The estimated 12 million (more like 20 million) undocumented immigrants living in the United States could be put on the path to citizenship under a new immigration bill agreed upon Thursday by a bipartisan group of senators.
The 380-page bill, which comes after nearly three months of negotiations, would give immediate work authorization to undocumented workers who arrived in the United States before January 1, 2007.
Heads of household would have to return to their home country within eight years, and they would be guaranteed the right to return.
Applicants would also have to pay a $5,000 penalty
Additionally, the number of Border Patrol agents would be doubled.
The bill is going to the Senate next week and if it passes, will then proceed to the House.
This might be the best deal we're going to get from Washington, what do you think?
2007-05-18 00:25:34 · 17 answers · asked by GeneL 7 in Politics & Government ➔ Immigration
THE STORY:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/05/17/senate.immigration/index.html
2007-05-18 00:26:25 · update #1
With the addition of these 20 million (including their families) to our Social Security and Health Care system...
what about the present and future impact there?
2007-05-18 00:53:59 · update #2
The Mexicans are here to stay no matter what kind of bill is passed. It is not a good bill. First of all where will the people get 5,000 dollars? Heads of household will return to their home country? ( In 8 years ) No way will they return. ( And leave their family?) Look at it this way. Mexicans have always been here in the USA and will always be here. Bills or no bills they will keep coming and staying. The bright side? Mexicans are good people and they do work hard. They come here to better themselves.
2007-05-18 09:53:57 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have been waiting a long time for this bill to pass. My b/f is here illegally. He has lived here about 3 years. He has a taxpayer ID number and has filed and paid taxes since he has been here. He has never went to a doctor here nor used any free clinics. He also has never commited any crimes while he was here. He works 60-70 hours a week as a laborer and makes $8 dollars an hour. We still struggle with bills everyday like everyone else. But he supports this family and without him I don't know where I would be, probably living on welfare or something.
Anyway, $5000 is a lot of money to come up with. But, I think this is a fair penalty. I would gladly pay it for peace of mind. Then I would not have to worry whether or not this is going to be the day he gets deported. He has wanted to go back home for a long time but with fear that he could not return he has waited for this bill to pass.
I think it is a good idea to give out these visas. For one thing they could document and track these people and find who is really hiding out in this country. I was watching the news where some illegals had been hiding in a church to avoid deportation. But when they showed these people on the news they said the one guy had just gotten out of jail after 10 years for selling drugs. I think people like that should have been deported. I don't think those people should be released back into the population.
The bottom line is that some action on this issue is being taken, that is better than no action at all.
2007-05-18 01:20:21 · answer #2 · answered by Shay 3 · 5⤊ 3⤋
Way too many things aren't even addressed in this bill,such as,what will happen to those who chose not to come forward and pay the fine?They will still be in the country illegally.I find it hard to believe that many of them will voluntarily come forward and pay a fine when they can still stay and go on as if nothing has changed.
I would love to see the full bill,but I'm sure that is something they don't want us to see.probably alot of other perks in it we aren't even aware of since they are in such a hurry to get this passed through.
2007-05-18 02:00:31 · answer #3 · answered by Jan 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Other than doubling the border patrol agents, this bill is a joke.
Don't hold your breath on them paying the $5000 penalty or heads of households returning to their come countries.
How about making them learn English too!!!!!!
2007-05-18 02:34:09 · answer #4 · answered by mikea_va 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
How can you say it's the best deal we can hope for, maybe the best deal for the illegals but not for the tax payers that have to foot the bill for all the kowtowing to the very people that broke our laws
2007-05-18 01:08:23 · answer #5 · answered by jean 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's going to backfire on Illegals....because when employers have to start paying the same wages and benefits that whitey once got, they are not going to hire the bargain basement people that were not as educated in the skill as the guys they used to have...they will no doubt get their money's worth, and then you will see illegals going on unemployment, instead of white people.
2007-05-18 02:38:43 · answer #6 · answered by MotherKittyKat 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
This is the best bill I've seen so far, and I really, really like it, but I don't think the answer to this problem is to just give them citizenship or to simply report them.
I think we have to solve the core problem, which is that they don't love their countries enough to stay and try to help it out of poverty.
I think it's somewhat our fault for invading other countries with our industries, like McDonald's, which crushes all national competition there, affecting the economy of the country greatly and therefore impoverishing people to a point where they just wanna leave and come to America to work at McDonald's. We should put limits on multinational companies.
Also, the Hollywood industry is in a never-ending effort to get the message across to the world that anyone who is not American sucks, and that only America rocks, but if you have a dream, you can come to America and make it come true and rock with the rest of us. People who come here don't expect to be discriminated against, they really thought they were gonna be free like the movies said. If they had known, they probably wouldn't have come. Movies that make it to other countries should be the ones that portray the real, racist, xenophobic America. With all its beautiful things, but with all its defects as well.
As far as this present bill goes, though, I think it most definitely has to be passed. It doesn't mean we will have solved the problem, but it's gonna be essential.
p.s.- I thought bills went first to the House and THEN to the Senate. Oh well.
2007-05-18 00:35:21 · answer #7 · answered by its just me! 3 · 4⤊ 6⤋
If you think illegals are going to pay $5000 in fines and go back to their homeland to begin the amnesty program you are sadly mistaken and to the post above Americans are not complaining about IMMIGRATION they are complaining about ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION before you call people stupid maybe you should bother to educate yourself... I will wait until I have seen the entire secret bill and all its crevices before I give my opinion, but at least someone is doing something.
2007-05-18 00:47:56 · answer #8 · answered by Rabid Frog 4 · 7⤊ 2⤋
Thus far I like most of what I have heard. However much people will rail against it, it simply isnt practical to attempt to deport 20 million people. Not to mention the humaitarien crisis that would be instantly created by that deportation. I just want them to start paying taxes like the rest of us and I am all for it. However, I have not seen what they plan to do about illegals with a crimminal record/background so...
2007-05-18 00:33:54 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 5⤋
they wont pay anything. i don't like it. something is fishy with it. why the rush? no, it's just a form of amnesty, and it's wrong. my sister called me 20 minutes ago, said her old man is very up set with this crap. he came from mexico, he payed out the azz, and the govt has the nerve to do this. it's not right to the people who had to pay money to come here legally. and i have to agree with him on this.
2007-05-18 00:53:37 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋