Ugg
Apr 6, 2006, 08:02 PM
Link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060407/ap_on_go_co/immigration)
Officials described a complex series of provisions:
• Illegal immigrants who have been in the country for at least five years could receive legal status after meeting several conditions, including payment of a $2,000 fines and any back taxes, clearing a background check and learning English. After six more years, they could apply for citizenship without having to leave the United States.
• Illegal immigrants in the country for between two and five years could obtain a temporary work visa after reporting to a border point of entry. Aides referred to this as "touch base and return," since people covered would know in advance they would be readmitted to the United States.
• Officials said it could take as long as 13 to 14 years for some illegal immigrants to gain citizenship. It part, that stems from an annual limit of 450,000 on green cards, which confer legal permanent residency and are a precursor to citizenship status.
• Illegal immigrants in the United States for less than two years would be required to leave the country and apply for re-entry alongside anyone else seeking to emigrate.
Separately, the legislation provides a new program for 1.5 million temporary agriculture industry workers over five years.
It also includes provisions for employers to verify the legal status of workers they hire, but it was not clear what sanctions, if any, would apply to violators.
To secure the border, the bill calls for a virtual fence — as opposed to the literal barrier contained in House legislation — consisting of surveillance cameras, sensors and other monitoring equipment along the long, porous border with Mexico.
Like all compromises, it won't please everyone but it seems workable.
The 2,000 fine would bring in about $14-20 billion. While it would certainly cover the cost of processing the applications, it seems an undue burden on those who are mostly making minimum wage.
I'm not sure what the point is of forcing them to return to a border check station? It seems pointless and likely to be just an additional expense to those who can afford it least.
The agriculture provision seems like a good thing, but as always the devil is in the details.
Officials described a complex series of provisions:
• Illegal immigrants who have been in the country for at least five years could receive legal status after meeting several conditions, including payment of a $2,000 fines and any back taxes, clearing a background check and learning English. After six more years, they could apply for citizenship without having to leave the United States.
• Illegal immigrants in the country for between two and five years could obtain a temporary work visa after reporting to a border point of entry. Aides referred to this as "touch base and return," since people covered would know in advance they would be readmitted to the United States.
• Officials said it could take as long as 13 to 14 years for some illegal immigrants to gain citizenship. It part, that stems from an annual limit of 450,000 on green cards, which confer legal permanent residency and are a precursor to citizenship status.
• Illegal immigrants in the United States for less than two years would be required to leave the country and apply for re-entry alongside anyone else seeking to emigrate.
Separately, the legislation provides a new program for 1.5 million temporary agriculture industry workers over five years.
It also includes provisions for employers to verify the legal status of workers they hire, but it was not clear what sanctions, if any, would apply to violators.
To secure the border, the bill calls for a virtual fence — as opposed to the literal barrier contained in House legislation — consisting of surveillance cameras, sensors and other monitoring equipment along the long, porous border with Mexico.
Like all compromises, it won't please everyone but it seems workable.
The 2,000 fine would bring in about $14-20 billion. While it would certainly cover the cost of processing the applications, it seems an undue burden on those who are mostly making minimum wage.
I'm not sure what the point is of forcing them to return to a border check station? It seems pointless and likely to be just an additional expense to those who can afford it least.
The agriculture provision seems like a good thing, but as always the devil is in the details.
