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Obama backs "framework" to revamp immigration
A demonstrator holds a sign while taking part in a rally in front of the Department of Homeland Security in Washington January 26, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Molly Riley
WASHINGTON |
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, under pressure to keep a campaign promise to revamp U.S. immigration policy, embraced a "promising, bipartisan framework" on Thursday offered by two senior senators.
Obama said the proposal by Democrat Charles Schumer and Republican Lindsey Graham, which features a new identification card for U.S. citizens and legal immigrants who want a job, "can and should be the basis for moving us forward."
In an article posted online by The Washington Post, Schumer and Graham wrote "our immigration system is badly broken" and outlined a four-point plan to fix it.
In addition to the high-tech identification cards, they called for: bolstering border security, creating a new process for admitting temporary workers, and implementing a "tough but fair path to legalization for those already here."
While Obama has scrambled the past year to overhaul the healthcare system, immigration reform advocates complain he's failed to advance their issue.
In 2007, Congress rejected Republican President George W. Bush's plan to revamp immigration policy -- a heated issue that divided Americans in advance of the 2008 congressional and presidential elections.
Obama promised during his 2008 White House campaign to promptly tackle immigration, but critics complain that he has failed to do so.
Obama met last week with Schumer and Graham, and the White House said a sweeping agreement dealing with as many as 12 million illegal immigrants was unlikely to get through Congress without support from both parties. Such a measure would have difficulty advancing before November's congressional election.
ID CARD
A key provision in the Schumer-Graham proposal is a new high-tech, fraud-proof card that would feature a biological identifier, like fingerprints.
Employers would be required to swipe the card through a machine to confirm the person's identity and immigration status. Those who fail to comply would face fines, and repeat offenders could end up in prison.
Schumer and Graham also called for increased border patrols and bolstered domestic enforcement.
For the millions of illegal immigrants already in the United States, the senators suggested a path forward.
"They would be required to admit they broke the law and to pay their debt to society by performing community service and paying fines and back taxes," they wrote in the Post.
"These people would be required to pass background checks and be proficient in English before going to the back of the line of prospective immigrants to earn the opportunity to work toward lawful permanent residence," the two senators added.
The framework makes no mention of requiring illegal immigrants to return to their homeland and reapply for admission to the United States.
"Senators Schumer and Graham have produced a promising, bipartisan framework," Obama said in his statement.
"My administration will be consulting further with the senators on the details ... but a critical next step will be to translate their framework into a legislative proposal, and for Congress to act at the earliest possible opportunity."
(Editing by David Alexander and Chris Wilson)
Immigrants see what’s going on around the globe and must realize that the US is still their best chance for prosperity
Nix to any immigration “reform” that’s got Schumer and Grahamnesty’s prints on it.
This is a good move. We do need more security on the borders. Anyone can cross any day of the week as it is now. After that, we need to develop a program where guest workers can come to the US for year or more to both make money for their families and also bring needed skills and technical expertise to the US. But this guest worker program should be extended to all nations, and hopefully other nations will adopt a similar program. The free movement of people will increase global GDP.
Didn’t Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Il swore an oath to protect and defend the citizens of the United States? Instead he wants to ignore “THE RULE OF LAW.” Guess he’s working for the government across our Southern Border? We will take the late Senator Ted Kennedy at his word, when he stated in 1986 Simpson-Mazzoli bill: “This amnesty will give citizenship to only 1.1 to 1.3 million illegal aliens. We will secure the borders henceforth. We will never again bring forward another amnesty bill like this.” End of Quote. SO BE IT! We take this venerated, liberal politician as his word. NEVER ANOTHER AMNESTY.
No thanks, guys. We already have an immigration policy. Now, simply enforce it. If you do not have legal papers proving you arrived here by the correct avenue—YOU MUST leave NOW. You are welcome to reapply.
Contrary to what the press says, we do not need the illegals.
Be gone.
Our Military bases are no longer strategically placed. In the 40’s they were, but nowadays, no one is going to invade starting in Kansas. And if they did, it would take the Army 24 hours to respond 100 miles away. It would take almost the same amount of time to respond from Ft. Lewis. Also, we have Police Officers, Army Reserve and a whole Division of armed citizens to hold off whatever country could make it this far inland. I have virtually NO STANCE on immigration. I don’t know anything about macro economics or if it is a good idea to license these people or allow unregistered citizens, like we do now, but if we want to secure our borders against any mass exoduses, foreign countries or terrorists, I think that it would be good to make a 30 year plan to use the bases strategically along the border. About ten of them with a 50 mile “DMZ”. This way they couldn’t tunnel in. The towns that these bases support would form and almost connect on the other side, and they would be linked with highways carrying many cars. The highways and the “DMZ” would act as the fence. If our economy picks up and our population increases, there will be more bases. They would offer desert training and it would also make sense logistically. We would still need bases spread out, but in 200 years, we are going to want out borders secure. I know it might be hard politically with Mexico, but we patrol our waters and airspace. I am not saying pack up and move our bases right now, a 20-40 year plan. This would also give us a realistic picture of immigration and help us objectively look at where we are at. We don’t know what will happen or what kind of terrorism, wars and global crisis there will be. I believe that we can use the location of our bases strategically. If anyone can think of a more effective and cheaper (we will build new Army bases anyway. our population will reach 400 million) plan for the next 1,000 years I haven’t heard it. We don’t know what will happen!
Nobody from Mexico is going to admit he or she broke any law.
And what does English proficiency have to do with it?
Is every Amish in America proficient in English?
Get real, America. It’s not about all immigrants. It’s about Mexican immigrants who have flocked to and from this country in large numbers since the 1950’s offering to do what no one else could or should want to do, under the table, off the books and for next to nothing. Just subsistence – survival.
Who are they? All immigrants?
Face reality. There’s only one Jorge Ramos, a Mexican newscaster who’s been living here pretty well for himself for over 20 years on a permanent green card.
Incredibly, U.S. presidents give him interviews as if he were someone of real importance.
The notion that undocumented immigrants from Mexico should have to learn English and go to the back of the line wreaks of broken Republicanism.
Just sweep the dirt under the rug and start all over.
The more practical and immediate solution would be ignore the horrendous drug war in Mexico until Mexico becomes a failed state, no offense to Felipe Calderon intended. Calderon is probably Mexico’s greatest president. Despite his commitment, the vast majority of Mexicans – and an alarming number of Americans – don’t believe in the government on either side of the border.
Therefore, just sit back and wait. When Mexico falters as a political state, the US should incorporate Mexico but this time, don’t use military force.
Then all the talk about shared responsibilities comes to an end.
Now their problems are OUR problems.
And WE shall solve them.
Or not.
The Spaniards tried and made remarkable progress.
Just look at Jorge Ramos.
American expansionism really is the only solution — you eat life or life eats you.
Immigration reform – comprehensive or otherwise – is too simple and barely even idealistic anymore.
Who believes Americans and undocumented immigrants will stop buying clothes manufactured in sweat shops; and stop building houses built by undocumented immigrants doing more for less without any benefits?
In any state, any construction plant, any meat packing plant, any farm field, any fast food restaurant, any hotel or major department store warehouse, once the workforce has converted to undocumented labor – currently most predominantly from Mexico – an air of secrecy and protectiveness supplants equal opportunity and affirmative action.
What? Can’t take the heat in the kitchen, or can’t speak Spanish?
But, hey, what’s equal opportunity and affirmative action amongst family?
The after-the-fact perspective of most Americans can be summed up like this: Undocumented Mexican immigrants take over like asparagus. First one appears over there in the corner. Then another and another. They root deeply, and before you know it, they’ve taken over the entire yard. They have names and faces, cute kids, sometimes bright and talented kids. Some buy homes and drive nice cars. Some speak English and some don’t. Tightly knit communities pretty much devoid of other races just sort of sprout up out of nowhere.
Gee, maybe we aren’t so different after all…
And these out-of-touch politicians want them to just learn English and go to the back of the line?
No–They want to live in a garden.
Great lets let all the illegals automatically become citizens and add them on to the healthcare bill to pay for. This is never ending and our country is going broke!!! These people broke the law so ENFORCE the law already on the books instead of trying to buy more votes. This is totally insane!! Obama needs to be gotten out of the White House and soon before we are doomed as a country!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
