"Obama meets with faith leaders on immigration" March 09, 2013
WASHINGTON — Projecting urgency, President Obama spoke during a meeting with faith leaders, an increasingly powerful part of the coalition seeking to overhaul the nation’s patchwork immigration laws.
When you see government acting this way it is to be immediately questioned. That is how they shove tyranny and wars past you before you know what hit you, and it applies to the whole panoply of the agenda.
Recent related:
Sunday Globe Specials: Waves of Immigrants
The Globe's Pizza Pie
Sunday Globe Special: H1-B Hijacking
$ee the urgency?
The private meeting occurred as the White House tries to show it is focused on more than just fiscal issues following Washington’s inability to avert billions in budget cuts and a looming deadline for keeping the government running.
Related:
Sunday Globe Special: Brewery Tax Break
Budgeting My Posts
Obama Budget $crews Students
Elite Schools $queezing Taxpayers
Sunday Globe Specials: Fiscal Cliff Fraud
You got so $crewed on that deal, Americans, by the ma$$ media mouthpiece and it's government-mouthed narrative.
According to people who attended the meeting, the president was enthusiastic about the work underway in the Senate....
When you see government acting this way it is to be immediately questioned. That is how they shove tyranny and wars past you before you know what hit you, and it applies to the whole panoply of the agenda.
Recent related:
Sunday Globe Specials: Waves of Immigrants
The Globe's Pizza Pie
Sunday Globe Special: H1-B Hijacking
$ee the urgency?
The private meeting occurred as the White House tries to show it is focused on more than just fiscal issues following Washington’s inability to avert billions in budget cuts and a looming deadline for keeping the government running.
Related:
Sunday Globe Special: Brewery Tax Break
Budgeting My Posts
Obama Budget $crews Students
Elite Schools $queezing Taxpayers
Sunday Globe Specials: Fiscal Cliff Fraud
You got so $crewed on that deal, Americans, by the ma$$ media mouthpiece and it's government-mouthed narrative.
According to people who attended the meeting, the president was enthusiastic about the work underway in the Senate....
‘‘The president understood our sense of urgency,’’ said the Rev. Gabriel Salguero, president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition. ‘‘He understands there’s a very narrow window.’’
Translation: Time to dig in your heels if you care about truth, justice, and freedom.
Translation: Time to dig in your heels if you care about truth, justice, and freedom.
The ‘‘Gang of Eight’’ senators said this week they are not sure they can finish crafting a bill by their self-imposed March deadline but were optimistic about reaching a deal soon.
I've stopped taking seriously the s*** political fooleys played by ma$$ media because the agenda-pushing proposals always seem to pa$$. Then the mouthpieces act surprised with breaking news, a deal has been reached, legislation has passed, blah, blah, blah, blah.
I've stopped taking seriously the s*** political fooleys played by ma$$ media because the agenda-pushing proposals always seem to pa$$. Then the mouthpieces act surprised with breaking news, a deal has been reached, legislation has passed, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Immigration shot to the forefront of Washington’s agenda — both for Obama and some Republicans — following the November election. Hispanic voters made up 10 percent of the electorate and Obama carried more than two-thirds of their voters, raising concerns among Republicans about their ability to appeal to the increasingly powerful voting bloc.
Related: MSM Monitor: Post-Election Aftermath: The Changing Face of the GOP
No, it pretty much look$ the $ame as it always has (also see last article in this post).
Related: MSM Monitor: Post-Election Aftermath: The Changing Face of the GOP
No, it pretty much look$ the $ame as it always has (also see last article in this post).
Overhauling immigration laws is also a top priority for the fast-growing number of Asians in the United States, who also voted overwhelmingly for Obama but make up a far smaller percentage of the electorate — 3 percent, according to exit polls from the November election.
Don't we have far larger concerns, like economic and imperial collapse?
Don't we have far larger concerns, like economic and imperial collapse?
"Senate bill may limit family visas; Would refocus on job criteria" by Erica Werner | Associated Press, March 15, 2013
WASHINGTON — Senators writing a comprehensive immigration bill may dramatically limit green cards for extended families of US citizens, reserving them for immediate family members instead, a key lawmaker said Thursday.
Wait until you $ee why.
Wait until you $ee why.
It would be a significant change to US immigration policy that has long favored family ties over economic or job criteria. And it is already sparking opposition from groups trying to protect family-based immigration.
Oh, now it is about "job$."
Oh, now it is about "job$."
Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who is part of a bipartisan Senate group negotiating the bill, said the aim is to remake the immigration system so that it has a much clearer economic focus.
And we know from the links above that means putting Americans out of work by de$ign.
And we know from the links above that means putting Americans out of work by de$ign.
‘‘Green cards should be reserved for the nuclear family,’’ Graham said. “Green cards are economic engines for the country. This is not a family court we’re dealing with here. We’re dealing about an economic need.’’
It's record unemployment for Americans, dude? WTF are you talking about?
It's record unemployment for Americans, dude? WTF are you talking about?
Unlike most other industrialized nations, the United States awards a much larger proportion of green cards to family members of US citizens and permanent residents than to foreigners with job prospects here....
About two-thirds of permanent legal immigration to the United States is family-based, compared with about 15 percent that is employment-based, according to the Migration Policy Institute. The remainder is largely humanitarian.
Current law gives preference to spouses and minor and unmarried children of US citizens. Permanent residents can petition for immediate family, and citizens can petition to bring in their married children and siblings, but they are on a lower priority. Graham indicated that he would prefer to eliminate the married children and sibling categories altogether.
‘‘What the senator’s not taking into account is the social costs for not preserving families in the immigration system, which is not as tangible or measurable as an economic benefit, maybe, but immigrant families do strengthen our social fabric,’’ Appleby said....
Oh, no, we $ee those in Ma$$achu$etts all the time, what with all the English language programs that need to be taught in the schools, and the hospital care needed for illegals. I know it is bad form to say so, but it is the truth. Has nothing to do with race, gender, or anything else with me; my problems ari$e from the minimization of illegality, a crime, if you will, and the other rea$on behind it, if you know what I mean.
Of course, globalists have done a great job of managing this planet over the last three decades. That's why the world is such good shape. What I find sad is when immigration and environmental advocates are used as tools, willing or otherwise, to advance their $elfish, narrow agenda.
Oh, no, we $ee those in Ma$$achu$etts all the time, what with all the English language programs that need to be taught in the schools, and the hospital care needed for illegals. I know it is bad form to say so, but it is the truth. Has nothing to do with race, gender, or anything else with me; my problems ari$e from the minimization of illegality, a crime, if you will, and the other rea$on behind it, if you know what I mean.
Of course, globalists have done a great job of managing this planet over the last three decades. That's why the world is such good shape. What I find sad is when immigration and environmental advocates are used as tools, willing or otherwise, to advance their $elfish, narrow agenda.
Meanwhile, lawmakers have been hearing pleas from the technology industry for more high-tech workers and from industries like hospitality and agriculture that use lower-skilled workers.
Yeah, those are jobs YOU WON'T DO, stoo-pid 'murkn.
Now here, go swab those toilets after you salute!
Advocates agree that changes are needed to the family immigration system. Right now there are more than 4 million people waiting in backlogs, with Filipinos in the sibling category facing waits topping two decades. The Senate group has committed to reducing that backlog.
Yeah, those are jobs YOU WON'T DO, stoo-pid 'murkn.
Now here, go swab those toilets after you salute!
Advocates agree that changes are needed to the family immigration system. Right now there are more than 4 million people waiting in backlogs, with Filipinos in the sibling category facing waits topping two decades. The Senate group has committed to reducing that backlog.
The tension between family- and employment-based immigration has not gotten as much attention in a debate that is often focused on border security and the fate of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants already here, who would be given a path to legalize their status in the Senate bill.
Well, WHOSE FAULT WOULD THAT BE, ubiquitous and omnipre$ent AmeriKan media? You guys are the ones with the cable TV programs and the shiny websites (as opposed to pos papers), not me?
But the issue could become contentious as senators work to finalize their legislation by next month.
Not when other intere$t$ are involved (see last article in this post).
Well, WHOSE FAULT WOULD THAT BE, ubiquitous and omnipre$ent AmeriKan media? You guys are the ones with the cable TV programs and the shiny websites (as opposed to pos papers), not me?
But the issue could become contentious as senators work to finalize their legislation by next month.
Not when other intere$t$ are involved (see last article in this post).
--more--"
Related:
"State Dept. revamps work visa program" Associated Press, May 05, 2012
JACKSON, Miss. - The State Department announced major changes Friday to one of its premier cultural-exchange programs following an investigation by the Associated Press that found widespread abuses.
The agency issued new rules for the J-1 Summer Work and Travel Program, which brings more than 100,000 foreign college students to the United States each year.
The changes are the latest in a series of steps the State Department has taken to fix the program since the 2010 AP investigation. The investigation found that some participants were working in strip clubs, not always willingly, while others were put in living and working conditions they compared to indentured servitude.
Have you seen the new houses they are promoting? They are even smaller than serf quarters.
Have you seen the new houses they are promoting? They are even smaller than serf quarters.
The J-1 Summer Work and Travel Program, created under the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, allows foreign college students to spend up to four months living and working in the United States. It was meant to foster cultural understanding, but has become a booming, multimillion-dollar international business....
And here I was told you American kids are just lazy.
--more--"
"Obama seeks to divert $2b to clean-vehicle program" by John M. Broder | New York Times, March 16, 2013
WASHINGTON — In a separate development Friday, the House passed Republican legislation that would end or consolidate dozens of duplicative job training programs with the objective of making it easier for people to gain the skills they need in a changing job market. It’s a goal that Obama says he shares while disagreeing with the way the GOP would do it.
Which people?
Which people?
The bill would also increase employers’ influence in who gets job training grants.
Don't they already have enough?
Don't they already have enough?
While there is widespread agreement that current federal job training programs are inefficient and overlapping, Democrats voted overwhelmingly against the bill, saying they were locked out of the bill-writing process and that the bill would eliminate programs tailored to serve veterans, the disabled, ex-prisoners, and other underserved populations.
It's called austerity; what are you complaining about?
It's called austerity; what are you complaining about?
However, Republicans denied that the bill would hurt those most in need of help, saying it requires that funds be reserved for veterans, disadvantaged youth, and other vulnerable groups.
The vote was 215 to 202, sending the bill to the Senate where the Democratic majority is likely to take a different approach to job training reform.
Obama, in his State of the Union address last year, said he wanted to ‘‘cut through the maze of confusing training programs’’ so people have a direct path to the help they require. But the White House said it strongly opposed the House bill, saying consolidation could leave some people without needed assistance.
‘The current system is inefficient and ineffective,’’ Education and the Workforce Committee chairman John Kline, a Minnesota Republican, said in explaining the legislation that would eliminate or consolidate 35 federal programs and create a Workforce Investment Fund to act as a single conduit of support for employers and job seekers.
Onerous rules prevent workers from accessing the training they need when they need it, and taxpayer dollars are being spent with little accountability, he said, and a bloated bureaucracy is standing between workers and the support they need.
"Senate plan alters immigrants’ waiting periods" New York Times, March 18, 2013
WASHINGTON — The nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants would have to wait a full decade for a green card but could earn citizenship just three years after that, under a measure being finalized by a bipartisan group of eight senators working to craft an overhaul of immigration law, several people with knowledge of the negotiations said.
Taken together, the two waiting periods would provide the nation’s illegal immigrants workers with a path to US citizenship in 13 years, matching the draft of a plan by President Obama to offer full participation in US democracy to millions who are living in fear of deportation.
They see VOTES and VOTERS!
They see VOTES and VOTERS!
The arrangement would shrink the amount of time it takes to become a naturalized citizen, from five years to three years. But in an appeal to Republicans, it would also extend to 10 years, from eight, the amount of time that illegal immigrants must wait before receiving permission to work in the United States permanently.
Because this is not as much about amnesty for lawbreakers, it is about IMPORTING CHEAP FOREIGN LABOR!
Because this is not as much about amnesty for lawbreakers, it is about IMPORTING CHEAP FOREIGN LABOR!
Such a compromise might give both sides something to crow about: Republicans could argue that they pushed for a longer waiting period before an immigrant could get a green card, which allows its holder to remain and work in the country indefinitely. Democrats could say that illegal immigrants would become citizens faster.
Are you TIRED of the FOOLEYS yet?
Are you TIRED of the FOOLEYS yet?
‘‘It is an unusual construction, but it gets them to citizenship in the same time as the administration plan,’’ said Kevin Appleby, the director of migration policy at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Yeah, think of it as a "reward" for breaking the law.
Yeah, think of it as a "reward" for breaking the law.
--more--"
"Republican roadmap calls for immigration overhaul" by Steve Peoples | Associated Press, March 19, 2013
WASHINGTON — Over strong objections from some conservative leaders, the Republican National Committee formally endorsed immigration law changes on Monday and outlined plans for a $10 million outreach to minority groups — gay voters among them.
The moves are part of a strategy to make the GOP more ‘‘welcoming and inclusive’’ for voters who overwhelmingly supported Democrats in 2012.
That's one of the bulls*** cover excuses being trotted out when we all know what the real motivation$ are here.
That's one of the bulls*** cover excuses being trotted out when we all know what the real motivation$ are here.
In a report released Monday, the RNC said that the way the party communicates its principles isn’t resonating widely enough and that focus groups perceive the party as ‘‘narrow minded,’’ “out of touch’’ and ‘‘stuffy old men.’’
Speak for yourself!
Of course, I'm no longer a registered Republican, either. The party so rarely reflects my beliefs, and when it does it is only on the fringes. Nor am I a registered Democrat. I'm registered as unenrolled.
Speak for yourself!
Of course, I'm no longer a registered Republican, either. The party so rarely reflects my beliefs, and when it does it is only on the fringes. Nor am I a registered Democrat. I'm registered as unenrolled.
‘‘The perception that we’re the party of the rich unfortunately continues to grow,’’ Reince Priebus, the RNC chairman, said Monday.
Yeah, REALITY will TEND TO DO THAT!
Yeah, REALITY will TEND TO DO THAT!
To broaden its appeal, the party must reach out to minority voters and others, according to one recommendation in the report: ‘‘We must embrace and champion comprehensive immigration reform. If we do not, our party’s appeal will continue to shrink,’’ it said.
Acknowledging the tough road ahead for some type of immigration overhaul in a divided GOP, Priebus after the speech refused to say whether ‘‘comprehensive immigration reform’’ should include a pathway to citizenship and distanced himself from some of the report’s recommendations....
Not a man of Steele, is he?
Not a man of Steele, is he?
Priebus plans to dispatch hundreds of workers into Hispanic, black, and Asian communities across the nation by the end of the summer, a $10 million effort meant to rival President Obama’s national political machine.
The RNC will also push for a tone of ‘‘tolerance and respect’’ in the immigration debate and create ‘‘senior level advisory councils’ focused on minority groups.
"Overhaul immigration laws now, Obama tells Congress; Ready to file own bill if efforts in Senate falter" by Julie Pace | Associated Press, March 26, 2013
WASHINGTON — President Obama challenged Congress Monday to ‘‘finish the job’’ of passing legislation aimed at overhauling the nation’s immigration system.
With members of the House and Senate away on spring break, Obama made his most substantive remarks on the difficult issue in more than a month, saying he expects lawmakers to take up debate on a measure quickly and he hopes to sign it into law as soon as possible.
‘‘We’ve known for years that our immigration system is broken,’’ the president said at a citizenship ceremony at the White House. ‘‘After avoiding the problem for years, the time has come to fix it once and for all.’’
That is what they said back in 1986 and look what happened.
That is what they said back in 1986 and look what happened.
The president spoke at a ceremony for 28 people from more than two dozen countries, including Afghanistan, China, and Mexico. Thirteen of the new citizens are active duty service members in the US military. The oath of allegiance was administered by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano....
Like I said, behaving like Rome.
Like I said, behaving like Rome.
While Obama has hosted citizenship ceremonies in previous years, Monday’s event was laced with politics, given the ongoing debate over immigration reform on Capitol Hill.
Laced with something all right.
Laced with something all right.
A bipartisan group of eight senators is close to finishing draft work on a bill that would dramatically reshape the US immigration and employment landscape, putting 11 million illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship. The measure also would allow tens of thousands of new high- and low-skilled workers into the country.
The president applauded the congressional effort so far, but pressed lawmakers to wrap up their discussions quickly.
‘‘We’ve got a lot of white papers and studies,’’ Obama said. ‘‘We’ve just got to, at this point, work up the political courage to do what’s required.’’
Immigration shot to the forefront of Obama’s domestic agenda following the November election. Hispanics made up 10 percent of the electorate and overwhelmingly backed Obama, in part because of the tough stance on immigration that Republicans took during the campaign.
The election results spurred Republicans to tackle immigration reform for the first time since 2007 in an effort to increase the party’s appeal to Hispanics and keep the GOP competitive in national elections.
Btw, it was rejected in 2007 due to massive protest to Congress. I know, because I was one of many making calls.
Btw, it was rejected in 2007 due to massive protest to Congress. I know, because I was one of many making calls.
Obama and the bipartisan Senate group are in agreement on the key principles of a potential immigration bill, including a pathway to citizenship, strengthening the legal immigration system, and cracking down on businesses that employ illegal immigrants....
Organizing for Action, the political advocacy group that grew out of Obama’s reelection campaign, is entering the debate this week with an online effort to highlight the personal stories of immigrants, The New York Times reported.
Related: Slow Saturday Special: Obama's Nonprofit PAC
It truly i$ a monied media!
Also see: Slow Saturday Special: Obama's Poor PAC
What? He'll need $ome help then.
The group has collected 7,000 stories from supporters, some of whom entered the country illegally or were brought as young children by their parents.
But no money?
Organizers say they will distribute the stories using Twitter, Facebook, and blogs.
We call it an agenda-pu$hing campaign.
Officials of the group said the idea is to demonstrate support for efforts in Congress to overhaul immigration laws in ways that would provide 11 million illegal immigrants with a path to citizenship.
Starting early next month, Organizing for Action will move beyond the online effort to organize its supporters at events around the country. The events will run from April 1 to April 7, a week before the expected unveiling of the Senate immigration plan.
We call them CONTROLLED OPPOSITION PROTESTS, and they ALWAYS RECEIVE POSITIVE COVERAGE in my AGENDA-PU$HING MEDIA!
No real mystery, either; if you notice, the protests that receive positive coverage in my paper usually involve gays, illegals, global-warmers, or regime-changers. Not so nice coverage is reserved for war protesters and Occupy people -- when they are covered at all. Sad part is, when they are covered it is the provocateur plants that make my paper.
It really is a tremendous propaganda operation, folks, but once you see it for what it is the fun is gone. Do I look like I'm having fun?
We call them CONTROLLED OPPOSITION PROTESTS, and they ALWAYS RECEIVE POSITIVE COVERAGE in my AGENDA-PU$HING MEDIA!
No real mystery, either; if you notice, the protests that receive positive coverage in my paper usually involve gays, illegals, global-warmers, or regime-changers. Not so nice coverage is reserved for war protesters and Occupy people -- when they are covered at all. Sad part is, when they are covered it is the provocateur plants that make my paper.
It really is a tremendous propaganda operation, folks, but once you see it for what it is the fun is gone. Do I look like I'm having fun?
''It is clear that America’s immigration system is broken, with so many employers that game the system by hiring undocumented workers and 11 million people living in the shadows,’’ said Jon Carson, the executive director of Organizing for Action and a former director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. ‘‘Neither is good for the economy or the country.’’
Nor are your solutions.
Nor are your solutions.
Opponents of an immigration overhaul say they are counting on conservative activists to rise up in anger once the Senate legislation is unveiled.
I'm not.
One group has said it will hold a two-day conference for conservative radio talk show hosts next month to encourage opposition to the legislation.
I'm not.
One group has said it will hold a two-day conference for conservative radio talk show hosts next month to encourage opposition to the legislation.
In 2007, the last time Congress considered an immigration overhaul, conservatives hammered lawmakers at town-hall-style meetings and on talk radio.
Proponents of the legislation eventually gave up.
All we did was win a rear-guard victory, and those become tiresome to those of us wanting to see real progress on this planet.
All we did was win a rear-guard victory, and those become tiresome to those of us wanting to see real progress on this planet.
The goal of Organizing for Action’s initiative is to counter any opposition by conservatives to the current legislative effort with support from around the country.
‘'Our supporters know it is time to fix the system that requires responsibility from everyone — both from the workers here that are undocumented and those who hire them — a system that guarantees that everyone is playing by the same rules,’’ Carson said.
Related: How to Destroy a U.S. Town
That's how you do it, yup.
"Alaska lawmaker apologizes for racial slur" March 30, 2013
"Alaska lawmaker apologizes for racial slur" March 30, 2013
WASHINGTON — Representative Don Young, the gruff Republican veteran who represents the entire state of Alaska, apologized Friday for referring to Hispanic migrant workers as “wetbacks” in a radio interview....
A strange time for a "$lip" of the tongue, isn't it?
A strange time for a "$lip" of the tongue, isn't it?
Young, discussing the labor market with radio station KRBD in Ketchikan, Alaska, said that on his father’s ranch, “we used to have 50-60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes.” He said, “It takes two people to pick the same tomatoes now. It’s all done by machine.”
You don't see any of those terms here because I don't think in those terms. Actions always speak louder than images. He's right about the automation aspect though.
You don't see any of those terms here because I don't think in those terms. Actions always speak louder than images. He's right about the automation aspect though.
***********************
Young’s explanation on Thursday was not good enough for lawmakers from either political party....
Related: McCain Called Ahmadinejad a Monkey
Anything happen to McCain?
Related: McCain Called Ahmadinejad a Monkey
Anything happen to McCain?
Young also is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which is looking into whether he failed to report gifts on his annual disclosure forms, misused campaign funds, and lied to federal officials.
Whose toes did he step on?
Whose toes did he step on?
--more--"
Related:
A dilemma for some:
"Obama’s uncle gets expulsion rehearing; Immigration lawyers surprised" by Maria Sacchetti | Globe Staff, December 04, 2012
President Obama’s uncle has won a new deportation hearing in Boston immigration court, more than a year after a drunken- driving arrest in Framingham revealed that he had violated a longstanding order to return to Kenya.
Last week, the Board of Immigration Appeals granted Onyango Obama’s request to reopen his immigration case based in part on his contention that his prior lawyer was ineffective, according to a government official with direct knowledge of the case. Obama’s new lawyers have also argued that the 68-year-old Obama has lived in the United States for nearly half a century and deserves a chance to make his case....
Blow again then.
Blow again then.
The board’s decision raised eyebrows among immigration lawyers who say it is difficult to persuade the immigration courts to reconsider a case that involves an arrest and a flagrant violation of a depor tation order, last issued in 1992....
I barely batted an eye when I read it because of the connections.
I barely batted an eye when I read it because of the connections.
He's paying them before they deport, right?
--more--"
"Senator Marco Rubio says immigration deal not done" New York Times, April 01, 2013
WASHINGTON — As several of the senators taking part in a bipartisan effort to overhaul the nation’s immigration laws appeared on the Sunday talk shows to sound an optimistic note, Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican and a member of the group, offered a strongly worded note of caution.
‘‘No agreement on immigration legislation yet,’’ read the headline of a statement released by Rubio’s office Sunday.
‘‘I’m encouraged by reports of an agreement between business groups and unions on the issue of guest workers,’’ Rubio said in the statement. ‘‘However, reports that the bipartisan group of eight senators have agreed on a legislative proposal are premature.’’
Rubio was referring to news reports on Saturday saying the nation’s leading business and labor groups had reached an agreement on a guest worker program for low-skilled workers, an issue that had been among the final sticking points in the overall immigration negotiations among the group of eight senators.
Related: Sunday Globe Specials: Waves of Immigrants
On Saturday, as news of the deal between business and labor broke, Rubio sent a letter to Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, warning Leahy not to take up immigration reform with ‘‘excessive haste.’’
Rubio, one of four Republicans in the group, was elected in 2010 as part of a Tea Party wave, and seems determined to emerge from any immigration bargain with his conservative credentials intact.
Are you FOOLED by the PO$TURING of POLITICS, dear readers?
--more--"
"House group finalizing immigration bill; Has longer path to citizenship" by Erica Werner | Associated Press, April 06, 2013
WASHINGTON — A group of Republicans and Democrats in the House is finalizing a sweeping immigration bill that offers work permits and a prospect of citizenship to millions of people in the United States illegally, aides say. That path to citizenship, however, is likely to take at least 15 years for many, longer than envisioned by Senate immigration negotiators or President Obama.
The secretive House effort, which also aims to further tighten the border against foreigners crossing illegally into the United States and crack down on employers who hire them, has been overshadowed by bipartisan negotiations in the Senate, which is expected to act first on immigration legislation.
Why so secretive?
But it was an important indication that a number of lawmakers, including Republicans in the conservative-dominated House, want to have a say in crafting a comprehensive overhaul of immigration law....
The bill should be ready to be released in the next week or two....
--more--"
"Deal to expand gun background checks takes form; Bipartisan effort in Senate could be a breakthrough" by Alan Fram | Associated Press, April 08, 2013
WASHINGTON — Also high on Congress’s agenda is immigration, where a decisive moment is approaching.
Bipartisan groups in the House and Senate are expected to present legislation as early as this week aimed at securing the US border, fixing legal immigration, and granting legal status to an estimated 11 million people who are in the United States without authorization. Votes by the Senate Judiciary Committee are expected later this month.
The Senate’s immigration study group already missed a self-imposed deadline to have the bill ready in March, but Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, said he hopes that this week, it will happen....
--more--"
"US border security key in immigration plan; Republicans aim for balance in new legislation" by Kathleen Hunter, | Bloomberg News, April 09, 2013
WASHINGTON — The immigration revisions that a bipartisan Senate group unveils soon will hinge on a Republican demand: making a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented in the United States contingent on a measurable boost in border security.
While trying to reconnect with a growing Hispanic electorate that has turned Democratic in voting, Republican lawmakers remain mindful of those within their party who rally around candidates campaigning against undocumented immigration.
They will try to find that balance in legislation that eight senators of both parties plan to propose this week, followed by a plan that a bipartisan House group is writing.
Republicans, cautious not to alienate their political base, want to demonstrate that they’re ‘‘tough on border security,’’ said Bruce Altschuler, a political scientist at the State University of New York at Oswego. ‘‘They need something in the legislation that will protect their right flank.’’
The Senate group’s plan will provide more Border Patrol agents, improved infrastructure such as radio networks, and increased surveillance by unmanned aerial drones....
Yeah, I THOUGHT THAT wa$ KIND of IMPORTANT!
Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona and a member of the Senate group, said in a March 22 interview with Bloomberg Television: ‘‘There is a commitment on the part of all members not only to spend more on the border and expand the fences, but to use the technology that — if there’s anything good that came out of Iraq and Afghanistan — it’s this dramatically improved surveillance capabilities we have.’’
Related: A Springfield Success Story
A $ucce$$ for $ome.
The push to rewrite US immigration law is the first major effort since 2007. Republican opposition to providing a citizenship path has declined since November’s election, when President Obama won 71 percent of Hispanic votes cast. Republican leaders say the party needs to do more to court the fast-growing voter bloc.
An increase in border security could serve as a trigger allowing some of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States to move toward citizenship. How to measure improved security will be a contentious element of the congressional debate, said Tamar Jacoby, president of ImmigrationWorks USA, a federation of state-based business groups that advocate rewriting immigration laws.
‘‘That trigger is going to be very important to Republican lawmakers,’’ Jacoby said, describing it as the political trade that Republicans will make for supporting a citizenship path.
While the Senate group and Obama administration say the undocumented should pass criminal background checks and pay back taxes and fines before becoming citizens, the administration has questioned linking border security....
Proving they don't really care about that in this age of terrorism, basically proving that THEY KNOW it is all a GOVERNMENT-CREATED LIST of FALSE FLAGS and other events; otherwise, they would be more concerned about it. Other intere$t$ are involved, if you know what I mean.
The government already is deporting many who entered the United States illegally. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported 396,906 people in fiscal 2011 and a record 409,849 in fiscal 2012, according to figures released by the agency, a part of the Department of Homeland Security.
And you thought Obama was your friend.
Still, lawmakers question the effectiveness of border protection that has enabled millions to enter the country without papers or remain in the country after visas have expired.
And what about the "terrorists?"
--more--"
"Enforcement key to latest attempt at immigration bill" by Maria Sacchetti | Globe Staff, April 10, 2013
In November 1986, US Representative Dan Lungren stood in an ornate room in the White House, beaming as President Ronald Reagan signed a bipartisan immigration bill plucked weeks earlier from certain death.
The bill legalized the largest number of immigrants in US history and, for the first time, made it a crime to knowingly hire unauthorized workers. But the celebration ended there: Over the next three decades, illegal immigration soared in Massachusetts and most other states.
“There was no enforcement,” Lungren, a Republican who lost his California seat in the House last year, said in a recent interview. “And I mean literally, no enforcement.”
Now enforcement is again a pivotal issue as Congress braces for another roller coaster immigration debate and hard questions about the government’s plans to stem illegal immigration. A bipartisan Senate group is crafting a bill, expected as soon as Thursday, that would create a path to citizenship, reduce backlogs for family and work visas, and end the hiring of unauthorized workers.
Senator Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he has warned his colleagues that enforcement must come first. He voted for the 1986 act only to watch illegal immigration in Iowa catapult from 5,000 in 1990 to 75,000 in 2010, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
“I want immigration reform, but the point is that the advocates for immigration reform are the ones that want to make everything real easy,” Grassley said. “Well, it ain’t gonna be easy.”
But supporters of immigration overhaul say the only way to make enforcement of laws feasible is to offer a path to citizenship to the estimated 11 million immigrants now in the country illegally, nearly four times the number legalized by the 1986 law....
The US government increased enforcement in the late 1990s, and especially after the 2001 terrorist attacks, building a massive enforcement infrastructure that includes prisons, border fences, and high tech systems designed to detect illegal immigrants. The Migration Policy Institute reported recently that the government spent nearly $18 billion on enforcement last year, more than on the main federal criminal law enforcement agencies combined....
Still, some say that measures needed to control illegal immigration are not in place — measures such as a nationwide system for employers to check workers’ immigration status, more frequent audits of companies that hire unauthorized workers, and a fingerprint system to track people who overstay visas....
Are you feeling the freedom yet?
Tracking people who overstay their visas is a challenge. The 9/11 Commission recommended that Homeland Security create a biometric entry-exit system to track visitors after the 2001 attacks revealed that some of the airplane hijackers had overstayed their visas. But almost nine years after the report, the program’s cost and timeline remain unclear.
Once again, that damnable inside job is the basis for surveillance and oppression.
Homeland Security takes biometrics, such as fingerprints, of foreigners who enter the United States, but not when they leave. Instead, to find visa overstayers, Homeland Security checks flight manifests and other records. More than 450 immigration agents then work to catch tens of thousands of visa overstayers each year, focusing first on people who present a threat to public safety.
Finally, the 1986 sanctions that were supposed to compel companies to check workers’ papers never materialized enough to significantly deter the hiring of illegal immigrants.
Fines levied against companies increased from $1.6 million in 1999 to $12.4 million in 2012, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but prosecutions were far less common. In fiscal 2012, officials arrested 240 managers and some 150 were convicted.
Too big to jail.
ICE spokesman Brandon Montgomery said the number of employer arrests has risen substantially in recent years. “It is important to highlight that these cases take time to develop and to come to fruition.”
Sounds like the SEC.
While many fault the 1986 act for the lack of enforcement, the law’s bipartisan champions in Congress say much of the criticism was unfair.
Former US representative Ron Mazzoli, a Kentucky Democrat, and former senator Alan Simpson, Republican of Wyoming, said the US government failed to consistently fund enforcement until it was too late.
Now, Simpson said, the government needs to legalize immigrants in the country, provide enough work visas to meet the demand for labor, and have a secure identification to prevent the use of fraudulent work documents.
What demand?
“Your option if you want to do nothing is to just watch a very unfortunate group of people who are here, they’re illegal and they’re expendable and they’re used and abused,” Simpson said . “What do you want to do — go find them and deport them? Come on.”
One article said disposable, but in any event Simpson always was an a**hole.
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"Current trends are foreboding for Republicans. The one policy position where many Republicans are eager to give ground is immigration."
I can't imagine why they would be $o eager.
"Tentative deal reached in agriculture dispute
WASHINGTON — A tentative deal has been reached to resolve a dispute between agriculture workers and growers that was standing in the way of a sweeping immigration overhaul bill, a key senator said Tuesday.
Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, who has taken the lead on negotiating a resolution, didn’t provide details, and said that growers had yet to sign off on the agreement. The farm workers union has been at odds with the agriculture industry over worker wages and how many visas should be offered in a new program to bring agriculture workers to the United States.
But Feinstein said she is hoping for resolution in the next day or two....
Feinstein, in a brief interview at the Capitol, said, ‘‘I’m very hopeful. The train is leaving the station. We need a bill.’’
The development comes as a bipartisan group of senators hurries to finish legislation to secure the border and put 11 million immigrants here illegally on a path to citizenship, while also allowing tens of thousands of high- and low-skilled foreign workers into the United States on new visa programs. The agriculture issue was one of a handful of unresolved issues. There’s also still debate over plans to boost visas for high-tech workers.
Do I even need to type it anymore?
See: Sunday Globe Special: H1-B Hijacking
Like I said, letting in terrorists.
The group of four Republican and four Democratic senators had been hoping to release the mammoth immigration bill this week but it’s not clear that deadline will be met.
At least 50 percent and as much as 70 or 80 percent of the nation’s farm workers are here illegally, according to labor and industry estimates.
Where they can't complain about wages, benefits, or anything else.
--more--"
And who benefits?
"Immigration reform advocates rally across Conn.
Hundreds of immigrants, supporters, and elected officials rallied Tuesday in cities across Connecticut to call for federal immigration reform. The events, organized by the Connecticut Immigrant Rights Alliance, took place in Danbury, New Haven, and Bridgeport on Tuesday and were set for Stamford and Hartford on Wednesday. Democratic members of Connecticut’s Legislature are expected to attend the rallies, including Speaker Brendan Sharkey, Senator Andres Ayala, and Representatives Juan Candelaria, Ronald Lemar, and Ezequiel Santiago."
Organized by the party, 'er, nonprofit.
"Vermont Senate to consider immigrant licenses
The Vermont Senate is expected to take up a bill that would allow immigrant farm workers to get driver’s licenses in Vermont. On Wednesday, the Senate is expected to take up the bill, which was approved last week by the Transportation Committee by a vote of 4 to 1. Vermont dairy farms employ an estimated 1,500 Mexican farm workers, many of whom are in this country illegally. They say they are isolated in rural areas and have to get rides from their employer or volunteers or sometimes pay for transportation to the grocery store or doctor."
Also see: Driver’s licenses urged for illegal immigrants
I suppose that would stop them from fleeing arrests and killing people.
"Senate panel strikes immigration deal; Huge overhaul faces obstacles on Capitol Hill" by Erica Werner | Associated Press, April 12, 2013
WASHINGTON — Deals formed during the past day on a new farm-worker program and visas for high-tech workers....
Next will come the uncertain public phase as voters and other lawmakers get a look at the measure. Already, some on the right have made it clear their opposition will be fierce.
Senator Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican, complained that the bill will ensure that millions get amnesty but border enforcement never occurs....
Also see: Illegals Already Have Amnesty
Pro-immigrant activists also were gearing up for a fight even as they expressed optimism that this time Congress will finally succeed in passing an immigration overhaul bill. Many of those pushing for the legislation were involved in the last major immigration fight, in 2007, when a bill came close on the Senate floor but ultimately failed....
Once the legislation is released, it will be considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has a hearing for next Wednesday and will likely begin to amend and vote on the bill the week of May 6. From there, the bill would move to the Senate floor.
Both in committee and on the floor, the bill could change in unpredictable ways as senators try to shape it from the left and the right. The Gang of Eight members — Schumer, Durbin, and Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, both Arizona Republicans, Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, and Democrats Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Michael Bennet of Colorado — have discussed banding together to defeat amendments that could significantly alter the legislation.
Even more uncertain, though, is the conservative-led House, where a bipartisan group is also crafting an immigration bill, though timing of its release is uncertain. Many conservatives in the House remain opposed to citizenship for immigrants who have been living in the United States illegally.
Significant details of the Senate legislation have already become public, through comments from senators or aides, leaks or statements by outside groups....
A new electronic entry-exit system is operating at airports and seaports for tracking holders of temporary visas.
I wonder who wa$ awarded the contract.
It would call for surveillance of 100 percent of the US border with Mexico and apprehension of 90 percent of those trying to cross in certain high-risk areas.
Yeah, kind of thought that was important. You can see the goal coming into view on the horizon.
Six months from enactment, people living in the US illegally could apply for a provisional legal status, as long as the Department of Homeland Security has developed new plans for border security.
So there REALLY is NO WAIT TIME!
To get the provisional legal status, immigrants would have to pay fees, fines, and taxes, undergo a criminal background check, and meet some requirements for showing they have been physically present in the country so that recent arrivals would not qualify, Cesar Conda, Rubio’s chief of staff, said on Twitter on Thursday. He did not provide details.
A new visa program for low-skilled workers would ultimately allow up to 200,000 workers a year into the country for jobs as janitors, construction workers, nursing home attendants, and other occupations.
Those really are jobs Americans don't want or won't do?
Farm workers already here illegally would get a faster path to citizenship than other immigrants, and another new visa program would allow tens of thousands of new workers into the country to labor in the nation’s farms, fields, and dairies.
This is about REPLACING Americans!
A visa program for high-tech workers now capped at 65,000 per year would nearly double, and foreigners getting advanced degrees in math, technology, science, and engineering from US institutions would more easily qualify for permanent residence.
While you are "learning" about gay and global warming garbage, 'murkn kids.
A largely voluntary system called E-Verify that employers can use to check their workers’ legal status would be expanded and made mandatory for all employers.
Many details, however, have not been revealed. In particular, activists are eager to learn the particulars on how much people would have to pay in fees and fines to ultimately get citizenship. They also want to know about other requirements, such as a level of English proficiency....
--more--"
And they expect to unveil the bill this week.
"Negotiators agree on immigration cutoff date; Arrivals after Dec. 2011 would not be eligible" by Ashley Parker | New York Times, April 13, 2013
WASHINGTON — On Friday night, one of the final hurdles for the broad legislation was eliminated when farmworkers and growers reached a deal after several weeks of stalled talks.
As the final details of the plan emerge in advance of its likely rollout on Tuesday, senators in the bipartisan group have begun their final preparations, huddling with their staff and planning to take their case to the public on the Sunday news shows.
I'm so glad I no longer watch those shows.
Rubio, who is often mentioned as a 2016 presidential contender and whose political future perhaps most directly hinges on the immigration legislation, plans to appear on seven Sunday programs, on ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, NBC, Telemundo, and Univision.
Thus all the POSTURING!
Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona and a member of the group, will also appear on CNN’s ‘‘State of the Union.’’
Just don't call anyone a monkey, 'kay?
All four Democratic members of the bipartisan group will also make television appearances on Sunday....
Rubio, whose support will be critical to selling the legislation to reluctant Republicans and grass-roots conservatives, has already been reaching out behind the scenes, telephoning and holding one-on-one meetings with fellow Republicans and members of the conservative news media.
He has repeatedly called for a transparent process with multiple public hearings, and he is now working with the Republican Policy Committee, whose chairman is Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, to hold hearings on the immigration legislation.
An aide to Rubio said he was also reaching out to other senators, including Democrats, to try to find a way to hold additional bipartisan hearings.
Just days before the senators hope to introduce their legislation, most of the legislative language has been written....
Separate but parallel deals have also been reached between the business and labor communities for a low-skilled worker program, as well as an agriculture worker program. Both farmworkers and children brought to the country illegally by their parents — a group known as Dreamers — would qualify for an expedited path to citizenship.
And if you join the military they will give it to you right now!
Over time, the new legislation would also shift the emphasis from family-based immigration to a system that focuses more on skills.
Once again, familie$ are forgotten.
--more--"
But it's a victory for Rubio.
"Senator Marco Rubio defends immigration deal; GOP senator stresses security, toughness in bill" by Philip Elliott | Associated Press, April 15, 2013
WASHINGTON — Senator Marco Rubio, who is among the eight senators writing an immigration overhaul bill due to come out Tuesday, gave a spirited defense of the bipartisan deal on Sunday and insisted that it would not amount to an amnesty.
The Florida Republican said in a round of appearances on the Sunday news shows that the emerging legislation would have tough enforcement provisions and strict penalties for those who came to the United States illegally or overstayed their visit.
Though the deal does include a long and difficult process for the 11 million individuals in question, Rubio said the proposal does not include an amnesty provision that fellow conservatives have called a deal-breaker.
It does, but what's one more lying politician in a sea of them?
‘‘We’re not awarding anybody anything. All we’re doing is giving people the opportunity to eventually earn access to our new, improved, and modernized legal immigration system,’’ said Rubio, a Cuban-American.
I gue$$ crime doe$ pay $ometimes.
But among some of his fellow Republicans, there are serious doubts.
‘‘I’m not convinced,’’ said Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama. ‘‘I know Senator Rubio’s heart is exactly right. And I really respect the work of the ‘Gang of Eight.’ But they have produced legislation . . . that will give amnesty now, legalize everyone that’s here effectively today and then there’s a promise of enforcement in the future.’’
Senator Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, added: ‘‘The pathway to citizenship, right now, before those other elements are in place, is the deal-breaker for me.’’
He said he could consider supporting the proposal only if the first priority were border security.
Rubio said he would abandon the overhaul effort if enforcement, border security, and other elements are softened to his dissatisfaction.
With an eye on a possible White House run in 2016, Rubio has been careful not to appear weak on border security or create political problems among the conservatives who have great sway in picking the GOP’s nominee.
Rubio also said it might be better for immigrants to return to their home countries and start the process from scratch. ‘‘So I would argue that the existing law is actually more lenient, that going back and waiting 10 years is going to be cheaper and faster than going through this process that we are outlining,’’ he said.
Rubio pressed his case during interviews on ABC’s ‘‘This Week,’’ CBS’s ‘‘Face the Nation,’’ CNN’s ‘‘State of the Union’’, ‘‘Fox News Sunday,’’ and NBC’s ‘‘Meet the Press.’’ He also appeared on the Spanish-language networks Telemundo and Univision.
Other lawmakers helping to write the legislation acknowledged the political challenges of the issue.
‘‘A lot of my conservative colleagues have significant questions, and they’re legitimate,’’ Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, said on CNN. ‘‘This is the start of a process, this is a vehicle that requires hearings, requires input, and we welcome all of that. . . . I am guardedly optimistic that we will see finally the end of this long, long trek that a lot of us have been on for many years.’’
At least he didn't call anyone a wetback or monkey.
Related: MSM Ignores John McCain's Racism
Well....
The measure would put millions who are in the United States illegally on a 13-year path to citizenship, while toughening border security requirements, mandating that all employers check the legal status of workers, and allowing tens of thousands of new high- and low-skilled workers into the country.
The legislation is expected to include a new emphasis on merit-based immigration over family ties.
‘‘This is a very balanced bill. The American people have told us to do two things: one, prevent future flows of illegal immigration; and then, come up with a common-sense solution for legal immigration. And that’s what our bill does,’’ Senator Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said on the ABC program.
We've told you a lot, but you never do them. More often it is the exact opposite of what we want, Chuck.
And he emceed Obama's reinauguration?
All this, however, is contingent on the border security and enforcement, Rubio said....
--more--"
And that CHANGING FACE of the GOP:
"Republican donors back reform on immigrants" by Steve Peoples | Associated Press, April 16, 2013
Business leaders and donors who raised tens of millions in the last election are meeting with top GOP fund-raisers and Republican lawmakers who may be reluctant to support what critics call ‘‘amnesty’’ for immigrants who broke the law.
A coalition of fund-raisers who favor overhauling immigration is also funneling donations to outside groups to protect like-minded congressional Republicans who fear a backlash by the GOP’s core supporters.
A bipartisan group of senators had planned Tuesday to unveil a sweeping immigration bill that would secure the border, remake legal immigration, boost workplace enforcement, and put 11 million people here illegally on a path to citizenship.
But Senator John McCain of Arizona said the rollout could happen Wednesday because of the Boston Marathon attack....
Related: Marathon Bombing Means NoPP Tuesday
The "terrorists" not only saved me $2, they helped make my post more timely.
In most cases, the donors supporting the immigration bill have ties to Wall Street and businesses that want more high- and low-skilled immigrants in the nation’s legal labor pool.
Yeah, I DID THINK THAT was KIND OF IMPORTANT!
I guess you gotta go get the MIDDLE-SKILLED JOBS, American!
(FYI, the Army recruiting office is at the mall)
Backed by the US Chamber of Commerce, these business-minded Republican fund-raisers say they’re getting a relatively receptive audience in the face of an undeniable new political reality.
Well, something is being shoved in our faces anyway.
Of course, it is a WONDERFUL DISTORTION and DECEPTION if you like that kind of thing.
Record Hispanic turnout helped President Obama defeat Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney last fall.
Who?
And projected population growth ensures that immigrants’ political clout will grow stronger.
Thus the Democrats are out front.
The network of Republican donors is at odds with many on the GOP’s right flank — Tea Party activists among them....
Translation: they are at odds with those who populate their party.
Oh, btw, Tea Partiers were in Boston just before the bombing. Hmmmmmmmm.
‘‘Immigrants are an important part of this economy and they’re an important part of my business,’’ said Frank Vandersloot, an Idaho businessman who steered more than $1 million to a group backing Romney last year and gave tens of thousands more to others.
Here is an interesting exercise: imagine for one minute Romney had won the election. Seeing as the plans never change regarding who is president or what party controls Congress because they both represent the same intere$t$, imagine the uproar that would have come from conservatives after Romney's inauguration when he would have declared he was tackling immigration reform (undoubtedly due to the thin margin by which he would have won). Then further imagine conservative ire when he would have backed gun-control legislation in response to Newtown.
Of course, that wouldn't have happened because we would have gone a different way, right?
--more--"
Aren't those "his people?"
