Senate passes sweeping immigration legislation

“In addition to providing a 13-year pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, the bipartisan bill would double to 40,000 the number of federal agents on the U.S.-Mexican border and help provide American businesses with needed low- and high-skilled workers.”

Business wins, the poor and middle class loses. Good game.

A far more cost effective solution is just reform the immigration process altogether. Drop quotas, a person shows up, do a background check, give them a green card and within 1-2 years allow them to apply for citizenship.

People are forced to sneak in the back door due to bad immigration policy and processes. Right now many people wait 10-15 years before they can come here, then spend thousands of dollars on legal fees and attorneys and still wait years for citizenship.

As long as people are stuck with this bad immigration process, they will continue to come in the back door, border guards or no border guards.

With a aging baby boomer population, both retiring and beginning to die off coupled with a birth rate below replacement levels and needing workers to support the retiring baby boomers this is a better solution… meanwhile just grant the current undocumented people a green card and move on.

Maybe we can hire the immigrants to be the new border patrol agents.

I’ll withhold my comment on the Bill itself for now since it has not yet reached the Republican controlled House where “Bills go to die”.

Unless the bill includes provisions of “shoot first, ask questions later” border defense and “permenant Green Card status for existing illegals so they can never become voters” amnesty initiatives, this immigration Bill doesn’t have a chance in hell to get through the House.

Once again we are reduced to depending upon the Senate to save us from the Democrat morons trying to give the “keys to the nation” to anyone who knocks on the door. The next three years are going to be long indeed.

Wonder how the voting on this would be if much of the social cost of these illegals get passed to businesses as the latter seem itching to get them into labor pool to saturate it for low wages.

Keep the calls flooding in against this mass amnesty nightmare. Hoeven Corker offers no real protection. Capital Switchboard is 202 224-3121. Several senators have already reversed their support from two days ago due to the mass outpouring of anger. Keep calling until the votes. Yes…it will pass, but they will think twice on the final legislation after it is conferenced with the House. BTW….the switchboards are very busy (good thing) and some senators like Kirk won’t even pick up their phones because they are taking such a beating!

blah77 ——- While I agree with most of your post, it’s quite hypocritical to say where “bills go to die” after Harry Reid killed dozens in the Senate to date. Try being fair once in a while.

DOA in the House in the present form. Strip it down and send it back and then…..

LOL. The Republicans will shoot themselves in the foot once again on this one.

At least the bums in Washington are proud. Horrible bill for the working class. We will need to seek out all the criminals (illegal immigrants and their employers) and throw them out without help from the pigs in Washington.

Not a big fan of either party, but this bill will harm our workers, Medicare, over populate our cities, and undermine the whole concept that laws matter. Democrat, Republican or neither, this is just plain bad news for nearly all Americans. No other country on earth would even be debating a bill this bad.

Sensible immigration reform is long past due in this country. President Obama, please stay out of the way and let this pass. Don’t screw this up like everything else.

Typically this would be supported by both parties. You see, growth of the economy is essential to politicians of whatever ilk. This is because they overspend, and growth of the economy minimizes their mismanagement, by allowing for increased tax revenues. Well, there are only two ways to grow the economy, and that is throw population growth and technological advancements. But the issue is we no longer have the capability of either of those things. At this time we have no incentives for invention since only the wealthy benefit, and they are incapable of invention themselves because they have no needs. Well, and because their brains have never had to ever overcome an obstacle since their lives have been so privileged. Now, associated with this “no chance for the middleclass existence” is that many people no longer have children at the same rate as they used to since children are expensive and if your a slave to the industrial masters, the likelyhood is that your children will be too. So, the answer is easy, immigration. Let’s get many more desperate people here to do the low down jobs and we’ll grow the economy again. But, alas, it’s likely that the house will kill anything that would help the economy because they need the president to fail, even if it means destroying our economy.

Only problem is that there is nothing sensible about this bill….at least if you are an American citizen. It’s great if your here illegally, an employer or politician…for the rest of us, it’s a kick in the teeth.

Whether an individual senator was for or against, I’m just glad they are doing their job and voting on measures one way or another. Let’s see where the House takes this. RIP prospect for movement on anything immigration, next stop: The Useless House.

crod526 —– Actually, this isn’t immigration “reform” at all. So no, the GOP will not be shooting themselves in the foot, they will be representing their constituents. While I am OK with labor cards for those who come clean, I am not OK with a path to citizenship or voting. Do you find it logical that a person can enter this country ILLEGALLY and then vote for its leader? We should start with legalizing the work they do, but take this step by step.

Sensibility: Let’s get something straight. There are 3 entities in the legislative process: 1. the Senate; 2. the House of Representatives, and; 3. the President. Right now the Senate and the President are on board. The only entity among the 3 that is not sounding supportive is the House and that’s because of the House Republicans. So if anyone screws this up, it’s not the President. It’s will be the Republicans in the House of Representatives. Obama would sign the legislation now if he could. As long as the Republicans in the House don’t screw things up as they are prone to do, this will get done. But be forewarned. If the House Republicans decide to block this they will no doubt try to blame Obama, since they blame him for everything. But only the simple-minded rightwing extremists fall for that old ploy.

Reward people for breaking the law — who would have ever thought the rule of law would come to mean absolutely nothing in this country? It’s all about money.

It’s time to bombard the House of Representatives with emails and phone calls.

It is absolutely crucial to hammer all those that voted for this nightmare pork amnesty will all of the passion you have. Don’t vent on line, vent to your Senators directly (202 224-3121). Let them hear your frustration in your words…the citizens they are shafting for their selfish power grab. This will likely impact some of their future votes and help embolden the House to pass a measure that puts the interests of citizens first. Fire away!

@des3Maisons and you are so perfect you have never broken the law? Its barely above getting a traffic ticket…. big deal, its our bad immigration policies which forces people to enter at the back door.

Great, load that on the middle classes backs now so the 52% supporting the rest have more to pay. What is going to happen when it becomes foolish to work? Let’s all just sit on the couch and collect our government checks. Never thought I would see the day in this country. Thank god I was born after world war 2 and rode the wave of the greatest generation. I hope this dies soon.

The US Senate just stabbed the American middle class in the back.

Immigration is destroying the American middle class.

Look around at your neighborhood. The creeping poverty, the denser and denser population. Immigrants everywhere. Every week it’s worse.

The names of the senators that voted for this should be written down and remembered by every American engineer and tech-worker. The H1B visa program is not only allowed to continue; it is expanded.

This bill puts the nail in the coffin of the American engineering profession.

And again the “Ruling Class” dictates to the nation as to how things will be. Our form of government does not provide for a ruling class. It provides for a representative government. The outcry should be not only for “NO” to this bill and its intent, but also “NO” to the group of people that believe their position allows them to rule over us. Again, we do not elect rulers. But we will vote them out.

Wake me when this dies in the House.

21 million Americans cannot find full-time work. Medium household income is almost ten percent lower today than it was in 1999. But this proposal would double the number of guest workers for businesses and provide permanent legal status to more than 30 million mostly-lower skill legal immigrants in the next ten years. This huge increase in the legal immigration flow will reduce wages and raise unemployment, and displace those who have suffered the most economically.

I’ve already called several senators offices to vent. It feels really good and is very easy too. Please join in the beat down! McCain looks like a Schumer/Durbin puppet in the picture (because he is). 202 224-3121. Call away and slam relentlessly America!! You’ve been shafted.

Speaker

Don’t try to trivialize the grave damage done by the tens of millions of lawbreakers to the social, political, economical, and moral wellbeings of this nation.

No one is going to buy your nonsense BS.

The American people have been too lenient and tolerating to you illegals for too long. It could not have happened in any other sovereign nation.

Just go away. Leave.

Although Latino and Mexican illegal immigrants make the news more often, it is really the Asian immigrants that threaten America the most.

The populations of Asian cities are so massive that they dwarf American cities. China alone has 1.3 Billion people, 4 times as many people as the USA. India has 1.2 Billion people, almost 4 times as many as America.

The city of Shanghai, China is a good example. Shanghai the city has a fast-growing population, currently 23 million. Many millions of poor.

And in March, BusinessWeek reported that Shanghai alone has 370,000 dollar millionaires.

Thus we see the impoverished poor of Shanghai coming to the USA on H1B visas or tourist visas, and then simply staying.

And we see the 370,000 dollar millionaires of Shanghai coming to the USA to buy real estate and put their children in American high schools and college. When they graduate, they compete with American children for American jobs, driving down American wage rates.

On the west coast American cities, over half of houses selling over $800,000 are sold to foreigners, just like this.

America is simply being invaded by thousands every day flying into major American airports, and simply staying. It is what the Germans dreamed of doing in WWII, just start moving in, and taking over everything not bolted down.

Largest Countries ranked by population
1. China 1.3 billion people
2. India 1.2 billion
3. United States 315 million
4. Indonesia 237 million
5. Brazil 193 million
6. Pakistan 182 million
7. Nigeria 166 million
8. Bangladesh 152 million
9. Russia 143 million
10.Japan 127 million
11.Mexico 112 million
12.Phillipines 92 million

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population

Thankfully the House has some Common Sense and will kill this nonsense as soon as it arrives on the floor. This is preposterous! To allow Criminal Invaders (aka Illegal Aliens) the chance to become citizens is outrageous and almost beyond belief. They should be arrested for breaking our laws, sent home where they came from, and put on a list of people who will NEVER be allowed to come here. That is the ONLY thing that will be fair and correct. I can’t believe the Senate could be so far removed from proper governance to even consider passing such a bill. Thank Heaven for the House of Representatives who will stop this nonsense! The only people we want to emigrate here are the ones who have applied to legally come to the USA, demonstrating a respect for our laws!

This is a giant step backward in this nation.

Just one group of criminals legitimizing another group of criminals.

hey this is pretty cool.i was doing pretty good with the dream act and now they wanna help my parents out to..finally my mom can get herself a good job and can travel to mexico.her lower back has been hurting all month but we have no insurance but i hope this bill passes so we can get a good health insurance and go to the doctor:)

I really don’t have a problem with granting – not amnesty, but a path to citizenship for those immigrants, already here, who came into this country illegally, but who are working, learning the English language, trying to assimilate into the United States and want to become a citizen. My opinion is, I will gladly offer those immigrants already here the path – but not before our borders are sealed first. We were all promised at the last amnesty for illegals that let’s give them amnesty and we will seal our borders – but that didn’t happen.

This time – borders first, amnesty second.

I’ll be checking who voted for this and campaign against them, for sure.

Speaker

Don’t try to trivialize the grave damage done by the tens of millions of lawbreakers to the social, political, economical, and moral wellbeings of this nation.

No one is going to buy your nonsense.

The American people have been too lenient and tolerating to illegals for too long. It could not have happened in any other sovereign nation.

Hey AdamSmith, why don’t you elaborate a little more on how those dirty foreigners are destroying America? And could you tell me, please, approximately what year immigrants like your ancestors went from being a good thing to a bad thing?

Anyway, to the GOP – good luck in your minority outreach! I mean, for goodness sakes, when Sean Hannity of all people is more liberal on immigration than you folks, you know something is hilariously wrong…

Why were those 11 million in the US? Because they wanted a better life and were willing to take jobs that American citizens did not want and for pay that you and I would laugh at.
So it’s ok to have them working in our fields,in our yards, in our kitchens for low wages and no protections but hey to put them on a path to citizenship if they have a clean reord is not good enough.
Some of them came when they were very young and have no ties to their countries. They are Americans.
But I expect the Republicans in the house to keep playing to their shrinking base and block this bill

Well this was fun, now it goes to the do nothing House to die and the immigration problem/issues will continue thanks to the right.

Adam Smith: You might want to take a look at the following article regarding a report citing that the US has net zero immigrant population growth: http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/04/12/america-is-losing-as-many-illegal-immigrants-as-its-gaining/

History1234, what damage? These 11 million people live here, they are already woven into our culture and economy. No one is going to round them up and deport them. If we gave them a green card tomorrow and set them on a path to citizenship, nothing would change, the USA would be just fine. Frankly I believe most of you anti immigration folks are just plain racist.

@crod526

“Why were those 11 million in the US? Because they wanted a better life and were willing to take jobs that American citizens did not want and for pay that you and I would laugh at.
So it’s ok to have them working in our fields,in our yards, in our kitchens for low wages and no protections but hey to put them on a path to citizenship if they have a clean reord is not good enough.”

What about the engineers and those in the tech profession that are going to get priced out of their jobs by all of the extra visas in this bill? Do you think contractors, roofers, drywallers, painters, landscapers, etc didn’t like their jobs before the bottom dropped out of their wages? How would you like to take a 33% cut in pay in whatever you do to keep your job. Or worse yet, with the visa programs they visa workers are guaranteed their position, if anyone gets laid off it is citizen first, Visa last. None of what I am saying has anything to do with the illegal immigrants, but legal work visas that was shoved into the bill to get big business behind it. They are insourcing cheaper labor from low paying jobs up to the highest not doctorate required job they can.

@USofRationality

Lets be honest. The GOP could have led this charge and been defeated by the Democrats, and hispanics would still vote against them. In fact that is what they did under George W. Bush, John McCain, and Lindsey Graham about 7 years ago. The GOP are fools if they think this is going to help them with elections.

@TheNewWorld said:

“What about the engineers and those in the tech profession that are going to get priced out of their jobs by all of the extra visas in this bill? Do you think contractors, roofers, drywallers, painters, landscapers, etc didn’t like their jobs before the bottom dropped out of their wages? How would you like to take a 33% cut in pay in whatever you do to keep your job. Or worse yet, with the visa programs they visa workers are guaranteed their position, if anyone gets laid off it is citizen first, Visa last. None of what I am saying has anything to do with the illegal immigrants, but legal work visas that was shoved into the bill to get big business behind it.”

Well said, @TheNewWorld.

Americans must stick together.

American agricultural workers got hit first by immigration, way back in the 1980′s. They were wiped out by immigrant “guest workers” from Mexico and Jamaica.

Then American contractors, roofers, drywallers, painters, landscapers started getting destroyed by immigrant labor in the 1990′s and especially in the years around 2000-2005.

American engineers and tech-workers started seeing their careers destroyed in about the year 2000, when the H1B Visa started really flooding in Indian immigrants to displace the Americans.

The lesson? Working Americans must learn to stick together. We should have all protested when the American agricultural workers were destroyed.

We engineers should have spoken out when the American carpenters, roofers and landscapers were destroyed by immigration.

We all need to stick together, because big business is picking us off one by one.

All though I am an engineer, I now stand up for the American agricultural worker, but too late.

Our war on drugs has created the chaos in Mexico and South America and people still wonder why they are coming here.

For weeks Senate phones have been ringing off the hooks against this. Many Senators have admitted to never before seeing so many Americans oppose a bill including past attempts at Amnesty. Every poll conducted with honest questions come out with a high level of Americans against Amnesty and against a pathway to Citizenship. Every poll shows that Americans favor enforcement and stopping stopping defacto Amnesty.

So my question is why are these Senators so hell bent on passing it? They refuse to listen to their voters, they refuse to listen to the American People, they refuse to listen to law, logic, and common sense. Only 2 words describe such actions, “High Treason”. Nothing else fits as well as those 2 words.

Letting that many MILLIONS stay???
What are they thinking? Its not cute or nice, be realistic!

I wonder why more people are not debating the INVEST proposal in the current bill that would allow foreign entrepreneurs to stay in US — provided they have tons of money? Canada is actively trying to attract foreign-born entrepreneurs away from the U.S. Just check out the pic of the billboard they put up in Silicon Valley in the link below. http://thestoryexchange.org/entrepreneurship-immigrants-setting-bar-high/

The current US immigration policy is all part of a larger program of genocide intended on wiping out the White race by forced integration and assimilation. Only Whites are denied the right to their own countries, communities, and institutions. A campaign of white guilt is pushed in the media and educational systems to brainwash Whites into thinking they have no legitimate right to their own countries, communities, and institutions. This program will lead to the end of White folks on earth. This is genocide. Both political parties say and do nothing about it. It’s White genocide. It’s genocide by forced assimilation.