engineers. We have a government which is too big and stifles production deliberately, coupled with corporate management which refuses to do adequate engnineering up front, and refuses to plan for the long term returns which comes from long term quality.
You should realize that Bush is serving out Clinton's third term in much the same way that Gore would be doing. I am maintaining my opinion that these domestic policies, advanced by Clinton holdovers in the government, will result in Bush as a one-term president, in spite of the poll numbers.
There are 270M in this country; Pres Bush tries to please everyone, since he is leader of the country, not 1/2, 1/3, but all of us. Lets try being grateful we got rid of the SOB we had, and didn't get another one almost like him.
Call me a shill, if it makes you feel better--but I'm gonna support my president, and leave the criticism to that clymer Sorkin. I am, however, that I dn't get to sit next to Mel Gibson at the WH theater tonight, but I'm not sure my heart could stand it.
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