Rick Dean
Registered
6
http://www.reformer.com/Stories/0%2C1413%2...74900%2C00.html
Illegal immigrants adding up in N.E.
By IAN BISHOP
Reformer Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Federal lawmakers are taking sides on the emotional and politically charged debate over liberalized immigration laws ignited earlier this election year by President Bush.
With an estimated 9 million undocumented immigrants within America's borders, Bush has proposed a broad initiative to give illegal workers the chance to legalize their status temporarily.
The president's ambitious proposal, prompted by siz
ble clusters of illegal immigrants in voter-rich southwestern states, would also have a profound impact on New England, where state legislators are grappling with a host of issues affecting these undocument
ed
liens,including whether to grant them drivers' licens
es.
While California and Texas have the most illegal immigrants, the Urban Institute, a Washington-based think tank, estimates New England has up to 410,000 undocumented aliens.
In its study, the Urban Institute claims Massachusetts has up to 200,000 illegal immigrants within its borders, Connecticut contains up to 100,000 and Rhode Island has 50,000. Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine combined have up to 20,000 illegal immigrants, the institute says.
Bush's plan has been met by resistance from Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers are moving cautiously, wary that any roll call vote on immigration carries the risk turning off Hispanic voters or their more conservative supporters.
Under Bush's pla
n, immigrant workers in the United States illegally could obtain three-year work visas to take hard-to-fill agriculture and low-paying service jobs. His plan provides incentives to encourage for
eign
wor
kers to re
turn to their home country by setting up credit in their home
land for contributions to Social Security made while working in the United States.
But many lawmakers have already aligned behind one or more of a half-dozen immigration measures being advanced, some proposing to ease illegal immigrants transition to legal status while others crack down on immigration altogether.
Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy is supporting the Dream Act, authored by Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch. The bill makes it easier for some illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. as children to become lawful permanent residents as adults.
"We can't be complacent any longer," added. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat. "Although these reforms will take time to enact, we need to st
art now."
The bill would also enable these young undocumented immigrants to attend local public colleges at the in-state tuition rate.
Another bill backed by Leahy
that wo
uld set
undocumented immig
rants working on the nation's farms toward legal status is the AgJobs Act.
The legi
slation, filed in the House and Senate by Republicans, would let undocumented farm workers already in the United States gain temporary resident immigrant status, then earn permanent resident immigrant status by completing additional agriculture employment over the next three to six years.
"This is a compromise bill that would help our farmers find willing immigrant labor, and give those laborers a path to legal status in the United States," Leahy said.
Most similar to Bush's proposal is a plan backed by Arizona Sen. John McCain that would authorize three-year work visas for foreigners, renewable for another three years, to fill jobs that had been advertised to American citi
zens but unsuccessfully filled.
The bill would affect immigrants who came to the country illegal prior to this year, and who have been otherwise law-abiding and emp
loyed. They
could apply
for temporary work visas,
thereby legalizing their status.
Supporters of these varying bills, while acknowledging they are n
ot a panacea for America's immigration policy, say they are steps toward legalizing and tracking undocumented immigrants.
But congressional opponents say the measures amount to blanket amnesty and are a reward to undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally.
Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Colorado Republican, is outraged by Bush's proposal and its similar siblings in Congress. He has proposed a moratorium on all immigration.
Tancredo views illegal immigrants as a serious threat to national security.
"There are 9 to 11 million illegal aliens living amongst us right now, who have never had a criminal background check and have never been screened t
hrough any terrorism databases," Tancredo said. "Yet the political leadership of this country seems to think that attacking terrorism overseas will al
low us to ignor
e the invitatio
n our open borders presents to tho
se who wish to strike us at home."
With Congress divided over the merits of Bush's proposal and committed to their own in
itiatives in this election year, lawmakers concede it's unlikely significant immigration reform will be passed any time soon.
Yet analysts say Bush's underlying political strategy is playing perfectly in courting Hispanic voters sympathetic to the plight of illegal immigrants.
"It's not clear to me whether this is good policy, but it's great politics," Norman J. Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, told a Capitol Hill newsletter.
http://www.reformer.com/Stories/0%2C1413%2...74900%2C00.html
Illegal immigrants adding up in N.E.
By IAN BISHOP
Reformer Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Federal lawmakers are taking sides on the emotional and politically charged debate over liberalized immigration laws ignited earlier this election year by President Bush.
With an estimated 9 million undocumented immigrants within America's borders, Bush has proposed a broad initiative to give illegal workers the chance to legalize their status temporarily.
The president's ambitious proposal, prompted by siz
ble clusters of illegal immigrants in voter-rich southwestern states, would also have a profound impact on New England, where state legislators are grappling with a host of issues affecting these undocument
ed
liens,including whether to grant them drivers' licens
es.
While California and Texas have the most illegal immigrants, the Urban Institute, a Washington-based think tank, estimates New England has up to 410,000 undocumented aliens.
In its study, the Urban Institute claims Massachusetts has up to 200,000 illegal immigrants within its borders, Connecticut contains up to 100,000 and Rhode Island has 50,000. Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine combined have up to 20,000 illegal immigrants, the institute says.
Bush's plan has been met by resistance from Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers are moving cautiously, wary that any roll call vote on immigration carries the risk turning off Hispanic voters or their more conservative supporters.
Under Bush's pla
n, immigrant workers in the United States illegally could obtain three-year work visas to take hard-to-fill agriculture and low-paying service jobs. His plan provides incentives to encourage for
eign
wor
kers to re
turn to their home country by setting up credit in their home
land for contributions to Social Security made while working in the United States.
But many lawmakers have already aligned behind one or more of a half-dozen immigration measures being advanced, some proposing to ease illegal immigrants transition to legal status while others crack down on immigration altogether.
Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy is supporting the Dream Act, authored by Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch. The bill makes it easier for some illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. as children to become lawful permanent residents as adults.
"We can't be complacent any longer," added. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat. "Although these reforms will take time to enact, we need to st
art now."
The bill would also enable these young undocumented immigrants to attend local public colleges at the in-state tuition rate.
Another bill backed by Leahy
that wo
uld set
undocumented immig
rants working on the nation's farms toward legal status is the AgJobs Act.
The legi
slation, filed in the House and Senate by Republicans, would let undocumented farm workers already in the United States gain temporary resident immigrant status, then earn permanent resident immigrant status by completing additional agriculture employment over the next three to six years.
"This is a compromise bill that would help our farmers find willing immigrant labor, and give those laborers a path to legal status in the United States," Leahy said.
Most similar to Bush's proposal is a plan backed by Arizona Sen. John McCain that would authorize three-year work visas for foreigners, renewable for another three years, to fill jobs that had been advertised to American citi
zens but unsuccessfully filled.
The bill would affect immigrants who came to the country illegal prior to this year, and who have been otherwise law-abiding and emp
loyed. They
could apply
for temporary work visas,
thereby legalizing their status.
Supporters of these varying bills, while acknowledging they are n
ot a panacea for America's immigration policy, say they are steps toward legalizing and tracking undocumented immigrants.
But congressional opponents say the measures amount to blanket amnesty and are a reward to undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally.
Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Colorado Republican, is outraged by Bush's proposal and its similar siblings in Congress. He has proposed a moratorium on all immigration.
Tancredo views illegal immigrants as a serious threat to national security.
"There are 9 to 11 million illegal aliens living amongst us right now, who have never had a criminal background check and have never been screened t
hrough any terrorism databases," Tancredo said. "Yet the political leadership of this country seems to think that attacking terrorism overseas will al
low us to ignor
e the invitatio
n our open borders presents to tho
se who wish to strike us at home."
With Congress divided over the merits of Bush's proposal and committed to their own in
itiatives in this election year, lawmakers concede it's unlikely significant immigration reform will be passed any time soon.
Yet analysts say Bush's underlying political strategy is playing perfectly in courting Hispanic voters sympathetic to the plight of illegal immigrants.
"It's not clear to me whether this is good policy, but it's great politics," Norman J. Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, told a Capitol Hill newsletter.