Democrats on Tuesday begin their new push for an immigration bill, hamstrung by the image of legalizing millions of illegal immigrant workers at a time when the unemployment rate stands at 10 percent -- more than twice what it was the last time Congress tried to act.
"It certainly will confuse the debate a lot more, but at the end of the day what we have to understand is fixing this system will be good for American workers," said Eliseo Medina, executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which is one of the major advocates for legalizing illegal immigrant workers (and also one of the major forces behind the group ACORN.)
A draft overview of the bill, circulated with the letter, ends some enforcement tools such as the 287(g) local police cooperation program which enabled local authorities to detain illegals, and calls for an electronic verification system to replace the voluntary E-verify program. It also argues that there's no need for more U.S. Border Patrol agents or fencing, and establishes a long-term path to citizenship (amnesty) for illegal immigrants.
That path would require illegal immigrants to pay a $500 fine, pass a background check and learn English and civics to gain legal status.
"With 15 million Americans out of work, it's hard to believe that anyone would give amnesty to 12 million illegal immigrants," said Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee. "Even the open-borders crowd agrees that illegal immigrants take jobs from American workers, particularly poor and disadvantaged citizens and legal immigrants. This is exactly why we need to oppose amnesty."
His office has calculated that there are 19 states where the number of illegal immigrants in the work force is at least 50 percent of the number of unemployed workers.
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2 comments:
The free-market system is all fine and dandy when it comes to purchasing gas, a new car, or clothes, but when it comes to labor markets, employers like to change the rules. There is no such thing as "a job nobody wants". People want to be able to come home and pay the bills after working for you 50 hours a week! Fix immigration by going after the employers AND the illegals.
send them all back to there countries!!!! see our unemployment rate drop..... they are taking all of our jobs. whats wrong wtih the you people can't you see the problem. Don't cry later do something now.. stop illegals from taking your jobs.
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