Posted on 03/29/2007 5:12:09 PM PDT by Dubya
A White House plan devised in weeks of closed-door meetings with Republican senators would grant work visas to undocumented immigrants but require them to return home and pay hefty fines to become legal U.S. residents.
The draft immigration legislation is the first stab by the White House and Republican senators to address the presence of 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants living and working in the country and the reliance by employers on illegal workers.
The White House draft plan was circulating Thursday around Capitol Hill and among groups with an interest in immigration legislation after elements of it were leaked late Wednesday.
Under the plan, undocumented workers could apply for three-year work visas, which the plan dubs "Z" visas. They would be renewable indefinitely but renewal would cost $3,500 each time.
The undocumented workers would have legal status with the visas, but to get a green card, making them legal permanent residents, they'd have to return to their home country, apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate to re-enter legally and pay a $10,000 fine.
The plan also tries to make border security a priority by requiring 18,300 Border Patrol agents and 370 miles of physical fencing be in place, as well as electronic monitoring of the southern border ongoing before a temporary worker program could start.
The plan is far more conservative than the one the Senate approved last year with bipartisan backing and support from President Bush. That plan, whose principal architects were Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., allowed illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S., work and apply to become legal residents after learning English, paying fines and back taxes and clearing a background check.
Critics dismissed that bill as an amnesty.
Supporters of immigration reform say the draft plan shows the White House is serious about getting a bill completed this year. But immigration advocates were disappointed with the product and see it as a step backward.
"For us it's a no go," said Angela Kelley, deputy director of the advocacy group National Immigration Forum.
A plan to make more green cards available to skilled workers by limiting visas for parents, children and siblings of U.S. citizens and one that would prohibit temporary workers from bringing family members is one of the plan's more controversial provisions.
"President Bush said family values don't stop at the Rio Grande. Evidently they do," said Kevin Appleby, director of Migration and Refugee Policy for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Kennedy appeared at a news conference in support of immigration reform with evangelical leaders, including Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty. The leaders said they plan to exhort their congregations to push lawmakers and take other steps to get an immigration reform bill passed.
Family unification, said Kennedy, "has been an essential aspect of immigration policy since the history of this country" and letting immigrants work their way toward legalization is a framework for previous immigration bills that has received substantial support.
"You don't compromise on the morality of these issues," Kennedy said. "We're not going to."
But Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he favored gearing immigration toward the higher skilled and educated who he said would help the country.
The immigration plan is the result of about a month of meetings among White House officials, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and Republican senators.
Democrats recognize they need Republican support to get an immigration bill passed this year and have been counting on Bush to deliver Republican votes.
A House bill introduced last week by Reps. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., also attempts to appeal to conservatives.
It provides six-year work visas to undocumented immigrants and requires them at some point during that period to exit the country and re-enter using their work visa.
1) The undocumented workers would have legal status with the visas, but to get a green card, making them legal permanent residents, they'd have to return to their home country, apply at a U.S. embassy or consulate to re-enter legally and pay a $10,000 fine.
Why would any illegal pay $3,500 when Bush isn't enforcing the immigration laws now, and the federal government will have all they can do to keep track of even as few as 1 million who might sign up for this.
2) The plan also tries to make border security a priority by requiring 18,300 Border Patrol agents and 370 miles of physical fencing be in place, as well as electronic monitoring of the southern border ongoing before a temporary worker program could start.
So, they’re going to try to make border security a priority before the amnesty starts. And the day after it starts they turn off the aerial and electronic monitoring and we’re right back where we started, a free for all at the border.
No Thanks!
Is it really that hard to understand:
Secure the Border First!
Sure, they've finally figured out the approximate amount of back unearned tax checks these people would get, so the fine would equal "0". This is more BS for the sheep.
I forgot how many miles of fence did jorge promise and sign right before the election?? Is it built yet, has he lied about this fence, will he lie about the next one also?
And the border guard promise, jorge hasn't seen fit to add the one approved two years ago, why would you believe the new number.
It's the old saw "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me".
In 1986 they promised us secure borders and amnesty. The amnesty happened overnight, but somehow in the intervening 20 years they just couldn't get around to securing our borders, and with terrorism today, border security is more important than ever.
IF Bush would truly secure the borders, that would prove to all Americans that he was serious and that would open up the possibility of guest worker plans and amnesty, but Bush won't deign to work with fellow Republicans, he's more interested in working for the Dems, Rinos and Mexico.
OH DID I SAY VOTERS.?. sorry don't want to raise voting demogramphic questions..
WHO WOULD benefit from millions of new democrat voters?..
Strange that republican officials seem to CARE LESS...
Could you call this, Republicraticide?...
The only viable way to stop the flow of illegal migration into the US is to deny aliens employment, including the 90+% of landscape contractors here in California. The illegal aliens are also over-represented in the construction and services industries.
I don't know. They were supposed to be building a fence but I don't pay taxes to the Minutemen, so I'm not going to look to them to build the darn thing! It's not their responsibility.
President Bush is the reason it's not being built, because he doesn't want it built. He can't move ahead with his global agenda unless he can leave our borders wide open!
Personally, I don't believe a darned thing this President says in regard to the borders, illegals or much else for that matter. He hasn't changed his opinion on keeping our border open, you can bet on that....that's what he's been plotting for all along, it's part of his grand plan to virtually wipe out our borders, continue to bend over backwards for the Mexican gov. and keep his corporate buddies happy...all while moving forward with his vision of One World , Free Trade la la land.
Seems that way to me, too. Looks like we'll get more of the same next time around, don't you think?
"President Bush today made a point of praising one of the Senate's strongest supporters of illegal alien amnesty, Senator Edward Kennedy. President Bush said Republican lawmakers are working closely with Senator Kennedy on what is called comprehensive immigration reform, or amnesty.
President Bush said Senator Kennedy is "One of the best legislative senators there is. He can get the job done."
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0703/14/ldt.01.html
Fine. Why isn't the WH building the 800 miles of fence required by LAW and signed by Bush?.
John McCain was on Hannity earlier. He said that illegal aliens don't get the earned income tax credit, that's only for CITIZENS. Naturally, Hannity didn't say zip.
This is how out of it (or he's just plain lying-can you imagine that!)some of these blockheads are.
The aliens file for a Taxpayer ID# and get the credit!
http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalfindings.html
Treasury Department Report. The results of our study are also buttressed by an analysis of illegal alien tax returns done by the Inspector General's Office of the Department of Treasury in 2004.35 That study found that 55 percent of illegal aliens who filed income tax returns using tax identification numbers had no federal income tax liability. While higher than the 45 percent estimated in this study, it must be remembered that this figure was only for those who filed tax returns using a tax identification number. These are all individuals who expected refunds, otherwise they would not have gone to the trouble of getting tax identification numbers and filing a return. But like our estimates, the Inspector General's report indicates that roughly half of illegals have no tax liability, reflecting their very low incomes and large number of dependents. ________________
http://www.ustreas.gov/tigta/congress/congress_03102004.htm
The number of ITINs issued in the last few years has increased dramatically, climbing from 1.1 million in 2001 to 1.5 million in 2002--a one-year increase of about 36 percent. Normally, ITINs would be used to file a Form 1040NR—U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return. However, many ITINs are used to file Forms 1040, which creates challenges for tax administration. Our analysis of Forms 1040 filed in Tax Year 2001 with ITINs found that approximately 530,000 Forms 1040 were filed with ITINs as the primary number by aliens who resided in the U.S., but who were not authorized to work and, in general, to reside in the U.S.
* These returns reported adjusted gross income of $10.7 billion. After tax deductions and credits, these tax returns reported a total liability of $184 million. * Over half of the tax returns reported no tax liability, and $522 million in tax refunds were claimed on these returns.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0701/04/gb.01.html
BECK: This is insanity. You know, I just saw a number -- and tell me if this number is right, if you even have it -- I just saw a number on, in 2004, what we paid illegal aliens in tax refunds, 2004. Do you know this number?
CAMAROTA: Yes, I believe -- the figure I`ve heard is about $10 billion. That`s based on estimates that the Treasury Department has done itself, $10 billion they paid back to illegal aliens.
BECK: That is insane. We`re paying them $10 billion, and we can`t arrest them, we can`t even find them, we don`t even know -- $10 billion? And now we`re giving them Social Security, one that we don`t need another country to sabotage for us. We`re doing it ourselves. The whole thing is going to collapse.
CAMAROTA: Yes, and what`s worse than that is, that the IRS issues them tax I.D. numbers so that they can then file their income tax with their false Social Security numbers so that we can give them their $10 billion back.
BECK: OK, all right. So the last thing here -- let me just role play here for a second. I`m an illegal alien. I have to now go to the government and prove to the government that I have a fake I.D., that I bought a fake Social Security card on the street in the black market, and then the government rewards me for that, right?
CAMAROTA: Yes, in effect, sure. Once you get legal status, then you apply for the credits that you earned while you were an illegal alien. And the way you do that is like you said: You show your false documents. You bring out your bogus tax returns, and so forth.
Come now, you know that is not the WH that is not acting. The money to fund the activity was not made available to the WH by Congress.
Look, people, if you don't believe any law is going to be enforced, then why care what law is passed? You don't believe any law passed saying anything at all will be enforced, so you should have no interest in the legislation. In your view, no legislation has any meaning because it will not be put into effect.
If you DO believe that legislation will be enforced, then the WH proposal DOES in fact specify that no worker program goes into effect until a fence is built and Border Patrol personnel increases. That is a first offer. I would recommend that a minor mod to it might be some number of deportations also be demonstrated. Once that is achieved, then proceed with the process of levying fines to punish illegals for their crime as part of the very contorted process they must follow to get documented.
But if you don't believe any law will ever take effect, there is no point in having any interest in new legislation.
"more conservative"
Just not nearly or even close to conservative enough.
That is kind of like saying that Robert Byrd is "more conservative" then Ted Kennedy.
From Numbers USA. Send free faxes to your lesgislooters!
http://www.numbersusa.com/
Phone your two Senators: 202-224-3121
If a high percentage of citizens in the NumbersUSA Action Network don't react on Friday, that will be taken as a green light to start rushing through a huge increase in immigration and rewards for illegal aliens.
Your NumbersUSA Staff Team has been meeting with top congressional leaders day and night this week to try to bolster the resolve of Congressional Members on our front line to stand their ground.
It truly is up to you today (Friday) to prove to our strong allies and our wobbly-kneed allies that the public wants dramatic immigration REDUCTIONS and NOT huge immigration INCREASES.
White House sources have told the news media that they believe they have the 25 Republican Senators committed to this outline that it will take to help the Democratic majority get an amnesty bill through Congress.
The question now is whether all 25 will stick with the plan once their constituents learn the details -- and whether Sen. Kennedy (D-Mass.) will be willing to accept this proposal over his much-more open border plan.
QUICK OVERVIEW
Our analysis here is based on the 23-slide Power Point show the White House has been giving Members of Congress the last couple of days, and on our interviews with Members who got the presentation.
* This new plan espouses several key elements that NumbersUSA has been pushing for years. It calls for (1) an end to chain migration, (2) an end to the lottery, (3) strong enforcement against future illegal immigration, (4) no path to green cards for new guest workers, (5) no family accompanying guest workers. It appears that all of your years of faxing, phoning and visiting -- and your staff's personal visits to Members and to the White House staff -- have broken through on several fronts.
* But in nearly every case of good elements, the plan either lacks the details to ensure that these are implemented as advertised,
or it has other provisions that knowingly or inadvertently undermine those good elements.
* It rewards most of the 12 million illegal aliens
with the very things they broke immigration laws to obtain.
* It is nearly oblivous to the costs of low-skilled foreign workers to American taxpayers.
It would impose trillions of dollars of costs on American citizens. Inexplicably, it would dramatically increase the number of low skilled foreign workers in the country, even though a new Heritage Foundation study has found that each household headed by such a worker saddles Americans with a net of $22,000 extra in welfare and other government benefits.
* It would increase annual immigration by at least 50%.
Current annual immigration already is running 400% of traditional U.S. averages. This plan would boost annual numbers to at least six times what they were in the 1950s and 1960s.
* It is totally insensitive to the deterioration in the quality of life for most Americans who would see their communities forced to accommodate another 200 million people because of immigration by mid-century.
And there is not a single indication of concern about what a half-billion American population in 2050 would do to natural habitats in the U.S., to global environmental factors or to the nation's ability to have enough energy supplies.
* The needs and lives of American workers are largely ignored.
This is a plan drawn up almost entirely for the sake of businesses desiring to globalize their laborforce in order to hold wages down toward global averages.
IS IT AN AMNESTY FOR 12 MILLION ILLEGAL ALIENS?
YES.
Buried in the 23 pages of White House talking points is the promise that nearly all illegal aliens are expected to get a path to U.S. citizenship!
It basically makes liars of many of the staffers you have talked to by phone this week who claimed that there is no way their boss would ever support an amnesty and who claimed their boss wasn't involved in amnesty discussions with the White House.
Any Senator who comes out in support of this new White House plan will be in support of an amnesty.
Reading the White House outline, it is clear that the negotiators tried very hard to create enough hoops and loops so they could try to claim they aren't supporting an amnesty.
But consider this:
* Nearly all of the official 12 million illegal aliens would be allowed to immediately apply for a "Z Visa." That visa allows them to live and work legally in the United States for three years. That is what they broke the law to obtain. And they would get it. All they have to do is pay a $2,000 fine and a $1,500 processing fee. How many billions of people in the world would gladly pay $3,500 for the chance to work in the U.S.?
* The illegal aliens can renew the Z Visa every three years -- for the rest of their lives. They just have to pay the $3,500 every three years. But in order to get the first renewal, the illegal aliens would have to show progress toward assimilation by passing an English and civics test.
* The illegal aliens with Z Visas are fully eligibale for free, taxpayer-subsidized secondary education and emergency social service.
* At any time, illegal aliens can apply for a path to U.S. citizenship. The only thing that will slow them down is they will have to leave the country to be screened for security and will have to pay a $2,000 application fee and another $8,000 when their permanent residency is approved. The White House's Power Point slide states that nearly all illegal aliens are expected to eventually win this permanent residency and path to U.S. citizenship.
NEW HERITAGE FOUNDATION FINDINGS ON COST OF FOREIGN WORKERS FOR AMERICANS
Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation has just finished a study that makes the White House plan for big increases in low-skill labor sound like a plot to bankrupt America.
The study looked at households headed by high-school drop-outs.
It found high school drop-outs accounted for about:
* 9% of native-born Americans
* 25% of legal immigrants
* 50% of illegal aliens
The new Bush/Republican Senator plan would dramatically increase the number of legal immigrant drop-outs and make sure that millions of illegal drop-outs stayed in our country.
The cost to Americans will be staggering.
Rector found that the share of federal, state and local costs for each of these high-school-dropout households is around $43,000 a year.
But he subtracted out their share of defense and interest on debt, concluding that:
THE INCREMENTAL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL EXPENDITURES FOR EACH HOUSEHOLD HEADED BY A HIGH-SCHOOL DROPOUT IS AROUND
$32,000 a year
in government support
The Heritage Foundation scholar then painstakingly dug through government data to find every kind of tax that these households pay. He even included money spent on lottery tickets ($686 per year) and excise taxes, as well as FICA and property taxes and many others.
He said he was a bit surprised to find that these high-school-dropout households pay more taxes than he expected:
Nearly $10,000
a year in taxes
Nonetheless, the bottom line is that these households require:
$22,000 each year
in net taxpayer subsidies
"Do you remember, there is NO funding approved for the fence they PREVIOUSLY agreed to build. They are trying to calm us down so they can pass this bill that will destroy our sovereignty!"
Bush & Rove have nothing but contempt for the American people.
Anyonw who believed Bush's Fence is a fool!
"22,000 each year
in net taxpayer subsidies"
I guess Boosh forgot to mention that.
Talk about yer minimum security...
I guess this is "more conservative" than immediate total amnesty, which isn't saying much.
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