Immigration News

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Owens signs immigration bills

 Gov. Bill Owens signed 10 immigration bills Monday, including a proposal some business groups say is onerous and unfair.

The bills came out of a special legislative session on immigration, which ran from July 6-10.

 Businesses lobbied against House Bill 1017, which the governor signed. Employers say the law could open them up to thousands of dollars in fines for being fooled by employees' false identification papers. The bill, which takes effect Jan. 1, requires employers to keep employment eligibility forms on file and allows the state Department of Labor and Employment to conduct random audits to verify compliance.

Under 1017, the director of the state's Division of Labor may ask employers to submit documentation to prove they are complying with the law. Employers who don't submit documents or who submit false papers could be fined up to $5,000 for the first offense and up to $25,000 after that.

"We're just very disappointed the governor would make this decision," Tony Gagliardi, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, said at the end of the special session. "He's always been very pro-business."

A main focus of the special session was House Bill 1023, which requires applicants for government benefits to prove they are lawfully in the United States. Some benefits, including food stamps and Medicaid, are not covered by the bill due to federal law.

Owens signed HB 1023 and called it "the toughest law dealing with illegal immigration enacted anywhere in the country."

"My goal of course is to stem the tide of illegal immigration coming into Colorado," he said.

According to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center, there are 200,000 -250,000 illegal immigrants in Colorado. Some lawmakers are concerned employers are breaking the law by hiring illegal workers, who may be receiving benefits reserved for American citizens.

Owens also signed the following bills affecting employers:

    * HB 1009 requires the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) and local governments to issue and renew licenses, permits, registrations and other authorizations only to people in the country legally.

DORA issues licenses for the professions it regulates, including accountants, barbers, cosmetologists, electricians, engineers, dentists, insurers, land surveyors, physical therapists, plumbers and veterinarians. Local governments also issue authorizations to conduct business, including development or building permits, and licenses for certain occupations, flea markets, liquor establishments, pawn shops and other businesses.

    * HB 1001 requires employers to prove that all of their workers are eligible to work in the country before they could receive economic-development incentives.
    * HB 1015 requires employers to withhold income tax from workers who don't provide a correct taxpayer identification number.

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Bush renews bid for immigration reform during Miami visit

MIAMI - Citing the contributions of Cubans and Haitians in Miami, President Bush Monday repeated his call for comprehensive immigration reform, a push that remains stalled in Congress due to opposition within his own party.

With the backdrop of the U.S. Coast Guard station in Miami Beach, Fla., which intercepts hundreds of immigrants every year, Bush praised immigrants as "people who add to our prosperity" and called it unrealistic to expect that the United States can deport the estimated 10 million or 11 million illegal immigrants.

"Of all the places in our country, Miami understands the importance of the contribution that the newly arrived can make to a society," Bush said to applause. "Rational immigration policy is possible, and it's important for members of the United States Congress to work toward a comprehensive immigration plan."

But Bush's plea came as House Republican leaders, opposed to a Senate plan that the president supports, signaled their continued opposition by opening another round of hearings aimed at exploring border security and what they called "the inherent weaknesses" of the Senate position.

Bush used his Miami visit - the second of two extended stays outside the Washington Beltway in a month - to tout his initiatives, including port security, tax cuts and hurricane preparedness, shoring up his standing among largely appreciative crowds.

He issued a call for increased trade, saying he's "worried about protectionist tendencies in the United States, people saying, well, we don't want to - really want to compete.

"Such policies will damage the Port of Miami; such policies are short-sighted, as far as I'm concerned," he said.

But the visit came amid increasing turmoil in the Middle East and Bush at two stops repeated his support for Israel's stance, saying Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is "working urgently to get a sustainable cease-fire, a cease-fire which will last."

"It is important to remember this crisis began with Hezbollah's unprovoked terrorist attacks against Israel," he said at the port. "Israel is exercising its right to defend itself."

The trip was remarkable for its length - but for campaigning, visits to cities generally last a few hours - and its variety.

With polls showing his popularity rating hovering in the 30s, Bush reached out to his reliable Republican base.

He started the day with ''local business leaders'' at Versailles in Little Havana, a landmark popular with politicians. There he declared his opposition to Cuban leader Fidel Castro during an interview with Radio Mambi, the reliably anti-Castro Spanish-language radio station.

From breakfast, Bush motorcaded to the National Hurricane Center to suggest his administration - vilified for its response to Hurricane Katrina - would be ready this time around.

But Bush may have neglected to read the administration's talking points. He suggested "people need to understand the peak of hurricane season is now through September."

Hurricane Director Max Mayfield gently corrected the commander in chief.

The peak of the season runs until "mid-October," Mayfield noted.

From the hurricane center, it was off to the U.S. Coast Guard station where Bush, calling his brother Gov. Jeb Bush "mi hermanito," touted tax cuts as a way of boosting the economy before boarding a Coast Guard cutter for a tour of cargo operations at the nearby port. He declared a boost in spending on port security "is working," but the assertion drew charges from Democrats that the ports have been overlooked.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said Monday that aviation security has received 18 times more money than port security since the 2001 terrorist attacks.

"While aviation security is important, 95 percent of our foreign trade is handled by U.S. ports," Wasserman Schultz said. "This neglect of our nation's port security cannot be allowed to continue."

The visit drew a few war protesters: at the port, a dozen or so held signs, one of them reading, "Stop Mad Cowboy Disease."

In an interview with a local radio station, Bush indicated he'd be open to new suggestions about revamping the controversial wet-foot, dry-foot policy that returns some Cuban migrants to the island, but for now "we'll leave the policy in place."

"The American people expect there to be rational migration policy," he said.

And he defended restricting family visits to Cuba, saying Castro uses the trips "as a way to earn hard currency to keep his tyrannical regime in place."

"Fidel Castro is the one who causes families to be separated," Bush said.

Bush capped the visit by raising about $650,000 for the Republican National Committee at a private fundraiser at Miami developer Armando Codina's home.

[Soldier4Christ]

Absent federal leadership, towns tackle immigration

With the House and Senate at an impasse on the issue of illegal immigration, cities across the United States are passing local laws to stem the tide and to compensate for lack of Washington action except for congressional rhetoric.

An ordinance adopted in a San Diego suburb requires employers to register with Vista, Calif., before using day laborers - many of whom are illegal immigrants. They must also report whom they hire.

Hazleton, Pa., a coal town of 31,000 inhabitants, is preparing to carry out what is called the nation's toughest illegal-immigration law.

It mandates fines for employers that knowingly hire illegal immigrants and landlords who knowingly rent to them.

"Our quality of life is at stake, and I'm not going to sit back and wait for the federal government to do something about it," Mayor Louis Barletta told Time magazine. "I know that other cities across the country feel the same way."

Cities like Avon Park, Fla., a community of 8,500 in the citrus belt considering legislation similar to Hazleton's; and Kennewick, Wash., also mulling an illegal-immigration ordinance.

Kennewick sponsor Councilman Bob Parks was inspired by Barletta out of his belief that "the government's not doing enough. I thought, If this mayor has the guts to do this, I'm going to follow suit."

An advocacy group out of New York City, the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, expects to file a lawsuit to overturn Hazleton's "unconstitutional and discriminatory" ordinance.

A legal analysis by the bipartisan Congressional Research Service suggests Hazleton's penalties may trample federal jurisdiction.

"You can't have every little town deciding the conditions under which illegal immigrants are going to live there," says advocacy group President Cesar Perales.

Maybe not, but these towns are prodding home the point and providing political pressure in the best way they can that Congress needs to resolve the guest worker plan the Senate insists on that the House opposes and pass national legislation if it is properly federal jurisdiction.

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'In 20 years then we gonna run the country'
Brazen illegals predict taking control in America

Stirring The Nation's Melting Pot
Assimilating And Americanizing Latinos In The United States

By the year 2040, there will be 60 million Latinos in the United States.

All they had to do was take to the streets, together, this spring to force the question, yet again, in our immigrant history: is it different this time? Is this invasion a threat? Will we become them or will they become us, asks CBS Sunday Morning contributor Martha Teichner.

The Barajas family, gathered at their house in East Los Angeles for a birthday party, offered a glimpse into Latino assimilation in America.

"Happy Birthday" was sung in English and the name on the cake read "Bobby" not Roberto.

Louis Barajas, Bobby's brother, says everyone he knows comes from an immigrant family. "There isn't a friend that I have that doesn't have parents that came from Mexico," he says.

The Barajas' are the living, breathing embodiment of a statistic immigration analysts consider proof that Latinos are assimilating into American life——from Louis's parents to his 13-year-old daughter, Aubrey.

"I talk to my parents in English. I talk to my grandpa in Spanish," Aubrey says.

By the third generation, the vast majority of Latinos, nearly 80 percent, speak English. Many speak no Spanish at all.

So the good news is that if you look at those numbers, it's clear that Latinos are no different from the immigrant groups who preceded them to this country, but depending on your viewpoint, that's also the bad news, because anxiety over Latino immigration is all about numbers and their impact on American culture.

There are 40 million Latinos in the United States, more than 13 percent of the population.

Just turn on the television: Spanish language broadcasting is a multi-billion dollar growth industry. Look around at the nation's construction workers, janitors, lawn crews and restaurant staff——Latino faces everywhere.

"People always emphasize the Latinization of America, and they don't look at what's happening to the Americanization of Latinos," says Harry Pachon.

Pachon is president of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute at the University of Southern California.
"You can look at where do the loyalties lie. Forty Latinos are Medal of Honor winners. Fourteen percent of the marines are of Hispanic origin. So what is this Latinization going on? It's not a one-way street, it's a two way street," Pachon says.

A White House photo-op last week said it all. The three soldiers, wounded in Iraq, that the president swore in as U.S. citizens: two Mexicans and a Dominican.

"I live among immigrants. These folks had to rip themselves up from another culture, from their families and work in order to achieve a better life. They have voted with their feet and had the faith of the convert," claims Henry Cisneros, the former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Clinton administration.

It's in the nation's interest to help them, according to Cisneros, a third generation Mexican-American, who was also mayor of San Antonio, Texas.

"We need to create institutions at our churches, at our neighborhood groups, at our community development corporations and yes, sometimes, government, i.e. the schools that offer an Americanizing curriculum that says, this is the way you become an American," Cisneros says.

Louis Barajas thinks Latinos ought to be doing the teaching.

He went to UCLA on scholarship, got an MBA and went to work doing financial planning for Anglo millionaires.

A genuine American success story, with books and a lecture series to prove it, Barajas decided the rich didn't need him, immigrants did.

"What I learned was that to become successful in America you had to have a specific mindset, a different mindset. I thought I pretty much had mastered that and I wanted to teach that to the Latinos. Not just financial. But changing the way they think," Barajas says.

Maria Cruz is his client——one of nine children, she grew up in Mexico.

"We were very, very poor, you know. We didn't have enough food to eat," Cruz remembers.

She came to the United States at the age of 18. At 38, she owns three WIC stores in the Los Angeles area, depots where low-income women cash in vouchers for food. There are more than a million and a half Latino-owned businesses in the United States, injecting well over $200 billion a year into the economy.

"Working hard and always trying to have a——what I should say——attitude of 'I wanna be better.' Always better. You never say, 'I'm fine, this is good enough,'" Cruz says.

Now a U.S. citizen, Cruz was an illegal immigrant.

Until after World War I, there really wasn't such a thing as illegal immigration in the United States. Millions of immigrants just showed up in great waves, mainly Europeans escaping poverty and politics.
The United States has always been schizophrenic about Latinos, especially Mexicans, over and over again, inviting them in to fill labor shortages and then when times got tough, throwing them out.

For more than 20 years, there was even a guest worker program. It ended in 1964, but the migrants came anyway——illegally——their numbers multiplying exponentially ever since.

Today, an estimated 12 million are here illegally.

A CBS News/New York Times poll found that nearly 9 out of 10 Americans consider illegal immigration either a serious or very serious problem.

"You just have to say, 'Hey folks, let's go. "Let's be practical. Get over it. Let's think it through in a practical way.' First of all, they're really not going anywhere," Cisneros says.

Born in Mexico, Alex Vega has been in the United States, undocumented, under the radar more than half his life. But in April he defiantly showed himself. He marched through downtown Los Angeles for immigrant rights, one of millions nationwide who understood what it meant to be seen and counted for the first time.

"I'm a ghost. I'm a ghost. I don't——I'm 45-years-old, I got 10 children, I have a business, I own a house, but nothing is in my name," Vega says.

Within five years, all 10 of Vega's children, born here, U.S. citizens, will have reached voting age.

"In 20 years then we gonna run the country. Right now we running the cities. So little by little, we are running the show. Little by little——so the sleeping giant, it's already awakened," Vega says.

Last year, Los Angeles elected Antonio Villaraigosa as its first Latino mayor in more than a century. He joins three U.S. senators and something like 6,000 other Latino officeholders at all levels of government.

If that scares some people, it reassures others.

"Yes, it will change the country, but I believe, fundamentally, it adds to the richness of the country and more importantly, this is a population that understands the basic credo, the basic core of the American idea," Cisneros says.

"They want to be part of the American dream."

[Soldier4Christ]

'Today We March, Tomorrow We Vote'
Poll Finds Latinos Energized To Vote — But For Which Party?

It's no surprise to anyone at this week's convention of La Raza, the largest Latino civil rights organization, that a new poll finds Latinos unified and energized by the immigration debate, reports CBS News correspondent Sandra Hughes.

It's no wonder big guns from both parties — such as former President Bill Clinton and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger — came to the convention to pay respect.

"We are an important swing vote, and I think both parties think they can be competitive for our vote," says Lisa Navarrete, a spokeswoman for National Council of La Raza.

Both parties got a wakeup call this spring, after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a restrictive immigration bill. Latinos around the country rose up and reacted, holding marches where participants carried banners with slogans such as "Today we march ... tomorrow we vote."

The truth is that no one knows yet if that fervor will translate into a wave of new Latino voters. But once again we're hearing talk of awakening a sleeping giant.

The giant stirred in California, for example, after a measure passed denying illegal immigrants social services.

Ttoday's Pew Hispanic Center poll says two-thirds of Latinos think this year's marches are the beginning of a nationwide movement.

"The sleeping giant is really awake, and I believe everybody knows that they have to listen," says Otilia Arvizu of Chicanos Por La Causa.

And activists are using the immigration debate to attract new voters.

"Tu vota es tu vos. Make your vote count. ... It starts with you," narrates one television ad from the National Council of La Raza.

But for which party? Support for Democrats has slipped. Still, year after year, about twice as many Latinos call themselves Democrats.

But in 2004, President Bush blew those numbers wide open, winning 40 percent of the Latino vote.

And now?

"Our recent surveys suggest that that has slipped back. Latino support for Republicans is back now where it was before the bush campaign of 2004," says Roberto Suro of the Pew Hispanic Center.

No wonder Karl Rove, the White House's deputy chief of staff, came to La Raza to disassociate the president from the anti-immigrant wing of the G.O.P.

"The debate has clouded the views of some in America and led them to fail to understand that Hispanics and all immigrants are real Americans," he said during a speech at the conference.

But, says La Raza's Navarrete, it's probably going to take more than one effort to smooth things over between the Latino community and the Republican Party.

The White House hopes it's not too late to soothe a sleeping giant that could have giant influence on Election Day.

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More prosecutors assigned to border areas


Another 35 prosecutors will be assigned to U.S. attorney's offices along the border, including San Diego, to handle immigration and drug cases, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced Monday.

The move comes weeks after U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, wrote a letter blasting the local U.S. attorney's office for not prosecuting more smugglers of illegal immigrants. Issa cited an unofficial, anonymous report that claimed government attorneys prosecuted only 6 percent of 251 cases involving illegal immigrant smugglers during fiscal year 2003-04.

In a statement released Tuesday, Issa cheered the assignment of more prosecutors, but also criticized the Department of Justice for not giving smuggling cases higher priority.

"This is a start, but the Department of Justice still needs to clearly articulate what resources it needs to adopt a zero-tolerance policy for prosecuting traffickers of human beings," Issa said.

Twenty of the new federal prosecutors will focus on immigration crimes, as will 10 other lawyers, now with the Department of Homeland Security, who will be designated special U.S. attorneys.

Another five lawyers, one for each judicial district on the border with Mexico, will work on drug prosecutions.

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Immigrants sue U.S. over application delays
Middle Easterners, Asians frustrated by indefinite processing times

Ten Middle Eastern and Asian immigrants sued the government Tuesday for allegedly letting their U.S. citizenship applications linger indefinitely by delaying background checks.

Filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, the suit asks that a federal judge review the files and administer the oath of citizenship.

It also seeks class-action status to include all immigrants who have been waiting at least six months for naturalization after filing applications at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service in Los Angeles.

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Muslims and immigrants from the Middle East and Asia have often complained of unexplained delays in the processing of immigration applications. The Southern California suit follows a handful of others across the U.S. in recent years.

"Whether the delays are based on discrimination or incompetence, they have to end," said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Southern California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which along with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California filed the suit.

"Muslims will not accept any longer being treated as second-class citizens by this administration."

Legal limits exceeded
Sharon Rummery, spokeswoman for the Citizenship and Immigration Service, said only about 1 percent of citizenship applicants wait longer than six months.

"I have no idea why some take longer," said Rummery, who added her agency cannot process an application until the FBI returns the background check.

Calls to FBI officials Tuesday seeking comment were not immediately returned.

Generally, legal permanent residents, or "green card" holders, can apply for citizenship if they have lived in the country a certain number of years, speak English fluently and pass a citizenship exam.

Federal law requires the government to approve or deny a citizenship application 120 days after an immigrant passes the exam.

It is taking a lot longer than that for Yousuf Bhaghani, 35, who left Pakistan 17 years ago. Bhaghani said he passed the citizenship exam in 2002, and has been waiting for an answer ever since.

"In my heart, I'm already an American in every way," said Bhaghani. "Now I want to be able to fully participate as a citizen."

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Immigration Reform Debate Prompts Political Action by Latinos

About a million people took part in marches across the United States this year to voice their concerns about immigration reforms under consideration in the Congress.  Young activists played a key role in the protests.  VOA's Brian Wagner reports the demonstrations have sparked growing interest among other young people -- especially Latinos -- to take political action.

The protests over immigration reform grabbed headlines across the country and demonstrated strength of the nation's largest minority group.

Latinos represent about 14 percent of the U.S. population, but they often are underrepresented in national and local elections.  Activists are seeking to change that imbalance in this November's legislative elections, by organizing voter registration efforts across the nation.

One of those drives is being organized by Amy Elliott, who says she was motivated by taking part in marches in her hometown of South Bend, Indiana.

"The momentum is very important to us. We had over 5,000 people walk with us in downtown South Bend.  The majority were of Hispanic origin but a lot of them were not," says Amy. "We are just trying to take that energy and transform that into action.  I think that's happening across the country."

Amy, whose father is from Mexico, was among dozens of young people seeking advice at a political training session for Latinos near Philadelphia.  The trainees learned about raising money, organizing volunteers, preparing for elections and other skills to operate a campaign for a social cause or elected office. 

Attendance at the sessions has swelled since the protests, according to Jano Cabrera, a communications associate for America Votes, which sponsored the session. "There is a great deal of interest to make sure people do not just march and forget about it," he says. "It is about taking the next step.  Marching, being outraged for that moment but then organizing and making sure that on election day you do something about it."

The sessions draw on the experience of seasoned political experts like Irasema Garza, who is the political director of Working America, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO labor group. "On a personal level I'm very interested in making sure that the Latino community trains leaders and that they are going to be ready to go out for 2006 and 2008, for many reasons.  Our community is growing; we are not doing the best in terms of voter turnout, etc.  So just on a personal level I am very interested in that."

Latino leaders have expressed hope that politicians will start paying more attention to their community since the protests.  They say immigration reform is a key issue, but they also have serious concerns about economic, social and other issues.

College student Jamie Miranda is an intern for the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights and advocacy group.  She recently attended a conference in Los Angeles to collect signatures for petitions to lawmakers. "The community I grew up in was not as representative of my concerns," says Jamie. "Being that I wanted to make some changes, and I saw that people had a voice and could make some changes by contacting their legislators and helping make decisions that will affect them potentially in the future."

One obstacle to greater political participation among Latinos is the failure of some immigrants to complete the naturalization process.  That keeps them from voting and receiving other benefits.  But since the protests, more people are requesting information on the process and seeking classes to prepare for the tests.

Rebecca Carly coordinates citizenship classes and other services for the Central American Resource Center in Washington. "We have definitely seen an interest.  In fact our session started four weeks ago and every Saturday we have new people trying to sign up.  We do not usually accept people in the middle of the session, but we want to accommodate," says Rebecca. "So we have seen an increase in that, also just applying in general.  We have already exceeded the amount of applications we had last year in the past quarter."

One of the volunteer teachers is Megan Fletcher, who recently graduated from Georgetown University with a master’s degree in Latin American studies. "That is one reason I wanted to get much more involved because the immigration issue is something that is very close to my heart even though I am not an immigrant," says Megan. "A lot of people I have known over the years have faced difficulties with the immigration system and this is a way to give back."

She says students learn English, history and the meaning of citizenship, which has taken on greater importance recently. "Citizenship has a special meaning, particularly in the last few months for a lot of the immigrants here in the United States, as a lot are advocating for immigration reform," says Megan.

Protests against some of the most controversial immigration reform proposals have now largely died down along with the chances of a major immigration reform bill passing in Congress before the end of this legislative session.  But mid-term elections are set for November and Hispanic leaders are hoping the energy seen in this spring's protests will be on display for Election Day in the fall.

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Immigration: Lawmakers debate use of ID to fight voter fraud

State Rep. Justine Fox-Young, testifying at a U.S. House field hearing Thursday, argued stronger voter identification is needed to prevent fraud, but others cautioned such requirements could discriminate against minorities.

The hearing was scheduled to investigate issues related to voting by noncitizens, but U.S. Rep. Vernon Ehlers, R-Mich., chairman of the House Committee on Administration, said he wanted to hear more about all types of fraud. "I kept trying to steer away from that," he said. "It's part of the problem, but it's not the whole problem."

At a later hearing in Phoenix, government officials also argued that stronger voter identification is needed to prevent illegal immigrants from casting ballots.

Fox-Young, R-Albuquerque, said it's hard to determine the extent of voting by illegal immigrants in New Mexico. She suggested voters should be required to show proof of citizenship, such as a federal voter-identification card that includes a photo.

"There is no systematic method for detecting fraud," she said.

Kathleen Walker, an El Paso immigration attorney and president elect of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said any requirement to show identification would be difficult for some groups.

Kimmeth Yazzie, a program specialist with the Navajo Election Administration, said an ID requirement would be difficult for Navajos, many of whom live in rural areas without physical addresses and don't like to have their photos taken for religious reasons.

Ehlers said he thinks certain organizations are taking advantage of immigrants by registering them to vote and using their identities to commit fraud. He said he doubts there's much of a problem with individuals who aren't citizens trying to cast ballots.

U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren,

D-Calif., a committee member, said the 26 hearings around the country represent an attempt to draw attention from a stalemate between the House and Senate regarding immigration reform, along with other problems.

"The Republicans have been in charge of this. They have the Senate and the House, and they haven't done anything," she said. "These field hearings aren't a suitable answer to that lack of action."

Ehlers and U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., who was invited to participate in the two-hour meeting in his home district, said that's not the case.

"We're not distracting anyone," Ehlers said.

The problem we have here is the Senate has never sent the (immigration) bill to us, and it has nothing to do with whether we're holding hearings or not."

Pearce said he has been concerned about voting irregularities for some time. Although the last federal election was two years ago, Pearce said it often takes time for hearings to be scheduled.

"I think the main thing we did was bring the issue out publicly and talk about it on the record," he said.

[Soldier4Christ]

Immigration reform looks sort of better

Before committees of the House and Senate went on the road this summer to exploit how their reforms to the nasty issue of immigration are so good, we asserted that compromise legislation by Rep. Richard Pombo from September 2001 should be reprised.

It has been, somewhat, by Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas.

Their terminology is different, but the ideas are the same for the fate of between 12 million and 20 million illegal residents in America.

On the eve of 9/11, Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, and then-Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, settled on a guest-worker program. Illegal residents would be required to go to their homeland, sign up for a green card and then come back to their U.S. jobs. They could do it any time during the first year — many illegal workers go home to their families for the winter holidays, anyway. With the green card, they could remain in the U.S. or travel whenever between the two countries.

The Pence-Hutchinson measure adds some elements of the current House and Senate bills. They include “earned citizenship” for illegal immigrants already in the U.S. and a two-year head start for border security, with more fences and border patrols. Under their Good Neighbor SAFE (Secure Authorized Foreign Employee) visa, U.S. employment firms in many countries would process applicants for vacant U.S. jobs.

Illegal immigrants would have to go back across the border to sign up. The visa would be good for two years and could be renewed five times. After 12 years, an X-Change visa would be available, but to get the five-year work permit, the applicant would have to have a job and a clean record. After 17 years, the worker could go through the normal immigration process. He or she could also apply for citizenship at any time during these 17 years, but to do so would have to go back home.

The SAFE and X-Change visa systems appear too complicated. If our government can’t keep track of illegal immigrants, how is it going to handle new sets of paperwork and the dispensing of tamper-proof ID cards?

Pombo still has the best system: If you don’t have a job or an ID card when you’re in the U.S., you are sent packing when stopped by immigration officials. Period.

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Bush makes immigration overhaul argument on border


MISSION, Texas (Reuters) - President George W. Bush argued on Thursday for combining tougher border enforcement with a guest-worker program for illegal immigrants as he clung to a position at odds with conservative Republicans.

Bush stopped within a stone's throw of the Rio Grande on the U.S.-Mexico border on the way to his Crawford, Texas, ranch for 10 days of vacation mixed with work on the Middle East and other issues. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is to join him for the weekend.

He toured a section of the border where Border Patrol agents use a "skybox" device that elevates them above ground so they can track border movements closely and uses high-tech gadgets, such as infrared.

"We want to send a clear message, we will enforce our border," Bush said at an outdoors event to several dozen people who fanned themselves against the withering heat.

While stressing the need for tougher enforcement of the porous border to limit entry of illegal immigrants, Bush sounded a note of compassion for illegal immigrants seeking to scratch out a living in the United States.

"There are people doing jobs that Americans aren't doing, the people who come across this border to do work Americans are not doing, and it makes sense to let them come on a temporary basis in a legal way," Bush said.

There are an estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States and border security has become a volatile issue that could play a role in November congressional elections.

Congressional conservatives want tighter enforcement of northern and southern borders, while others, including Bush, back legislation that would put most of the immigrants in the country illegally on a path to U.S. citizenship.

Politicians of varying stripes recognize the need to toughen border enforcement, due partly to concerns about terrorists crossing illegally into the United States.

With few days left in this year's legislative session, doubts are rising the Senate and U.S. House of Representatives can agree on a compromise immigration reform bill.

"I expect the United States Congress to do its duty and pass comprehensive immigration reform," Bush said.

U.S. House Republican leaders plans to hold 21 hearings across the country through August to build support for tough border security measures to curb illegal immigration.

White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters traveling with Bush there were "active negotiations" going on about immigration with leaders of Congress.

"He understands the legislative process. It doesn't always operate neatly, quickly or according to timelines," he said.

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Florida

Immigration Ordinance Approved

After debating late into the night, the Palm Bay City Council has voted to move forward with an ordinance to punish business owners who hire illegal immigrants.

The new ordinance got approved by a 4-to-1vote. It would impose fines on anyone in the city caught employing illegal workers.

Many turned out both for and against the plan. Supporters say it's a good way to get rid of undocumented workers but critics worry it could open up even more problems.

"A lot of this is going to be heading toward profiling people,” Wanda Medina said. “Probable cause. What do they mean by probable cause?"

"It discriminates, but properly on the basis of immigration status,” David Caulkett said. “It does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity."

The ordinance comes up for a final vote at a meeting August 17th.

[Soldier4Christ]

Immigration bills proposed
State GOP legislators suggest state-aid limits, punishing employers


COLUMBUS - Two top Republican state legislators said Thursday they intend to introduce bills that would crack down on illegal immigration and make the topic an issue in the November elections.

The legislative package, dubbed the Ohio Workforce Protection and Illegal Alien Enforcement Act, is vague on details. But hearings could begin in September on bills that would limit state-assistance programs for illegal immigrants and create an investigative unit to probe Ohio companies that employ illegals, said Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland.

``We have to respond to the kinds of things that voters feel their government is not doing for them, and this is one of the things that we feel is important to respond to,'' said House Speaker Jon Husted.

Other parts of the plan call for ensuring that illegal immigrants are not eligible for scholarships or financial aid at Ohio's public colleges and universities, imposing a $50,000 fine on people who produce counterfeit identification, and withholding state business for two years from contractors who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.

Democrats said the proposals are a knee-jerk response to illegal immigration and an attempt by Republicans to divert voters' attention from other issues, such as funding for education and job creation.

[Soldier4Christ]

'Crackers' label stings illegal-immigration foes

Democrat says word was intemperate but that some critics of licensing plan deserve the title.


Oakland Democrat Don Perata ridiculed San Diego-area opponents of illegal immigration Thursday by describing them as "crackers," an old slang term often used in place of redneck or bigot.

Assemblyman Ray Haynes, R-Murrieta, compared cracker to the n-word and claimed Perata calculated its use to inflame tensions.

"He has decided to throw fuel on the fire. These folks are good-hearted, sincere people who are worried about the effects on California," Haynes said. "To call them crackers is to literally inflame people. It is the same as using the n-word when you're referring to black activists."

Within a couple of hours, the state Senate's leading Democrat issued a clarification about his "crackers" comment, but stopped short of making an apology.

"While I am concerned about the coarse and divisive tone used by a small minority in the driver's license debate, I believe that the vast majority on both sides are people of good will," he said.

Perata used the crackers description in response to a question about the wisdom of going into an election promoting legislation to give illegal immigrants the ability to obtain driver's licenses. But he acknowledged he may have erred.

"I don't want to give undue advantage in an election to people I do not believe have the best interests of this democracy at heart, and some of those people that I intemperately call crackers fall into that category," Perata said.

[Soldier4Christ]

Immigration Bust Nets 14 in Ontario County

Kyle Clark (Geneva, N.Y.) - A large-scale immigration bust in Ontario County Thursday was the work of new “Fugitive Operations Teams”.

They’ve been operating across Upstate New York searching for illegal aliens who’ve been apprehended once and didn’t leave the country as ordered.

Fourteen people were taken into federal custody in Geneva. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokespeople would not say where they worked or where they are originally from.

Each of them had already been ordered deported. They'll now go back before a federal judge before being taken out of the country.

The Fugitive Operations Teams have also been at work in Wayne County recently. They’ve had no busts as large as the one in Geneva, but a customs official said there have been routine detentions.

The teams come just as the first workers of the season arrive to harvest the produce that isn't quite ripe yet.

Many legal immigrants seek help adjusting to life in our state by stopping at an outfit called Rural Opportunities in Alton near Sodus. Administrator Carlos Rodriguez said there's a lot of talk in the farm community about frequent immigration busts.

"What we have been hearing in the community is that they have been making several stops to wherever our target population frequents, for example, supermarkets, day cares, campsites. Any site where they feel they might congregate," Rodrigues said.

Word gets around about the increased enforcement. Rodriguez said Wayne County is seeing fewer early season migrant workers than normal. He thinks it's due to fears about tighter law enforcement.

Police say they arrested a man Thursday who was using fake documents at the DMV in Geneseo. Valentin Romero Velazquez, 35, is not in the U.S. legally. Police said he will not be allowed out on bail.