GOP Unveils Revised Immigration Legislation

[cal04]

Senate Republicans unveiled revised immigration legislation Wednesday night that would clear the way for legal status and eventual citizenship for many of the estimated 11 million men, women and children living in the United States unlawfully. Majority Leader Bill Frist outlined the proposal after efforts at a bipartisan compromise faltered earlier in the day and the Senate teetered between accomplishment and gridlock on the most sweeping immigration bill in two decades. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid pledged to review the GOP proposal overnight to see whether "it could be something we could all support." The prospects appeared uncertain, however, since the provisions appeared similar to what he and other Democrats had earlier spurned.

The fate of the 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally hinged on the outcome of election-year maneuvering on an issue that Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., said had generated an unusual amount of
emotion. Three thousand miles distant from the Capitol, Cardinal Roger Mahony asked Catholics to pray the Senate passes legislation allowing illegal immigrants to gain citizenship. The Los Angeles-based prelate said the debate marked "one of the most critical weeks in the history of our country."
Republican officials said the GOP plan would divide illegal immigrants into three categories:

• Those who had been in the country the longest, more than five years, would not be required to return to their home country before gaining legal status. They would be subject to several tests, including the payment of fines and back taxes, and be required to submit to a background check, according to these officials.
• Illegal immigrants in the United States less than five years but more than two would be required to go to a border point of entry, briefly leave and then be readmitted to the United States. As with the longer-term illegal, other steps would be required, these officials said.
• Illegal immigrants in the United States less than two years would be required to leave the country and join any other foreign residents seeking legal entry.

The officials who described the proposal did so on condition of anonymity, saying the had not been authorized to pre-empt senators. There was no immediate reaction from the White House, although President Bushhas repeatedly called for a comprehensive bill that included steps to deal with those living illegally in the country. Frist's move cleared the way for a series of test votes over the next day or two of rival proposals.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060406/ap_on_go_co/immigration

[joemurphy]

1. This is some of the silliest, most impractical crap I've ever

heard. Why "go to a border point of entry, briefly leave, and then be readmitted? What's the point of that? It's idiotic.

And other Mexicans in country less than two years will voluntarily leave and then "join any other foreign residents seeking legal entry." Right.
Sounds plausible to me. What a joke! *chortle*

And we're going to do "background investigations" on 11 million undocumented aliens? *snicker*

[Cobalt Violet]

4. It's so beyond stupid.

[Cobalt Violet]

2. Oh, Amnesty.

I really expected nothing but from these idiots.

Corporate America 11,000,000
Working America 0

[savemefromdumbya]

3. dumb

all they need to do is to issue green card applications to those who are here (no matter how long) so they can adjust their status from illegal to pending resident alien. Those who aren't here but intend to come can come here legally by getting a 3 month renewable visa/work permit. It is important to obtain a thorough record of everone entering the USA for security reasons. If immigrants knew they could work here legally they wouldn't bother to dodge the system? It is nonsense to send people home.