Monday, President Bush outlined the latest version of his planned overhaul of the nation's immigration laws, renewing his support for a guest worker program for an estimated 12 million undocumented (illegal) workers in the country.
Bush continued to call on Congress to pass the type of comprehensive immigration legislation that he has been pushing ever since he was president. Bush stated that the overhaul should combine increase border security and added pressure on employers who hire illegal immigrants while at the same time providing an avenue for a large number of illegal aliens already here to become citizens.
"Congress can pass a comprehensive bill, and I can sign it into law this year," Bush said
"Family values don't stop at the Río Grande River," Bush said in the speech referring to those who risk their lives to sneak across the southern border to provide for their families and contribute to the nation's fabric in the same way immigrants have for generations.
Under Bush's proposal, illegal workers could apply for a three-year work visas, renewable at a cost of $3500 each time, and to become a permanent legal resident, they would have to return to their home countries and apply for reentry at a US Embassy or Consulate and pay a $10,000 fine.
"Family values don't stop at the Río Grande River ... while those who risk their lives sneak across the southern border to provide for their families...”
I could say the same about anybody that breaks into your house. Nevertheless, I would also ask the question, “does that make it right?"
In my opinion, the issue has gone way beyond cheap labor to affecting our nation's security by not taking the invasion of people who currently by the hundreds violated our borders on a daily basis.
While I will agree that our methods for applying for citizenship in this country may need to be looked at, the point is that we do have a system in place and people who wished to come here and become citizens should respect that system and the system of laws.
Currently, under the immigration laws, entering this country illegally is simply a misdemeanor and the immigration reform legislation should first start by making that a felony.
Of course, it will not matter what the penalties are they will not be enforced.
5 comments:
If the illegal immigrants who cross the boarder do so only because they will work jobs that American workers will not perform; how will they afford the $3,500 Visa and the $10,000 fine?
This plan seems to blur the lines of the Rico Act and boarder on racketeering and extortion.
The only way I can see for an immigrant farm-worker to afford such fees would be to turn to illegal activities which yield higher profits than pea-picking.
Family values do not stop at the river, however American values do. If people want to enjoy those American values, they need to assimilate.
the thing is if they had to pay $3,500, they could not afford to work in fields.
And if you've noticed, a lot of them have moved beyond the fields and into the mainstream.
what I would predict would be an increase in drug traffic and other illegal activity in order to raise the money to become citizens, that is of course assuming that is actually their goal.
a lot of them are buying homes, getting credit cards and yse, filing tax forms with the IRS. Obviously money isn't a problem for them.
I like the racketeering connection Tamara made. Maybe it is the angle needed to enable action at a local or state level.
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